Intelligent device arbitration and control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10089072-B2
Application number	US-201615268338-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2016
Priority date	Jun 11, 2016
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

This relates to systems and processes for using a virtual assistant to arbitrate among and/or control electronic devices. In one example process, a first electronic device samples an audio input using a microphone. The first electronic device broadcasts a first set of one or more values based on the sampled audio input. Furthermore, the first electronic device receives a second set of one or more values, which are based on the audio input, from a second electronic device. Based on the first set of one or more values and the second set of one or more values, the first electronic device determines whether to respond to the audio input or forego responding to the audio input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a microphone;
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:
sampling, with the microphone at the electronic device, an audio input specifying a task, wherein the electronic device is a first electronic device;
identifying, with the first electronic device, a confidence value indicative of a likelihood that the audio input was provided by a particular user;
broadcasting a first set of one or more values based on the sampled audio input, wherein a first value of the first set of values is based on the confidence value;
receiving a second set of one or more values from a second electronic device, wherein the second set of one or more values is based on the audio input;
determining, with the first electronic device, whether a type of the first electronic device meets a requirement of the task; and
in accordance with a determination that the type of the first electronic device meets the requirement of the task:
determining whether the first electronic device is to respond to the audio input based on the first set of one or more values, the second set of one or more values, and the requirement of the task;
in accordance with a determination that the first electronic device is to respond to the audio input, responding to the audio input; and
in accordance with a determination that the first electronic device is not to respond to the audio input, foregoing responding to the audio input; and

in accordance with a determination that the type of the first electronic device does not meet the requirement of the task, foregoing responding to the audio input with the first electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a value of the first set of values is based on a signal to noise ratio of speech of the audio input sampled with the first electronic device.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a value of the first set of values is based on a sound pressure of the audio input sampled with the first electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:
identifying, with the first electronic device, a state of the first electronic device, wherein a value of the first set of values is based on the identified state of the first electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the state of the first electronic device is identified based on a user input received with the first electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least one value of the first set of one or more values is based on a type of the first electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein sampling the audio input comprises determining, with the first electronic device, whether the audio input comprises a spoken trigger and wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:
in accordance with a determination that the audio input does not comprise the spoken trigger, foregoing broadcasting, with the first electronic device, the first set of one or more values.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:
in accordance with the determination that the type of the first electronic device does not meet the requirement, determining, with the first electronic device, whether the second device is to respond to the audio input,
in accordance with a determination that the second device is to respond to the audio input, foregoing responding to the audio input with the first electronic device;
in accordance with a determination that the second device is not to respond to the audio input, providing, with the first electronic device, an output indicative of an error.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:
receiving, with the first electronic device, data indicative of the requirement of the task from a server.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein foregoing responding to the audio input with the first electronic device comprises entering, with the first electronic device, an inactive mode.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first set of one or more values is broadcasted in accordance with a unidirectional broadcast communications protocol.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:
in accordance with the determination that the first electronic device is to respond to the audio input, providing, with the first electronic device, a visual output, an auditory output, a haptic output, or a combination thereof.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first electronic device is to respond to the audio input comprises:
determining, with the first electronic device, whether a value of the first set of one or more values is higher than a corresponding value of the second set of one or more values.

14. 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 with a microphone, cause the first electronic device to:
sample, with the microphone at the first electronic device, an audio input specifying a task;
identify, with the first electronic device, a confidence value indicative of a likelihood that the audio input was provided by a particular user;
broadcast a first set of one or more values based on the sampled audio input, wherein a first value of the first set of one or more values is based on the confidence value;
receive a second set of one or more values from a second electronic device, wherein the second set of one or more values is based on the audio input;
determine, with the first electronic device, whether a type of the first electronic device meets a requirement of the task; and
in accordance with a determination that the type of the first electronic device meets the requirement of the task:
determine whether the first electronic device is to respond to the audio input based on the first set of one or more values, the second set of one or more values, and the requirement of the task;
in accordance with a determination that the first electronic device is to respond to the audio input, respond to the audio input;
in accordance with a determination that the first electronic device is not to respond to the audio input, forego responding to the audio input; and

in accordance with a determination that the type of the first electronic device does not meet the requirement of the task, forego responding to the audio input with the first electronic device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein a value of the first set of values is based on a signal to noise ratio of speech of the audio input sampled with the first electronic device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein a value of the first set of values is based on a sound pressure of the audio input sampled with the first electronic device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, which when executed by the electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:
identify, with the first electronic device, a state of the first electro

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Piersol Kurt W
• Orr Ryan M
• Mandel Daniel J

Classifications

• G06F3/167 Primary

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• G10L25/84

  for discriminating voice from noise · CPC title

• G10L15/22 Primary

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title

• G10L2015/223

  Execution procedure of a spoken command · CPC title

• G10L2015/228

  of application context · CPC title