SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HANDLING A SPOKEN USER REQUEST

• US 20160379636A1
• Filed: 12/01/2014
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Direct Cursus Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Yandex Europe AG (Yandex N.V.)
• Inventors: PANIN, Alexander Gennadievich
• Granted Patent: US 9,916,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 15/32 Multiple recognisers used in sequence or in parallel; Score combination systems therefor, e.g. voting systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/10 with dictation recording and playback systems

Abstract

Method for handling a spoken user request of a user, executable by each one of at least two applications installed on an electronic device, comprising determining that the spoken user request corresponds to an action executable by an other one of the at least two of the applications; and causing execution of the action by the other one of the at least two of the applications. Method for handling a spoken user request received from a user of an electronic device, comprising detecting reception of a spoken user request by a first application; transferring the spoken user request to the second application by the first application; determining, by the second application, that the spoken user request corresponds to an action executable by a third application; and causing, by the second application, execution of the action by the third application. Electronic devices configured to carry out the methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for handling a spoken user request received from a user of an electronic device comprising a processor configured to execute applications, the method executable by each one of at least two of the applications, each one of the at least two applications executing a speech-to-text instructions module, each one of the two applications aware of actions executable by others of the at least two of the applications, the method comprising:

determining by a first speech-to-text module of one of the at least two of the applications of the electronic device, based on its awareness of actions executable by others of the at least two of the applications that the spoken user request corresponds to an action executable by an other one of the at least two of the applications;

transferring the spoken user request to the other one of the at least two of the applications by the one of the at least two of the applications, the spoken user request comprising an audio representation the spoken user request;

processing, by a second speech-to-text module of the other one of the at least two of the applications the spoken user request comprising the audio representation of the spoken; and

causing execution of the action by the other one of the at least two of the applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the spoken user request corresponds to the action comprises determining that a text representation of the spoken user request corresponds to the action.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said transferring the spoken user request to the other one of the at least two of the applications by the one of the at least two of the applications, the spoken user request comprising an audio representation the spoken user request comprises transferring at least part of the text representation of the spoken user request to the other one of the at least two of the applications.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising, prior to said determining that the text representation of the spoken user request corresponds to the action, causing processing of an audio representation of the spoken user request to obtain the text representation of the spoken user request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said causing processing of the audio representation of the spoken user request to obtain the text representation of the spoken user request comprises causing execution of speech-to-text program instructions included in a software library installed on the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising, prior to said determining that the text representation of the spoken user request corresponds to the action, receiving the text representation of the spoken user request from speech-to-text program instructions included as part of an operating system of the electronic device, the speech-to-text program instructions having processed an audio representation of the spoken user request to obtain the text representation of the spoken user request.

6. (canceled)

8. An electronic device for handling a spoken user request received from a user, the electronic device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing applications, each one of at least two of the applications comprising a speech-to-text instructions module, each one of the two applications aware of actions executable by others of the at least two of the applications and each one of the two applications comprising program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to;

determine, using a first speech-to-text module of one of the at least two of the applications of the electronic device, based on its awareness of actions executable by others of the at least two of the applications, that the spoken user request corresponds to an action executable by another one of the at least two applications;

transfer the spoken user request to the other one of the at least two of the applications using the one of the at least two of the applications, the spoken user request comprising an audio representation of the spoken user request;

process, using a second speech-to-text module of the other one of the at least two of the applications the spoken user request comprising the audio representation of the spoken; and

cause execution of the action using the other one of the at least two applications.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein to determine that the spoken user request corresponds to the action, the program instructions are further configured to cause the processer to determine that a text representation of the spoken user request corresponds to the action.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein to transfer the spoken user request to the other one of the at least two of the applications by the one of the at least two of the applications, the spoken user request comprising an audio representation of the spoken user request, the program instructions are further configured to cause the processer to transfer at least part of the text representation of the spoken user request to the other one of the at least two of the applications.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein each one of the at least two applications further comprises program instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor, before the processor determines that the text representation of the spoken user request corresponds to the action, cause processing of an audio representation of the spoken user request to obtain the text representation of the spoken user request.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the applications includes program instructions executable by the processor to, before the processor determines that the text representation of the spoken user request corresponds to the action, process of an audio representation of the spoken user request to obtain the text representation of the spoken user request.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the memory further stores an operating system of the electronic device, the operating system including program instructions executable by the processor to, before the processor determines that the text representation of the spoken user request corresponds to the action, process of an audio representation of the spoken user request to obtain the text representation of the spoken user request.

12. (canceled)

15. A computer-implemented method for handling a spoken user request received from a user of an electronic device comprising a processor configured to execute applications, each one of at least three applications executing a speech-to-text instructions module, each one of the three applications aware of actions executable by other of the at least three of the applications, the method comprising:

detecting reception of a spoken user request by a first application;

transferring the spoken user request comprising an audio representation of the spoken user request to a second application by the first application;

determining, by a first speech-to-text module of the second application, based on its awareness of actions executable by others of the applications, that the spoken user request comprising the audio representation of the spoken user request corresponds to an action executable by a third application;

transferring the spoken user request to the other one of the at least two of the applications by the one of the at least two of the applications, the spoken user request comprising an audio representation of the spoken user request; and

causing execution of the action by the third application.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first application and the third application are a same application.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the third application is an application other than the first application.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining that the spoken user request corresponds to the action comprises determining that a text representation of the spoken user request corresponds to the action.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein causing execution of the action by the third application comprises transferring at least part of the text representation of the spoken user request to the third application.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

detecting reception of the spoken user request comprises appreciating an audio representation of the spoken user request;

the method further comprises, before determining that the text representation of the spoken user request corresponds to the action, processing the audio representation of the spoken user request by the second application to obtain the text representation of the spoken user request.

21-26. -26. (canceled)