INTELLIGENT DIGITAL ASSISTANT IN A DESKTOP ENVIRONMENT

• US 20140218372A1
• Filed: 02/05/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: BERNSTEIN, Jeffrey Traer, CIEPLINSKI, Avi E., BROWN, Matthew I., MISSIG, Julian K., KHOE, May-Li, HART, David J., COSTANZO, Bianca C., ZAMBETTI, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US14/173,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20140218372A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

Methods and systems related to interfaces for interacting with a digital assistant in a desktop environment are disclosed. In some embodiments, a digital assistant is invoked on a user device by a gesture following a predetermined motion pattern on a touch-sensitive surface of the user device. In some embodiments, a user device selectively invokes a dictation mode or a command mode to process a speech input depending on whether an input focus of the user device is within a text input area displayed on the user device. In some embodiments, a digital assistant performs various operations in response to one or more objects being dragged and dropped onto an iconic representation of the digital assistant displayed on a graphical user interface. In some embodiments, a digital assistant is invoked to cooperate with the user to complete a task that the user has already started on a user device.

Claims

1. A method for invoking a digital assistant service, comprising:

at a user device comprising one or more processors and memory;

detecting an input gesture from a user according to a predetermined motion pattern on a touch-sensitive surface of the user device; and

in response to detecting the input gesture, activating a digital assistant on the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input gesture is detected according to a circular movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface of the user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the digital assistant on the user device further comprises presenting an iconic representation of the digital assistant on a display of the user device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein presenting the iconic representation of the digital assistant further comprises presenting an animation showing a gradual formation of the iconic representation of the digital assistant on the display.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the iconic representation of the digital assistant is displayed in proximity to a contact of the input gesture on the touch-sensitive surface of the user device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined motion pattern is selected based on a shape of an iconic representation of the digital assistant on the user device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the digital assistant on the user device further comprises:

presenting a dialogue interface of the digital assistant on a display of the device, the dialogue interface configured to present one or more verbal exchanges between the user and the digital assistant.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to detecting the input gesture;

identifying a respective user interface object presented on a display of the user device based on a correlation between a respective location of the input gesture on the touch-sensitive surface of the device and a respective location of the user interface object on the display of the user device; and

providing information associated with the user interface object to the digital assistant as context information for a subsequent input received by the digital assistant.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a user device, cause the processors to:

detect an input gesture from a user according to a predetermined motion pattern on a touch-sensitive surface of the user device; and

in response to detecting the input gesture, activate a digital assistant on the user device.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the input gesture is detected according to a circular movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface of the user device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein activating the digital assistant on the user device further comprises presenting an iconic representation of the digital assistant on a display of the user device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein presenting the iconic representation of the digital assistant further comprises presenting an animation showing a gradual formation of the iconic representation of the digital assistant on the display.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the iconic representation of the digital assistant is displayed in proximity to a contact of the input gesture on the touch-sensitive surface of the user device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the predetermined motion pattern is selected based on a shape of an iconic representation of the digital assistant on the user device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein activating the digital assistant on the user device further comprises:

presenting a dialogue interface of the digital assistant on a display of the device, the dialogue interface configured to present one or more verbal exchanges between the user and the digital assistant.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions operable to cause the one or more processors to:

in response to detecting the input gesture;

identify a respective user interface object presented on a display of the user device based on a correlation between a respective location of the input gesture on the touch-sensitive surface of the device and a respective location of the user interface object on the display of the user device; and

provide information associated with the user interface object to the digital assistant as context information for a subsequent input received by the digital assistant.

17. 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

detect an input gesture from a user according to a predetermined motion pattern on a touch-sensitive surface of the user device; and

in response to detecting the input gesture, activate a digital assistant on the user device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the input gesture is detected according to a circular movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface of the user device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein activating the digital assistant on the user device further comprises presenting an iconic representation of the digital assistant on a display of the user device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein presenting the iconic representation of the digital assistant further comprises presenting an animation showing a gradual formation of the iconic representation of the digital assistant on the display.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the iconic representation of the digital assistant is displayed in proximity to a contact of the input gesture on the touch-sensitive surface of the user device.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the predetermined motion pattern is selected based on a shape of an iconic representation of the digital assistant on the user device.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein activating the digital assistant on the user device further comprises:

presenting a dialogue interface of the digital assistant on a display of the device, the dialogue interface configured to present one or more verbal exchanges between the user and the digital assistant.

24. The system of claim 17, further comprising instructions operable to cause the one or more processors to:

in response to detecting the input gesture;

identify a respective user interface object presented on a display of the user device based on a correlation between a respective location of the input gesture on the touch-sensitive surface of the device and a respective location of the user interface object on the display of the user device; and

provide information associated with the user interface object to the digital assistant as context information for a subsequent input received by the digital assistant.