Model for enabling service providers to address voice-activated commands

• US 9,666,187 B1
• Filed: 07/25/2013
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Pinsky, Yury, Lee, Steven John, Balez, Mat, LeBeau, Michael J
• Primary Examiner(s): Neway, Samuel G
• Application Number:
  US13/950,503
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/02 Feature extraction for speech recognition; Selection of recognition unit
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

Methods and systems are described herein related to enabling service providers to address voice-activated commands. An example method may involve: receiving a first utterance on a computing device, where the first utterance includes a first command; selecting a service action corresponding to the first command; determining a selected service provider for the selected service action, where the selected service provider is selected from a plurality of service providers; and sending a service fulfillment request to the selected service provider to execute the selected service action.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing for display of a voice-navigable user interface (VNUI) on a display interface of a computing device, the VNUI comprising one or more visible menus that include a predetermined set of commands requiring fulfillment by third-party service providers, wherein each command of the predetermined set of commands is mapped to a corresponding service action;

receiving, for each respective service action, bids from a plurality of third-party service providers for a right to execute the respective service action;

determining, by the computing device, for each respective service action, a respective third-party service provider that will receive future requests to execute the respective service action based on the received bids for the right to execute the respective service action;

at a first time, caching on the computing device, for each respective service action, the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action;

at a second time later than the first time, detecting, using a microphone communicatively connected to the computing device, a first utterance at the computing device;

determining that the first utterance corresponds to a chosen command from the predetermined set of commands accessible from the VNUI;

selecting a service action to which the chosen command is mapped;

selecting, by the computing device, from the cached third-party service providers, a service provider for the selected service action, wherein the selected service provider is the respective cached third-party service provider determined to receive the future requests to execute the selected service action; and

sending a service fulfillment request to the selected service provider to execute the selected service action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action comprises determining a distance between the computing device and the plurality of service providers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action comprises determining a preference metric for each of the plurality of service providers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a head-mountable device (HMD).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action is periodically refreshed.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action based on the received bids for the right to execute the respective service action comprises:

selecting a highest-bidding third-party service provider that provided a highest bid of the bids received from the plurality of third-party service providers.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein caching on the computing device the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action comprises:

caching on the computing device the highest-bidding third-party service provider.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

providing for display of a voice-navigable user interface (VNUI) on a display interface of the computing device, the VNUI comprising one or more visible menus that include a predetermined set of commands requiring fulfillment by a third-party service providers, wherein each command of the predetermined set of commands is mapped to a corresponding service action;

receiving, for each respective service action, bids from a plurality of third-party service providers for a right to execute the respective service action;

determining, for each respective service action, a respective third-party service provider that will receive future requests to execute the respective service action based on the received bids for the right to execute the respective service action;

at a first time, caching on the computing device, for each respective service action, the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action;

at a second time later than the first time, detecting, using a microphone communicatively connected to the computing device, a first utterance at the computing device;

determining that the first utterance corresponds to a chosen command from the predetermined set of commands accessible from the VNUI;

selecting a service action to which the chosen command is mapped;

selecting, from the cached third-party service providers, a service provider for the selected service action, wherein the selected service provider is the respective cached third-party service provider determined to receive the future requests to execute the selected service action; and

sending a service fulfillment request to the selected service provider to execute the selected service action.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein determining the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action comprises determining a distance between the computing device and the plurality of service providers.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein determining the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action comprises determining a preference metric for each of the plurality of service providers.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the computing device comprises a wearable computing device.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action is refreshed after the service fulfillment request for the selected service action has been sent.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein determining the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action based on the received bids for the right to execute the respective service action comprises:

selecting a highest-bidding third-party service provider that provided a highest bid of the bids received from the plurality of third-party service providers.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein caching on the computing device the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action comprises:

caching on the computing device the highest-bidding third-party service provider.

11. A wearable computing device, comprising:

a display interface;

one or more microphones;

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer-readable memory; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable memory and executable by the one or more processors to perform functions comprising;

displaying, on the display interface, a voice-navigable user interface (VNUI) comprising one or more visible menus that include a predetermined set of commands requiring fulfillment by third-party service providers, wherein each command of the predetermined set of commands is mapped to a corresponding service action;

receiving, for each respective service action, bids from a plurality of third-party service providers for a right to execute the respective service actions;

determining, for each respective service action, a respective third-party service provider that will receive future requests to execute the respective service action based on the received bids for the right to execute the respective service action;

at a first time, caching on the wearable computing device, for each respective service action, the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action;

at a second time later than the first time, detecting, with the one or more microphones, a first utterance at the wearable computing device;

determining that the first utterance corresponds to a chosen command from the predetermined set of commands accessible from the VNUI;

selecting a service action to which the chosen command is mapped;

selecting, from the cached third-party service providers, a service provider for the selected service action, wherein the selected service provider is the respective cached third-party service provider determined to receive the future requests to execute the selected service action; and

sending a service fulfillment request to the selected service provider to execute the selected service action.

12. The wearable computing device of claim 11, wherein determining the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action comprises determining a distance between the wearable computing device and the plurality of service providers.

13. The wearable computing device of claim 11, wherein determining the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action comprises determining a preference metric for each of the plurality of service providers.

14. The wearable computing device of claim 11, wherein the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action is refreshed after the service fulfillment request for the selected service action has been sent.

19. The wearable computing device claim 11, wherein determining the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action based on the received bids for the right to execute the respective service action comprises:

selecting a highest-bidding third-party service provider that provided a highest bid of the bids received from the plurality of third-party service providers.

20. The wearable computing device of claim 19, wherein caching on the computing device the respective third-party service provider that will receive the future requests to execute the respective service action comprises:

caching on the wearable computing device the highest-bidding third-party service provider.