Google may be working towards providing a method for users to make searches on the Web simply by speaking commands, according to a recent patent filing. Although filed in February 2001, the voice search patent was approved and published on Tuesday.
According to the patent abstract, Google's system would use voice recognition technology to build keywords that are entered into the search engine. "The system then provides the weighted boolean query to a search system and provides the results of the search system to a user," the filing states.
A demo of "Google Voice Search" was available through Google Labs, the company's online testbed, although it had been removed as of Thursday. That service allowed a user to call a telephone number, state a query, and then receive the results through their Web browser.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Voice-activated Web Searching
- Opportunity for businesses to develop voice recognition technology to enable users to search the web by speaking commands.
- Patented Voice Search Technology
- Potential for disruption in the search engine industry by implementing Google’s voice search technology.
- Integration of Voice and Web Technologies
- Opportunity to create innovative voice-activated web platforms that provide search results through web browsers.
Sectors Adopting This
- Search Engine Industry
- Disruption opportunity through the implementation of voice search technology in search engines.
- Telecommunications Industry
- Opportunity to partner with web platforms to enable users to call a telephone number, state a query, and receive web search results.
- Technology Hardware Industry
- Potential for the development of voice recognition hardware to support voice-activated web searches.
