INTELLIGENT DIGITAL ASSISTANT IN A MULTI-TASKING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20200118568A1
• Filed: 12/17/2019
• Published: 04/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: KUDURSHIAN, Aram D., JONES, Bronwyn, CRANFILL, Elizabeth Caroline, SADDLER, Harry J.
• Granted Patent: US 11,037,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/685 using automatically derived transcript of audio data, e.g. lyrics speech recognition G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9032 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/02 Methods for producing synthetic speech; Speech synthesisers
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1815 Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

Systems and processes for operating a digital assistant are provided. In one example, a method includes receiving a first speech input from a user. The method further includes identifying context information and determining a user intent based on the first speech input and the context information. The method further includes determining whether the user intent is to perform a task using a searching process or an object managing process. The searching process is configured to search data, and the object managing process is configured to manage objects. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination the user intent is to perform the task using the searching process, performing the task using the searching process; and in accordance with the determination that the user intent is to perform the task using the object managing process, performing the task using the object managing process.

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 one or more processors of a first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

provide a media output;

while providing the media output;

receive a speech input requesting to provide the media output at a second electronic device different from the first electronic device;

determine, based on the speech input, whether to provide the media output at the second electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination to provide the media output at the second electronic device;

cause the second electronic device to provide the media output.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein causing the second electronic device to provide the media output further comprises:

determining a point in the media output when the speech input was received; and

causing the second electronic device to continue the media output at the point in the media output when the speech input was received.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

cease the media output at the first electronic device.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

in accordance with the determination to provide the media output at the second electronic device;

cause the second electronic device provide a spoken output indicating the media output.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

provide content to be provided as the media output to the second electronic device, prior to causing the second electronic device to provide the media output.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining, based on the speech input, whether to provide the media output at the second electronic device further comprises:

determining whether providing the media output at the second electronic device satisfies performance criteria.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the performance criteria is determined based on context information.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

in accordance with a determination that providing the media output at the second electronic device does not satisfy performance criteria;

continue to provide the media output.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

in accordance with the determination to provide the media output at the second electronic device;

provide an output requesting whether a third electronic device should provide the media output.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

receive an input confirming that the third electronic device should provide the media output from the user; and

in response to receiving the input confirming that the third electronic device should provide the media output from the user, cause the third electronic device to provide the media output.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

in accordance with the determination to provide the media output at the second electronic device;

request confirmation to provide the media output at the second electronic device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the request for confirmation is provided as a spoken output.

13. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory; and

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

providing a media output;

while providing the media output;

receiving a speech input requesting to provide the media output at a second electronic device different from the first electronic device;

determining, based on the speech input, whether to provide the media output at the second electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination to provide the media output at the second electronic device;

causing the second electronic device to provide the media output.

14. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with one or more processors and memory;

providing a media output;

while providing the media output;

receiving a speech input requesting to provide the media output at a second electronic device different from the first electronic device;

determining, based on the speech input, whether to provide the media output at the second electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination to provide the media output at the second electronic device;

causing the second electronic device to provide the media output.