Disambiguating input based on context

• US 10,839,805 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2018
• Issued: 11/17/2020
• 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:
  US15/973,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20180254044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 704235, 704231, 704251, 704255, 704275, 7042701, 704 1, 704 2, 704 9, 704270
• 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 one or more processors, information from a motion sensor of a computing device;

receiving, by the one or more processors, audio using a microphone of the computing device;

determining, by the one or more processors, that the computing device is located in a moving vehicle based on both;

(i) a rate of physical speed of the computing device determined using the information that was received from the motion sensor of the computing device, and

(ii) a level of ambient noise present in the audio received using the microphone of the computing device; and

performing, by the one or more processors and based on the one or more processors having determined that the computing device is located in the moving vehicle, a first command instead of a second command by disambiguating a user input associated with the received audio.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein performing the first command includes switching the computing device to operate in a hands-free mode.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the computing device is located in the moving vehicle is based on the level of ambient noise present in the audio being a high level of ambient noise.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the computing device is located in the vehicle is based on the one or more processors determining that the ambient noise includes engine noise, wind noise, or road noise.