Voice Input Buffering for Seamless Activation in Image Processors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image processing apparatuses face challenges in synchronizing the activation of voice recognition functionality with user input during the preparatory stage, leading to incomplete processing of user utterances and inconvenience in displaying activation status to the user.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus dynamically allocates a buffer to store user utterances during the preparatory period for voice recognition, processing them only when the voice recognition function is fully activated, eliminating the need for separate messages and ensuring seamless voice recognition functionality without user awareness of the preparatory phase.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the voice recognition function is activated during the preparatory stage, then the user can provide voice input, but the utterance may be lost if processing is not complete

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevoice input capabilityVSAvoidutterance processing completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by allocating and preparing the buffer during the preparatory stage before voice recognition is fully activated. This ensures that when the user provides voice input, the processing infrastructure is already in place, preventing loss of utterances while maintaining reliable processing completeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If separate messages are displayed to inform users of the preparatory stage, then users are informed of the system state, but the user experience is interrupted and complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem state transparencyVSAvoidmessage display mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the need for separate preparatory stage messages by making the buffer allocation transparent to the user. The system maintains full functionality without requiring explicit user awareness or separate notification messages, thereby reducing interface complexity while preserving complete system state information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If the voice recognition function waits for full activation before processing, then processing is complete, but user input may be delayed or lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing completenessVSAvoidvoice input response time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary buffer allocation during the preparatory stage, so that when voice recognition activation is triggered, the infrastructure is ready to immediately process user input without delay. This eliminates both the loss of time for input response and ensures processing completeness from the moment of activation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3053349B1Image processing apparatus and control method thereof
Publication Date: 2018.12.26 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3053349B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3053349B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3053349B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

An image processing apparatus includes: a voice input receiver configured to receive a voice input of user; a signal processor configured to recognize and process the received voice input received through the voice input receiver; a buffer configured to store the voice input; and a controller configured to determine whether a voice recognition function of the signal processor is activated and control the signal processor to recognize the voice input stored in the buffer in response to the voice recognition function being determined to be activated wherein the controller is further configured to store the received voice input in the buffer in response to the received voice input being input through the voice input receiver while the voice recognition function is not activated, so that the received voice input is recognized by the signal processor when the voice recognition function is activated.