Voice controlled media playback system based on user profile

• US 9,965,247 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2016
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Jarvis, Simon, Kadri, Romi, Butts, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): FALEY, KATHERINE A
• Application Number:
  US15/131,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20170242657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 381110
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• 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 15/222 Barge in, i.e. overridable guidance for interrupting prompts
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for receiving a voice command and determining an appropriate action for the media playback system to execute based on user identification. The systems and methods receive a voice command for a media playback system, and determines whether the voice command was received from a registered user of the media playback system. In response to determining that the voice command was received from a registered user, the systems and methods configure an instruction for the media playback system based on content from the voice command and information in a user profile for the registered user.

Claims

1. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions encoded thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a computing device to perform a method comprising:

storing in association with a first user profile for a media playback system, (i) a first wakeup word and (ii) a first user account with a music service;

storing in association with a second user profile for the media playback system, (i) a second wakeup word and (ii) a second user account with the music service;

receiving, via a microphone of the computing device, a first voice input comprising (i) the first wakeup word, and (ii) a first voice command for the media playback system;

in response to receiving the first voice input, identifying the first user profile based on the first wakeup word and configuring a first instruction based on (i) the first voice command and (ii) the first user account with the music service;

transmitting the configured first instruction to the music service;

wherein the first wakeup word triggers a time period for the media playback system to receive additional voice commands;

after the time period has expired, receiving, via the microphone of the computing device, a second voice input comprising (i) the second wakeup word, and (ii) a second voice command for the media playback system;

in response to receiving the second voice input, (i) identifying the second user profile based on the second wakeup word and (ii) determining whether the second user profile has permission to control the media playback system;

in response to determining that the second user profile has permission to control the media playback system, configuring a second instruction based on (i) the second voice command and (ii) the second user account at the music service; and

transmitting the configured second instruction to the music service.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to obtain the media content from the music service via the first user account with the music service.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the first user profile is further associated with a particular playback zone of the media playback system, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, wherein the first voice command does not identify a playback zone, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content in the particular playback zone of the media playback system.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the first user profile is further associated with one or more playback settings, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content according to the one or more playback settings associated with the first user profile.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 4, wherein the one or more playback settings associated with the first user profile comprise one or more of (i) a preferred playback volume and (ii) a preferred audio equalization setting.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein determining whether the second user profile has permission to control the media playback system comprises identifying one or more access restrictions associated with the second user profile, and wherein configuring the second instruction comprises configuring the second instruction based on (i) the second voice command and (ii) the identified one or more access restrictions.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

storing data indicating that the computing device corresponds to a default playback zone of the media playback system;

after transmitting the first instruction to the music service, receiving media content corresponding to the first instruction from the music service; and

transmitting the media content corresponding to the first instruction to the default playback zone.

8. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the first user profile is further associated with a first playback zone of the media playback system, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content in a second playback zone of the media playback system different from the first playback zone, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content in the second playback zone of the media playback system.

9. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions encoded thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising;

storing in association with a first user profile for a media playback system, (i) a first wakeup word and (ii) a first user account with a music service;

storing in association with a second user profile for the media playback system, (i) a second wakeup word and (ii) a second user account with the music service;

receiving, via a microphone of the computing device, a first voice input comprising (i) the first wakeup word, and (ii) a first voice command for the media playback system;

in response to receiving the first voice input, identifying the first user profile based on the first wakeup word and configuring a first instruction based on (i) the first voice command and (ii) the first user account with the music service;

transmitting the configured first instruction to the music service;

wherein the first wakeup word triggers a time period for the media playback system to receive additional voice commands;

after the time period has expired, receiving, via the microphone of the computing device, a second voice input comprising (i) the second wakeup word, and (ii) a second voice command for the media playback system;

in response to receiving the second voice input, (i) identifying the second user profile based on the second wakeup word and (ii) determining whether the second user profile has permission to control the media playback system;

in response to determining that the second user profile has permission to control the media playback system, configuring a second instruction based on (i) the second voice command and (ii) the second user account at the music service; and

transmitting the configured second instruction to the music service.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to obtain the media content from the music service via the first user account with the music service.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the first user profile is further associated with a particular playback zone of the media playback system, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, wherein the first voice command does not identify a playback zone, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content in the particular playback zone of the media playback system.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the first user profile is further associated with one or more playback settings, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content according to the one or more playback settings associated with the first user profile.

13. The computing device of claim 9, wherein determining whether the second user profile has permission to control the media playback system comprises identifying one or more access restrictions associated with the second user profile, and wherein configuring the second instruction comprises the computing device configuring the second instruction based on (i) the second voice command and (ii) the identified one or more access restrictions.

14. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the first user profile is further associated with a first playback zone of the media playback system, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content in a second playback zone of the media playback system different from the first playback zone, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content in the second playback zone of the media playback system.

15. A method comprising:

a computing device storing in association with a first user profile for a media playback system, (i) a first wakeup word and (ii) a first user account with a music service;

the computing device storing in association with a second user profile for the media playback system, (i) a second wakeup word and (ii) a second user account with the music service;

receiving, via a microphone of the computing device, a first voice input comprising (i) the first wakeup word, and (ii) a first voice command for the media playback system;

in response to receiving the first voice input, the computing device identifying the first user profile based on the first wakeup word and configuring a first instruction based on (i) the first voice command and (ii) the first user account with the music service;

the computing device transmitting the configured first instruction to the music service;

wherein the first wakeup word triggers a time period for the media playback system to receive additional voice commands;

after the time period has expired, receiving, via the microphone of the computing device, a second voice input comprising (i) the second wakeup word, and (ii) a second voice command for the media playback system;

in response to receiving the second voice input, the computing device (i) identifying the second user profile based on the second wakeup word and (ii) determining whether the second user profile has permission to control the media playback system;

in response to determining the second user profile has permission to control the media playback system, the computing device configuring a second instruction based on (i) the second voice command and (ii) the second user account at the music service; and

the computing device transmitting the configured second instruction to the music service.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to obtain the media content from the music service via the first user account with the music service.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first user profile is further associated with a particular playback zone of the media playback system, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, wherein the first voice command does not identify a playback zone, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content in the particular playback zone of the media playback system.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first user profile is further associated with one or more playback settings, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content, and wherein configuring the first instruction comprises configuring the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content according to the one or more playback settings.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

the computing device storing data indicating that the computing device corresponds to a default playback zone of the media playback system;

after transmitting the first instruction to the music service, receiving media content corresponding to the first instruction from the music service; and

transmitting the media content corresponding to the first instruction to the default playback zone.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first user profile is further associated with a first playback zone of the media playback system, wherein the first voice command is a command for the media playback system to play media content in a second playback zone of the media playback system different from the first playback zone, and wherein configuring by the computing device, the first instruction comprises configuring by the computing device, the first instruction to cause the media playback system to play the media content in the second playback zone of the media playback system.