US 8,340,975 B1Granted

Interactive speech recognition device and system for hands-free building control

OwnerTheodore Alfred Rosenbergerinventor

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Abstract

A self-contained wireless interactive speech recognition control device and system that integrates with automated systems and appliances to provide totally hands-free speech control capabilities for a given space. Preferably, each device comprises a programmable microcontroller having embedded speech recognition and audio output capabilities, a microphone, a speaker and a wireless communication system through which a plurality of devices can communicate with each other and with one or more system controllers or automated mechanisms. The device may be enclosed in a stand-alone housing or within a standard electrical wall box. Several devices may be installed in close proximity to one another to ensure hands-free coverage throughout the space. When two or more devices are triggered simultaneously by the same speech command, real time coordination ensures that only one device will respond to the command.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An interactive, self-contained, speech recognition control device that is adapted for use in an automated building control system in which a plurality of functionally identical devices are positioned at different locations throughout a building space to enable a system user to control the actions of the system, via speech commands only, from various locations within the building space, as well as to enable such device to audibly interact with the system user, said device comprising a housing operatively supporting:

(a) a microphone for converting spoken words, emanating from a system user located within said building space, to corresponding electrical signals;
(b) a programmable microcontroller, operatively coupled to the microphone and comprising embedded software and circuitry serving to:
(i) continuously monitor said electrical signals in order to recognize when a trigger phrase from an expected vocabulary has likely been spoken,
(ii) produce a weighted signal having a value representing the quality of a just-recognized trigger phrase, and
(iii) in the event the value of said weighted signal exceeds the respective values of all weighted signals produced by other devices located within said building space that have simultaneously recognized the same trigger phrase, produce audible user interactions and system control signals by which a desired effect, reflective of speech commands uttered by the system user and recognized by said device, is achieved within the building space by automated mechanisms that respond to said system control signals;
(c) a transmitter operatively coupled to said microcontroller for selectively transmitting said weighted signal and said system control signals into said building space;
(d) a receiver, operatively coupled to said microcontroller, for receiving (i) weighted signals emanating from one or more other functionally identical interactive speech recognition control devices within said building space, and/or (ii) coordination signal derived from said weighted signals by an independent coordinating controller;
and
(e) audio output circuitry through which said microcontroller can transmit audible sounds to interact with and provide indications of the system status to the system user.

6 more elements

An automated building control system comprising:

a plurality of automated mechanisms that respond to predetermined system control signals to achieve a desired effect within a building space;
and
a plurality of functionally identical, interactive, self-contained, speech recognition control devices that are configured to be positioned at different locations throughout said building space to enable a system user to control the operation of said automated building control system, via speech commands only, from various locations within said building space, each of said control devices including a housing operatively supporting:
(a) a microphone for converting spoken words, emanating from a system user located within said building space, to corresponding electrical signals;
(b) a programmable microcontroller, operatively coupled to the microphone and comprising embedded software and circuitry serving to:
(i) continuously monitor said electrical signals in order to recognize when a trigger phrase from an expected vocabulary has likely been spoken,
(ii) produce a weighted signal having a value representing the quality of a just-recognized trigger phrase, and
(iii) in the event the value of said weighted signal exceeds the respective values of all weighted signals produced by other devices located within said building space that have simultaneously recognized the same trigger phrase, produce audible user interactions and system control signals by which a desired effect, reflective of the speech commands uttered by the system user and recognized by said device, is achieved within the building space by automated mechanisms that respond to said system control signals;
(c) a transmitter operatively coupled to said microcontroller for selectively transmitting said weighted signal and said system control signals into said building space;
(d) a receiver, operatively coupled to said microcontroller, for receiving (i) weighted signals emanating from one or more other functionally identical interactive speech recognition control devices within said building space, and/or (ii) coordination signal derived from said weighted signals by an independent coordinating controller;
and
(e) audio output circuitry through which said microcontroller can transmit audible sounds to interact with and provide indications of the system status to the system user;
each of the respective microcontrollers of said control devices operating to compare the respective values of weighted signals received from said other control devices with the value of the weighted signal it has produced to determine whether said microcontroller will produce any subsequent user interactions and said system control signals for transmission into said building space.

10 more elements

An automated building control system comprising:

a plurality of automated mechanisms that respond to predetermined system control signals to achieve a desired effect within a building space;
a plurality of functionally identical, interactive, self-contained, speech recognition control devices that are configured to be positioned at different locations throughout said building space to enable a system user to control the operation of said automated building control system, via speech commands only, from various locations within said building space, each of said devices including a housing operatively supporting:
(a) a microphone for converting spoken words, emanating from a system user located within said building space, to corresponding electrical signals;
(b) a programmable microcontroller, operatively coupled to the microphone and comprising embedded software and circuitry serving to:
(i) continuously monitor said electrical signals in order to recognize when a trigger phrase from an expected vocabulary has likely been spoken,
(ii) produce a weighted signal having a value representing the quality of a just-recognized trigger phrase, and
(iii) in the event the value of said weighted signal exceeds the respective values of all weighted signals produced by other devices located within said building space that have simultaneously recognized the same trigger phrase, produce audible user interactions and system control signals by which a desired effect, reflective of the speech commands uttered by the system user and recognized by said device, is achieved within the building space by automated mechanisms that respond to said system control signals;
(c) a transmitter operatively coupled to said microcontroller for selectively transmitting said weighted signal and said system control signals into said building space;
(d) a receiver, operatively coupled to said microcontroller, for receiving (i) weighted signals emanating from one or more other functionally identical interactive speech recognition control devices within said building space, and/or (ii) coordination signal derived from said weighted signals by an independent coordinating controller;
and
(e) audio output circuitry through which said microcontroller can transmit audible sounds to interact with and provide indications of the system status to the system user;
and
(c) a coordinating controller being positioned within said building space and adapted to receive and compare the respective weighted signals produced by a plurality of control devices that have simultaneously recognized a given trigger phrase to determine which one of said plurality of control devices will control subsequent handling of said given trigger phrase, said coordinating controller being configured to transmit a signal to one or more of said control devices to implement that determination.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.