Voice-command suggestions based on computer context

• US 9,582,246 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2015
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Klein, Christian, Johnson, Zach, Fleming, Matthew, Wygonik, Gregg
• Primary Examiner(s): PULLIAS, JESSE SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US14/602,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20150254058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 704231-257, 704/275
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/424 involving acoustic input signals, e.g. by using the results of pitch or rhythm extraction or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/225 Feedback of the input speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4222 Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application

Abstract

A contextual state of a graphical user interface presented via a display of the computing system is identified. A voice command is selected from a set of voice commands based on the contextual state of the graphical user interface. A context-specific voice-command suggestion corresponding to the selected voice command is identified. A graphical user interface including the context-specific voice-command suggestion is presented via a display.

Claims

1. On a computing system, a method for suggesting voice commands to control user interaction with the computing system, the method comprising:

identifying a contextual state of a graphical user interface presented via a display of the computing system;

selecting a parameterized voice command from a set of voice commands based on the contextual state of the graphical user interface, the parameterized voice command including a root operation and a parameter that modifies the root operation;

selecting a first context-specific value of the parameter based on the contextual state;

identifying a context-specific voice-command suggestion corresponding to the selected parameterized voice command and the selected first context-specific value of the parameter;

presenting via a display a graphical user interface including the context-specific voice-command suggestion with the first context-specific value of the parameter;

in response to exceeding a duration, selecting a second context-specific value of the parameter based on the contextual state, the second context-specific value being different than the first context-specific value; and

presenting via the display the parameterized context-specific voice-command suggestion with the second context-specific value of the parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual state includes one or more of a music state, a video state, a gameplay state, and a communication state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a contextual state of the graphical user interface includes identifying a plurality of contextual states, and the method further comprises:

assigning a priority order to the plurality of contextual states; and

wherein the parameterized voice command is selected according to the priority order.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a first contextual state of the plurality of contextual states that currently has focus over the other of the plurality of contextual states is assigned a highest priority of the priority order.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a plurality of voice commands are selected for presentation as context-specific voice-command suggestions, and wherein a selected number of context-specific voice-command suggestions corresponding to a first contextual state having a first priority is greater than a selected number of context-specific voice-command suggestions corresponding to a second contextual state having a second priority that is lower than the first priority.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein context-specific voice-command suggestions corresponding to a first contextual state are presented with a first visual indication, and wherein context-specific voice-command suggestions corresponding to a second contextual state are presented with a second visual indication different than the first visual indication.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a user identity of a user interacting with the computing system; and

wherein the parameterized voice command is selected from the set of voice commands based on the user identity and the contextual state.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein voice commands corresponding to the contextual state that have previously been successfully employed by the user are associated with the user identity, and wherein a voice command corresponding to the contextual state that has not previously been successfully employed by the user is selected as the parameterized voice command.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein context-specific voice-command suggestions that have previously been presented to the user are associated with the user identity, and wherein context-specific voice-command suggestions that have been previously presented to the user and ignored by the user are omitted from being selected as the parameterized voice command for a designated period.

10. A computing system, comprising:

a logic machine; and

a storage machine holding instruction executable by the logic machine to;

select a parameterized voice command from a set of voice commands, the parameterized voice command including a root operation and a parameter that modifies the root operation;

identify a parameterized voice-command suggestion corresponding to the selected parameterized voice command; and

present via a display a graphical user interface including the parameterized voice-command suggestion with a first value of the parameter;

in response to exceeding a duration, present via the display the graphical user interface including the parameterized voice-command suggestion with a second value of the parameter that differs from the first value of the parameter.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

identify a user identity of a user interacting with the computing system;

select the first value of the parameter based on the user identity; and

select the second value of the parameter based on the user identity.

12. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

identify a plurality of user identities corresponding to a plurality of users interacting with the computing system;

select the first value of the parameter based on a first user identity of the plurality of user identities; and

select the second value of the parameter based a second user identity of the plurality of user identities, the first user identity differing from the second user identity.

13. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

identify a contextual state of the graphical user interface;

select the first value of the parameter based on the contextual state; and

select the second value of the parameter based on the contextual state.

14. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

identify a plurality of applications installed on the computing system;

select the first value of the parameter based on a first application of the plurality of applications; and

select the second value of the parameter based on a second application of the plurality of applications, the first application differing from the second application.

15. A computing system, comprising:

a logic machine; and

a storage machine holding instruction executable by the logic machine to;

receive a plurality of voice commands that end with performance of an operation, wherein the plurality of voice commands include a plurality of user interface navigation operations that navigate to a virtual storefront, and wherein the operation includes installing on the computing system a first media content item purchased from the virtual storefront; and

after receiving the plurality of voice commands, present via a display a voice-command shortcut suggestion subsequently useable to perform the operation with fewer voice commands than the plurality of voice commands, wherein the voice-command shortcut suggestion corresponds to a voice command to purchase a second media content item directly without navigating to the virtual storefront.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

identify a user identity of a user interacting with the computing system; and

wherein the second media content item is selected based on the user identity.