The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 09, 1999
Filed:
Aug. 20, 1996
Yasunaga Miyazawa, Suwa, JP;
Mitsuhiro Inazumi, Suwa, JP;
Hiroshi Hasegawa, Suwa, JP;
Isao Edatsune, Suwa, JP;
Osamu Urano, Suwa, JP;
Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Techniques for implementing adaptable voice activation operations for interactive speech recognition devices and instruments. Specifically, such speech recognition devices and instruments include an input sound signal power or volume detector in communication with a central CPU for bringing the CPU out of an initial sleep state upon detection of perceived voice exceeding a predetermined threshold volume level and is continuously perceived for at least a certain period of time. If both these conditions are satisfied, the CPU is transitioned into an active mode so that the perceived voice can be analyzed against a set of registered key words to determine if a 'power on' command or similar instruction has been received. If so, the CPU maintains an active state in normal speech recognition processing ensues until a 'power off' command is received. However, if the perceived and analyzed voice can not be recognized, it is deemed to be background noise and the minimum threshold is selectively updated to accommodate the volume level of the perceived but unrecognized voice. Other aspects include tailoring the volume level of the synthesized voice response according to the perceived volume level as detected by the input sound signal power detector, as well as modifying audible response volume in accordance with updated volume threshold levels.