Systems and Methods for Integrating Third Party Services with a Digital Assistant

• US 20130311997A1
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gruber, Thomas R., Cheyer, Adam J., Keen, Daniel, Brigham, Christopher D., Kocienda, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 10,417,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4806 Task transfer initiation or dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4856 resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration G06F9/5088 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5005 to service a request
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

The electronic device with one or more processors and memory receives an input of a user. The electronic device, in accordance with the input, identifies a respective task type from a plurality of predefined task types associated with a plurality of third party service providers. The respective task type is associated with at least one third party service provider for which the user is authorized and at least one third party service provider for which the user is not authorized. In response to identifying the respective task type, the electronic device sends a request to perform at least a portion of a task to a third party service provider of the plurality of third party service providers that is associated with the respective task type.

Claims

1. An electronic device for processing a user input, the device comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing one or more programs for execution by the at least one processor, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving an input of a user;

in accordance with the input, identifying a respective task type from a plurality of predefined task types associated with a plurality of third party service providers, the respective task type associated with at least one third party service provider for which the user is authorized and at least one third party service provider for which the user is not authorized; and

,

in response to identifying the respective task type, sending a request to perform at least a portion of a task to a third party service provider of the plurality of third party service providers that is associated with the respective task type.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the input is a voice input of the user that has been converted to text.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the user is authorized for a particular third party service provider when the user is authorized to use a software application associated with the particular third party service provider.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein:

the electronic device is a portable electronic device of the user; and

the electronic device stores the software application.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising:

executing the software application for sending the request.

6. The device of claim 4, further comprising:

sending the request without executing the software application.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising obtaining results from the third party service provider.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising displaying at least a portion of the results to the user through a graphical user interface associated with the software application.

9. The device of claim 7, further comprising presenting at least a portion of the results to the user not through a graphical user interface associated with the software application.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising, prior to receiving the input, receiving from a third party service provider an identification of the one or more task types for which the third party service provider can perform at least a portion of a task.

11. A method for processing a user input, performed at an electronic device with one or more processors and memory, the method comprising:

at the electronic device;

receiving an input of a user;

in accordance with the input, identifying a respective task type from a plurality of predefined task types associated with a plurality of third party service providers, the respective task type associated with at least one third party service provider for which the user is authorized and at least one third party service provider for which the user is not authorized; and

,

in response to identifying the respective task type, sending a request to perform at least a portion of a task to a third party service provider of the plurality of third party service providers that is associated with the respective task type.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the input is a voice input of the user that has been converted to text.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the user is authorized for a particular third party service provider when the user is authorized to use a software application associated with the particular third party service provider.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising obtaining results from the third party service provider.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising, prior to receiving the input, receiving from a third party service provider an identification of the one or more task types for which the third party service provider can perform at least a portion of a task.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, which, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

receive an input of a user;

in accordance with the input, identify a respective task type from a plurality of predefined task types associated with a plurality of third party service providers, the respective task type associated with at least one third party service provider for which the user is authorized and at least one third party service provider for which the user is not authorized; and

,

in response to identifying the respective task type, send a request to perform at least a portion of a task to a third party service provider, of the plurality of third party service providers, that is associated with the respective task type.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the input is a voice input of the user that has been converted to text.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the user is authorized for a particular third party service provider when the user is authorized to use a software application associated with the particular third party service provider.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising obtaining results from the third party service provider.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising, prior to receiving the input, receiving from a third party service provider an identification of the one or more task types for which the third party service provider can perform at least a portion of a task.