Patent ID: 6665645
Filing Date: 2003-12-16
Classification: G10L

Abstract:
A speech recognition apparatus used for AV equipment and operable for outputting multichannel sound through a plurality of loudspeakers, recognizing a user's speech inputted through a microphone, and causing the AV equipment to perform a predetermined process, said apparatus comprising:a monaural conversion part for converting multichannel signals transmitted to the plurality of loudspeakers into a monaural signal; a single echo canceller, provided with an output from the microphone (microphone output) and an output from said monaural conversion part (monaural output), for estimating echo sound of the multichannel sound based on the monaural signal and eliminating the echo sound from the microphone output; a speech recognition part for recognizing the user's speech based on an output from said single echo canceller (echo canceller output); a switching part for switching between the multichannel signals and the monaural signal transmitted to the plurality of loudspeakers; and a speech detection part for detecting the user's speech based on the monaural signal and said echo canceller output; wherein said switching part: inputs the multichannel signals to the plurality of loudspeakers when said speech detection part does not detect the user's speech; and inputs the monaural signal to the plurality of loudspeakers when said speech detection part detects the user's speech.