Patent ID: 8983846
Filing Date: 2015-03-17
Classification: G06F,G10L,H04N

Abstract:
1. An information processing apparatus comprising: a voice analysis unit configured to perform an analysis process for a user speech, the user speech including an instruction for performing a desired operation; and a data processing unit configured to receive analysis results of the voice analysis unit to determine a process which is to be performed by the information processing apparatus, the process corresponding to the instruction given by the user through the user speech, wherein in a case where a factor of inhibiting process continuation occurs based on at least one of the voice analysis unit and the data processing unit determining that the instruction given by the user is not understood, the data processing unit performs a process of generating and outputting feedback information to the user, in which the factor of inhibiting process continuation occurs as a result of a failure to understand the instruction given by the user, wherein the data processing unit is further configured to perform a process of displaying an avatar as a status indicator of the information processing apparatus as the outputted feedback information, wherein the avatar visually depicts a status of the information processing apparatus, as a feedback notification to the user, by visually indicating that the user speech is being received or analyzed at a time when the user speech is being received or analyzed, by visually indicating that the instruction included in the user speech is not understood when the instruction included in the user speech is not understood, by visually indicating that the instruction included in the user speech is understood when the instruction included in the user speech is understood, by visually indicating that the process which is to be performed in correspondence with the instruction given by the user cannot successfully be determined when the data processing unit cannot successfully determine the process which is to be performed in correspondence with the instruction given by the user, and when the instruction for performing the desired operation has been understood, the information processing apparatus performs the process corresponding to the instruction and the avatar is changed to visually indicate that the desired operation is being performed, and wherein at least one of the voice analysis unit and the data processing unit is implemented via a processor.