Universal Controller Translating Voice Commands

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users interacting with multiple voice-enabled devices face complexity due to different command languages and slight variations in spoken commands for identical operations, leading to reduced usability and increased learning requirements.

Innovation Solution

A universal device controller that translates verbal expressions into device-specific commands using a unified command language, identifying the appropriate device and issuing commands wirelessly to perform desired operations, while disambiguating between devices and considering user preferences.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If each device implements its own voice control with device-specific command languages, then each device can be controlled independently, but the complexity of interaction increases when using multiple devices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice independenceVSAvoidcommand language complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a universal controller as an intermediary device that translates user commands into device-specific commands. The controller maintains a command mapping database that stores relationships between universal commands and device-specific commands, acting as a mediator between the user and multiple devices with different command languages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The universal controller implements a unified command language that can control multiple different devices through a single interface. The system provides universal functionality by translating one set of commands into various device-specific command sets, allowing one controller to perform multiple device control functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If different devices use different spoken commands for identical operations, then each device can be optimized for its specific function, but user learning requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice optimizationVSAvoidlearning requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The universal controller creates a standardized copy of command interfaces that users learn once. Instead of learning multiple device-specific command sets, users learn a single universal command language that is then translated into the appropriate device-specific commands, copying the ease of use across multiple devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Ease of operation

If a universal command translation system is implemented, then usability across multiple devices improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveusabilityVSAvoidtranslation system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-establishing command mappings between the universal command language and device-specific command languages. The controller proactively builds and maintains a translation database, so that when a user issues a command, the translation has already been prepared or can be quickly resolved using pre-defined mappings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3014610B1Wireless control of linked devices
Publication Date: 2023.10.04 HARMAN INT IND INC
  • EP3014610B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3014610B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3014610B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

A universal device controller is configured to operate as a proxy mechanism for interacting with a plurality of different devices wirelessly coupled to the universal device controller. When a user of the universal device controller verbally expresses a command from a universal command language understood by the device, the universal device controller analyzes the verbal expression of the user and identifies a wireless device capable of executing the associated command. The universal device controller then identifies an API for interacting with the identified device and translates the verbal expression into a device command that the identified device is capable of executing. The universal device controller then issues the device command to the identified device.