Speech recognition user interface

A speech recognition system comprising:

• an application;
• a vocabulary accessible by the application, the vocabulary holding a set of utterances applicable to the application;
• a grammar that holds a subset of the utterances in the vocabulary;
• a speech recognition engine to recognize the utterances in the grammar within a predetermined response time, the speech recognition engine being configured to enter a dormant state if the utterances are not recognized within the predetermined response of time;
• and
• a user interface to display a countdown graphic that changes with lapsing of the response time, wherein the user interface restarts the countdown graphic in the event the speech recognition engine recognizes the one of the utterances.

A user interface for an speech recognition system, the user interface comprising:

• a display;
• an audio input to receive audible utterances;
• a graphic shown on the display that indicates a fixed response time in which the speech recognition system is awaiting receipt of an utterance via the audio input, the graphic diminishing in size with the passage of time, the graphic returning to an original size after each recognized utterance;
• and
• an audio generator to emit a first audible sound when the speech recognition system recognizes the utterance, the audio generator being further configured to emit a second audible sound when the fixed response time has expired before the utterance has been recognized, the second sound indicating that the speech recognition system has entered a dormant state.

A vehicle computer system comprising:

• a computer;
• an open platform operating system executing on the computer, the operating system being configured to support multiple applications;
• and
• a speech recognition system to detect utterances used to control at least one of the applications running on the computer, the speech recognition system having a user interface to provide visual and auditory feedback indicating whether an utterance is recognized, the user interface being configured to play a first audible sound indicating recognition of the utterance and to display a graphic that diminishes in size from an original size with the passage of time, the graphic returning to the original size after each recognized utterance, the user interface being further configured to emit a second audible sound when a predetermined response time has expired before the utterance has been recognized, the second sound indicating that the speech recognition system has entered a dormant state.

A collaboration system involving multiple interconnected devices comprising:

• a voice input mechanism resident at each of the devices;
• an audio output system resident at each of the devices;
• and
• a user interface to provide visual and auditory feedback indicating when a party located at one of the devices can speak, the user interface being configured to play an audible sound when the party can begin speaking and to display a graphic that changes with lapsing of time to indicate a duration that the party can speak, the graphic diminishing in size from an original size with the passage of time, the graphic returning to the original size after each recognized utterance, wherein the user interface plays an audible sound upon recognizing an utterance within the duration that the party can speak, the user interface emitting a second audible sound when the duration has expired before the utterance has been recognized, the second sound indicating that the speech recognition system has entered a dormant state.

A method for operating a speech recognition system, comprising the following steps:

• initiating a response time in which to receive an audible utterance;
• displaying a graphic representing the response time;
• playing a first sound when an audible utterance is recognized;
• changing the graphic to indicate passage of the response time such that the graphic diminishes in size from an original size with the passage of time;
• responsive to recognizing an utterance, presenting the graphic in the original size;
• and
• responsive to expiration of the response time before the audible utterance has been recognized, emitting a second sound to indicate that the speech recognition system has entered a dormant state.