Patents Assigned to Voice Control Systems, Inc.
  • Patent number: 5881134
    Abstract: The present invention comprises an intelligent call processing platform for use with a home telephone system. The system consists of a processing unit interfaced with a variety of memory storage areas, a switching central office providing local telephone service and a plurality of telephone handsets. Using a variety of voice and/or pushbutton commands, a user is able to access a variety of telephone services from any telephone interfaced with the platform. Services provided include identification of incoming callers, automatic speed dialing of user-stored telephone numbers, storage of new numbers to the user-stored list of telephone numbers, and control of peripheral systems interconnected with the intelligent call processing platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Voice Control Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter J. Foster, Bernard F. Bareis
  • Patent number: 5845246
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for reducing the database requirements necessary for use in speaker independent recognition systems. The method involves digital processing of a plurality of recorded utterances from a first database of digitally recorded spoken utterances. The previously recorded utterances are digitally processed to create a second database of modified utterances and then the first and second databases are combined to form an expanded database from which recognition vocabulary tables may be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: Voice Control Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas B. Schalk
  • Patent number: 5706399
    Abstract: An advanced electronic vehicle alarm system allows control of alarm functions to be accomplished using specific spoken commands. A microphone converts speech into time-variant voltage levels which are amplified and sent to a analog-to-digital converter and digitized. The digitized data is then processed by a speech recognition subsystem. The speech recognition subsystem separates extraneous speech from words and provides corresponding output signals when control words are recognized. The output signals are preferably employed by the alarm system to operate door locking and unlocking controls, to operate a loud audible siren and/or horn, to operate vehicle light controls, to provide engine cut-off control, to provide engine starting control or to operate a response indicator incorporated in the main alarm processing unit. The response indicator provides verbal responses to confirm spoken commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Voice Control Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Bernard F. Bareis
  • Patent number: 5659597
    Abstract: An advanced telecommunications system is provided for the recognizing of spoken commands over a cellular telephone, satellite telephone, or personal communications network. In the cellular application, for example, a Speech Recognition System interconnects either internally with or as an external peripheral to a cellular telecommunications switch. The Speech Recognition System includes an administrative subsystem, a call processing subsystem, a speaker-dependent recognition subsystem, a speaker-independent recognition subsystem, and a data storage subsystem. The Speech Recognition System also allows for increased efficiency in the cellular telephone network by integrating with the switch or switches as a shared resource. The administrative subsystem of the Speech Recognition System is used to keep statistical logs of pertinent call information. Pre-recorded instructional messages are stored in the memory of the call processing subsystem for instructing a user on his or her progress in using the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1997
    Assignee: Voice Control Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bernard F. Bareis, Peter J. Foster, Thomas B. Schalk
  • Patent number: 5517558
    Abstract: The present invention describes a system and method for enabling a caller to obtain access to services via a telephone network by entering a spoken first character string having a plurality of digits. Preferably, the method includes the steps of prompting the caller to speak the first character string beginning with a first digit and ending with a last digit thereof, recognizing each spoken digit of the first character string using a speaker-independent voice recognition algorithm, and then following entry of the last digit of the first string, initially verifying the caller's identity using a voice verification algorithm. After initial verification, the caller is again prompted to enter a second character string, which must also be recognized before access is effected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1996
    Assignee: Voice Control Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas B. Schalk
  • Patent number: 5499288
    Abstract: The present invention describes a system and method for enabling a caller to obtain access to services via a telephone network by entering a spoken password having a plurality of digits. Preferably, the method includes the steps of: (1) prompting the caller to speak the password beginning with a first digit and ending with a last digit thereof, (2) recognizing each spoken digit of the password using a speaker-independent voice recognition algorithm, (3) following entry of the last digit of the password, determining whether the password is valid, and (4) if the password is valid, verifying the caller's identity using a voice verification algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1996
    Assignee: Voice Control Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan K. Hunt, Thomas B. Schalk
  • Patent number: 5475791
    Abstract: A method for recognizing a spoken word in the presence of interfering speech, such as a system-generated voice prompt, begins by echo cancelling the voice prompt and any detected speech signal to produce a residual signal. Portions of the residual signal that have been most recently echo-cancelled are then continuously stored in a buffer. The energy in the residual signal is also continuously processed to determine onset of the spoken word. Upon detection of word onset, the portion of the residual signal then currently in the buffer is retained, the voice prompt is terminated, and the recognizer begins realtime recognition of subsequent portions of the residual signal. Upon detection of word completion, the method retrieves the portion of the residual signal that was retained in the buffer upon detection of word onset and performs recognition of that portion. The recognized portions of the word are then reconstructed to determine the spoken word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: Voice Control Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Schalk, Fadi Kaake