Systems and methods for providing a virtual assistant

• US 9,479,931 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ortiz, Charles L. Jr., Harper, Kenneth S., Quast, Holger, Brown, Sean P.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, LI WU
• Application Number:
  US14/107,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning

Abstract

A mobile device comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium configured to store user profile information of a user of the mobile device; and at least one processor, coupled to the at least one computer-readable storage medium, configured to perform an act of: providing a second device, which is configured to execute a first virtual assistant, with access to at least some of the user profile information so that the first virtual assistant is able to customize, based on the at least some user profile information, its behavior when interacting with the user.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

at least one computer-readable storage medium configured to store user profile information of a user of the mobile device; and

at least one processor, coupled to the at least one computer-readable storage medium, programmed to perform;

providing a second device, which is programmed to execute a first virtual assistant, with access to at least some of the user profile information, the first virtual assistant being configured to customize, based on the at least some user profile information, its behavior when interacting with the user;

determining whether performance of a task being performed at least in part by the mobile device is to be continued, at least in part, by using the second device instead of the mobile device; and

when it is determined that the performance of the task is to be continued at least in part by using the second device, providing the second device with access to information related to the task,

wherein the user profile information specifies a virtual assistant persona, and

wherein providing the second device with access to the at least some user profile information comprises providing the second device with access to information specifying the virtual assistant persona, the first virtual assistant being configured to adopt the virtual assistant persona when interacting with the user.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is programmed to establish a direct wireless communication channel with the second device and provide the second device with access to at least some of the user profile information via the direct wireless communication channel.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to perform:

executing a second virtual assistant programmed to customize, based on at least some user profile information, its behavior when interacting with the user.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to perform:

determining whether the second device has authorization to access the user profile; and

providing the second device with access to the at least some information in the user profile only when it is determined that the second device has authorization to access the user profile.

5. The mobile device claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the at least some user profile information at least partially specifies at least one of a voice font and a speaking style.

6. A method performed by a mobile device, the mobile device programmed to store user profile information of a user of the mobile device, the method comprising:

providing a second device, which is programmed to execute a first virtual assistant, with access to at least some of the user profile information, the first virtual assistant being configured to customize, based on the at least some user profile information, its behavior when interacting with the user;

determining whether performance of a task being performed at least in part by the mobile device is to be continued, at least in part, by using the second device instead of the mobile device; and

when it is determined that the performance of the task is to be continued at least in part by using the second device, providing the second device with access to information related to the task

wherein the user profile information specifies a virtual assistant persona, and

wherein providing the second device with access to the at least some user profile information comprises providing the second device with access to information specifying the virtual assistant persona, the first virtual assistant being configured to adopt the virtual assistant persona when interacting with the user.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

establishing a direct wireless communication channel between the mobile device and the second device and providing the second device with access to at least some of the user profile information via the direct wireless communication channel.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

executing, on the mobile device, a second virtual assistant programmed to customize, based on at least some user profile information, its behavior when interacting with the user.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether the second device has authorization to access the user profile; and

providing the second device with access to the at least some information in the user profile only when it is determined that the second device has authorization to access the user profile.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least a portion of the at least some user profile information at least partially specifies at least one of a voice font and a speaking style.

11. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a mobile device programmed to store user profile information of a user of the mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform a method comprising:

providing a second device, which is programmed to execute a first virtual assistant, with access to at least some of the user profile information, the first virtual assistant being configured to customize, based on the at least some user profile information, its behavior when interacting with the user;

determining whether performance of a task being performed at least in part by the mobile device is to be continued, at least in part, by using the second device instead of the mobile device; and

when it is determined that the performance of the task is to be continued at least in part by using the second device, providing the second device with access to information related to the task,

wherein the user profile information specifies a virtual assistant persona, and

wherein providing the second device with access to the at least some user profile information comprises providing the second device with access to information specifying the virtual assistant persona, the first virtual assistant being configure to adopt the virtual assistant persona when interacting with the user.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

establishing a direct wireless communication channel between the mobile device and the second device and providing the second device with access to at least some of the user profile information via the direct wireless communication channel.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

executing, on the mobile device, a second virtual assistant programmed to customize, based on at least some user profile information, its behavior when interacting with the user.

14. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the second device has authorization to access the user profile; and

providing the second device with access to the at least some information in the user profile only when it is determined that the second device has authorization to access the user profile.

15. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11,

wherein the at least a portion of the at least some user profile information at least partially specifies at least one of a voice font and a speaking style.