Method for terminating a telephone call by voice command

Claim 2

A speech communications device having a voice command system for controlling a voice communication path established by said speech communications device, said voice communication path being controlled by a command signal provided by said control system in response to user-spoken command words, said control system comprising: speech recognition means for recognizing sequential first and second user-spoken utterances at least during the time said voice communication path is established, said speech recognition means including; first means for recognizing, during the time said voice communication path is established, said first user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a first predetermined command word, and for producing a first detect signal in response to such recognition, second means for recognizing said second user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a second predetermined command word, for producing a second detect signal if said second predetermined command word is recognized, and for cancelling said recognition of said first predetermined command word if said second predetermined command word is not recognized; and decision means for providing said command signal in response to said second detect signal occurring within a predetermined recognition time interval after said first detect signal.

Claim 3

The speech communications device according to claim 1, further comprising: third means for recognizing a third user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to third predetermined command word, and for producing a third detect signal in response to such recognition; and correction means for preventing said decision means from providing said command signal if said third detect signal occurs within a predetermined verification time interval after said second detect signal.

Claim 4

The speech communications device according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined recognition time interval is less than 5 seconds.

Claim 5

The speech communications device according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined verification time interval is less than 10 seconds.

Claim 6

A speech communications device having a hands-free user-interaction voice command control system including means for switching said communications device from an off-hook mode, wherein a communications path is established, to on-hook mode, wherein said communications path is terminated, in response to an on-hook signal, said control system comprising: first means for recognizing, in said off-hook mode, a first user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a first predetermined terminate command word, and for producing a first detect signal in response to such recognition; timer means for measuring a pause time interval between the end of said first user-spoken utterance and the start of a sequential second user-spoken utterance, and for providing a timer signal only if said measured pause time interval is less than a predetermined maximum pause time interval; second means for recognizing said second user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a second predetermined terminate command word, for producing a second detect signal if said second predetermined terminate command word is recognized, and for cancelling said first detect signal if said second predetermined terminate command word is not recognized; and decision means for providing a disconnect signal only in response to said timer signal and the sequential occurrence of said first and second detect signals, such that the recognition of said second terminate command word does not cause termination of said communications path if said measured pause time interval exceeds said predetermined maximum pause time interval.

Claim 7

A speech communications device having a hands-free user-interaction voice command control system including means for switching said communications device from an off-hook mode, wherein a communications path is established, to on-hook mode, wherein said communications path is terminated, in response to an on-hook signal, said control system comprising: first means for recognizing, in said off-hook mode, a first user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a first predetermined terminate command word, and for producing a first detect signal in response to such recognition; timer means for measuring a pause time interval between the end of said first user-spoken utterance and the start of a sequential second user-spoken utterance, and for providing a timer signal only if said measured pause time interval is less than a predetermined maximum pause time interval; second means for recognizing said second user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a second predetermined terminate command word, for producing a second detect signal if said second predetermined terminate command word is recognized, and for cancelling said first detect signal if said second predetermined terminate command word is not recognized; and decision means for providing a disconnect signal only in response to said timer signal and the sequential occurrence of said first and second detect signals, such that the recognition of said second terminate command word does not cause termination of said communications path if said measured pause time interval exceeds said predetermined maximum pause time interval.

Claim 8

The speech communications device according to claim 5, further comprising: means for providing an indication to a user in response to said disconnect signal; third means for recognizing a user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a predetermined error command word, and for producing an error signal in response to such recognition; and correction means for providing said on-hook signal in response to said disconnect signal only if said error signal does not occur within a predetermined reconnect time interval after the occurrence of said disconnect signal, such that the recognition of said error command word within said predetermined reconnect time interval prevents the recognition of said terminate command words from causing termination of said communications path.

Claim 9

The speech communications device according to claim 5, wherein said speech communications device is a mobile radiotelephone.

Claim 10

The speech communications device according to claim 5, wherein said speech communications device includes a speakerphone.

Claim 11

The speech communication device according to claim 6, wherein said first, second, and third recognizing means implement connected-word speech recognition.

Claim 12

The speech communications device according to claim 5, wherein said first and second predetermined terminate command words each have at least two syllables.

Claim 13

The speech communications device according to claim 5, wherein said predetermined maximum pause time interval is less than 1 second.

Claim 14

The speech communications device according to claim 6, wherein said indication providing means is a speech synthesizer.

Claim 15

The speech communications device according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined reconnect time interval is less than 10 seconds.

Claim 18

The method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of: providing an indication to a user in response to said first device control signal; recognizing a third user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a third predetermined command word, and producing an error signal in response to such recognition; and producing a second device control signal in response to said first device control signal only if said error signal does not occur within a predetermined reconnect time interval after the occurrence of said first device control signal.

Claim 19

The method according to claim 14, wherein said speech communications device is a mobile radiotelephone.

Claim 20

The method according to claim 14, wherein said speech communications device includes a speakerphone.

Claim 21

The method according to claim 14, wherein all recognizing steps are performed using connected-word speech recognition.

Claim 22

The method according to claim 14, wherein said first and second predetermined command words each have at least two syllables.

Claim 23

The method according to claim 14, wherein said predetermined maximum pause time interval is less than 1 second.

Claim 24

The method according to claim 15, wherein said indication providing step is performed using speech synthesis.

Claim 25

The method according to claim 15, wherein said predetermined reconnect time interval is less than 10 seconds.

Claim 26

The speech communication device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second predetermined command words each have separate and distinct speech recognition templates.

Claim 27

The speech communication device according to claim 1, wherein said speech recognition means is only responsive to said second predetermined command word spoken during said predetermined recognition time interval.

Claim 28

The speech communication device according to claim 1, wherein said command signal functions to interrupt said voice communication path.

Claim 29

The speech communication device according to claim 5, wherein said first and second predetermined terminate command words each have separate and distinct speech recognition templates.

Claim 30

The speech communication device according to claim 5, wherein said first and second recognizing means recognize user-spoken utterances at least when said communications path is established.

Claim 31

The speech communication device according to claim 5, wherein said disconnect signal is provided only when said first and second predetermined terminate command words are spoken during the time said communication path is established.

Claim 32

The speech communication device according to claim 5, further comprising means for providing said on-hook signal in response to said disconnect signal.

Claim 33

The method according to claim 14, wherein said first and second predetermined command words each have separate and distinct speech recognition templates.

Claim 34

The method according to claim 14, wherein said first device control signal is provided only when said first and second predetermined command words are spoken during the time said voice communication path is established.

Claim 35

The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of interrupting said voice communication path in response to said first device control signal.

Claim 36

The method according to claim 15, wherein said second device control signal functions to interrupt said voice communication path.

Claim 37

A voice command control system for controlling a speech communications device having a voice communication path established for the user, said voice communication path being controlled by a command signal provided by said control system in response to user-spoken command words, said control system comprising: first means for recognizing, during the time said voice communication path is established, a first user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a first predetermined command word, and for producing a first detect signal in response to such recognition; second means to recognizing a sequential second user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a second predetermined command word, for producing a second detect signal if said second predetermined command word is recognized, and for cancelling the effect of said first predetermined command word recognition if said second predetermined command word is not recognized; decision means for providing said command signal in response to the occurrence of both said first and second detect signals; third means for recognizing a user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a third predetermined command word, and for producing a third detect signal in response to such recognition; and correction means for preventing said decision means from providing said command signal if said third detect signal occurs within a predetermined verification time interval after said second detect signal.

Claim 38

A voice command control system for controlling a speech communications device having a voice communication path established for the user, said voice communication path being controlled by a command signal provided by said control system in response to user-spoken command words, said control system comprising: first means for recognizing, during the time said voice communication path is established, a first user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a first predetermined command word, and for producing a first detect signal in response to such recognition; second means to recognizing a sequential second user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a second predetermined command word, for producing a second detect signal if said second predetermined command word is recognized, and for cancelling the effect of said first predetermined command word recognition if said second predetermined command word is not recognized; decision means for providing said command signal in response to the occurrence of both said first and second detect signals; third means for recognizing a user-spoken utterance as one corresponding to a third predetermined command word, and for producing a third detect signal in response to such recognition; and correction means for preventing said decision means from providing said command signal if said third detect signal occurs within a predetermined verification time interval after said second detect signal.

Claim 39

The voice command control system according to claim 34, wherein said first and second predetermined command words each have separate and distinct speech recognition templates.

Claim 40

The voice command control system according to claim 37, wherein said command signal is provided only when said second predetermined command word is spoken during said predetermined recognition time interval.

Claim 41

The voice command control system according to claim 34, wherein said decision means provides said command signal only in response to said second detect signal occurring within a predetermined recognition time interval after said first detect signal.

Claim 42

The voice command control system according to claim 37, wherein said command signal is provided only when said first and second predetermined command words are spoken during the time said voice communication path is established.

Claim 43

The voice command control system according to claim 34, wherein said command signal functions to interrupt said voice communication path.

Claim 46

The method according to claim 40, wherein said first and second predetermined command words are each recognized using separate and distinct speech recognition templates.

Claim 47

The method according to claim 40, further comprising the step of measuring a pause time interval between the end of said first user-spoken utterance and the start of said subsequently-spoken utterance, and providing said first device control signal only if said measured pause time interval does not exceed a predetermined maximum pause time interval.

Claim 48

The method according to claim 42, wherein only said second predetermined command word can be recognized during said maximum pause time interval.