Method for controlling cordless telephone device, handset of cordless telephone device, and cordless telephone device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9280314-B2
Application number	US-201414514659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2014
Priority date	Oct 17, 2013
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for controlling a cordless telephone device for use in a system that allows remote control of a home electric appliance. The method includes a first generation step of causing a first generation unit in a handset to encode audio input via a sound receiving unit in the handset to generate a first stream, and a first transmission step of transmitting the first stream to a base unit. The first generation step includes causing the first generation unit to generate instruction bit information and a first instruction stream when a first trigger indicating a request to start the remote control is given to the first generation unit. The first transmission step includes transmitting the instruction bit information and the first instruction stream to the base unit through a multiplexing scheme that is common to transmission of a first stream generated when the first trigger is not given.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a cordless telephone device including a base unit and a handset, for use in a system that allows remote control of a home electric appliance by using voice instructions of a user, the method comprising:
a first generation step of causing a first generation unit included in the handset to generate a first stream by encoding audio input via a sound receiving unit included in the handset;
a first transmission step of transmitting the first stream to the base unit,
the first generation step including causing the first generation unit to generate instruction bit information indicating that the audio represents the voice instructions and to generate, as the first stream, a first instruction stream indicative of the voice instructions in a case where a first trigger indicating a request to start the remote control of the home electric appliance is given to the first generation unit,
the first transmission step including transmitting the instruction bit information and the first instruction stream to the base unit through a common multiplexing scheme that is common to transmission of the first stream generated in a case where the first trigger is not given to the first generation unit.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the common multiplexing scheme is a Time Division Duplex/Time Division Multiple Access scheme complying with a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications standard.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein
in a case where the first trigger is not given to the first generation unit, the first generation step includes causing the first generation unit to generate call bit information indicating that the audio represents a voice call and to generate, as the first stream, a first call stream indicative of the audio.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein
the first generation step includes, in a case where the first generation unit receives the first trigger during generation of the first call stream, causing the first generation unit to generate the instruction bit information and the first instruction stream, and causing the first generation unit to switch an operation mode of the cordless telephone device from a call mode in which the audio is transferred to an intended party with which the user is engaged in the voice call to a mute mode in which transfer of the audio to the intended party is interrupted.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein
the first generation step includes causing the first generation unit to generate, during the mute mode, an alternative stream representing an alternative sound that replaces the audio, and
the first transmission step includes transmitting the alternative stream to the base unit through the common multiplexing scheme.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein
the first generation step includes, in a case where the first generation unit receives a second trigger indicating a request to return to the call mode, (i) causing the first generation unit to terminate the mute mode, and (ii) causing the first generation unit to generate the call bit information and the first call stream.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein
the first generation step includes, after a certain period has elapsed since the mute mode began, (i) causing the first generation unit to terminate the mute mode, and (ii) causing the first generation unit to generate the call bit information and the first call stream.

8. The method according to claim 3 , wherein
the first generation step includes causing the first generation unit to generate, as the call bit information, information specifying an audio encoding scheme for the first call stream.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein
the first generation step includes causing the first generation unit to generate, as the call bit information, information specifying a bit rate for the first call stream.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the first generation step includes causing the first generation unit to generate, as the instruction bit information, information specifying an audio encoding scheme for the first instruction stream.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein
the first generation step includes causing the first generation unit to generate, as the instruction bit information, information specifying a bit rate for the first instruction stream.

12. The method according to claim 3 , wherein
the first generation step includes causing the first generation unit to encode the first instruction stream and the first call stream at a bit rate complying with the Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications standard using an audio encoding scheme complying with the Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications standard.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the first trigger is given to the first generation unit by predetermined movement given to the handset, predetermined audio given to the handset, or a predetermined operation given to the handset.

14. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a second generation step of generating a second stream corresponding to the first stream transmitted from the handset to the base unit; and
a second transmission step of transmitting the second stream,
wherein the second generation step includes
(i) in a case where the base unit receives the instruction bit information and the first instruction stream, causing the base unit to generate a second instruction stream corresponding to the first instruction stream, and
(ii) in a case where the base unit receives the call bit information and the first call stream, causing the base unit to generate a second call stream corresponding to the first call stream, and

the second transmission step includes
(iii) in a case where the base unit generates the second instruction stream, causing the base unit to transmit the second instruction stream to a server that generates a control command using the second instruction stream for controlling the home electric appliance, and
(iv) in a case where the base unit generates the second call stream, transmitting the second call stream to a telephone of the intended party.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein
the second transmission step includes causing the base unit to selectively transmit the second instruction stream or the second call stream via a public communication line that is common to transmission of the second instruction stream and the second call stream.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein
the second transmission step includes
(i) in a case where the base unit generates the second instruction stream, causing the base unit to transmit the second instruction stream via a first public communication line, and
(ii) in a case where the base unit generates the second call stream, causing the base unit to transmit the second call stream via a second public communication line different from the first public communication line.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein
the second generation step includes causing the base unit to generate, during the mute mode, an alternative stream representing an alternative sound that replaces the audio, and
the second transmission step includes, in a case where the base unit generates the alternative stream, transmitting the alternative stream to the telephone of the intended party.

18. A handset of a cordless telephone device for use in a system that allows remote control of a home electric appliance by using voice instructions of a user,

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Corp America

Inventors

• Kozuka Masayuki
• Matsumoto Shingo
• Oka Hideyuki
• Inoue Akihiko
• Yahata Hiroshi
• Ogawa Tomoki
• Wakabayashi Tohru
• Ishiguro Keizo

Classifications

• G10L2015/223

  Execution procedure of a spoken command · CPC title

• H04M1/72533

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G10L15/22

  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

• H04M1/72415

  for remote control of appliances · CPC title