Patent ID: 7885818

Claim:
A system for controlling an apparatus on basis of speech, comprising: a microphone array, comprising multiple microphones for receiving respective audio signals; a beam forming module for extracting a speech signal of a user, from the audio signals as received by the microphones, by means of enhancing first components of the audio signals which represent an utterance originating from a first position of the user relative to the microphone array; a speech recognition unit for creating an instruction for the apparatus based on recognized speech items of the speech signal; and a keyword recognition system for recognition of a represented by a particular audio signal; a speech control unit being arranged to control the beam forming module, on basis of the recognition of the predetermined keyword, in order to enhance second components of the audio signals which represent a subsequent utterance originating from a second position of the user relative to the microphone array; wherein the recognition of the predetermined keyword at the second position calibrates the beam forming module to follow the user from the first position to the second position so that the subsequent utterance originating from the second position are accepted while utterances of other users at other positions are discarded, the second position including an orientation and a distance relative to the microphone array, and the speech control unit being configured to discriminate between sounds originating from users who are located in front of each other relative the microphone array; wherein the subsequent utterance originating from the second position will be discarded if not preceded by the recognition of the predetermined keyword originating from the second position; and wherein the keyword recognition system is arranged to recognize the predetermined keyword that is spoken by another user and the speech control unit being arranged to control the beam forming module, on basis of this recognition, in order to enhance third components of the audio signals which represent another utterance originating from a third orientation of the other user relative to the microphone array.