DEVICE VOICE CONTROL

• US 20160351190A1
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: PIERNOT, Philippe P., BINDER, Justin G.
• Granted Patent: US 10,083,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1822 Parsing for meaning understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

Systems and processes for device voice control are provided. An example process includes, at an electronic device, receiving a spoken user input and interpreting the spoken user input to derive a representation of user intent. The process further includes determining whether a task may be identified based on the representation of user intent. In accordance with a determination that a task may be identified based on the representation of user intent, the task is performed, and in accordance with a determination that a task may not be identified based on the representation of user intent, the spoken user input is disambiguated.

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 one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

receive a spoken user input;

interpret the spoken user input to derive a representation of user intent;

determine whether a task may be identified based on the representation of user intent;

in accordance with a determination that a task may be identified based on the representation of user intent, perform the task; and

in accordance with a determination that a task may not be identified based on the representation of user intent, disambiguate the spoken user input.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein performing the task includes selecting an affordance of displayed content.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the spoken user input includes an index of the affordance.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the spoken user input is received while the electronic device is operating in a listening mode.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the spoken user input includes a task and an argument.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein performing the task includes performing a task associated with a physical input device of the electronic device.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein interpreting the spoken user input to derive a representation of user intent includes analyzing the spoken user input using natural language processing.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein analyzing the spoken user input using natural language processing includes:

identifying a name of each of a plurality of affordances; and

providing one or more of the identified names to a server.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining whether a task may be identified based on the representation of user intent includes:

identifying a plurality of affordances matching the representation of user intent;

generating a plurality of scores for the plurality of affordances respectively; and

selecting an affordance of the plurality of affordances based on the plurality of scores.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein generating a plurality of scores for the plurality of affordances respectively includes:

for each affordance, generating a score based on a size of the affordance, a color of the affordance, a position of the affordance, or a combination thereof.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein disambiguating the spoken user input includes selecting an affordance having a best score.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein disambiguating the spoken user input includes:

highlighting a first affordance.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of an electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:

in response to another spoken user input, cease to highlight the first affordance; and

highlight a second affordance.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium device of claim 13, wherein the another spoken user input includes at least one of a name or index of the second affordance.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein performing the task includes performing a task to control displayed content.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein performing the task includes performing a system function.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein performing the task includes:

initiating performance of the task, wherein the task is a continuous task;

receiving a second spoken user input; and

in response to receiving the second spoken user input, ceasing performance of the task.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the spoken user input includes context associated with at least one affordance of the displayed content and wherein determining whether a task may be identified based on the representation of user intent includes:

identifying the at least one affordance of the displayed content based on the context.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein performing the task includes requesting confirmation to perform the task.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the spoken user input is a first spoken user input and wherein the instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:

receive a second spoken user input; and

in response to receiving the second spoken user input, undo the task.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:

receive a third spoken user input; and

in response to receiving the third spoken user input, redo the task.

22. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device;

receiving a spoken user input;

interpreting the spoken user input to derive a representation of user intent;

determining whether a task may be identified based on the representation of user intent;

in accordance with a determination that a task may be identified based on the representation of user intent, performing the task; and

in accordance with a determination that a task may not be identified based on the representation of user intent, disambiguating the spoken user input.

23. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory; and

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

receiving a spoken user input;

interpreting the spoken user input to derive a representation of user intent;

determining whether a task may be identified based on the representation of user intent;

in accordance with a determination that a task may be identified based on the representation of user intent, performing the task; and

in accordance with a determination that a task may not be identified based on the representation of user intent, disambiguating the spoken user input.