VIRTUAL ASSISTANT CONTINUITY

• US 20160259656A1
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: SUMNER, Michael R., PHIPPS, Benjamin S., DIBIASE, Evan S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,567,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/482 Application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• 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: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

At a first electronic device with a display and a microphone, receiving audio input via the microphone, wherein the audio input comprises a request; sending data representing the request to a service; receiving a token from the service, wherein the token permits lookup, from the service, of at least one of: the request, and result responsive to the request; and sending the token to a second electronic device external to the first electronic device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a first electronic device with a display, a microphone, cause the first electronic device to:

receive audio input via the microphone, wherein the audio input comprises a request;

send data representing the request to a service;

receive a token from the service, wherein the token permits lookup, from the service, of at least one of;

the request, and result responsive to the request; and

send the token to a second electronic device external to the first electronic device.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

receive, from the service, a result responsive to the request; and

display at least part of the result on the display of the first electronic device.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

determine whether a virtual assistant session is actively running on the first electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination that a virtual assistant session is actively running on the first electronic device send the token to the second electronic device, and

in accordance with a determination that no virtual assistant session is actively running on the first electronic device, forgo sending the token to the second electronic device.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the virtual assistant session is active on the first electronic device when the first electronic device is sampling audio input.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the virtual assistant session is active on the first electronic device when a backlight of the display of the first electronic device is on.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

in accordance with sending the token to the second electronic device, broadcast the token on an electronic communication channel.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

in accordance with sending the token to the second electronic device, send the token as part of a transmission addressed to the second electronic device on an electronic communication channel.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

in accordance with receiving the request at the first electronic device;

send, from the first electronic device to the service, context information related to a context of the first electronic device,

wherein the token received from the service permits lookup, by the second electronic device, of the context information, from the service.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein second electronic device is configured to:

send, to the service, the token; and

receive, from the service, at least one of;

the request, and result responsive to the request.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein second electronic device is configured to:

receive, from the service, result responsive to the request; and

display at least a part of the received result.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein second electronic device is configured to:

receive a second audio input via the microphone, the second audio input comprising a second request;

send data representing the second request to the service; and

receive, from the service, a message corresponding to the second request, but no token corresponding to the second request.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the message is a generic message.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the message corresponding to the second request indicates a lack of available information identified by the service responsive to the second request.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second request comprises a request for a task unsupported by the first electronic device.

15. A method, comprising:

at a first electronic device with a display and a microphone;

receiving audio input via the microphone, wherein the audio input comprises a request;

sending data representing the request to a service;

receiving a token from the service, wherein the token permits lookup, from the service, of at least one of;

the request, and result responsive to the request; and

sending the token to a second electronic device external to the first electronic device.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

a memory;

a microphone; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving audio input via the microphone, wherein the audio input comprises a request;

sending data representing the request to a service;

receiving a token from the service, wherein the token permits lookup, from the service, of at least one of;

the request, and result responsive to the request; and

sending the token to a second electronic device external to the electronic device.