Global speech user interface

1. A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions, which when loaded into a communications system establishes a global speech user interface (GSUI), said GSUI comprising:

means for performing speech recognition to transcribe spoken commands into commands acceptable by said communications system;

means for using the transcribed spoken commands to navigate among applications hosted on said communications system; and

means for displaying a set of visual cues to guide a user in issuing proper spoken commands, said visual cues comprising:

a set of immediate speech feedback overlays, each of which provides non-textual feedback information about a state of said communications system;

a set of help overlays, each of which provides a context-sensitive list of frequently used speech-activated commands for each screen of every speech-activated application;

a set of feedback overlays, each of which provides information about a problem that said communications system is experiencing; and

a main menu overlay that shows a list of services available to the user, each of said services being accessible by spoken command.

2. The GSUI of claim 1 , further comprising a user center that provides any of:

training and tutorials on how to use said communications system;

more help with specific speech-activated applications;

user account management; and

user settings and preferences for said communications system.

3. The GSUI of claim 2 , wherein each of said immediate speech feedback overlays provides non-textual feedback information about a state of said communications system, said state being any of:

listening to the user's spoken command;

non-speech enabled alert

speech recognition processing;

application alert;

positive speech recognition; and

speech recognition unsuccessful.

4. The GSUI of claim 2 , wherein each of said help overlays is accessible at all times.

5. The GSUI of claim 2 , wherein said list of speech-activated commands provided by said help overlay comprises any of:

a set of application-specific commands;

a command associated with the user center for more help;

a command associated to said main menu display; and

a command to make said overlay disappear.

6. The GSUI of claim 2 , wherein said set of feedback overlays comprises any of:

a set of recognition feedback overlays that informs the user of a situation related to recognition; and

a set of application overlays that informs the user of an error or a problem related to an application used in said GSUI.

7. The GSUI of claim 6 , wherein said set of recognition feedback overlays, in responding to unsuccessful recognitions that immediately follow one another, is displayed in three different modes comprising:

a first mode wherein said immediate speech feedback indicator changes to a question mark in responding to the first unsuccessful recognition;

a second mode wherein a textual message and a link to said help overlay are displayed in responding to the second unsuccessful recognition; and

a third mode wherein a textual message, a link to said help overlay, and a link to said more help overlay are displayed in responding to the third and subsequent unsuccessful recognition.

8. The GSUI of claim 1 , wherein said visual cues further comprises a treatment of on-screen text which can be activated by a spoken command.

9. The GSUI of claim 8 , wherein said treatment is an overlay in round shape and green color.

10. The GSUI of claim 8 , wherein said treatment can be turned on or off by the user.

11. The GSUI of claim 8 , wherein said on-screen text comprises any of:

a static text used in labels for on-screen graphics or in virtual buttons that may be selected by a cursor; and

a dynamic text used in content wherein one or more words can be activated by a spoken command.

12. The GSUI of claim 1 , wherein any of said help overlays, feedback overlays and main menu overlay is implemented in a dialog box, said dialog box comprising any of:

one or more text box for textual information; and

one or more virtual buttons.

13. The GSUI of claim 12 , wherein said dialog box further comprises an identity indicator.

14. The GSUI of claim 13 , wherein said dialog box has an approximately transparent background.

15. The GSUI of claim 13 , wherein said dialog box has an opaque background.

16. The GSUI of claim 14 , wherein said approximately transparent background is incorporated with a dynamic image to enhance said identity indicator.

17. The GSUI of claim 14 , wherein said approximately transparent background is incorporated with a static image to enhance said identity indicator.

18. The GSUI of claim 14 , wherein said text box is overlaid on said approximately transparent background.

19. The GSUI of claim 1 , wherein said main menu overlay comprises:

a first sub-menu overlay specifically for access to an interactive program guide system which provides cable television service;

a second sub-menu overlay specifically for access to a video on demand system which provides cable video service; and

a third sub-menu overlay specifically for access to a walled garden system which provides browser-based Internet service;

wherein each of said sub-menus provides a set of speech-activated virtual buttons.

20. The GSUI of claim 1 , further comprising a speaker personalization and identification mechanism that allows users to train said communications system to identify respective users by voice.

21. The GSUI of claim 20 , wherein said speaker personalization and identification mechanism is programmed to present different custom interfaces and personalized television content for different respective trained speakers.

22. The GSUI of claim 21 , wherein said speaker personalization and identification mechanism is programmed to access blocked content response to one or more utterances from a given speaker.

23. A method of providing a global speech user interface, comprising operations of:

performing speech recognition to transcribe spoken input into commands satisfying predetermined criteria;

using the transcribed spoken commands to navigate among predetermined applications;

displaying a set of visual cues to guide a user in issuing proper spoken commands, said visual cues comprising:

a set of immediate speech feedback overlays, each of which provides non-textual feedback information about a state of said global speech user interface;

a set of help overlays, each of which provides a context-sensitive list of frequently used speech-activated commands for screens of speech-activated ones of the predetermined applications;

a set of feedback overlays, each of which provides information about a problem that said global speech user interface is experiencing; and

a main menu overlay that shows a list of services available to the user, each of said services being accessible by spoken command.

24. A global speech user interface system, comprising:

a speech recognition system transcribing spoken input into machine-recognizable commands;

a navigation system using the transcribed spoken commands to navigate among predetermined applications;

an overlay system programmed to display a set of visual cues to guide a user in issuing proper spoken commands, said visual cues comprising:

a set of immediate speech feedback overlays, each of which provides non-textual feedback information about a state of said global speech user interface system;

a set of help overlays, each of which provides a context-sensitive list of frequently used speech-activated commands for screens of speech-activated ones of the predetermined applications;

a set of feedback overlays, each of which provides information about a problem that said global speech user interface system is experiencing; and

a main menu overlay that shows a list of services available to the user, each of said services being accessible by spoken command.