Disambiguating input based on context

• US 9,966,071 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Jitkoff, John Nicholas, LeBeau, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Qi
• Application Number:
  US15/200,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20160314788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 704235, 704231, 704251, 704255, 704275, 7042701, 704 1, 704 2, 704 9
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1815 Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/20 Speech recognition techniques specially adapted for robustness in adverse environments, e.g. in noise, of stress induced speech G10L21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/24 Speech recognition using non-acoustical features
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes receiving, at a mobile computing device, ambiguous user input that indicates more than one of a plurality of commands; and determining a current context associated with the mobile computing device that indicates where the mobile computing device is currently located. The method can further include disambiguating the ambiguous user input by selecting a command from the plurality of commands based on the current context associated with the mobile computing device; and causing output associated with performance of the selected command to be provided by the mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, an input that was entered at a mobile computing device;

identifying, by the computing system, the input as being ambiguous due to the input being able to be represented by either of at least two commands or at least two transcriptions of audio;

determining, by the computing system, whether the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in a vehicle, wherein the computing system determines that the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in the vehicle based on a determination that the mobile computing device is traveling at a rate of speed that exceeds a threshold value using measurements by one or more sensors in the mobile computing device;

applying, by the computing system, the input to a rule that uses the determination that the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in the vehicle to select one of the at least two commands or the at least two transcriptions of audio as a selected command or transcription; and

causing, by the computing system, the mobile computing device to provide output associated with the selected command or transcription.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the input is voice input that was captured by a microphone of the computing device;

identifying the input as being ambiguous includes identifying that the input is able to be represented by either of the at least two transcriptions of audio; and

applying the input to the rule includes using a determination that the mobile computing device is traveling in the vehicle to select one of the at least two transcriptions of audio as the selected transcription.

3. The computer-implemented method claim 1, wherein:

identifying the input as being ambiguous includes identifying that the input is able to be represented by either of the at least two commands; and

applying the input to the rule includes using a determination that the mobile computing device is traveling in the vehicle to select one of the at least two commands.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the input is text-based input that was typed at the mobile computing device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the input that was entered at the mobile computing device is a portion of a larger input that was entered at the mobile computing device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computing system determines that the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in the vehicle based on a determination that the mobile computing device has connected to a wireless connection associated with the vehicle.

7. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, an input that was entered at a mobile computing device;

identifying, by the computing system, the input as being ambiguous due to the input being able to be represented by either of at least two commands or at least two transcriptions of audio;

determining, by the computing system, whether the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in a vehicle, wherein the computing system determines that the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in the vehicle based on a determination that the mobile computing device is recording a high level of ambient noise;

applying, by the computing system, the input to a rule that uses the determination that the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in the vehicle to select one of the at least two commands or the at least two transcriptions of audio as a selected command or transcription; and

causing, by the computing system, the mobile computing device to provide output associated with the selected command or transcription.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, operate to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, an input that was entered at a mobile computing device;

identifying, by the computing system, the input as being ambiguous due to the input being able to be represented by either of at least two commands or at least two transcriptions of audio;

determining, by the computing system, whether the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in a vehicle, wherein the computing system determines that the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in the vehicle based on a determination that the mobile computing device is traveling at a rate of speed that exceeds a threshold value using measurements by one or more sensors in the mobile computing device;

applying, by the computing system, the input to a rule that uses the determination that the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in the vehicle to select one of the at least two commands or the at least two transcriptions of audio as a selected command or transcription; and

causing, by the computing system, the mobile computing device to provide output associated with the selected command or transcription.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

the input is voice input that was captured by a microphone of the computing device;

identifying the input as being ambiguous includes identifying that the input is able to be represented by either of the at least two transcriptions of audio; and

applying the input to the rule includes using a determination that the mobile computing device is traveling in the vehicle to select one of the at least two transcriptions of audio as the selected transcription.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

identifying the input as being ambiguous includes identifying that the input is able to be represented by either of the at least two commands; and

applying the input to the rule includes using a determination that the mobile computing device is traveling in the vehicle to select one of the at least two commands.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the input is text-based input that was typed at the mobile computing device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the input that was entered at the mobile computing device is a portion of a larger input that was entered at the mobile computing device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computing system determines that the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in the vehicle based on a determination that the mobile computing device has connected to a wireless connection associated with the vehicle.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, operate to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, an input that was entered at a mobile computing device;

identifying, by the computing system, the input as being ambiguous due to the input being able to be represented by either of at least two commands or at least two transcriptions of audio;

determining, by the computing system, whether the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in a vehicle, wherein the computing system determines that the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in the vehicle based on a determination that the mobile computing device is recording a high level of ambient noise;

applying, by the computing system, the input to a rule that uses the determination that the mobile computing device is identified as traveling in the vehicle to select one of the at least two commands or the at least two transcriptions of audio as a selected command or transcription; and

causing, by the computing system, the mobile computing device to provide output associated with the selected command or transcription.