Detecting pause in audible input to device

• US 10,269,377 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2018
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: VanBlon, Russell Speight, Beaumont, Suzanne Marion, Waltermann, Rod David
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thuykhanh
• Application Number:
  US16/118,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20180374501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 235 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/87 Detection of discrete points within a voice signal

Abstract

A device includes a processor and a memory accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by the processor to process an audible input sequence provided by a user of the device, determine that a pause in providing the audible input sequence has occurred at least partially based on a first signal from at least one camera communicating with the device, cease to process the audible input sequence responsive to a determination that the pause has occurred, determine that providing the audible input sequence has resumed based at least partially based on a second signal from the camera, and resume processing of the audible input sequence responsive to a determination that providing the audible input sequence has resumed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

storage accessible to the at least one processor and comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to;

process first audible input received from a user;

pause processing of audible input based at least in part on a determination that audible input is no longer being received;

subsequently receive second audible input from the user;

process the second audible input;

based at least in part on the processing of the second audible input, determine whether at least a portion of the first audible input is incompatible with at least a portion of the second audible input; and

in response to a determination that at least the portion of the first audible input is incompatible with at least the portion of the second audible input, execute a command based at least in part on the portion of the second audible input but not the portion of the first audible input that is incompatible with the portion of the second audible input.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the determination that audible input is no longer being received is based at least in part on identification of a pause in words spoken by the user.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the pause comprises an audible sequence separator that is unintelligible to the device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the second audible input is processed based on a determination that the user has resumed speaking.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the determination that the user has resumed speaking is based on input from a camera.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the input from the camera indicates the user'"'"'s mouth as being open.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the input from the camera indicates the user'"'"'s mouth as being open and still.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the determination that audible input is no longer being received is based at least in part on a determination that the user'"'"'s eyes are not looking toward the device.

9. The device of claim 1, comprising a touch-enabled display accessible to the at least one processor, and wherein the determination that audible input is no longer being received is based at least in part on a determination that the user is engaging another operation using the touch-enabled display.

10. A method, comprising:

processing first audible input received from a user;

pausing processing of audible input based at least in part on a determination that audible input is no longer being received;

subsequently receiving second audible input from the user;

processing the second audible input;

based at least in part on the processing of the second audible input, determining whether at least a portion of the first audible input is incompatible with at least a portion of the second audible input; and

in response to determining that at least the portion of the first audible input is incompatible with at least the portion of the second audible input, executing a command based at least in part on the portion of the second audible input but not the portion of the first audible input that is incompatible with the portion of the second audible input.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining that audible input is no longer being received is based at least in part on identifying a pause in words spoken by the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the pause comprises an audible sequence separator that is unintelligible to the device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the second audible input is processed based on determining that the user has resumed speaking.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining that the user has resumed speaking is based on input from a camera.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the input from the camera indicates the user'"'"'s mouth as being open.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the input from the camera indicates the user'"'"'s mouth as being open and still.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining that audible input is no longer being received is based at least in part on determining that the user'"'"'s eyes are not looking toward the device.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining that audible input is no longer being received is based at least in part on a determination that the user is engaging another operation using a touch-enabled display.

19. A computer readable storage medium (CRSM) that is not a transitory signal, the computer readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by at least one processor to:

process first audible input received from a user;

pause processing of audible input based at least in part on a determination that audible input is no longer being received;

subsequently receive second audible input from the user;

process the second audible input;

based at least in part on the processing of the second audible input, determine whether at least a portion of the first audible input is incompatible with at least a portion of the second audible input; and

in response to a determination that at least the portion of the first audible input is incompatible with at least the portion of the second audible input, execute a command based at least in part on the portion of the second audible input but not the portion of the first audible input that is incompatible with the portion of the second audible input.

20. The CRSM of claim 19, wherein the determination that audible input is no longer being received is based at least in part on identification, based on input from a camera, of a pause in words spoken by the user.