Reporting operational metrics in speech-based systems

• US 10,212,066 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Ty Loren
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley, Marcus T
• Application Number:
  US15/395,393
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/14 using software, i.e. software packages network security related monitoring H04L63/1408
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A speech-based system is configured to use its audio-based user interface to present various types of device status information such as wireless signal strengths, communication parameters, battery levels, and so forth. In described embodiments, the system is configured to understand spoken user requests for device and system status. For example, the user may speak a request to obtain the current wireless signal strength of the speech-based system. The speech-based system may respond by determining the signal strength and by playing speech or other sound informing the user of the signal strength. Furthermore, the system may monitor operational parameters to detect conditions that may degrade the user experience, and may report such conditions using generated speech or other sounds.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a microphone;

a loudspeaker;

a network communications interface configured to provide data communications with a network-based service;

one or more audio processing components configured to produce an audio signal using the microphone, the audio signal representing user speech comprising a request for status information associated with the device;

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

sending the audio signal to the network-based service via the network communications interface;

receiving, from the network-based service and via the network communications interface, an instruction to output the status information associated with the device;

determining the status information, the status information representing a measured parameter of the device;

determining, based at least in part on the status information, a value of the measured parameter of the device; and

producing, using the loudspeaker, sound indicative of the value of the measured parameter.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sound is a first sound, and wherein the acts further comprising:

receiving, from the network-based service, audio data associated with the status information; and

producing, using the loudspeaker, a second sound that is represented by the audio data,

and wherein producing the first sound comprises producing the first sound indicative of the value of the measured parameter after producing the second sound.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein producing the sound indicative of the value comprises producing, using the loudspeaker, a first tone that indicates a first value of the measured parameter, and the acts further comprising:

determining that the measured parameter is increasing or decreasing;

determining a second value of the measured parameter; and

producing, using the loudspeaker, a second tone that indicates the second value of the measured parameter.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the measure parameter includes at least one of:

a wireless signal strength;

network status information;

a network setting;

battery information;

a performance indicator of the device;

or

a status of a communication between the device and another device.

5. A method comprising:

generating, by an electronic device, an audio signal that represents user speech comprising a request for status information associated with the electronic device;

sending, by the electronic device, the audio signal to a network-based service;

receiving, by the electronic device, and from the network-based service, an instruction to produce sound indicating the status information associated with the electronic device, the status information representing a measured parameter of the electronic device;

determining, based at least in part on the status information, a value of the measured parameter; and

producing, by the electronic device, the sound, wherein the sound indicates the value of the measured parameter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sound is a first sound, and wherein the method further comprising:

receiving, from the network-based service, audio data associated with the status information; and

producing a second sound that is represented by the audio data,

and wherein producing the first sound comprises producing the first sound that indicates the status information after producing the second sound.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the sound is a first sound, the method further comprising:

determining that the value of the measured parameter is increasing or decreasing;

determining additional status information based, at least in part, on the value of the measured parameter increasing or decreasing; and

producing a second sound that indicates the additional status information.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein producing the sound that indicates the status information comprises producing output speech that states the status information.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein:

producing the sound comprises producing a tone that varies to indicate the value of the measured parameter.

10. The method of claim 5,

further comprising:

generating an additional audio signal representing instructions for changing the value of the measured parameter; and

producing an additional sound that represents the instructions.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the status information comprises determining at least one of:

a setting of the electronic device;

a performance indicator of the electronic device;

a network setting;

a wireless signal strength;

network status information;

a network performance indicator;

battery information;

status of communications by the electronic device with a peripheral device;

status of communications with the network-based service;

status of the network-based service;

firmware or software version information;

or

diagnostic information.

12. The method of claim 5,

wherein producing the sound comprises producing a tone that indicates the value of the measured parameter.

13. A system comprising:

a network communications interface configured to provide data communications with an electronic device;

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

receiving, from the electronic device via the network communication interface, data indicating status information associated with the electronic device;

determining, based at least in part on the status information, a value of a measured parameter of the electronic device,

generating an audio signal representing sound that indicates the value of the measured parameter; and

sending the audio signal to the electronic device via the network communication interface.

14. The system of claim 13, the acts further comprising:

receiving, from the electronic device, an initial audio signal representing user speech; and

determining that the user speech includes a request for the status information associated with the electronic device.

15. The system of claim 14, the acts further comprising sending, to the electronic device, a message requesting the status information based, at least in part, on determining that the user speech includes the request.

16. The system of claim 14, the acts further comprising:

analyzing the initial audio signal using one or more speech recognition techniques,

and wherein determining that the user speech includes the request for the status information is based, at least in part, on analyzing the initial audio signal.

17. The system of claim 13, the acts further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the status information, a change in the value of the measured parameter of the electronic device,

and wherein generating the audio signal is based, at least in part, on determining the change.

18. The system of claim 13, the acts further comprising:

receiving, from the electronic device, data indicating additional status information associated with the electronic device; and

determining that the value of the measured parameter of the electronic device increased or decreased based, at least in part, on the status information and the additional status information,

and wherein generating the audio signal is based, at least in part, on determining that the value of the measured parameter increased or decreased.

19. The system of claim 13,

wherein the sound comprises a tone that indicates the value of the measured parameter.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein generating the audio signal comprises generating an audio signal representing output speech that states the status information.