A method and a device for speech presentation of events on a speech channel

A method and apparatus for in a portable device running a speech processing application whilst outputting application speech on a speech output channel for presentation with such device being positioned in proximity with a user person, whilst in the device detecting one or more dynamic device events independently generated by the device, the output channel being in either of two states, for in a first state outputting said application speech alone, and in a second state outputting both said application speech and also speech signalization of said events, whilst maintaining them both at a sufficiently perceptible level.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method as recited in the preamble of Claim 1. Various types of portable and battery fed devices allow for presenting application-speech and require that the device be kept close to the user's ear. Often, the latter type of usage is transient, as the device may be left lying around for most of the time. For signalling information to the user such device will generally have a visual display that may communicate various conditions. However, when the device is actually being listened to, it will be kept so close to the user's head that the visual display gets out of the field of sight. In particular, dynamic events will then get lost to a user. It would be good for the user to perceive certain events immediately. Generally, application speech may have a content that is irrelevant to the operation of the device proper. On the other hand, system speech is directly linked to the operation of the device; the meaning for such operation is generally programmed in advance.

SUMMARY TO THE INVENTION

In consequence, amongst other things, it is an object of the present invention to present dynamic events immediately to a user person, even if visual display were ineffective for such presenting. Now therefore, according to one of its aspects the invention is characterized as recited in the characterizing part of Claim 1. By itself, it would be technically feasible to combine a unique audio signalling such as a beep, with a visual indication of the nature of the event. This would however necessitate a user to interrupt a telephone call for several seconds at least, which would be felt as annoying.

Now, Kobayashi (D1, US 5,499,286) has a portable device of the same technical field, and which portable device also has speech generated by the device itself. The reference apparatus has a <b><i><u style="single">particular function key</u></i></b> that indicates a read operation from the operating section. This means that manual intervention by the user person is necessary to let the speech generated by the portable device itself be outputted. Furthermore, D1 indeed uses a <b><i><u style="single">multiplexer</u>,</i></b> the present application likewise claiming a multiplexer facility in present Claim 3. D1 may want to store the <b><i><u style="single">operator's own voice</u></i></b> as corresponding to the function key.

Now , of the four examples recited behind the bullets hereinafter, the first event is produced by the operating system of the portable device itself (battery low), whereas the other three events are produced by the application system (i.e. the organization of the telephone communication). Of these latter three, the second and fourth events find their cause <b><i>outside</i></b> the portable apparatus proper. Finally, the third event, non-recognition of the user's voice, is also outside the user's <b><i>manual</i></b> control. In fact, all four examples pertain to signalling actual or impending malfunctioning of some aspect of the apparatus' operation.

Furthermore, D1 has a multiplexer, which for being operative, should be operated in a static manner, wherein either the application speech, or alternatively, the speech from the speech synthesizer is transmitted, whereby only one of them will be rendered audible at a time. In contradistinction, the present invention has the distinctive speech item as a kind of <b><i><u style="single">interference</u></i></b> for the application speech, the latter being nevertheless continued, so that the application speech will not be interrupted. Persons skilled in the pertinent art would from the disclosure explaining that speech interruption of "only a few seconds" were annoying, recognize that an interruption should be many times smaller, perhaps only a small fraction of a second, if perception should remain at approximately the same level.

Further, all examples recited link the invention with an actual or impending malfunction of the system, which is moreover, initiated outside the current field of interest of the user (i.e., the speech producing of the application proper). The term "event" signals "independence" from the user's actions.

As regarding D2 (US 4,737,976) the very first line of its Abstract defines a "hands-free control and dialing system", which should then be operated by speech input. Admittedly, the reference specifies various kinds of speech output, cf. Col. 8, lines 13-23. However, these items specifically relate to a user-system <b><i>dialogue,</i></b> whereas the present invention has the application speech continue during the presentation of the system information; inherantly, the user won't then dialogue with the system, but rather, is being a little distracted from any communication of the application level.

Finally, D3 (EP A2 472 289) uses a speakerphone loudspeaker for signalling to a user at various different signal strengths. Given the alternatives in its Figs. 5 and 6 that use a head-set and a hand-set, respectively, the problem solved by the invention is fully unthinkable in the reference. D3 has its apparatus placed far from the head, whereas the present invention has the device closer to the ear than to the eyes of the user, and will therefor "mix" the two kinds of speech. D3 could use signalling by visual means, and specifying of the conditions could be done visually.

The invention also relates to a device for implementing the method. Further advantageous aspects of the invention are recited in dependent Claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

These and further aspects and advantage of the invention will be discussed more in detail hereinafter with reference to the disclosure of preferred embodiments, and in particular with reference to the appended Figures that show: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>Figure 1, a block diagram of a portable telephone;</li><li>Figure 2, a flow diagram of a procedure of the invention;</li><li>Figure 3, a first embodiment of the invention;</li><li>Figure 4, a second embodiment of the invention.</li></ul>

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a portable telephone. Furthermore, although the invention has been conceived in particular for use with a portable telephone, various other portable and battery powered application-speech outputting devices would benefit from the invention. For one, the device may be organized as a receiver only without transmitter facility.

The set-up of Figure has been organized largely according to European Patent EP 494 526 B1. The diagram has device <b>3</b> comprising a reception path and a transmission path, both coupled to antenna switch <b>30.</b> The reception path comprises a cascade of a tunable filter <b>31,</b> a mixer <b>32,</b> a switchable IF_filter <b>33,</b> a detector <b>34,</b> a Time division Multiplex (TDMA) controller <b>35,</b> a modolator <b>38</b>, an offset oscillator <b>39,</b> a mixer <b>40,</b> and a power amplifier <b>41</b>. A microprocessor <b>42</b> has been provided for controlling the functionality of the telephone. Various conventional features, such as the controlling of a synthesizer <b>43</b> so as to tune to a specific frequency channel, controlling TDMA controller <b>35,</b> scanning the keypad <b>22,</b> and controlling visual display <b>21,</b> have not been discussed here in further detail, such functioning per se being well-known in the art. A memory <b>44</b> including a non-volatile memory part <b>45,</b> and a volatile memory part <b>46,</b> has been coupled to microprocessor <b>42.</b> The non-volatile memory part <b>45</b> comprises a telephone functionality program. Furthermore, the device comprises power leads <b>48</b> and <b>49,</b> interconnected to an exchangeable battery <b>51</b> for powering the device. By way of implication, only the powering of microprocessor <b>42</b> has been indicated. Finally, the device contains a microphone <b>27</b> and a loudspeaker <b>37</b>. For a portable telephone, the loudspeaker is low-volume, and the microphone low-sensitivity, so that during a call, the device must be kept at most a few centimeters from a user person's head. The housing of the device has not been indicated, but is generally conventional.

Figure 2 is a flow diagram of a procedure according to the invention. In more of the operational functionalities, such as by dialling a number, or even only when the device enters an application state wherein application-speech may be outputted in principle. Such application-speech could then relate to an actual telephone call, or to speech recorded on an automatic answering functionality within or remote from the device in question. In fact, in other situations than when the device should be listened to from short distance, the visual display could be used for signalling various events, in a manner that would be less distracting or less annoying to an environment. If required, the outputting of the speech items may go in parallel with the visual display.

In block 62, the device detects, such as from the actuating of a programming button, whether or not a user wants to program the device with the user's own voice. If the user signals that none or no further speech item needs to be recorded (Y), the device exits to block 68. The recording is executed in blocks 64, 66. For the programming in block 64, the user inputs a particular code that has been assigned to any of a set of events that has been specified in the device's manual. In block 66, the speech item to be outputted in relation to the particular event is recorded in the (non)volatile memory. In particular, this may be a so-called flash memory that stores the speech in compressed form. The compressing may be done according to one of several known procedures. The user programming is considered advantageous, because otherwise the number of different messages times the number of languages could overtax memory capacity.

The loop consisting of the latter two blocks may in principle be traversed an unlimited number of times. For brevity, procedures for erasing and/or overwriting of messages have been ignored for brevity.

After leaving block 62, the calling functionality of the device has been symbolized by block 68. By itself, this functionality is well-known and has not been detailed further. After terminating a particular call, the device may leave the flow chart as shown, thereby allowing a next entering into block 60. Alternatively, terminating a call may automatically start such entering. During the call, the device may be continually looping through block 70, for therein detecting the occurrence of any of the prespecified events. If the code pertaining to a particular event is received, in block 72 the speech storing memory is addressed with an address that is derived immediately from the event code. Next, in block 74 the application-speech produced by the actual telephone call is attenuated by a certain amount, such as a few dB. In block 76 the speech item pertaining to the event in question is outputted in superposition to the application speech present at that instant if any. In block 78 the outputted application speech pertaining to the telephone call is resumed again at full volume, and it is left to the user person to take any appropriate measures in relation to the event just signalled.

If necessary, certain measures are taken with respect to the locally generated audio output so as to avoid transmitting the associated sound to the other party of a telephone call. Such measures however are standard practice in telephone technology.

The following events, or a subset thereof, may be signalled to the user: <ul id="ul0002" list-style="bullet" compact="compact"><li>the charging state of the battery goes below a certain threshold, such as 25, 50, or 75%, which is a system-determined event;</li><li>for one of several different reasons, a requested call cannot be effected;</li><li>during voice-actuated dialling by the user person the device does not recognize the voice command;</li><li>during an actual call, a further incoming call is detected that for the moment may not be honoured; all latter three events are application-determined.</li></ul>

As required, further events may be signalled to a user, depending on the field of application of the device in question, or on particular wishes of a user.

Figure 3 shows a first embodiment of the invention as generally corresponding to the procedure of Figure 2. At top left, item 80 symbolizes the forming of application speech that should be presented to a user person. For a telephone application, this may be the speech communicated from the other party to a conversation. Attenuator element 82 is controllable through the mechanism that drives the co-presentation of the speech presentation items. Element 84 is an analog adder with two inputs. Element 86 is an analog audio amplifier. Element 88 is a loudspeaker. Furthermore, in message generator 90, microcontroller element 96 provides the speech items through addressing ROM/RAM 98 with appropriate addresses. Activation of the microcontroller is through detecting the various conditions listed supra. Speech synthesizer item 94 is activated by the information from memory 98 and may operate according to standard speech synthesizing technology. Digital to analog converter item 92 converts the codes received from the speech synthesizer to analog speech signals, for presentation to analog adder 84, for superposing on the signals from the application speech channel.

Figure 4 is a second embodiment of the invention, that has various items corresponding to Figure 3 and carrying identical labels. Instead of superposing, the embodiment has multiplexing on the speech output channel. This is effected by multiplexing switch 100 that is again controlled by the features according to the invention.