Customizable embedded vocal command sets for a lighting and/or other environmental controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11119725-B2
Application number	US-201816144152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2018
Priority date	Sep 27, 2018
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

A control module, for lighting or other environmental control or the like has embedded voice responsive control capability. The recognizable command set supported by the control module is customizable. Software for a data processor configures the control module to identify a user in the vicinity of the control module and change voice response software based at least in part on identity of the user. The changed voice response software configures the control module, to recognize a customized set of vocal commands, e.g. associated with the identified user, in response to speech detected via a microphone and an audio processor of the control module, without requiring network communication. The control module issues control signals to equipment controlled by the module that correspond to the recognized commands of the customized vocal command set.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A control module, comprising:
a coupling for signaling to equipment to be controlled by the control module;
a control module housing;
a microphone outside the control module housing;
an audio processor coupled to the microphone;
a data processor inside the control module housing coupled to the audio processor and to the coupling;
a memory accessible by the data processor; and
software in the memory, the software including:
voice response software for the data processor, to configure the control module to, without requiring network communication, recognize a first set of vocal commands in a first dialect of a language to control the equipment in response to speech detected via the microphone and the audio processor and issue control signals to the equipment via the coupling corresponding to respective commands of the first set of vocal commands; and
customization software for the data processor to configure the control module to:
(i) identify a user in the vicinity of the control module; and
(ii) based at least in part on identity of the user, change the voice response software to, configure the control module to: without requiring network communication, recognize a second set of vocal commands to control the equipment in response to speech detected via the microphone and the audio processor, and issue control signals to the equipment via the coupling corresponding to respective commands of the second set of vocal commands,

wherein:
the second set of vocal commands is in a second dialect of the language, and
the control module, the coupling for signaling to equipment to be controlled by the control module, and the equipment to be controlled, comprise a building management system arranged at one premises.

2. The control module of claim 1 , wherein:
the coupling is configured for command signaling to controllable lighting equipment or controllable heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment; and
the software in the memory configures the data processor to issue each control command corresponding to a respective command of the first and second sets of vocal commands in a lighting control protocol or an HVAC control protocol.

3. The control module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor coupled to the data processor,
wherein the customization software for the data processor further configures the control module to perform the identification of the user by detecting an identifiable feature of the user when in the vicinity of the control module via the sensor and matching of the detected feature to an identification reference associated with the user stored in the memory.

4. The control module of claim 1 , wherein the customization software for the data processor further configures the control module to:
perform the identification of the user by obtaining a identifier of the user via communication with a system in the vicinity of the control module;
receive software-change data associated with the identifier via communication with a software source; and
perform the change of the voice response software based on the received software-change data.

5. The control module of claim 1 , further comprising:
a radio-frequency transceiver coupled to the data processor,
wherein the customization software for the data processor further configures the control module to perform the identification of the user by obtaining an identifier of a radio-frequency enabled device of the user when in the vicinity of the control module via the radio-frequency transceiver.

6. The control module of claim 5 , wherein the customization software for the data processor further configures the control module to:
receive software-change data associated with the identifier via the radio-frequency transceiver; and
perform the change of the voice response software based on the received software-change data.

7. The control module of claim 1 , wherein the customization software for the data processor further configures the control module to:
(iii) identify another user when in the vicinity of the control module; and
(iv) based at least in part on identity of the other user, change the voice response software to, configure the control module to: without requiring network communication, recognize a third set of vocal commands in response to speech detected via the microphone and the audio processor, and issue control signals to the equipment via the coupling corresponding to respective commands of the third set of vocal commands,
wherein the third set of vocal commands is different from and a modification of the first and second sets of vocal commands.

8. The control module of claim 7 , wherein:
when the user and the other user are in the vicinity of the control module concurrently, the customization software for the data processor further configures the control module to select between the second and third sets of vocal commands based on:
which of the user and the other user has higher priority as indicated by a priority list of user identifiers; or
which of the user and the other user has an identifier at an earlier position in a user queue based on time of entry in the vicinity of the control module.

9. The control module of claim 1 , wherein:
the control module, the coupling for signaling to equipment to be controlled by the control module, and the equipment to be controlled, comprise a building management system arranged at one premises.

10. The control module of claim 1 , wherein:
the coupling is configured for command signaling to controllable lighting equipment; and
the software in the memory configures the data processor to issue each control command corresponding to a respective command of the first and second sets of vocal commands in a lighting control protocol.

11. The control module of claim 1 , wherein the coupling further comprises a wired network connection.

12. A method, comprising:
determining an identified user has rights to establish a customized vocal command set;
forming a voice control profile associated with identification of the user, for the customized vocal command set in a first dialect of a language, wherein, for each respective vocal command of the customized vocal command set, forming the voice control profile comprises:
(a) receiving at a controllable equipment an input from the user indicating one or more audible utterances defining the respective vocal command;
(b) receiving an input from the user indicating a control function of the controllable equipment to be implemented in response to automated detection of audio containing the one or more audible utterances defining the respective vocal command; and
(c) noting, in association in the voice control profile, the one or more audible utterances defining the respective vocal command and the indication of the control function; and

compiling the voice control profile into software-change data for a control module separate from the controllable equipment having embedded vocal command recognition capability; and
based upon detection of the identified user in the vicinity of the control module, changing a previous vocal command set in a second dialect of the language using the compiled software-change data to set-up voice recognition software in memory of the control module to configure the embedded vocal command recognition capability of the control module to:
(i) recognize each respective command of the customized vocal command set noted in the voice control profile; and
(ii) issue a control signal to equipment controlled by the control module to implement the control function associated with each respective command of the customized vocal comma

Assignees

• Abl Ip Holding Llc

Inventors

• White Sean P
• Megginson Daniel M
• Aggarwal Januk
• Ramer David P

Classifications

• H04L12/282

  based on user interaction within the home (receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204) · CPC title

• G10L2015/0638

  Interactive procedures · CPC title

• H04L2012/285

  Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators · CPC title

• G10L17/00

  Speaker identification or verification techniques · CPC title

• G10L15/22 Primary

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title