USER PROFILING FOR VOICE INPUT PROCESSING

• US 20170316782A1
• Filed: 04/21/2017
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: HAUGHAY, Allen P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,049,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/08 Use of distortion metrics or a particular distance between probe pattern and reference templates
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/227 of the speaker; Human-factor methodology

Abstract

This is directed to processing voice inputs received by an electronic device. In particular, this is directed to receiving a voice input and identifying the user providing the voice input. The voice input can be processed using a subset of words from a library used to identify the words or phrases of the voice input. The particular subset can be selected such that voice inputs provided by the user are more likely to include words from the subset. The subset of the library can be selected using any suitable approach, including for example based on the user'"'"'s interests and words that relate to those interests. For example, the subset can include one or more words related to media items selected by the user for storage on the electronic device, names of the user'"'"'s contacts, applications or processes used by the user, or any other words relating to the user'"'"'s interactions with the device.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A method for processing a voice input, comprising:

at an electronic device with one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

receiving a voice input;

determining that the voice input includes a subset of library words;

comparing the voice input that includes the subset of library words with a voice print;

identifying a user providing the voice input based on the comparing; and

processing the received voice input based on characteristics associated with the user.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the processing further comprises:

detecting a plurality of words in the received voice input;

comparing the detected plurality of words with a second subset of library words associated with the identified user; and

identifying a second plurality of words from the second subset that correspond to the detected plurality of words.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

extracting an instruction for the identified second plurality of words; and

identifying an operation corresponding to the extracted instruction.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

identifying at least one interest of the user; and

selecting a subset of library words that relate to the at least one interest of the user.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein identifying the user further comprises identifying the user from at least one of:

the content of the voice input;

the time at which the voice input was provided; and

the voice signature of the voice print.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

identifying an electronic device operation corresponding to the processed voice input.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

retrieving at least one instruction from the processed voice input; and

identifying at least one electronic device operation corresponding to the retrieved at least one instruction.

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

receiving a voice input;

determining that the voice input includes a subset of library words;

comparing the voice input that includes the subset of library words with a voice print;

identifying a user providing the voice input based on the comparing; and

processing the received voice input based on characteristics associated with the user.

31. The storage medium of claim 30, wherein the processing further comprises:

detecting a plurality of words in the received voice input;

comparing the detected plurality of words with a second subset of library words associated with the identified user; and

identifying a second plurality of words from the second subset that correspond to the detected plurality of words.

32. The storage medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

extracting an instruction for the identified second plurality of words; and

identifying an operation corresponding to the extracted instruction.

33. The storage medium of claim 30, wherein the instructions further cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

identifying at least one interest of the user; and

selecting a subset of library words that relate to the at least one interest of the user.

34. The storage medium of claim 30, wherein identifying the user further comprises identifying the user from at least one of:

the content of the voice input;

the time at which the voice input was provided; and

the voice signature of the voice print.

35. The storage medium of claim 30, wherein the instructions further cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

identifying an electronic device operation corresponding to the processed voice input.

36. The storage medium of claim 35, wherein the instructions further cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

retrieving at least one instruction from the processed voice input; and

identifying at least one electronic device operation corresponding to the retrieved at least one instruction.

37. A system for processing a voice input, the system comprising:

a display;

one or more processors; and

a memory storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs include instructions configured to be executed by the one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a voice input;

determining that the voice input includes a subset of library words;

comparing the voice input that includes the subset of library words with a voice print;

identifying a user providing the voice input based on the comparing; and

processing the received voice input based on characteristics associated with the user.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the processing further comprises:

detecting a plurality of words in the received voice input;

comparing the detected plurality of words with a second subset of library words associated with the identified user; and

identifying a second plurality of words from the second subset that correspond to the detected plurality of words.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the instructions further cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

extracting an instruction for the identified second plurality of words; and

identifying an operation corresponding to the extracted instruction.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the instructions further cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

identifying at least one interest of the user; and

selecting a subset of library words that relate to the at least one interest of the user.

41. The system of claim 37, wherein the instructions further cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

identifying an electronic device operation corresponding to the processed voice input.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the instructions further cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

retrieving at least one instruction from the processed voice input; and

identifying at least one electronic device operation corresponding to the retrieved at least one instruction.