Disambiguating Input Based On Context

• US 20150269937A1
• Filed: 06/08/2015
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Jitkoff, John Nicholas, LeBeau, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,401,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1815 Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/20 Speech recognition techniques specially adapted for robustness in adverse environments, e.g. in noise, of stress induced speech G10L21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/24 Speech recognition using non-acoustical features
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes receiving, at a mobile computing device, ambiguous user input that indicates more than one of a plurality of commands; and determining a current context associated with the mobile computing device that indicates where the mobile computing device is currently located. The method can further include disambiguating the ambiguous user input by selecting a command from the plurality of commands based on the current context associated with the mobile computing device; and causing output associated with performance of the selected command to be provided by the mobile computing device.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed, operate to cause a computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by the computer, an input that is able to be represented by either of two or more homophones, homonyms, or heteronyms;

determining, by the computer, a current context associated with a mobile device;

applying, by the computer, the current context to one or more rules to select one of the two or more homophones, homonyms, or heteronyms as representing the input; and

outputting, by the computer responsive to applying selecting the context to the one or more rules, the selected homophone, homonym, or heteronym as representing the input.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein:

the current context comprises a direction of travel associated with the mobile device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the direction of travel points to a location associated with the selected homophone, homonym, or heteronym.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein:

the current context comprises a distance to one or more contacts stored in a contact database on the mobile device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the distance to the one or more contacts is within a predefined range.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein:

the current context comprises a level of background noise, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the level of background noise is greater than a predefined value.

12. The medium of claim 8, wherein:

the current context comprises a rate of speed of the mobile device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the rate of speed of the mobile device exceeds a predefined value.

13. The medium of claim 8, wherein:

the context comprises an availability of one or more wireless networks, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the one or more wireless networks are available.

14. The medium of claim 8, wherein:

the context comprises an existence of a connection between the mobile device and a particular wireless network, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the existence of the connection between the mobile device and the particular wireless network exists.

15. The medium of claim 8, wherein:

the context comprises an existence of a connection between the mobile device and another, different device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the connection between the mobile device and the other, different device exists.

16. The medium of claim 8, wherein:

the context comprises an identity of one or more contacts that have recently been called using the mobile device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the identity of the one or more contacts matches the selected homophone, homonym, or heteronym.

17. The medium of claim 8, wherein:

the context comprises a dock status of the mobile device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the mobile device is docked for use in a vehicle, and in response selecting the selected homophone, homonym, or heteronym based on the selected homophone, homonym, or heteronym being associated with a navigation command.

18. The medium of claim 8, wherein:

the context comprises one or more appointments on a calendar stored on the mobile device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules determining that information associated with the one or more appointments on the calendar matches the selected homophone, homonym, or heteronym.

19. The medium of claim 8, wherein determining a current context associated with a mobile device comprises:

determining a current context associated with one or more other devices, and

identifying the current context associated with the mobile device based at least in part on the current context associated with the one or more other devices.

20-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a computer, an input that is able to be represented by either of two or more homophones, homonyms, or heteronyms;

determining, by the computer, a current context associated with a mobile device;

applying, by the computer, the current context to one or more rules to select one of the two or more homophones, homonyms, or heteronyms as representing the input; and

outputting, by the computer responsive to applying selecting the current context to the one or more rules, the selected homophone, homonym, or heteronym as representing the input.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the current context comprises a direction of travel associated with the mobile device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the direction of travel points to a location associated with the selected homophone, homonym, or heteronym.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the current context comprises a distance to one or more contacts stored in a contact database on the mobile device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the distance to the one or more contacts is within a predefined range.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the current context comprises a level of background noise, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the level of background noise is greater than a predefined value.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the current context comprises a rate of speed of the mobile device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the rate of speed of the mobile device exceeds a predefined value.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the context comprises an availability of one or more wireless networks, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the one or more wireless networks are available.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the context comprises an existence of a connection between the mobile device and a particular wireless network, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the existence of the connection between the mobile device and the particular wireless network exists.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the context comprises an existence of a connection between the mobile device and another, different device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the connection between the mobile device and the other, different device exists.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the context comprises an identity of one or more contacts that have recently been called using the mobile device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the identity of the one or more contacts matches the selected homophone, homonym, or heteronym.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the context comprises a dock status of the mobile device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules comprises determining that the mobile device is docked for use in a vehicle, and in response selecting the selected homophone, homonym, or heteronym based on the selected homophone, homonym, or heteronym being associated with a navigation command.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the context comprises one or more appointments on a calendar stored on the mobile device, and

applying the current context to the one or more rules determining that information associated with the one or more appointments on the calendar matches the selected homophone, homonym, or heteronym.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein determining a current context associated with a mobile device comprises:

determining a current context associated with one or more other devices, and

identifying the current context associated with the mobile device based at least in part on the current context associated with the one or more other devices.