SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACTIVATING A VOICE ASSISTANT AND PROVIDING AN INDICATOR THAT THE VOICE ASSISTANT HAS ASSISTANCE TO GIVE

• US 20180025725A1
• Filed: 07/22/2016
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Qian, Ming, Wang, Song
• Application Number:
  US15/217,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20180025725A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/02 Feature extraction for speech recognition; Selection of recognition unit
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1815 Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/221 Announcement of recognition results
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/12 by detecting audible sound

Abstract

A voice assistant of a computer device is activated not by a key word being spoken or button press but by recognizing speech and determining whether context of the speech indicates that audible voice assistance is appropriate. The device may indicate by, e.g., illuminating a lamp or by activating a vibrator that it has assistance to give.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

storage accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by the processor to;

receive speech;

without receiving a user command to enter voice recognition mode, execute voice recognition on the speech to return plural words;

using the plural words as entering argument, access a database to correlate the plural words to ancillary information; and

return the ancillary information.

2. The device of claim 1, comprising at least one audio speaker, wherein the ancillary information is output on the at least one audio speaker.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

responsive to correlating the plural words to the ancillary information, activate an indicator on the first device indicating that ancillary information is available;

responsive to subsequent input to present the ancillary information, present the ancillary information at the first device; and

responsive to no subsequent input to present the ancillary information, not present the ancillary information at the first device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

receive at least one of a first input associated with headphone output and a second input associated with broadcast output;

responsive to the first input, present the ancillary information on the headphones; and

responsive to the second input, present the ancillary information on a broadcast speaker different from the headphone.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

using the plural words as entering argument, access a calendar database;

determine, using at least a time recognized in the plural words, whether the calendar database comprises an activity entry for the time;

responsive to the calendar database indicating an activity entry for the time, output the ancillary information; and

responsive to the calendar database not indicating an activity entry for the time, not output the ancillary information.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the ancillary information comprises an audible indication of the activity entry for the time.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

using the plural words as entering argument, access a grammar database;

determine, using the plural words, whether the grammar database indicates at least one word is missing; and

responsive to the grammar database indicating at least one word is missing, return the ancillary information, the ancillary information comprising the at least one word.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

using the plural words as entering argument, access a database;

determine, using the plural words, whether the database indicates additional information is associated with the plural words; and

responsive to the database indicating additional information is associated with the plural words, return the ancillary information, the ancillary information comprising at least some of the additional information.

9. A computer readable storage medium (CRSM) that is not a transitory signal, the computer readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor to:

receive speech;

execute voice recognition on the speech to return at least one word;

correlate the at least one word to ancillary information;

responsive to correlating the at least one word to ancillary information, activate an indicator indicating that ancillary information is available;

responsive to subsequent input to present the ancillary information, output the ancillary information; and

responsive to no subsequent input to present the ancillary information, not output the ancillary information.

10. The CRSM of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

receive a first input associated with headphone output and a second input associated with broadcast output, and responsive to the first input, present the ancillary information on the headphones, and responsive to the second input, present the ancillary information on a broadcast speaker different from the headphone.

11. The CRSM of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

using plural words as entering argument, access a database to correlate the plural words to ancillary information; and

return the ancillary information.

12. The CRSM of claim 9, wherein the ancillary information is output on at least one audio speaker.

13. The CRSM of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

using plural words as entering argument, access a calendar database;

determine, using at least a time recognized in the plural words, whether the calendar database comprises an activity entry for the time;

responsive to the calendar database indicating an activity entry for the time, outputting the ancillary information; and

responsive to the calendar database not indicating an activity entry for the time, not outputting the ancillary information.

14. The CRSM of claim 13, wherein the ancillary information comprises an audible indication of the activity entry for the time.

15. The CRSM of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

using the at least one word as entering argument, access a grammar database;

determine, using the at least one word, whether the grammar database indicates at least one word is missing; and

responsive to the grammar database indicating at least one word is missing, return the ancillary information, the ancillary information comprising the at least one word that is missing.

16. The CRSM of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

using plural words as entering argument, access a database;

determine, using the plural words, whether the database indicates additional information is associated with the plural words; and

responsive to the database indicating additional information is associated with the plural words, return the ancillary information, the ancillary information comprising at least some of the additional information.

17. A method, comprising:

activating a voice-response assistant of a computing device not by a key word being spoken or button press but by recognizing speech and determining whether context of the speech indicates that audible voice assistance is appropriate; and

at least one of illuminating a lamp and activating a vibrator that the voice-response assistant has assistance to give without outputting assistance on a speaker until a command to do so is received.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising:

allowing a user to select a private audible mode and a public audible mode, wherein responsive to selection of the private audible mode assistance is presented on headphones, and wherein responsive to selection of the public audible mode assistance is provided on a speaker of the computing device.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising:

using plural words from the speech as entering argument, accessing a database to correlate the plural words to information; and

returning the information and providing the information at a device as at least a portion of the assistance.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

determine that voice assistance is appropriate based at least in part on identification of the speech as being associated with a particular user.