Focus Session at a Voice Interface Device

• US 20180122378A1
• Filed: 11/01/2017
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: MIXTER, KENNETH, SHEKEL, TOMER, NGUYEN, TUAN ANH
• Granted Patent: US 10,783,883 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 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312

Abstract

A method at a first electronic device of a local group of connected electronic devices includes: receiving a first voice command including a request for a first operation; determining a first target device for the first operation from among the local group; establishing a focus session with respect to the first target device; causing the first operation to be performed by the first target device; receiving a second voice command including a request for a second operation; determining that the second voice command does not include an explicit designation of a second target device; determining that the second operation can be performed by the first target device; determining whether the second voice command satisfies one or more focus session maintenance criteria; and if the second voice command satisfies the focus session maintenance criteria, causing the second operation to be performed by the first target device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a first electronic device with one or more microphones, a speaker, one or more processors, and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the first electronic device being a member of a local group of connected electronic devices communicatively coupled to a common network service;

receiving a first voice command including a request for a first operation;

determining a first target device for the first operation from among the local group of connected electronic devices;

establishing a focus session with respect to the first target device;

causing the first operation to be performed by the first target device via operation of the common network service;

receiving a second voice command including a request for a second operation;

determining that the second voice command does not include an explicit designation of a second target device;

determining that the second operation can be performed by the first target device;

determining whether the second voice command satisfies one or more focus session maintenance criteria; and

in accordance with a determination that the second voice command satisfies the focus session maintenance criteria, causing the second operation to be performed by the first target device via operation of the common network service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a first target device for the first operation from among the local group of connected electronic devices comprises:

obtaining an explicit designation of the first target device from the first voice command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a first target device for the first operation from among the local group of connected electronic devices comprises:

determining that the first voice command does not include an explicit designation of the first target device;

determining that the first operation can be performed by a second electronic device among the local group of connected electronic devices; and

selecting the second electronic device as the first target device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in accordance with the determination that the second voice command satisfies the focus session maintenance criteria, extending the focus session with respect to the first target device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the focus session with respect to the first target device comprises:

storing a timestamp of the first voice command; and

storing an identifier of the first target device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third voice command including a request for a third operation and an explicit designation of a third target device among the local group of connected electronic devices;

ending the focus session with respect to the first target device;

establishing a focus session with respect to the third target device; and

causing the third operation to be performed by the third target device via operation of the common network service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first target device is the first electronic device;

further comprising;

receiving a fourth voice command including a request for a fourth operation and an explicit designation of a fourth target device among the local group of connected electronic devices, wherein the fourth target device is a third electronic device member of the local group of connected electronic devices, the third electronic device different from the first electronic device;

maintaining the focus session with respect to the first target device;

causing the fourth operation to be performed by the fourth target device via operation of the common network service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the second voice command is received after the fourth operation is caused to be performed by the fourth target device;

the first operation is a media playback operation; and

the second operation is a media stoppage operation; and

the method further comprising;

receiving a fifth voice command including a request for a fifth operation and an explicit designation of a fifth target device among the local group of connected electronic devices, wherein the fifth target device is the third electronic device;

ending the focus session with respect to the first target device;

establishing a focus session with respect to the fifth target device; and

causing the fifth operation to be performed by the fifth target device via operation of the common network service.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more microphones;

a speaker;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for performing;

receiving a first voice command including a request for a first operation;

determining a first target device for the first operation from among the local group of connected electronic devices;

establishing a focus session with respect to the first target device;

causing the first operation to be performed by the first target device via operation of the common network service;

receiving a second voice command including a request for a second operation;

determining that the second voice command does not include an explicit designation of a second target device;

determining that the second operation can be performed by the first target device;

determining whether the second voice command satisfies one or more focus session maintenance criteria; and

in accordance with a determination that the second voice command satisfies the focus session maintenance criteria, causing the second operation to be performed by the first target device via operation of the common network service.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a fifth voice command including a predefined operation termination request;

in accordance with receiving the fifth voice command;

causing the first operation to cease to be performed by the first target device; and

ending the focus session with respect to the first target device.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the first operation is a media playback operation; and

the second operation is one of;

a media stoppage operation, a media rewind operation, a media fast forward operation, a volume up operation, and a volume down operation.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the first operation is a device state change operation to a first state of a plurality of device states; and

the second operation is a device state change operation to a second state of the plurality of device states.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the first operation is a magnitude change operation in a first direction in a magnitude scale; and

the second operation is a magnitude change operation in a second direction, opposite of the first direction, in the magnitude scale.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first electronic device comprises an array of one or more LEDs;

and

the method further comprising;

indicating a status of the focus session by illuminating one or more of the LEDs in the array of LEDs.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which, when executed by an electronic device with one or more microphones, a speaker, and one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform operations of the method including:

receiving a first voice command including a request for a first operation;

determining a first target device for the first operation from among the local group of connected electronic devices;

establishing a focus session with respect to the first target device;

causing the first operation to be performed by the first target device via operation of the common network service;

receiving a second voice command including a request for a second operation;

determining that the second voice command does not include an explicit designation of a second target device;

determining that the second operation can be performed by the first target device;

determining whether the second voice command satisfies one or more focus session maintenance criteria; and

in accordance with a determination that the second voice command satisfies the focus session maintenance criteria, causing the second operation to be performed by the first target device via operation of the common network service.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

the focus session maintenance criteria include a criterion that the second voice command is received by the first electronic device within a first predefined time interval with respect to receiving the first voice command or with a second predefined time interval with respect to receiving the first voice command, the second predefined time interval succeeding the first predefined time interval; and

determining whether the second voice command satisfies the one or more focus session maintenance criteria comprises determining whether the second voice command is received within any of the first predefined time interval or the predefined second time interval.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

in accordance with a determination that the second voice command is received within the first predefined time interval, selecting the first target device as a target device for the second voice command.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

in accordance with a determination that the second voice command is received within the second predefined time interval, outputting a request to confirm the first target device as a target device for the second voice command; and

in accordance with a positive confirmation of the first target device in response to request to confirm, selecting the first target device as a target device for the second voice command.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first target device is the first electronic device;

further comprising;

receiving a fourth voice command including a request for a fourth operation and an explicit designation of a fourth target device among the local group of connected electronic devices, wherein the fourth target device is a third electronic device member of the local group of connected electronic devices, the third electronic device different from the first electronic device;

maintaining the focus session with respect to the first target device;

causing the fourth operation to be performed by the fourth target device via operation of the common network service.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein:

the second voice command is received after the fourth operation is caused to be performed by the fourth target device;

the first operation is a media playback operation; and

the second operation is a media stoppage operation; and

the method further comprising;

receiving a fifth voice command including a request for a fifth operation and an explicit designation of a fifth target device among the local group of connected electronic devices, wherein the fifth target device is the third electronic device;

ending the focus session with respect to the first target device;

establishing a focus session with respect to the fifth target device; and

causing the fifth operation to be performed by the fifth target device via operation of the common network service.