Multi-modal disambiguation of voice assisted input

• US 9,921,805 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Beaumont, Suzanne Marion, Waltermann, Rod D., Raux, Antoine Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Titcomb, William
• Application Number:
  US14/741,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20160371054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 715728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

One embodiment provides a method, including: receiving, at an audio receiver of a device, a voice input; selecting, using a processor of a device, an active target voice enabled resource for the voice input from among a plurality of active target voice enabled resources; and providing, using a processor of the device, the voice input to the active target voice enabled resource selected. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at an audio receiver of a device, a voice input;

selecting, using a processor of a device, an active target voice enabled resource for the voice input from among a plurality of active target voice enabled resources, wherein each of the plurality of active target voice enabled resources is associated with a voice enabled application and wherein the selecting comprises using contextual data to determine the active target voice enabled resource; and

providing, using a processor of the device, the voice input to the active target voice enabled resource selected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the active target voice enabled resource is selected from the group consisting of an active target voice enabled application and a voice enabled device associated with a voice enabled application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining additional input, wherein the selecting comprises utilizing the additional input.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the additional input comprises eye tracking input.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the eye tracking input is associated with a predetermined area.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined area comprises a display area used by one of the plurality of active target voice enabled resources.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the display area includes a notification issued by the one of the plurality of active target voice enabled resources.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the additional input is selected from the group consisting of gesture input, touch input and voice input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises analyzing one or more words of the voice input.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the analyzing comprises analysis of previous voice input.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

an audio receiver;

a display device;

a processor operatively coupled to the audio receiver and the display device; and

a memory that stores instructions executable by the processor to;

receive, at the audio receiver, a voice input;

select an active target voice enabled resource for the voice input from among a plurality of active target voice enabled resources, wherein each of the plurality of active target voice enabled resources is associated with a voice enabled application and wherein to select comprises using contextual data to determine the active target voice enabled resource; and

provide the voice input to the active target voice enabled resource selected.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the active target voice enabled resource is selected from the group consisting of an active target voice enabled application and a voice enabled device associated with a voice enabled application.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to obtain additional input, wherein selecting an active target voice enabled resource comprises utilizing the additional input.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the additional input comprises eye tracking input.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the eye tracking input is associated with a predetermined area.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, further comprising a display device, wherein the predetermined area comprises a display area of the display device used by one of the plurality of active target voice enabled resources.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the display area includes a notification issued by the one of the plurality of active target voice enabled resources.

18. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the additional input is selected from the group consisting of gesture input, touch input and voice input.

19. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein to select comprises analyzing one or more words of the voice input.

20. A program product, comprising:

a storage device that stores code executable by a processor, the code comprising;

code that receives, from an audio receiver of a device, a voice input;

code that selects an active target voice enabled resource for the voice input from among a plurality of active target voice enabled resources, wherein each of the plurality of active target voice enabled resources is associated with a voice enabled application and wherein the code that selects comprises using contextual data to determine the active target voice enabled resource; and

code that provides the voice input to the active target voice enabled resource selected.