Virtual assistant activation

• US 11,087,759 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2019
• Issued: 08/10/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lemay, Stephen O., Newendorp, Brandon J., Dascola, Jonathan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Godbold, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US16/696,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20200098368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• 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 15/28 Constructional details of speech recognition systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information

Abstract

At an electronic device with a display, a microphone, and an input device: while the display is on, receiving user input via the input device, the user input meeting a predetermined condition; in accordance with receiving the user input meeting the predetermined condition, sampling audio input received via the microphone; determining whether the audio input comprises a spoken trigger; and in accordance with a determination that audio input comprises the spoken trigger, triggering a virtual assistant session.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with a display, a microphone, and an input device, cause the electronic device to:

receive, while the display is off, user input via the input device, wherein the user input includes a lifting of the electronic device;

determine, while the display is off, whether the lifting of the electronic device meets a predetermined condition;

in accordance with a determination that the lifting of the electronic device meets a predetermined condition, sample, while the display is off, an audio input received via the microphone;

determine, while the display is off, whether the audio input comprises a spoken trigger; and

in accordance with a determination that the audio input comprises the spoken trigger;

trigger, while the display is off, a virtual assistant session; and

provide a haptic output, while the display is off.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is based on an amount of lifting of the electronic device during a time interval, the amount of lifting determined from an accelerometer of the electronic device.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is based on smoothness of a lifting of the electronic device during a time interval, the smoothness of the lifting determined from an accelerometer of the electronic device.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1,

wherein the predetermined condition comprises a minimum period of dwell time in a position in accordance with the lifting of the electronic device.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1,

wherein the audio input is a first audio input and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

determine whether the display is on; and

in accordance with a determination that the display is on, sample a second audio input.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1,

wherein determining whether the display is on further comprises determining whether a backlight of the display is on.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

cease the sampling of audio input after the sampling of audio input has occurred for a predetermined duration of time.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in accordance with ceasing to sample audio input, provide the haptic output.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the user input meeting a predetermined condition is a first user input meeting a first predetermined condition, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the electronic device,

cause the electronic device to:

while sampling audio input in accordance with receiving the first user input, receive a second user input meeting a second predetermined condition; and

in accordance with receiving the second user input meeting the second predetermined condition, cease the sampling of audio input.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein

the second predetermined condition is based on an amount of lowering of the electronic device during a time interval, the amount of lowering determined from an accelerometer of the electronic device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9,

wherein the second predetermined condition is based on smoothness of a lowering of the electronic device during a time interval, the smoothness of the lowering determined from an accelerometer of the electronic device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein

the second predetermined condition comprises detecting activation of a button of the electronic device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein

the second predetermined condition comprises detecting touch input on a touch-sensitive surface of the electronic device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

while sampling audio input in accordance with receiving the user input meeting the predetermined condition, identify an audio endpoint in the audio input; and

in response to identifying the audio endpoint, cease the sampling of audio input.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in accordance with triggering the virtual assistant session, prompt a user for spoken input.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the audio input comprises the spoken trigger and additional input, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in accordance with triggering the virtual assistant session;

determine a user intent based on at least the additional input in the audio input, and

execute a task associated with the user intent.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1,

wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in accordance with a determination that the electronic device is operating in a predetermined mode, forgo sampling of audio input, even after receiving the user input meeting the predetermined condition while the display is off,

wherein operation in the predetermined mode comprises muting audio output of the electronic device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1,

wherein the spoken trigger comprises a predetermined phrase.

19. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a display, a microphone, and an input device;

receiving, while the display is off, user input via the input device, wherein the user input includes a lifting of the electronic device;

determining, while the display is off, whether the lifting of the electronic device meets a predetermined condition;

in accordance with a determination that the lifting of the electronic device meets the predetermined condition, sampling, while the display is off, an audio input received via a microphone;

determining, while the display is off, whether the audio input comprises a spoken trigger; and

in accordance with a determination that audio input comprises the spoken trigger;

triggering, while the display is off, a virtual assistant session; and

providing a haptic output, while the display is off.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined condition is based on an amount of lifting of the electronic device during a time interval, the amount of lifting determined from an accelerometer of the electronic device.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined condition is based on smoothness of a lifting of the electronic device during a time interval, the smoothness of the lifting determined from an accelerometer of the electronic device.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a minimum period of dwell time in a position in accordance with the lifting of the electronic device.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the audio input is a first audio input, further comprising:

determining whether the display is on; and

in accordance with a determination that the display is on, sampling a second audio input.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein determining whether the display is on further comprises determining whether a backlight of the display is on.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

ceasing the sampling of audio input after the sampling of audio input has occurred for a predetermined duration of time.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

in accordance with ceasing to sample audio input, providing the haptic output.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the user input meeting a predetermined condition is a first user input meeting a first predetermined condition,

further comprising:

while sampling audio input in accordance with receiving the first user input, receiving a second user input meeting a second predetermined condition; and

in accordance with receiving the second user input meeting the second predetermined condition, ceasing the sampling of audio input.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the second predetermined condition is based on an amount of lowering of the electronic device during a time interval, the amount of lowering determined from an accelerometer of the electronic device.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the second predetermined condition is based on smoothness of a lowering of the electronic device during a time interval, the smoothness of the lowering determined from an accelerometer of the electronic device.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the second predetermined condition comprises detecting activation of a button of the electronic device.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the second predetermined condition comprises detecting touch input on a touch-sensitive surface of the electronic device.

32. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

while sampling audio input in accordance with receiving the user input meeting the predetermined condition, identifying an audio endpoint in the audio input; and

in response to identifying the audio endpoint, ceasing the sampling of audio input.

33. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

in accordance with triggering the virtual assistant session, prompting a user for spoken input.

34. The method of claim 19, wherein the audio input comprises the spoken trigger and additional input, further comprising:

in accordance with triggering the virtual assistant session;

determining a user intent based on at least the additional input in the audio input, and

executing a task associated with the user intent.

35. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

in accordance with a determination that the electronic device is operating in a predetermined mode, forgoing sampling of audio input, even after receiving the user input meeting the predetermined condition while the display is off,

wherein operation in the predetermined mode comprises muting audio output of the electronic device.

36. The method of claim 19, wherein the spoken trigger comprises a predetermined phrase.

37. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

a memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving, while the display is off, user input via an input device, wherein the user input includes a lifting of the electronic device;

determining, while the display is off, whether the lifting of the electronic device meets a predetermined condition;

in accordance with a determination that the lifting of the electronic device meets the predetermined condition, sampling, while the display is off, an audio input received via a microphone;

determining, while the display is off, whether the audio input comprises a spoken trigger; and

in accordance with a determination that audio input comprises the spoken trigger;

triggering, while the display is off, a virtual assistant session; and

providing a haptic output, while the display is off.

38. The electronic device of claim 37, wherein the predetermined condition is based on an amount of lifting of the electronic device during a time interval,

the amount of lifting determined from an accelerometer of the electronic device.

39. The electronic device of claim 37, wherein the predetermined condition is based on smoothness of a lifting of the electronic device during a time interval, the smoothness of the lifting determined from an accelerometer of the electronic device.

40. The electronic device of claim 37, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a minimum period of dwell time in a position in accordance with the lifting of the electronic device.

41. The electronic device of claim 37, wherein the audio input is a first audio input, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

determining whether the display is on; and

in accordance with a determination that the display is on, sampling a second audio input.

42. The electronic device of claim 37, wherein determining whether the display is on further comprises determining whether a backlight of the display is on.

43. The electronic device of claim 37, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

ceasing the sampling of audio input after the sampling of audio input has occurred for a predetermined duration of time.

44. The electronic device of claim 43, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in accordance with ceasing to sample audio input, providing the haptic output.

45. The electronic device of claim 37, wherein the user input meeting a predetermined condition is a first user input meeting a first predetermined condition, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while sampling audio input in accordance with receiving the first user input, receiving a second user input meeting a second predetermined condition; and

in accordance with receiving the second user input meeting the second predetermined condition, ceasing the sampling of audio input.

46. The electronic device of claim 45, wherein the second predetermined condition is based on an amount of lowering of the electronic device during a time interval, the amount of lowering determined from an accelerometer of the electronic device.

47. The electronic device of claim 45, wherein the second predetermined condition is based on smoothness of a lowering of the electronic device during a time interval, the smoothness of the lowering determined from an accelerometer of the electronic device.

48. The electronic device of claim 45, wherein the second predetermined condition comprises detecting activation of a button of the electronic device.

49. The electronic device of claim 45, wherein the second predetermined condition comprises detecting touch input on a touch-sensitive surface of the electronic device.

50. The electronic device of claim 37, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while sampling audio input in accordance with receiving the user input meeting the predetermined condition, identifying an audio endpoint in the audio input; and

in response to identifying the audio endpoint, ceasing the sampling of audio input.

51. The electronic device of claim 37, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in accordance with triggering the virtual assistant session, prompting a user for spoken input.

52. The electronic device of claim 37, wherein the audio input comprises the spoken trigger and additional input, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in accordance with triggering the virtual assistant session;

determining a user intent based on at least the additional input in the audio input, and

executing a task associated with the user intent.

53. The electronic device of claim 37, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that the electronic device is operating in a predetermined mode, forgoing sampling of audio input, even after receiving the user input meeting the predetermined condition while the display is off,

wherein operation in the predetermined mode comprises muting audio output of the electronic device.

54. The electronic device of claim 37, wherein the spoken trigger comprises a predetermined phrase.