Voice command definitions used in launching application with a command

• US 9,905,226 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bishop, F. Avery, Wilson, Travis, Chambers, Robert, Brown, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Godbold, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US15/171,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20160275949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/063 Training
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/193 Formal grammars, e.g. finite state automata, context free grammars or word networks
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/0635 updating or merging of old and new templates; Mean values; Weighting
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

A voice command definition file (VCDF) declaratively defines voice commands for an application. For example, the VCDF may include definitions for: voice commands; one or more phrases/utterances that may be said to execute each of the commands; a navigation location to navigate to within the application (e.g. a page); phrase lists containing items that may be used as a parameter in a voice command; examples; feedback; and the like. A user may say a single utterance to launch the application, navigate to the associated location of the command and execute the command. The VCDF may define multiple ways to listen for a particular command. The VCDF may be edited/defined by a user and may include a user friendly name for an application. A speech engine loads the VCDF for use such that it may recognize the commands associated with an application. The definitions may be updated during runtime.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an utterance at a global speech engine that performs speech recognition for different applications;

determining, from the received utterance, a command portion that specifies a command for an application to execute;

identifying a Voice Command Definition File (VCDF) for processing of the command portion, wherein the VCDF comprises definitions for voice commands and a navigation location element for launching an application in a state corresponding with a voice command;

identifying, using the VCDF, the voice command based on the command portion; and

transmitting data to the application for the application to launch in a state defined by the identified VCDF based on the navigation location element and the identified voice command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading the VCDF into the global speech engine such that a grammar of the global speech engine is updated to include support for the command to be performed by the application as defined by the VCDF.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the command portion comprises identifying at least one parameter for the command in the command portion of the utterance, and wherein the voice command is identified based on the identified parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the VCDF includes at least one listen for element that defines a syntax on how to recognize the voice command, and wherein different listen for elements for the command each specify a different syntax to specify the voice command based on the command portion.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the listen for element for the command comprises a phrase list parameter that represents any one of a list of items that are defined in a phrase list specified within the VCDF, and wherein identification of an item within the phrase list indicates to the global speech engine that a specific VCDF is to be utilized to process the utterance.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the listen for element for the command defines a garbage parameter that instructs the global speech engine to disregard content in the utterance based on the location of the content within the utterance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the VCDF defines a feedback element that is delivered in response to launching the application, and wherein the navigation location element instructs the application to launch at a specific page of the application.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a change in application content of the application, and updating data of the VCDF in response to detecting the change in the application content.

9. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory operatively connected with the at least one processor, wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to execute a method that comprises;

receiving an utterance at a global speech engine that performs speech recognition for different applications;

determining, from the received utterance, a command portion that specifies a command for an application to execute;

identifying a Voice Command Definition File (VCDF) for processing of the command portion, wherein the VCDF comprises definitions for voice commands and a navigation location element for launching an application in a state corresponding with a voice command;

identifying, using the VCDF, the voice command based on the command portion; and

transmitting data to the application for the application to launch in a state defined by the identified VCDF based on the navigation location element and the identified voice command.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises loading the VCDF into the global speech engine such that a grammar of the global speech engine is updated to include support for the command to be performed by the application as defined by the VCDF.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein determining the command portion further comprises identifying at least one parameter for the command in the command portion of the utterance, and wherein the voice command is identified based on the identified parameter.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the VCDF includes at least one listen for element that defines a syntax on how to recognize the voice command, and wherein different listen for elements for the command each specify a different syntax to specify the voice command based on the command portion.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the listen for element for the command comprises a phrase list parameter that represents any one of a list of items that are defined in a phrase list specified within the VCDF, and wherein identification of an item within the phrase list indicates to the global speech engine that a specific VCDF is to be utilized to process the utterance.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the listen for element for the command defines a garbage parameter that instructs the global speech engine to disregard content in the utterance based on the location of the content within the utterance.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the VCDF defines a feedback element that is delivered in response to launching the application, and wherein the navigation location element instructs the application to launch at a specific page of the application.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises detecting a change in application content of the application, and updating data of the VCDF in response to detecting the change in the application content.

17. A method comprising:

receiving an update to application content of an application;

updating data of a Voice Command Definition File (VCDF) in response to the update to the application content, wherein the VCDF comprises definitions for voice commands and a navigation location element for launching an application in a state corresponding with a voice command;

receiving an utterance;

determining, from the utterance, a command portion that specifies a command for the application to execute;

identifying, using the updated VCDF, the voice command based on the command portion; and

transmitting data to the application for the application to launch in a state defined by the updated VCDF based on the navigation location element and the identified voice command.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein determining the command portion comprises identifying at least one parameter for the command in the command portion of the utterance, and wherein the voice command is identified based on the identified parameter.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the VCDF includes at least one listen for element that defines a syntax on how to recognize the voice command, and wherein different listen for elements for the command each specify a different syntax to specify the voice command based on the command portion.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the listen for element for the command comprises a phrase list parameter that represents any one of a list of items that are defined in a phrase list specified within the VCDF, and wherein identification of an item within the phrase list indicates to the global speech engine that a specific VCDF is to be utilized to process the utterance.