Context-Sensitive Handling of Interruptions by Intelligent Digital Assistant

• US 20140074483A1
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: van Os, Marcel
• Granted Patent: US 9,576,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue

Abstract

Methods and systems related to intelligent interruption handling by digital assistants are disclosed. In some embodiments, a first information provision process is initiated in response to a first speech input. The first information provision process comprises preparing a first response and a second response to the first speech input. After or concurrent with the provision of the first response to the user, but before provision of the second response to the user, an event operable to initiate a second information provision process is detected. The second information provision process is initiated in response to detecting the event. The second information provision process comprises preparing a third response to the event. A relative urgency between the second response and the third response is determined. One of the second response and the third response is provided to the user in an order based on the determined relative urgency.

Claims

1. A method of operating a digital assistant, comprising:

at a device having one or more processors and memory;

receiving a first speech input from a user;

initiating a first information provision process in response to receipt of the first speech input, the first information provision process comprising preparing at least a first response and a second response to the first speech input;

providing the first response to the user;

after or concurrent with the provision of the first response to the user, but before provision of the second response to the user, detecting an event operable to initiate a second information provision process;

initiating the second information provision process in response to detecting the event, the second information provision process comprising preparing at least a third response to the event;

determining a relative urgency between the second response and the third response; and

providing one of the second response and the third response to the user in an order based on the determined relative urgency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first speech input is a navigation request and the first response and the second response are two navigation instructions associated with two different waypoints along a route prepared in response to the navigation request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first speech input is a search request, and the first response and the second response are speech outputs reading two different search results retrieved in response to the search request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the digital assistant is currently operating in a hands-free mode or an eyes-free mode; and

determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response upon determining that the digital assistant is currently operating in the hands-free mode or eyes-free mode.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the second response and the third response are suitable to be provided in parallel on different output channels of the device; and

determining the relative urgency between the second and the third responses upon determining that the second response and the third response are not suitable to be provided in parallel on different output channels of the device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response further comprises:

determining a present context associated with the user; and

determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response based the present context associated with the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second response is provision of an information item in response to the first speech input, and the third response is an alert item generated for a previously established reminder or arrival of a push notification, and wherein the method further comprises:

based on the present context, determining whether delivery of the second response at a respective default delivery time of the second response is likely to adversely affect a utility of the reminder or push-notification to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response further comprises:

determining whether the second response is associated with a location within a predetermined distance from a current location of the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response further comprises:

determining whether the user is likely to pass by a location associated with the second response within a predetermined time window from a current time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined time window is based on a respective time period required to deliver the third response to the user.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first speech input from a user;

initiating a first information provision process in response to receipt of the first speech input, the first information provision process comprising preparing at least a first response and a second response to the first speech input;

providing the first response to the user;

after or concurrent with the provision of the first response to the user, but before provision of the second response to the user, detecting an event operable to initiate a second information provision process;

initiating the second information provision process in response to detecting the event, the second information provision process comprising preparing at least a third response to the event;

determining a relative urgency between the second response and the third response; and

providing one of the second response and the third response to the user in an order based on the determined relative urgency.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first speech input is a navigation request and the first response and the second response are two navigation instructions associated with two different waypoints along a route prepared in response to the navigation request.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first speech input is a search request, and the first response and the second response are speech outputs reading two different search results retrieved in response to the search request.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the digital assistant is currently operating in a hands-free mode or an eyes-free mode; and

determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response upon determining that the digital assistant is currently operating in the hands-free mode or eyes-free mode.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the second response and the third response are suitable to be provided in parallel on different output channels of the device; and

determining the relative urgency between the second and the third responses upon determining that the second response and the third response are not suitable to be provided in parallel on different output channels of the device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response further comprises:

determining a present context associated with the user; and

determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response based the present context associated with the user.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second response is provision of an information item in response to the first speech input, and the third response is an alert item generated for a previously established reminder or arrival of a push notification, and wherein the operations further comprise:

based on the present context, determining whether delivery of the second response at a respective default delivery time of the second response is likely to adversely affect a utility of the reminder or push-notification to the user.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response further comprises:

determining whether the second response is associated with a location within a predetermined distance from a current location of the user.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response further comprises:

determining whether the user is likely to pass by a location associated with the second response within a predetermined time window from a current time.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the predetermined time window is based on a respective time period required to deliver the third response to the user.

21. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a first speech input from a user;

initiating a first information provision process in response to receipt of the first speech input, the first information provision process comprising preparing at least a first response and a second response to the first speech input;

providing the first response to the user;

after or concurrent with the provision of the first response to the user, but before provision of the second response to the user, detecting an event operable to initiate a second information provision process;

initiating the second information provision process in response to detecting the event, the second information provision process comprising preparing at least a third response to the event;

determining a relative urgency between the second response and the third response; and

providing one of the second response and the third response to the user in an order based on the determined relative urgency.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first speech input is a navigation request and the first response and the second response are two navigation instructions associated with two different waypoints along a route prepared in response to the navigation request.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the first speech input is a search request, and the first response and the second response are speech outputs reading two different search results retrieved in response to the search request.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the digital assistant is currently operating in a hands-free mode or an eyes-free mode; and

determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response upon determining that the digital assistant is currently operating in the hands-free mode or eyes-free mode.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the second response and the third response are suitable to be provided in parallel on different output channels of the device; and

determining the relative urgency between the second and the third responses upon determining that the second response and the third response are not suitable to be provided in parallel on different output channels of the device.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response further comprises:

determining a present context associated with the user; and

determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response based the present context associated with the user.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the second response is provision of an information item in response to the first speech input, and the third response is an alert item generated for a previously established reminder or arrival of a push notification, and wherein the operations further comprise:

based on the present context, determining whether delivery of the second response at a respective default delivery time of the second response is likely to adversely affect a utility of the reminder or push-notification to the user.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response further comprises:

determining whether the second response is associated with a location within a predetermined distance from a current location of the user.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein determining the relative urgency between the second response and the third response further comprises:

determining whether the user is likely to pass by a location associated with the second response within a predetermined time window from a current time.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the predetermined time window is based on a respective time period required to deliver the third response to the user.