INTEGRATED VOICE SEARCH COMMANDS FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICES
A method implemented on a mobile device that includes speech recognition functionality involves presenting to a user of the mobile device a voice-control interface that supports two types of commands at a common level of the interface, the two types of commands including a first type and a second type, the first type being command and control commands and the second type being search request commands. The method further involves: receiving an utterance from the user that corresponds to a command of either of the first type or the second type; recognizing the utterance; if the received utterance is a command of the first type, performing a corresponding command and control function; and if the received utterance is a command of the second type, generating a representation of a corresponding search request and then using the representation to request a search that is responsive to the search request.
1 . A method implemented on a mobile device that includes speech recognition functionality, said method comprising:
presenting to a user of the mobile device a voice-control interface that supports two types of commands at a common level of the interface, the two types of commands including a first type and a second type, the first type being command and control commands and the second type being search request commands;
receiving an utterance from the user, wherein the utterance corresponds to a command of either of the first type or the second type;
using the speech recognition functionality to recognize the utterance;
if the received utterance is a command of the first type, performing a corresponding command and control function; and
if the received utterance is a command of the second type, generating a representation of a corresponding search request and then using said representation to request a search that is responsive to the search request.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein using said representation to request a search comprises sending said representation to a remote server over a wireless data connection.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising receiving from the remote server, a response to the corresponding search request, said response being results of a search performed for said search request.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating a representation of a corresponding search request comprises generating prompts which solicit from the user details about the search that is being requested.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein generating a representation further comprises, in response to the prompts, receiving user input and using the received user input to construct said representation.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second type of command is an utterance that begins with a preselected word.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the preselected word is search.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the representation comprises spectral features of the utterance.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein if the received utterance is a command of the second type, automatically opening up a data connection over which communications with the server will take place.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein if the received utterance is a command of the second type, establishing a connection over the data connection with an entity identified by a predetermined address.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is a cell phone and the command and control commands include commands for operating the cell phone.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the commands for operating the cell phone include a command for making a call over the cell phone.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the commands for operating the cell phone include a command for sending email.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the commands for operating the cell phone include a command for sending a text message.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the search request commands include a command for searching ringtones.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the search request commands include a command for searching directory assistance.
17 . A mobile device that includes a processor system and memory storing code which when executed by the processor system causes the mobile device to perform the functions of:
presenting to a user of the mobile device a voice-control interface that supports two types of commands at a common level of the interface, the two types of commands including a first type and a second type, the first type being command and control commands and the second type being search request commands;
receiving an utterance;
using speech recognition functionality to recognize a received utterance from a user, said received utterance corresponding to a command of either of the first type or the second type;
if the received utterance is a command of the first type, performing a corresponding command and control function; and
if the received utterance is a command of the second type, generating a representation of a corresponding search request and then using said representation to request a search that is responsive to the search request.
18 . The mobile device of claim 17 , wherein the code when executed on the processor system further causes the mobile device to perform the function of using said representation to request a search by sending said representation to a remote server over a wireless data connection.
19 . The mobile device of claim 18 , wherein the code when executed on the processor system further causes the mobile device to perform the function of receiving from the remote server, a response to the corresponding search request, said response being results of a search performed for said search request.
20 . The mobile device of claim 17 , wherein the code when executed on the processor system further causes the mobile device to perform the function of generating a representation of a corresponding search request by generating prompts which solicit from the user details about the search that is being requested.
21 . The mobile device of claim 20 , wherein the code when executed on the processor system further causes the mobile device to perform the function of generating a representation by receiving user input in response to the prompts and using the received user input to construct said representation.
22 . The mobile device of claim 17 , wherein the second type of command is an utterance that begins with a preselected word.
23 . The mobile device of claim 22 , wherein the preselected word is search.
24 . The mobile device of claim 17 , wherein the representation comprises spectral features of the utterance.
25 . The mobile device of claim 17 , wherein the code when executed on the processor system further causes the mobile device to perform the function of automatically opening up a data connection over which communications with the server will take place if the received utterance is a command of the second type.
26 . The mobile device of claim 25 wherein the code when executed on the processor system further causes the mobile device to perform the function of establishing a connection over the data connection with an entity identified by a predetermined address, if the received utterance is a command of the second type.