Abstract:
An avionics system, including a means to tune communication radio frequencies utilizing a voice recognition system. A specific feature of this mode of initiation is the automatic radio tuning of communication VHF radios by the utterance of specific key words resulting in the automatic transference of letters to numbers.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to avionics systems, and more particularly to the application specifics of radio tuning utilizing a voice recognition system. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Voice Recognition algorithms rely upon grammar and semantics to determine the best possible text match(es) to the uttered phrase(s). The aircraft operating environment is very unique in the grammar rules that are followed, and the grammar suite is rather extensive including “words” that represent unusual collections of characters (e.g. intersection or fix names). These factors make it difficult to develop a comprehensive grammar set for use on an aircraft, and this represents one of several significant challenges to bringing Voice Recognition to the cockpit. 
     Others have attempted to use dynamic grammar for enhancing voice recognition systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,341, entitled “Speech Recognition System and Method,” issued to H. F. Raud et al, discloses a speech recognition system having multiple recognition vocabularies, and a method of selecting an optimal working vocabulary used by the system. Each vocabulary is particularly suited for recognizing speech in a particular language, or with a particular accent or dialect. The system prompts a speaker for an initial spoken response; receives the initial spoken response; and, compares the response to each of a set of possible responses in an initial speech recognition vocabulary to determine a response best matched in the initial vocabulary. A working speech recognition vocabulary is selected from a plurality of speech recognition vocabularies, based on the best matched response. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,165, entitled “Method and Apparatus For Recognizing From Here To Here Voice Command Structures in a Finite Grammar Speech Recognition System,” issued to J. R. Lewis et al, discloses a method and system that uses a finite state command grammar coordinated with application scripting to recognize voice command structures for performing an event from an initial location to a new location. The method involves a series of steps, including: recognizing an enabling voice command specifying the event to be performed from the initial location; determining a functional expression for the enabling voice command defined by one or more actions and objects; storing the action and object in a memory location; receiving input specifying the new location; recognizing an activating voice command for performing the event up to the new location; retrieving the stored action and object from the memory location; and performing the event from the initial location to the new location according to the retrieved action and object. Preferably, the enabling-activating command is phrased as “from here . . . to here”. The user specifies the new location with voice commands issued subsequent to the enabling command. To reduce the occurrence of unintended events, these voice commands are counted so that if they exceed a predetermined limit, the action and object content is cleared from memory. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,010,490, entitled “Method, System, and Apparatus for Limiting Available Selections in a Speech Recognition System,” issued to L. A. Brocious et al, discloses a method and system for completing user input in a speech recognition system. The method can include a series of steps which can include receiving a user input. The user input can specify an attribute of a selection. The method can include comparing the user input with a set of selections in the speech recognition system. Also, the method can include limiting the set of selections to an available set of selections which can correspond to the received user input. The step of matching a received user spoken utterance with the selection in the available set of selections also can be included. 
     Generally, any variation in the grammar implemented in a voice recognition system is based upon previous commands or states computed within the voice recognition system. Such types of systems would have limited applicability in an avionics environment because the grammar in avionics systems is very detached and fragmented. 
     Current voice recognition parameters call for voice tuning of frequencies by means of speaking numbers to be placed within its STBY (standby) window which equate to the intended frequency. A COMM emergency frequency would require the crew to speak the numbers 1 2 1 5. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In a broad aspect, the present invention is an avionics system, including a means to tune communication radio frequencies utilizing a voice recognition system. A specific feature of this mode of initiation is the automatic radio tuning of communication VHF radios by the utterance of specific key words resulting in the automatic transference of letters to numbers. For example, in the most relevant case the word EMERGENCY is equated to 121.5 mHZ. 
     The voice recognition system preferably includes a Push-To-Recognize (PTR) switch for interacting with an Informational Management System (IMS) of the avionics system to signal automatic speech recognition software to begin processing voice commands. An Adaptive Flight Display (AFD) is operatively connected to the PTR switch for accepting commands from the PTR switch and displaying the results of radio tuning commands. A voice recognition (VR) subsystem is operatively connected to the AFD comprising automatic speech recognition software for processing the digital signal received from the IMS via the AFD, the VR subsystem for sending out ARINC data labels to an ARINC Graphics Server (AGS), and Network Data Objects (NDOs) to a Radio Tuning System Application (RTSA). A Window Manager (WM) is operatively connected to the AFD for managing the placement of displays. A Radio Tuning System Application (RTSA) is operatively connected to the VR subsystem for rendering and processing the radio tuning commands displayed by the WM. An ARINC Graphics Server (AGS) renders the displays based on the ARINC data labels. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of the avionics system of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon,  FIG. 1  illustrates an avionics system, designated generally as  10 , in accordance with the principles of the present invention. A Push-To-Recognize (PTR) switch  12  interacts with an Informational Management System (IMS) (not shown) of the avionics system  10  to signal automatic speech recognition software to begin processing voice commands. The IMS may be, for example, an IMS-6000 manufactured by Rockwell Collins, Inc. In the preferred embodiment, the PTR switch  12  interacts with a discrete input on the IMS-6000 system, signaling to the ASR software  16  to begin processing voice commands. An Adaptive Flight Display (AFD)  14  is operatively connected to the PTR switch for accepting commands from the PTR switch  12  and displaying the results of radio tuning commands. The PTR switch  12  may be a button, toggle, or push to talk switch. The AFD  14  may be, for example, a flight display of the type manufactured by Rockwell Collins, Inc.—Adaptive Flight Display (AFD-6520). The AFD  14  accepts input from other systems to display the results of the radio tuning commands. 
     A voice recognition (VR) subsystem  16  is operatively connected to the AFD  14 . The VR subsystem  16  includes automatic speech recognition software for processing the digital signal received from the IMS via the AFD  14 . The VR subsystem  16  is configured to recognize an utterance of a unique word and to encode a specific frequency associated with the utterance of that word to a digital command string. When the unique word is “EMERGENCY” the VR subsystem  16  encodes this to a full command string of TUNE-RADIO NAME—121.5 mHZ, as shown by process block  18 . If the operator is a pilot, upon initiation of the PTR switch, the frequency command string is TUNE-COMM  1 —121.5 and in the case of copilot initiation of the PTR switch, the frequency command string is TUNE-COMM  2 —121.5. 
     The VR subsystem  16  sends out ARINC data labels  20  to an ARINC Graphics Server (AGS)  22 , and Network Data Objects (NDOs)  23  to a Radio Tuning System Application (RTSA)  24 . The AGS may be, for example, application software partitioned within the AFD  14 . The ARINC 661 Graphics server (AGS) renders the display based on ARINC 661 labels  20 . The VR subsystem  16  processes the digital signal by dividing a command string of said digital signal into its individual components, comprising commands, frequencies and displays, each component being routed by way of an NDO  23  to an appropriate hardware device. 
     A Window Manager (WM)  26  operatively connected to the AFD  14  manages the placement of displays. The WM  26  may be, for example, application software partitioned within the AFD  14 . The Window Manager manages the placement of displays within the AFD  14  via instructions provided by the RTSA widget application software  34 . 
     The RTSA  24  operatively connected to the VR subsystem  16  renders and processes the radio tuning commands displayed by the WM  26 . The RTSA  24  may be, for example, application software, partitioned within the AFD  14 . This software renders and processes radio tuning commands in a display window. For radio tuning, the final result will be displayed in the preset window of the Control Tuning Panel (CTP)  30 , requiring visual confirmation and swap to active by the pilot. If after initiation of the PTR switch  12 , no voice commands have been received after five seconds of system timing  28 , the window manager  26  will remove all graphics on the AFD  14  indicating that the VR system was activated and available to accept voice utterances. 
     A VR dialog box  32  will be drawn at the predefined display location on the AFD  14 , as defined by the RTSA Widget  34 , using the ARINC 661 protocol to display the detailed frequency being tuned within the RTSA  24  application. 
     VR subsystem  16  is typically referred to as Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) software. In the preferred embodiment, this particular software processes the digital signal received from the IMS-6000, sending out ARINC 661 labels to the ARINC 661 Graphics Server (AGS) and Network Data Objects (NDOs) to the Radio Tuning System Application (RTSA), 
     The VR subsystem  16  will recognize several command shortcuts, routing the NDOs  23  accordingly. For example, the pilot may execute a radio tuning command for the COM 1  radio only by simply speaking the radio name and the frequency. Additional shortcuts allow for the emergency frequency of 121.5 by speaking the radio name and “Emergency,” and a “ground” shortcut spoken as “Ground Point” [FREQUENCY]. The pilot may always utilize a full command string, including: TUNE—RADIO NAME—FREQUENCY. 
     With the PTR  12  depressed, VR  16  sends the tune command and radio name to the appropriate hardware. When the PTR button is released, the VR application will send the processed frequency, via NDO  23 , to the appropriate hardware. 
     Other embodiments and configurations may be devised without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.