Contextual voice commands

• US 10,540,976 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Van Os, Marcel, Novick, Gregory, Herz, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Adesanya, Olujimi A
• Application Number:
  US12/479,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20100312547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,882 Days
• Field of Search: 704 9, 704235, 704270, 704275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

Among other things, techniques and systems are disclosed for implementing contextual voice commands. On a device, a data item in a first context is displayed. On the device, a physical input selecting the displayed data item in the first context is received. On the device, a voice input that relates the selected data item to an operation in a second context is received. The operation is performed on the selected data item in the second context.

Claims

1. A method including:

displaying, at a data processing device, a data item in a first application context, the first application context being associated with a currently active application;

receiving, at the data processing device, an input indicative of a selection of the data item;

receiving, at the data processing device;

a first voice input including an operation to be performed and associating the selected data item with an identifier comprising a keyword, the operation being associated with a second application context;

in response to receiving the first voice input, providing a list of available applications configured to perform the operation;

receiving a second voice input including a selection of at least one of the list of available applications; and

performing the operation included in the first voice input on the data item to which the keyword included in the first voice input is associated while displaying the data item in the first application context, the operation being performed utilizing the at least one of the list of available applications selected in the second voice input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice input is a first voice input, wherein the identifier is a first identifier, and the keyword is a first keyword, the method further comprising:

receiving an input modifying the data item; and

receiving a second voice input associating the modified data item with a second identifier, wherein the second identifier comprises a second keyword corresponding to the modification.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the presence of one or more words from a plurality of predetermined words, wherein the predetermined words includes the keyword.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least a word of the plurality of predetermined words is application-specific.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the input indicative of a selection of the data item, providing an output indicative of a plurality of operations that can be performed on the data item.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the output includes an audio output, a visual output, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input indicative of a selection of the data item includes a speech input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the voice input includes receiving the voice input while the data processing device is in a listening mode.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

one or more sensors; and

a memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying, at a data processing device, a data item in a first application context, the first application context being associated with a currently active application;

receiving an input indicative of a selection of the data item;

receiving a first voice input including an operation to be performed and associating the selected data item with an identifier comprising a keyword, the operation being associated with a second application context;

in response to receiving the first voice input, providing a list of available applications configured to perform the operation;

receiving a second voice input including a selection of at least one of the list of available applications; and

performing the operation included in the first voice input on the data item to which the keyword included in the first voice input is associated while displaying the data item in the first application context, the operation being performed utilizing the at least one of the list of available applications selected in the second voice input.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the voice input is a first voice input, wherein the identifier is a first identifier, and the keyword is a first keyword, the one or more programs further include instructions for:

receiving an input modifying the data item; and

receiving a second voice input associating the modified data item with a second identifier, wherein the second identifier comprises a second keyword corresponding to the modification.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

detecting the presence of one or more words from a plurality of predetermined words, wherein the predetermined words includes the keyword.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein at least a word of the plurality of predetermined words is application-specific.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

in response to receiving the input indicative of a selection of the data item, providing an output indicative of a plurality of operations that can be performed on the data item.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the output includes an audio output, a visual output, or a combination thereof.

15. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the input indicative of a selection of the data item includes a speech input.

16. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

receiving the voice input includes receiving the voice input while the data processing device is in a listening mode.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of an electronic device with a display, the one or more programs including instructions for:

displaying a data item in a first application context, the first application context being associated with a currently active application;

receiving an input indicative of a selection of the data item;

receiving a first voice input including an operation to be performed and associating the selected data item with an identifier comprising a keyword, the operation being associated with a second application context;

in response to receiving the first voice input, providing a list of available applications configured to perform the operation;

receiving a second voice input including a selection of at least one of the list of available applications; and

performing the operation included in the first voice input on the data item to which the keyword included in the first voice input is associated while displaying the data item in the first application context;

the operation being performed utilizing the at least one of the list of available applications selected in the second voice input.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the voice input is a first voice input, wherein the identifier is a first identifier, and the keyword is a first keyword, the one or more programs further include instructions for:

receiving an input modifying the data item; and

receiving a second voice input associating the modified data item with a second identifier, wherein the second identifier comprises a second keyword corresponding to the modification.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

detecting the presence of one or more words from a plurality of predetermined words, wherein the predetermined words includes the keyword.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein at least a word of the plurality of predetermined words is application-specific.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

in response to receiving the input indicative of a selection of the data item, providing an output indicative of a plurality of operations that can be performed on the data item.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the output includes an audio output, a visual output, or a combination thereof.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the input indicative of a selection of the data item includes a speech input.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

receiving the voice input includes receiving the voice input while the data processing device is in a listening mode.