Patent ID: 6963836

Claim:
A method for enabling a user to interact with an electronic device using speech, the electronic device being capable of interacting with the user in multiple languages, the method comprising the steps of: defining a set of activation commands for activating or controlling the electronic device, the set of activation commands including at least one activation command in each of the languages supported by the electronic device; receiving speech input from the user; recognizing at least one voice command in the speech input; determining whether the recognized voice command is in the set of activation commands and if so, activating or controlling the electronic device in accordance with the recognized voice command; determining the language of the recognized voice command; setting a language attribute which determines in which language the electronic device interacts with the user based on the language of the recognized voice command such that the recognized voice command has dual functions of causing the activation or control of the electronic device and setting of the language attribute of the electronic device; providing a plurality of additional sets of voice commands for activating or controlling the electronic device, each in one of the languages supported by the electronic device; enabling recognition of one of the additional sets of voice commands in speech input in response to recognizing one of the activation commands; and selecting the additional set of voice commands for which recognition is enabled in the language associated with the language attribute.