Control method and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9329676-B2
Application number	US-201414190347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2014
Priority date	Feb 27, 2013
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

The present invention discloses a control method and an electronic device, which are capable of solving the technical problem in the prior art that it is not rapid enough when controlling a voice recognition engine to enter an operating state. The control method is applied in an electronic device which comprises a voice recognition engine and comprises or is connected to a microphone, wherein the method comprises: acquiring first airflow information collected by the microphone; determining whether the first airflow information satisfies a first preset condition; and controlling the voice recognition engine to enter a second state when the first airflow information satisfies the first preset condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control method, applied in an electronic device which comprises a voice recognition engine and comprises or is connected to a microphone, the method comprising:
acquiring first airflow information collected by the microphone;
determining whether the first airflow information satisfies a first preset condition; and
controlling the voice recognition engine to enter a second state from a first state when the first airflow information satisfies the first preset condition, wherein power consumption of the voice recognition engine in the first state is lower than power consumption of the voice recognition engine in the second state,
wherein, after controlling the voice recognition engine to enter the second state from the first state, the method further comprises:
determining whether the voice recognition engine is in the second state; and
generating third prompt information for informing that the voice recognition engine is in the second state when the voice recognition engine is in the second state.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first airflow information satisfies a first preset condition comprises:
determining whether the first airflow information is airflow information generated by a first user using the electronic device blowing towards the microphone.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein determining whether the first airflow information is the airflow information generated by a first user using the electronic device blowing towards the microphone comprises:
determining whether a distance between the mouth of the first user and the microphone is less than a first preset threshold; or
determining whether there is an operation of holding and moving the electronic device within a preset time period before the first airflow information has been acquired.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein determining whether the first airflow information is the airflow information generated by a first user using the electronic device blowing towards the microphone comprises:
determining whether a first airflow intensity corresponding to the first airflow information is larger than a preset airflow intensity; or
determining whether a first duration corresponding to the first airflow information is longer than a preset duration.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein determining whether the first airflow information is the airflow information generated by a first user using the electronic device blowing towards the microphone further comprises:
determining whether a first airflow intensity corresponding to the first airflow information is larger than a preset airflow intensity; and
determining whether a first duration of the first airflow intensity is longer than a preset duration when the first airflow intensity is larger than the preset airflow intensity.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, after controlling the voice recognition engine to enter the second state, the method further comprises:
determining whether the voice recognition engine is in an enabled state, wherein when the voice recognition engine is in the enabled state, a function module on the device side that cooperates with the voice recognition engine to enable the voice recognition function of the voice recognition engine is in an operating state; and
generating first prompt information to inform the first user that the electronic device can be controlled by a voice instruction when the operating state is the enabled state.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein, the first prompt information comprises prompt information of first airflow voice included in the first airflow information played through a speaker of the electronic device.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, after controlling the voice recognition engine to enter the second state from the first state, the method further comprises:
determining whether the voice recognition engine is in an enabled state, wherein when the voice recognition engine is in the enabled state, a function module on the device side that cooperates with the voice recognition engine to enable the voice recognition function of the voice recognition engine is in an operating state; and
generating second prompt information to inform the first user that the electronic device can not be controlled by a voice control instruction when the operating state is not the enabled state.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, when the electronic device is in a screen lock state, before or after controlling the voice recognition engine to enter the second state from the first state, the method further comprises:
controlling the electronic device to enter an unlocked state from the screen lock state.

10. A method of processing information, applied in an electronic device which comprises a voice recognition engine and comprises or is connected to a microphone, wherein the voice recognition engine comprises a first state and a second state, power consumption of the voice recognition engine in the first state being lower than power consumption of the voice recognition engine in the second state, the method comprising:
determining whether the microphone collects second airflow information;
determining whether the voice recognition engine is in the second state when the second airflow information is collected; and
generating fourth prompt information for informing that the voice recognition engine is in the second state when the voice recognition engine is in the second state.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein, after determining whether the voice recognition engine is in the second state, the method further comprises:
controlling the voice recognition engine to enter the second state when the voice recognition engine is not in the second state.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein controlling the voice recognition engine to enter the second state further comprises:
determining whether the electronic device receives a first operation of touching a preset button; and
controlling the voice recognition engine to enter the second state when the first operation is received.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein controlling the voice recognition engine to enter the second state further comprises:
determining whether the electronic device detects first airflow information which satisfies a first preset condition; and
controlling the voice recognition engine to enter the second state when the first airflow information is detected.

14. An electronic device which comprises a voice recognition engine and comprises or is connected to a microphone, the electronic device further comprising:
an acquisition chip configured to acquire first airflow information collected by the microphone;
a first determination chip configured to determine whether the first airflow information satisfies a first preset condition; and
a first control chip configured to control the voice recognition engine to enter a second state from a first state when the first airflow information satisfies the first preset condition, wherein power consumption of the voice recognition engine in the first state is lower than power consumption of the voice recognition engine in the second state,
wherein the electronic device further comprises:
a fourth determination chip configured to determine whether the voice recognition engine is in the second state after the voice recognition engine is controlled to enter the second state from the first state; and
a third generation chip configured to generate third prompt information for informing that the e

Assignees

• Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd
• Lenovo Beijing Ltd

Inventors

• Shao Xiaoting
• Xu Haisheng

Classifications

• G06F3/167 Primary

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

• G10L15/22

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

• G06F3/01 Primary

  Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence) · CPC title