Naming devices via voice commands

• US 10,825,454 B1
• Filed: 07/10/2018
• Issued: 11/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mutagi, Rohan, Taylor, Isaac Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Washburn, Daniel C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ogunbiyi, Oluwadamilola M
• Application Number:
  US16/031,909
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 704235
• 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 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

Techniques for naming devices via voice commands are described herein. For instance, a user may issue a voice command to a voice-controlled device stating, “you are the kitchen device”. Thereafter, the device may respond to voice commands directed, by name, to this device. For instance, the user may issue a voice command requesting to “play music on my kitchen device”. Given that the user has configured the device to respond to this name, the device may respond to the command by outputting the requested music.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an audio signal from a device that includes at least one microphone, the audio signal generated based at least in part on sound captured by the at least one microphone;

determining that a first portion of the audio signal represents a phrase that indicates that the device is to be named and that a second portion of the audio signal represents a functional identifier to be associated with the device; and

storing the functional identifier in association with an identifier of the device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the device, a second audio signal;

performing speech recognition on the second audio signal;

determining that the second audio signal represents speech that is associated with the functional identifier and that requests an operation to be performed;

determining that the functional identifier corresponds to the identifier; and

sending, to the device, an instruction to perform the operation.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, from the device, a third audio signal;

performing speech recognition on the third audio signal;

determining that the third audio signal represents second speech that requests that the device and a second device both perform a second operation, the device and the second device being within a same environment; and

sending, to the device and the second device, a second instruction to perform the second operation.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the functional identifier includes a location qualifier that indicates a location of the device within an environment, and further comprising storing the location qualifier in association with the identifier.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the functional identifier includes a device-type qualifier that indicates a type of the device, and further comprising storing the device-type qualifier in association with the identifier.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving the audio signal from the device comprises receiving the audio signal from the device at least partly in response to the device determining that a user has uttered a predefined word or phrase.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the functional identifier is stored in memory of a computing device, and further comprising:

receiving a second audio signal;

performing speech recognition on the second audio signal;

determining that the second audio signal represents speech that requests that the device be associated with a second functional identifier; and

replacing, in the memory of the computing device, the functional identifier with the second functional identifier.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising sending, to the device and at least partly prior to receiving the audio signal, data representing a suggestion of the functional identifier, the data for causing the device to present the suggestion of the functional identifier.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second portion of the audio signal is subsequent to the first portion of the tea-audio signal.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising sending, to the device, a configuration code to cause the device to perform functionality corresponding to the functional identifier.

11. A system comprising:

memory;

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-executable instructions that are stored in the memory and that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving an audio signal from a device that includes at least one microphone, the audio signal generated based at least in part on sound captured by the at least one microphone;

determining that a first portion of the audio signal represents a phrase that indicates that the device is to be named and that a second portion of the audio signal represents a functional identifier to be associated with the device; and

storing the functional identifier in association with an identifier of the device.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the device, a second audio signal;

performing speech recognition on the second audio signal;

determining that the second audio signal represents speech that is associated with the functional identifier and that requests an operation to be performed;

determining that the functional identifier corresponds to the identifier; and

sending, to the device, an instruction to perform the operation.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the device, a third audio signal;

performing speech recognition on the third audio signal;

determining that the third audio signal represents second speech that requests that the device and a second device both perform a second operation, the device and the second device being within a same environment; and

sending, to the device and the second device, a second instruction to perform the second operation.

14. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the functional identifier includes a location qualifier that indicates a location of the device within an environment, and wherein the operations further comprise storing the location qualifier in association with the identifier.

15. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the functional identifier includes a device-type qualifier that indicates a type of the device, and wherein the operations further comprise storing the device-type qualifier in association with the identifier.

16. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein receiving the audio signal from the device comprises receiving the audio signal from the device at least partly in response to the device determining that a user has uttered a predefined word or phrase.

17. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the functional identifier is stored in memory of a computing device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second audio signal;

performing speech recognition on the second audio signal;

determining that the second audio signal represents speech that requests that the device be associated with a second functional identifier; and

replacing, in the memory of the computing device, the functional identifier with the second functional identifier.

18. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise sending, to the device and at least partly prior to receiving the audio signal, data representing a suggestion of the functional identifier, the data for causing the device to present the suggestion of the functional identifier.

19. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the second portion of the audio signal is subsequent to the first portion of the audio signal.

20. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise sending, to the device, a configuration code to cause the device to perform functionality corresponding to the functional identifier.