IP Library Granted Patent US 7,529,676
Granted Patent B2
US 7,529,676 · App. 10/581,823 · Granted May 5, 2009

Audio device control device, audio device control method, and program

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,529,676
App. No.
10/581,823
Granted
May 5, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A language analyzer 2 performs speech recognition on a speech input by a speech input unit 1 , specifies a possible word which is represented by the speech, and the score thereof, and supplies word data representing them to an agent processing unit 6 . The agent processing unit 6 stores process item data which defines a data acquisition process to acquire word data or the like, a discrimination process, and an input/output process, and wires or data defining transition from one process to another and giving a weighting factor to the transition, and executes a flow represented generally by the process item data and the wires to thereby control devices belonging to an input/output target device group 5 . To which process in the flow the transition takes place is determined by the weighting factor of each wire, which is determined by the connection relationship between a point where the process has proceeded and the wire, and the score of word data. The wire and the process item data can be downloaded from an external server.

Claims (43)

1. An audio device control device for controlling an audio device for reproducing music comprising:

music specification information storing means which stores specification information for specifying the music in advance;

constant storing means which stores a phrase and a predetermined constant in association with one another in advance;

speech recognition means which acquires speech data representing a speech, and specifies a candidate for a phrase included in said speech by performing speech recognition on said speech data, and calculates likelihood for each of the candidate of the specified phrase;

operational status information acquisition means which acquires operational status information indicating an operational status of the audio device to be controlled; and

audio device control means which calculates a parameter for specifying music based on the predetermined constant corresponding to the phrase specified by the speech recognition means and the likelihood calculated by the speech recognition means, specifies music reproduced by the audio device based on the operational status acquired by said operational status information acquisition means and on the calculated parameter; and controls said audio device for reproducing the specified music.

2. The audio device control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

environmental information acquisition means which acquires environmental data indicating environmental circumstances in which an external audio device is employed; and

wherein the audio device control means specifies music reproduced by the audio device based on the environmental data acquired by the environmental information acquisition means.

3. The audio device control device according to claim 2 , wherein said environmental data comprises data indicating a current location of the audio device or data indicating a sound insulation circumstance of the environment under which said audio device is used.

4. The audio device control device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

map storing means which stores map information in advance; and

location acquisition means which acquires current location of the audio device,

wherein the music discrimination information storing means stores specification information for specifying the music and geographical characteristics in association with one another; and

the audio device control means acquires the environmental data indicating geographical characteristics of the current location based on the stored map information and the acquired current location, and specifies music indicated by specification information corresponding to the acquired geographical characteristics as music reproduced by the audio device.

5. The audio device control device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

time acquisition means for acquiring the current time; and

wherein the music discrimination information storing means stores discrimination information for discrimination the music and time characteristics with corresponding to with respect to one another; and

the audio device control means acquires the environmental data indicating time characteristics including the current time, and specifies music indicated by specification information corresponding to the acquired time characteristics as music reproduced by the audio device.

6. The audio device control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

utterer specification means which specifies an utterer of said speech or an attribute of the utterer based on said speech data acquired by the speech recognition means; and

wherein the audio device control means specifies music reproduced by the audio device based on the utterer or on the attribute of the utterer both specified by the utterer specification means.

7. The audio device control device according to claim 6 ,

wherein the music discrimination information storing means stores history information indicating history of music reproduced by the audio device and user information specifying a user with corresponding to with respect one another; and

the audio device control means specifies music reproduced by the audio device based on history information corresponding to the utterer or an attribute of the utterer both specified by the utterer specification means.

8. The audio device control device according to claim 6 ,

wherein the history information which includes at least one of the genre of the reproduced music, the artist of the reproduced music, and the date of the reproduced music.

9. The audio device control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the audio device control means calculates the parameter represented by product given by the predetermined constant multiplied by the likelihood and specifies music reproduced by the audio device based on the phrase candidate corresponding to the largest parameter.

10. The audio device control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the audio device includes a plurality of reproduction means for reproducing music; and

the audio device control means specifies music reproduced by the audio device based on the operational status indicating as to which reproduction means of the plurality of reproduction means is employed by the audio device for present reproduction.

11. The audio device control device according to claim 1 , comprising:

the music discrimination information storing means which stores discrimination information for discriminating the music and at least one of music title and artist title in association with one another; and

the audio device control means specifies music title or artist title including a phrase specified by the speech recognition means and controls the audio device in such a way as to reproduce music corresponding to the specified music title or the specified artist title.

12. An audio device control method for controlling an audio device reproducing music, comprising:

a speech recognition step of acquiring speech data representing a speech, specifying a candidate for a phrase included in said speech by performing speech recognition on said speech data, and calculating likelihood for each of the candidate of the specified phrase;

an operational status acquisition step of acquiring an operational status of an audio device to be controlled; and

an audio device control step of calculating a parameter for specifying music based on a predetermined constant corresponding to the phrase specified the speech recognition step in advance and on the likelihood calculated by the speech recognition means, specifying music reproduced by the audio device based on the operational status acquired by the operational status information acquisition step and on the calculated parameter, and controlling said audio device in such a way as to reproduce the specified music.

13. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program that allows a computer for controlling an audio device for reproducing music to execute:

a speech recognition step of acquiring speech data representing a speech, and specifying a candidate for a phrase included in said speech by performing speech recognition on said speech data, and calculating likelihood for each of the candidate of the specified phrase;

an operational status acquisition step of acquiring an operational status of an audio device to be controlled; and

an audio device control step of calculating a parameter for specifying music based on a predetermined constant corresponding to the phrase specified by the speech recognition step in advance and on the likelihood calculated by the speech recognition means, specifying music reproduced by the audio device based on the operational status acquired by the operational status information acquisition step and on the calculated parameter, and controlling said audio device in such a way as to reproduce the specified music.

Assignments (6)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE PATENT NUMBERS 10342096;10671117; 10716375; 10716376;10795407;10795408; AND 10827591 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58314 FRAME: 657. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 29, 2024
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 068066/0103 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 6, 2021
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 058314/0657 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 17, 2015
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN, INC.
Reel/Frame 037751/0006 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 26, 2014
From: JVC KENWOOD CORPORATION
To: RAKUTEN, INC.
Reel/Frame 032535/0108 →
MERGER Recorded Apr 6, 2012
From: KENWOOD CORPORATION
To: JVC KENWOOD CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 028001/0636 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2007
From: KOYAMA, RIKA
To: KABUSHIKIKAISHA KENWOOD
Reel/Frame 019278/0398 →