Systems and methods for hands-free notification summaries

• US 10,553,209 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gruber, Thomas R., Saddler, Harry J., Varoglu, Devrim, Cili, Gencer
• Primary Examiner(s): Leland, III, Edwin S
• Application Number:
  US14/210,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20140195252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,154 Days
• Field of Search: 704275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/35 Discourse or dialogue representation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1822 Parsing for meaning understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting

Abstract

A method includes outputting an alert corresponding to an information item. In some implementations, the alert is a sound. In some implementations, the alert is ambiguous (e.g., the sound indicates several possible information items). The method further includes receiving a speech input after outputting the alert. The method further includes determining whether the speech input includes a request for information about the alert. The method further includes, in response to determining that the speech input includes a request for information about the alert, providing a first speech output including information about the alert.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing information about an alert, comprising:

at a system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

outputting, via an output device, an alert corresponding to an information item, wherein the alert is one of a plurality of types of alert the system is configured to output;

receiving, via a microphone, a speech input after outputting the alert;

determining whether the speech input includes a request for information about the alert; and

in response to determining that the speech input includes a request for information about the alert, providing a first speech output including information about the alert to disambiguate the alert, wherein the information about the alert includes at least one of the type of notification corresponding to the alert, the type of communication corresponding to the alert, and a paraphrase of the alert.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to outputting the alert, initiating a listening mode for a first predetermined time period, wherein the speech input is received during the first predetermined time period.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein no audio prompt indicating initiation of the listening mode is provided upon initiation of the listening mode.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

after providing the first speech output, initiating a listening mode for a second predetermined time period;

receiving an additional speech input during the second predetermined time period;

determining whether the additional speech input includes a request for additional information about the alert; and

in response to determining that the additional speech input includes a request for additional information about the alert, providing a second speech output including additional information associated with the alert.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the alert corresponds to a communication, the first speech output includes a name of a sender of the communication, and the second speech output includes at least a content portion of the communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the speech input includes the request for information about the alert comprises determining whether the speech input includes a predetermined word or phrase.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined word or phrase is one of a plurality of predetermined words or phrases that indicate a user request for information about an alert.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the speech input includes a request for information about the alert comprises:

using natural language processing to infer a user intent from the speech input; and

determining whether the user intent indicates a request for information about the alert.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to outputting the alert, receiving the communication, wherein the information item is associated with the communication.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication is selected from the group consisting of:

a text message;

a telephone call;

a videotelephony call;

a voicemail; and

an email.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the information item is associated with one of the group consisting of:

a calendar alert;

a reminder alert; and

an application alert.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the information item is associated with textual information, and wherein providing the first speech output includes providing speech output corresponding to at least a portion of the textual information associated with the information item.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first speech output includes providing speech output corresponding to meta-information associated with the information item, and wherein the meta-information is an indication of a source of the information item.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first speech output further includes providing speech output corresponding to a summary of the contents of the information item.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the information item is an alert from an information service.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the information service is a social networking service, and the information item is a notification of social networking activity.

17. A computer-implemented method for providing information about an alert, comprising:

at a system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

outputting, via an output device, an alert corresponding to an information item, wherein the alert is one of a plurality of types of alert the system is configured to output;

receiving, via a microphone, an audio input after outputting the alert; and

in response to receiving the audio input, providing a first speech output including information about the alert to disambiguate the alert, wherein the information about the alert includes at least one of the type of notification corresponding to the alert, the type of communication corresponding to the alert, and a paraphrase of the alert.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the audio input satisfies an amplitude threshold.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the audio input corresponds to human speech, and the first speech output is provided regardless of semantic content of the audio input.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising, after receiving the audio input, determining whether the audio input corresponds to a human voice, wherein the first speech output is provided in response to determining that the audio input corresponds to a human voice.

21. An electronic device, comprising one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

outputting, via an output device, an alert corresponding to an information item, wherein the alert is one of a plurality of types of alert the system is configured to output;

receiving, via a microphone, a speech input after outputting the alert;

determining whether the speech input includes a request for information about the alert; and

in response to determining that the speech input includes a request for information about the alert, providing a first speech output including information about the alert to disambiguate the alert, wherein the information about the alert includes at least one of the type of notification corresponding to the alert, the type of communication corresponding to the alert, and a paraphrase of the alert.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, further comprising instructions for, in response to outputting the alert, initiating a listening mode for a first predetermined time period, wherein the speech input is received during the first predetermined time period.

23. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein determining whether the speech input includes the request for information about the alert comprises determining whether the speech input includes a predetermined word or phrase.

24. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein providing the first speech output further includes providing speech output corresponding to a summary of the contents of the information item.

25. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the information item is an alert from an information service.

26. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the information service is a social networking service, and the information item is a notification of social networking activity.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

outputting, via an output device, an alert corresponding to an information item, wherein the alert is one of a plurality of types of alert the system is configured to output;

receiving, via a microphone, a speech input after outputting the alert;

determining whether the speech input includes a request for information about the alert; and

in response to determining that the speech input includes a request for information about the alert, providing a first speech output including information about the alert to disambiguate the alert, wherein the information about the alert includes at least one of the type of notification corresponding to the alert, the type of communication corresponding to the alert, and a paraphrase of the alert.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, further comprising instructions for, in response to outputting the alert, initiating a listening mode for a first predetermined time period, wherein the speech input is received during the first predetermined time period.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein determining whether the speech input includes the request for information about the alert comprises determining whether the speech input includes a predetermined word or phrase.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein providing the first speech output further includes providing speech output corresponding to a summary of the contents of the information item.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the information item is an alert from an information service.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the information service is a social networking service, and the information item is a notification of social networking activity.