A patent application filed by search engine giant Google last September to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) invokes that the company is brewing on a voice activated interface to control television via Android Phone. And yes, this is looking more like Apple’s attempt to bring Siri, their own speech recognition technology over to the upcoming iTV.
The patent filed by Google is described to be a cloud based system for dispensing voice commands over an Android mobile phone which in turn can control TV boxes, smart televisions, DVRs and other devices. It is therefore evident that an Android smartphone will act as an arbitrator in order for the user to control a Google TV. Putting it in right conversation, the Android phone will somewhat be the “core device” of the whole function, hence without the Android based mobile phone, the whole transition of voice prompted instruction giving is also disrupted.
Acting more like Apple’s Siri, the user, first and foremost, sends voice instructions over to their Android phones. Such instructions are then transmitted via a cloud based technology for interpretation and other relevant deciphering methodology. Taking it into consideration, the Android phone will use the received data to transmit applicable information like the time, date and your GPS location over to your TV. Asking what time a basketball game is live tonight will bring in such information, so to speak.
Google’s filed patent will also enable users to issue commands of up to a quarter mile away, just in time when they are turning the doorknob and entering their homes, their Android phones will automatically turn their television sets on. With everything practically in place, it gets better: the system is also capable to jump to a program or show that you’ve asked it previously and has the ability to record the said show if you are unfortunate enough not to see it. Music devices are also in the limelight: mood settings and volume alteration can also be done via voice command.
With all said and done, Google is not the only one hitching a ride in the voice recognition bandwagon: Lenovo has already announced a voice enabled TV earlier this year; Samsung also announced a remote control that can decipher voice commands with touchscreen features and of course, there is no doubting the fact that Apple is supposed to roll out its iTV with Siri in the Mix.
Will this be Google’s answer to Siri and to the upcoming iTV of Apple? It may or it may be, and with other companies going the same road as them, Apple has its hands full and will certainly make the competition a little intense.
(source)
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Tags: Apple, google, google tv, google tv siri patent, siri
