Headless Device Network Setup via Voice Commands
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Solution Overview
Problem
Headless devices, lacking traditional visual and input mechanisms, face user frustration when connecting to password-protected networks due to limited computing power and the need for out-of-band communication, making setup and operation cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a user device that uses keyword spotting techniques for audio command recognition, allowing users to configure network connections and settings through spoken commands, reducing the need for graphical interfaces and external device interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If headless devices rely on out of band channel communication with external devices for setup, then network connection can be established, but user frustration increases and operation becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical interaction system (graphical user interface requiring visual output and input mechanisms) with an acoustic interaction system (voice commands processed through audio input and speech recognition). This allows headless devices to be configured through spoken instructions rather than requiring external devices or visual interfaces, directly improving ease of operation while maintaining reliable network connection establishment.
2Ease of operation
If headless devices use graphical user interfaces for configuration, then user interaction is simplified, but device complexity increases and computing power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the visual graphical user interface system with an acoustic command recognition system. Instead of requiring displays, touchscreens, or other visual output mechanisms, the device processes voice commands through audio input and speech recognition algorithms, simplifying the device's physical interface requirements while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the graphical user interface components from the headless device, relying instead on audio processing capabilities. This extraction eliminates the need for visual output mechanisms and complex interface hardware, reducing device complexity while preserving user interaction effectiveness through voice-based configuration.
3Use of energy by moving object
If headless devices perform localized audio processing, then computational resources are conserved, but processing capability must be sufficient for speech recognition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial audio processing locally, performing keyword spotting and basic speech recognition tasks on the headless device itself, while potentially offloading more computationally intensive processing to external devices or cloud services. This partial local processing conserves computational resources while maintaining sufficient processing capability for essential voice command recognition functions.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, methods, and systems for provisioning network credentials onto a device using audible commands. In some instances, the device is a headless device without a graphical user interface. The device may include a limited number of speech models and phrases pre-programmed onto the device to enable the device to query a user to enter network credentials and have a dialog type interface with the user using local speech recognition techniques. Once the network credentials are entered and the device connects to the user's network, the device may change modes and limit the local speech recognition techniques. In this respect, the device may send audio input to a more powerful remote device for processing.