Voice input apparatus, control method thereof, and storage medium for executing processing corresponding to voice instruction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11735181-B2
Application number	US-202117156885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2021
Priority date	Feb 5, 2020
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A voice input apparatus includes a voice input device configured to input voice and performs control to, in a case where a second voice instruction for operating the voice input apparatus is input in a predetermined period after a first voice instruction is input to the voice input apparatus, execute processing corresponding to the second voice instruction. The voice input apparatus changes a length of the predetermined period, according to the first voice instruction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera configured to set a length for a predetermined period for receiving a second voice instruction after receiving a first voice instruction, comprising:
a microphone configured to input voice instructions;
a memory configured to store program instructions; and
one or more processors configured to execute the program instructions to function as:
a control unit configured to perform control to:
receive the first voice instruction through the microphone, the first voice instruction being a wake word, of a plurality of wake words, for enabling operation by voice on the camera, the plurality of wake words including a first wake word for setting the length for the predetermined period to a first length representing a normal length and a second wake word for setting the length for the predetermined period to a second length longer than the normal length;
determine whether the received first voice instruction corresponds to the first wake word or the second wake word:
set the length for the predetermined period for receiving the second voice instruction to the first length in a case where it is determined that the received first voice instruction is the first wake word and to the second length in a case where it is determined that the received first voice instruction is the second wake word; and
in a case where the second voice instruction for operating the camera is input in the predetermined period after the first voice instruction is input to the camera, execute processing corresponding to the second voice instruction.

2. The voice input apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to function as a manual setting unit configured to enable a user to set the length for the predetermined period to different values for different voice instructions included in the first voice instruction.

3. The voice input apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to function as an automatic setting unit configured to set the length for the predetermined period to different values for different voice instructions included in the first voice instruction, based on a history of past voice instructions.

4. The voice input apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the history of past voice instructions includes an input interval between a plurality of voice instructions.

5. The voice input apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to execute processing corresponding to the second voice instruction in a case where, when the second voice instruction is input, the voice input apparatus is in a state corresponding to the input second voice instruction, and configured not to execute processing corresponding to the second voice instruction in a case where the voice input apparatus is not in the state corresponding to the input second voice instruction.

6. The voice input apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the state corresponding to the second voice instruction includes an operating mode of the voice input apparatus.

7. The voice input apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an operating mode of the voice input apparatus includes a mode for displaying content on a display unit of the voice input apparatus, and a mode for displaying a setting value of the voice input apparatus on the display unit of the voice input apparatus.

8. A control method of a camera configured to set a length for a predetermined period for receiving a second voice instruction after receiving a first voice instruction, the camera comprising a microphone configured to input voice instructions, the control method comprising:
receiving the first voice instruction through the microphone, the first voice instruction being a wake word, of a plurality of wake words, for enabling operation by voice on the camera, the plurality of wake words including a first wake word for setting the length for the predetermined period to a first length representing a normal length and a second wake word for setting the length for the predetermined period to a second length longer than the normal length;
determining whether the received first voice instruction corresponds to the first wake word or the second wake word:
setting the length for the predetermined period for receiving the second voice instruction to the first length in a case where it is determined that the received first voice instruction is the first wake word and to the second length in a case where it is determined that the received first voice instruction is the second wake word; and
in a case where the second voice instruction for operating the camera is input in the predetermined period after the first voice instruction is input to the camera, executing processing corresponding to the second voice instruction.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for performing a control method of a camera configured to set a length for a predetermined period for receiving a second voice instruction after receiving a first voice instruction, the camera comprising a microphone configured to input voice instructions, the control method comprising:
receiving the first voice instruction through the microphone, the first voice instruction being a wake word, of a plurality of wake words, for enabling operation by voice on the camera, the plurality of wake words including a first wake word for setting the length for the predetermined period to a first length representing a normal length and a second wake word for setting the length for the predetermined period to a second length longer than the normal length-determining whether the received first voice instruction corresponds to the first wake word or the second wake word:
setting the length for the predetermined period for receiving the second voice instruction to the first length in a case where it is determined that the received first voice instruction is the first wake word and to the second length in a case where it is determined that the received first voice instruction is the second wake word; and
in a case where the second voice instruction for operating the camera is input in the predetermined period after the first voice instruction is input to the camera, executing processing corresponding to the second voice instruction.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Ueno Daiyu

Classifications

• G10L15/22 Primary

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

• G06F3/167 Primary

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• G10L15/08

  Speech classification or search · CPC title

• G10L2015/088

  Word spotting · CPC title

• G10L2015/223

  Execution procedure of a spoken command · CPC title