Method and apparatus for managing multiple voice operation trigger phrases

• US 10,388,280 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Agrawal, Amit Kumar, Rout, Satyabrata
• Primary Examiner(s): Washburn, Daniel C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US15/007,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20170213559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 704233
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/51 for comparison or discrimination

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing multiple voice operation trigger phrases includes an electronic computing device enabling a first voice operation trigger phrase and a second voice operation trigger phrase on the electronic computing device. The method further includes determining whether a context applies to the electronic computing device, loading the first voice operation trigger phrase upon determining that a first context applies to the electronic computing device, and loading the second voice operation trigger phrase upon determining that a second context applies to the electronic computing device.

Claims

1. A method performed by an electronic computing device, the method comprising:

determining a geographic location of the electronic computing device;

determining a context of the electronic computing device, the context including a first context corresponding to the electronic computing device being located within a first geographic area and at least a second context corresponding to a proximity of a person to the electronic computing device;

loading and enabling a first voice operation trigger phrase based on the determining that the first context applies to the electronic computing device being located within the first geographic area, the first voice operation trigger phrase loaded to a processing element memory of the electronic computing device;

detecting, by a camera of the computing device, an image that includes a representation of a portion of the person;

determining, via logic executed by the electronic computing device, the proximity of the person to the electronic computing device by determining the proximity as a function of the image detected by the camera, a zoom setting of the camera, and a size of the representation of the portion of the person relative to a size of the image;

loading and enabling a second voice operation trigger phrase based on determining that the proximity of the person is within a threshold distance of the electronic computing device such that the second context applies to the electronic computing device; and

initiating a voice operation mode of the electronic computing device in response to audibly detecting one of the first voice operation trigger phrase while the first voice operation trigger phrase is loaded and enabled, or the second voice operation trigger phrase while the second voice operation trigger phrase is loaded and enabled.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising loading the first voice operation trigger phrase when the electronic computing device fails to determine that the first context applies to the electronic computing device and fails to determine that the second context applies to the electronic computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling a third voice operation trigger phrase; and

loading the third voice operation trigger phrase when the electronic computing device fails to determine that the first context applies to the electronic computing device and fails to determine that the second context applies to the electronic computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic computing device being located within the first geographic area comprises the electronic computing device being at a residence of a user of the electronic computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the context of the electronic computing device further includes a third context associated with the electronic computing device being located within a second geographical area, and wherein the electronic computing device being located within the second geographic area comprises the electronic computing device being at a place of employment of a user of the electronic computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the context of the electronic computing device further includes a fourth context corresponding to the electronic computing device being located outside of the first geographic area and the second geographic area.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the context of the electronic computing device further includes a third context corresponding to the electronic computing device being subjected to ambient noise that adversely affects the audibly detecting the one of the first voice operation trigger phrase or the second voice operation trigger phrase.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a level of the ambient noise that adversely affects the electronic computing device audibly detecting the one of the first voice operation trigger phrase or the second voice operation trigger phrase is greater than a threshold level of ambient noise.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the ambient noise that adversely affects the electronic computing device audibly detecting the one of the first voice operation trigger phrase or the second voice operation trigger phrase comprises a type of noise that obscures the electronic computing device from audibly detecting at least part of the first voice operation trigger phrase or the second voice operation trigger phrase.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the person comprises at least one person in addition to a user of the electronic computing device being in a vicinity of the electronic computing device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the portion of the person comprises a head of the person in the image.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one person in addition to the user being in the vicinity of the electronic computing device comprises at least one identified person in addition the user being in the vicinity of the electronic computing device.

13. An electronic computing device comprising:

a voice enrolment module implemented at least partially in hardware and configured to facilitate voice enrolment of the electronic computing device to enable voice operation trigger phrases on the electronic computing device; and

a processing element operatively coupled to the voice enrolment module and configured to cooperate with the voice enrolment module to;

determine a geographic location of the electronic computing device;

determine a context of the electronic computing device, the context including a first context corresponding to the electronic computing device being located within a first geographic area and at least a second context corresponding to a proximity of a person to the electronic computing device;

load and enable a first voice operation trigger phrase based on the determining that the first context applies to the electronic computing device being located within the first geographic area, the first voice operation trigger phrase loaded to a processing element memory of the electronic computing device;

detect, by a camera of the computing device, an image that includes a representation of a portion of the person;

determine, via logic executed by the electronic computing device, a proximity of the person to the electronic computing device by determining the proximity as a function of the image detected by the camera, a zoom setting of the camera, and a size of the representation of the portion of the person relative to a size of the image;

load and enable a second voice operation trigger phrase based on determining that the proximity of the person is within a threshold distance of the electronic computing device such that the second context applies to the electronic computing device; and

initiate a voice operation mode of the electronic computing device in response to audibly detecting one of the first voice operation trigger phrase while the first voice operation trigger phrase is loaded and enabled, or the second voice operation trigger phrase while the second voice operation trigger phrase is loaded and enabled.

14. The electronic computing device of claim 13, wherein the context of the electronic computing device further includes a third context corresponding to the electronic computing device being subjected to ambient noise that adversely affects the audibly detecting the one of the first voice operation trigger phrase or the second voice operation trigger phrase.

15. The electronic computing device of claim 14, wherein the processing element is further configured to cooperate with the voice enrolment module to load a third voice operation trigger phrase in response to determining that the third context applies to the electronic computing device.

16. The electronic computing device of claim 13, wherein the person comprises at least one person in addition to a user of the electronic computing device being detected in a vicinity of the electronic computing device.

17. A system comprising:

a processing element; and

a data storage device operatively coupled to the processing and storing executable instructions that are executable by the processing element to;

determine a geographic location of an electronic computing device;

determine a context of the electronic computing device, the context including a first context corresponding to the electronic computing device being located within a first geographic area and at least a second context corresponding to a proximity of a person to the electronic computing device;

load and enable a first voice operation trigger phrase based on the determining that the first context applies to the electronic computing device being located within the first geographic area, the first voice operation trigger phrase loaded to a processing element memory of the electronic computing device;

detect, by a camera of the computing device, an image that includes a representation of a portion of the person;

determine, via logic executed by the electronic computing device, a proximity of the person to the electronic computing device by determining the proximity as a function of the image detected by the camera, a zoom setting of the camera, and a size of the representation of the portion of the person relative to a size of the image;

load and enable a second voice operation trigger phrase based on determining that the proximity of the person is within a threshold distance of the electronic computing device such that the second context applies to the electronic computing device; and

initiate a voice operation mode of the electronic computing device in response to audibly detecting one of the first voice operation trigger phrase while the first voice operation trigger phrase is loaded and enabled, or the second voice operation trigger phrase while the second voice operation trigger phrase is loaded and enabled.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the context of the electronic computing device further includes a third context corresponding to the electronic computing device being subjected to ambient noise that adversely affects the audibly detecting the one of the first voice operation trigger phrase or the second voice operation trigger phrase.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the executable instructions are further executable by the processing element to load a third voice operation trigger phrase in response to determining that the third context applies to the electronic computing device.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the person comprises at least one person in addition to a user of the electronic computing device being detected in a vicinity of the electronic computing device.