Media playback system with voice assistance

• US 10,466,962 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Wilberding, Dayn, Tolomei, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Shreyans A
• Application Number:
  US15/721,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20190102145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58

Abstract

Example techniques involve invoking voice assistance for a media playback system. In some embodiments, media playback system is configured to (i) capture a voice input via at least one microphone device, (ii) detect inclusion of one or more of the commands within the voice input, (iii) determine that the one or more commands meets corresponding command criteria associated with the one or more commands within the set of command information, and (iv) in response to the determination, select a first voice assistant service (VAS) and (a) forego selection of a second VAS, (b) send the voice input to first VAS, and (c) after sending the voice input, receiving a response to the voice input from the first VAS.

Claims

1. A network microphone device of a media playback system, comprising:

a network interface;

a processor;

at least one microphone; and

tangible computer-readable memory having instructions stored thereon that when executed by the processor cause the network microphone device to perform functions for the media playback system, the functions comprising;

causing a set of command information comprising a listing of playback commands and associated command criteria to be stored in memory;

capturing a voice input via the at least one microphone;

detecting inclusion, within the voice input, of one or more playback commands from among the playback commands in the listing;

determining that the one or more playback commands meet corresponding command criteria associated with the one or more playback commands within the set of command information; and

in response to the determining, selecting a first cloud-based voice assistant service (VAS) that supports one or more additional playback commands relative to a second cloud-based VAS and foregoing selection of the second cloud-based VAS, (ii) sending, via the network interface, the voice input to one or more servers of the first cloud-based VAS, (iii) and after sending the voice input, receiving a response to the voice input from the one or more servers of the first cloud-based VAS.

2. The network microphone device of claim 1, wherein the media playback system comprises a plurality of playback devices, wherein the one or more playback commands includes a command to group two or more of the playback devices and initiate playback of audio content on a group comprising the two or more playback devices, and wherein the one or more additional playback commands supported by the first cloud-based VAS include the command to group the two or more playback devices.

3. The network microphone device of claim 2, wherein the determining comprises detecting inclusion of one or more keywords in the voice input, wherein the one or more keywords comprises at least one of (i) a first keyword associated with one of the two or more playback devices and a second keyword associated with another one of the two or more playback devices and (ii) the group comprising the two or more playback devices.

4. The network microphone device of claim 2, wherein one of the two or more playback devices comprises the network microphone device.

5. The network microphone device of claim 1, wherein the one or more playback commands are directed to the media playback system, and wherein the functions further comprise processing the one or more commands via the media playback system based on the response from the first cloud-based VAS.

6. The network microphone device of claim 1, wherein the voice input is a first voice input, and wherein the functions further comprise outputting an audible prompt based on the response from the first cloud-based VAS.

7. The network microphone device of claim 1, wherein the voice input is a first voice input, and wherein the functions further comprise outputting an audible prompt for a second voice input based on the response from the first cloud-based VAS.

8. The network microphone device of claim 7, wherein the media playback system comprises a plurality of playback devices, wherein the one or more playback commands comprise a command to pair two or more of the playback devices, wherein the audible prompt comprises a request to assign at least one of the two or more of the playback devices to an audio channel, and wherein the second voice input includes a selection of at least one of the two or more of the playback devices.

9. The network microphone device of claim 7, wherein the media playback system comprises one or more playback devices, and wherein the audible prompt comprises a request to calibrate equalization settings of one or more of the playback devices.

10. The network microphone device of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises detecting a presence of a voice input source.

11. The network microphone device of claim 10, wherein detecting the presence comprises detecting a direction at which the voice input is received by the network microphone device from the voice input source.

12. The network microphone device of claim 10, wherein detecting the presence comprises detecting a distance between the network microphone device and the voice input source.

13. The network microphone device of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises detecting use of a controller device.

14. The network microphone device of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises detecting a voice profile of a voice input source.

15. The network microphone device of claim 1, wherein the one or more playback commands are one or more first commands, and wherein the determining comprises detecting one or more second commands within the voice input.

16. The network microphone device of claim 15, wherein the determining further comprises detecting at least one pause within the voice input between the one or more first commands and the one or more second commands.

17. A method of invoking a first voice assistant service (VAS) for a media playback system, the method comprising:

causing a set of command information comprising a listing of commands and associated command criteria to be stored in memory;

capturing a voice input via at least one microphone of a network microphone device;

detecting inclusion, within the voice input, of one or more playback commands from among the playback commands in the listing;

determining that the one or more playback commands meet corresponding command criteria associated with the one or more playback commands within the set of command information; and

in response to the determining, selecting a first cloud-based voice assistant service (VAS) that supports one or more additional playback commands relative to a second cloud-based VAS and foregoing selection of the second cloud-based VAS, (ii) sending, via a network interface, the voice input to one or more servers of the first cloud-based VAS, (iii) and after sending the voice input, receiving a response to the voice input from the one or more servers of the first cloud-based VAS.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the media playback system comprises a plurality of playback devices, wherein the one or more playback commands includes a command to group two or more of the playback devices and initiate playback of audio content on a group comprising the two or more playback devices, wherein the one or more additional playback commands supported by the first cloud-based VAS include the command to group the two or more playback devices, wherein the determining comprises detecting inclusion of one or more keywords in the voice input, and wherein the one or more keywords comprises at least one of (i) a first keyword associated with one of the two or more playback devices and a second keyword associated another one of the two or more playback devices and (ii) the group comprising the two or more playback devices.

19. A non-transitory, computer-readable media having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a network microphone device to perform operations in a media playback system, the operations comprising:

causing a set of command information comprising a listing of commands and associated command criteria to be stored in memory;

capturing a voice input via at least one microphone of the network microphone device;

detecting inclusion, within the voice input, of one or more playback commands from among the playback commands in the listing;

determining that the one or more playback commands meet corresponding command criteria associated with the one or more playback commands within the set of command information; and

in response to the determining, selecting a first cloud-based voice assistant service (VAS) that supports one or more additional playback commands relative to a second cloud-based VAS and foregoing selection of the second cloud-based VAS, (ii) sending, via a network interface, the voice input to one or more servers of the first cloud-based VAS, (iii) and after sending the voice input, receiving a response to the voice input from the one or more servers of the first cloud-based VAS.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the media playback system comprises a plurality of playback devices, wherein the one or more playback commands includes a command to group two or more of the playback devices and initiate playback of audio content on a group comprising the two or more playback devices, and wherein the one or more additional playback commands supported by the first cloud-based VAS include the command to group the two or more playback devices.