US 11069337

US Patent 11069337: Concise Summary

Title: Voice-content control device, voice-content control method, and non-transitory storage medium

Current Assignee: Soundclear Technologies LLC
Original Assignee: JVCKenwood Corp
Inventors: Tatsumi NAGANUMA

Filing Date: March 4, 2019
Issue Date: July 20, 2021

Abstract: A voice-content control device is disclosed, featuring a voice classifying unit that analyzes a user's voice, acquired by a voice acquiring unit, to classify it as either a first voice or a second voice. It also includes a process executing unit to analyze the acquired voice and perform user-requested processing, and a voice-content generating unit. This generating unit creates text data for an output voice based on the executed processing. Critically, if the acquired voice is classified as the first voice, a first output sentence is generated. If it's classified as the second voice, a second output sentence is generated, which omits some information compared to the first output sentence.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (Voice-Content Control Device): This claim describes a device that can understand user voice commands. It works by:

  1. Classifying the voice: Determining if the user's spoken input (the "acquired voice") is a "first voice" (e.g., normal speech) or a "second voice" (e.g., a whisper).
  2. Executing processing: Performing the action or retrieving the information the user requested based on their voice input.
  3. Generating output: Creating a text response to be spoken back to the user.
     The key innovation lies in how the output is generated: if the input was a "first voice," a complete "first output sentence" is generated. However, if the input was a "second voice," a "second output sentence" is generated which contains less information than the first output sentence.

• Independent Claim 6 (Voice-Content Control Method): This claim outlines a method for controlling voice content, mirroring the device's functionality. The steps involve:

  1. Acquiring voice: Receiving a user's spoken voice.
  2. Classifying voice: Analyzing the acquired voice to determine if it's a "first voice" or a "second voice."
  3. Executing processing: Analyzing the voice to perform the user's intended action.
  4. Generating output sentence: Creating text data for a voice response based on the executed processing.
     Similar to the device, the method dictates that a "first output sentence" is generated when the acquired voice is a "first voice," and a "second output sentence" (with some information omitted compared to the first) is generated when the acquired voice is a "second voice."

• Independent Claim 9 (Non-Transitory Storage Medium): This claim covers a computer program stored on a non-transitory medium (like a hard drive or flash memory) that enables a computer to perform the voice-content control method described in Claim 6. Essentially, it's the software that allows a computer to:

  1. Acquire a user's voice.
  2. Classify that voice as a "first" or "second" voice.
  3. Execute processing based on the voice.
  4. Generate an output sentence, where a "first output sentence" is used for a "first voice" input and a shortened "second output sentence" is used for a "second voice" input.

USPTO and CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of the current date, US patent 11069337 is active and involved in litigation. There is a US case filed in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit with case number 25-1288. Additionally, there are multiple PTAB cases, including IPR2025-01123 (Procedural Termination), IPR2025-01597 (Not Instituted - Procedural), and IPR2025-00565 (Pending - Instituted). These cases indicate ongoing legal challenges related to the patent in 2025 and 2026.