Voice-command suggestions based on user identity

• US 9,489,171 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2015
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Klein, Christian, Wygonik, Gregg
• Primary Examiner(s): Pullias, Jesse
• Application Number:
  US14/600,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20150254057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/424 involving acoustic input signals, e.g. by using the results of pitch or rhythm extraction or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• 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 2015/225 Feedback of the input speech
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application

Abstract

A computing system is configured to listen to user speech and translate the user speech into voice commands that control operation of the computing system. The identity of a user interacting with the computing system is determined, and a voice command is selected from a set of voice commands based on the user identity. A voice-command suggestion corresponding to the voice command is selected and presented via a display. If the user speaks the voice-command suggestion, the computing system executes the voice command corresponding to the voice-command suggestion.

Claims

1. On a computing system, a method for suggesting voice commands to control user interaction with the computing system, the method comprising:

identifying a user identity of a user interacting with the computing system;

selecting a voice command from a set of voice commands based on the user identity;

identifying a voice-command suggestion corresponding to the voice command wherein voice commands corresponding to voice-command suggestions that have previously been presented to the user are associated with the user identity, and wherein voice-command suggestions that have been previously presented to the user and ignored by the user are omitted from being selected as the voice command for a designated period; and

presenting, via a display, a graphical user interface including the voice-command suggestion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein voice commands that have previously been successfully employed by the user are associated with the user identity, and wherein a voice command that has not previously been successfully employed by the user is selected as the voice command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applications of the computing system previously used by the user are associated with the user identity, and wherein a voice command for controlling an application that has been used by the user is selected as the voice command.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving via user input a request for voice-command suggestions; and

wherein the voice-command suggestion is presented in a voice-command suggestion overlay positioned in front of a currently displayed user interface in response to receiving the request.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a contextual state of the graphical user interface; and

wherein the voice command is selected from a context-specific subset of the set of voice commands, the context-specific subset including voice commands for controlling operation of the computing system in the contextual state.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the contextual state includes one or more of a music state, a video state, a gameplay state, and a communication state.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the contextual state of the graphical user interface includes identifying a plurality of contextual states, and the method further comprises:

assigning a priority order to the plurality of contextual states; and

wherein the voice command is selected according to the priority order.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice command includes a parameterized voice command including a root operation and a parameter that modifies the root operation, and wherein the method further comprises:

selecting a personalized value of the parameter based on the user identity; and

presenting via the display a voice-command suggestion with the personalized value of the parameter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the personalized value of the parameter is a first personalized value, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to exceeding a duration, selecting a second personalized value of the parameter based on the user identity, the second personalized value differing from the first personalized value; and

presenting the parameterized voice-command suggestion with the second personalized value.

10. A computing system, comprising:

a logic machine; and

a storage machine holding instructions executable by the logic machine to;

recognize a first user of a plurality of users interacting with the computing system as a controlling user ready to provide voice input;

select a first voice command from a set of voice commands based on a user identity of the first user while the first user is the controlling user;

identify a first voice-command suggestion corresponding to the selected voice command;

present via a display a graphical user interface including the first voice-command suggestion with a first visual indication that the first voice-command suggestion applies to the first user;

recognize a second user of the plurality of users as the controlling user;

select a second voice command from the set of voice commands based on a user identity of the second user while the second user is the controlling user, the second voice command differing from the first voice command;

identify a second voice-command suggestion corresponding to the second selected voice command; and

present via the display the graphical user interface including the second voice-command suggestion with a second visual indication that the second voice-command suggestion applies to the second user, the second voice-command suggestion differing from the first voice-command suggestion, and the first visual indication differing from the second visual indication.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

identify a contextual state of the graphical user interface; and

wherein the voice command is selected from a context-specific subset of the set of voice commands, the context-specific subset including voice commands for controlling operation of the computing system in the contextual state.

12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the contextual state includes one or more of a music state, a video state, a gameplay state, and a communication state.

13. The computing system of claim 11, wherein identifying the contextual state of the graphical user interface includes identifying a plurality of contextual states, and wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

assign a priority order to the plurality of contextual states; and

wherein the voice command is selected according to the priority order.

14. A computing system, comprising:

a logic machine; and

a storage machine holding instructions executable by the logic machine to;

identify a user identity of a user interacting with the computing system;

select a parameterized voice command from a set of voice commands based on the user identity, the parameterized voice command including a root operation and a parameter that modifies the root operation;

select a first personalized value of the parameter based on the user identity;

identify a parameterized voice-command suggestion corresponding to the selected parameterized voice command;

present via a display a graphical user interface including the parameterized voice-command suggestion with the first personalized value of the parameter;

in response to exceeding a duration, select a second personalized value of the parameter based on the user identity, the second personalized value differing from the first personalized value; and

present via the display the parameterized voice-command suggestion with the second personalized value of the parameter.

15. The computing system of claim 14, wherein the personalized value of the parameter is a first personalized value selected based on a first user identity of a first user, and wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

identify a plurality of user identities of users interacting with the computing system;

in response to exceeding a duration, select a second personalized value of the parameter based on a second user identity of a second user of the plurality of users, the second personalized value differing from the first personalized value; and

present via the display the parameterized voice-command suggestion with the second personalized value of the parameter.

16. The computing system of claim 14, wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

identify a contextual state of the graphical user interface; and

wherein the parameterized voice command is selected from a context-specific subset of the set of voice commands, the context-specific subset including voice commands for controlling operation of the computing system in the contextual state.