Using voice information to influence importance of search result categories

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10176810-B2
Application number	US-201715840210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2017
Priority date	Jun 20, 2016
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

Approaches provide for using voice information to influence the importance of search result categories for a search query. For example, various embodiments may provide search results for a search query based on a most relevant search result category to the search query. Voice information associated with a subsequent user interaction may be analyzed to identify whether the search result category is correct or if search results from a different category should be provided. Additionally, the voice information may be used to update the relevance score of the search result category to the search query to improve the category matching of future queries.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving first audio input data from a voice-enabled communications device, the first audio input data corresponding to a first utterance of a user received by a microphone of the voice-enabled communications device;
identifying a first volume level of the first audio input data corresponding to a first search query;
receiving second audio input data from the voice-enabled communications device, the second audio input data corresponding to a second utterance of the user received by the microphone of the voice-enabled communications device;
identifying a second volume level of the second audio input data corresponding to a second search query;
determining whether a first set of results of the first query is correct based at least in part on a calculated comparison of the first volume level and the second volume level;
identifying a second category of a set of categories associated with the first search query;
decreasing a relevance score of the first set of results for the first search query or increasing a relevance score of a second set of results associated with the second category for the first speech query, based at least in part on the calculated comparison when the calculated comparison yields a voice volume difference above a volume difference threshold; and
increasing a relevance score of a first category for the first search query when the voice volume difference is determined to be below the volume difference threshold.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first set of results of the first query is correct based at least in part on the calculated comparison of the first volume level and the second volume level comprises determining that the calculated comparison yields a voice volume difference.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein determining whether the voice volume difference is above the volume difference threshold comprises determining a volume difference threshold indicating whether the second volume level of the second utterance is at least an amount louder than the first volume level of the first utterance.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a first search query from the first audio input data by performing automated speech recognition on the first audio input data; and
identifying the set of categories associated with the first search query, the set of categories being ranked according to respective relevance scores to the first search query.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:
identifying a first set of results associated with the first category of the set of categories, the first category having a largest relevance score to the first search query; and
causing the first set of results to be transmitted to the voice-enabled communications device, wherein the first set of results are presented to the user by the voice-enabled communications device.

6. A computing system, comprising:
a processor;
a memory device including instructions that, when executed by the device processor, cause the computing system to:
receive first audio input data from a voice-enabled communications device, the first audio input data corresponding to a first utterance of a user received by a microphone of the voice-enabled communications device;
identify a first volume level of the first audio input data corresponding to a first search query;
receive second audio input data from the voice-enabled communications device, the second audio input data corresponding to a second utterance of the user received by the microphone of the voice-enabled communications device;
identify a second volume level of the second audio input data corresponding to a second search query;
determine whether a first set of results of the first query is correct based at least in part on a calculated comparison of the first volume level and the second volume level;
identify a second category of a set of categories associated with the first search query;
decrease a relevance score of the first set of results for the first search query or increase a relevance score of a second set of results associated with the second category for the first speech query, based at least in part on the calculated comparison when the calculated comparison yields a voice volume difference above a volume difference threshold; and
increase a relevance score of a first category for the first search query when the voice volume difference is determined to be below the volume difference threshold.

7. The computing system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions, when executed further cause the computing system to:
determine whether the first set of results of the first query is correct based at least in part on the calculated comparison of the first volume level and the second volume level by determining that the calculated comparison yields a voice volume difference.

8. The computing system of claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed further cause the computing system to:
determine whether the voice volume difference is above the volume difference threshold by determining a volume difference threshold indicating whether the second volume level of the second utterance is at least an amount louder than the first volume level of the first utterance.

9. The computing system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions, when executed further cause the computing system to:
identify a first search query from the first audio input data by performing automated speech recognition on the first audio input data; and
identify the set of categories associated with the first search query, the set of categories being ranked according to respective relevance scores to the first search query.

10. The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed further cause the computing system to:
identify a first set of results associated with the first category of the set of categories, the first category having a largest relevance score to the first search query; and
cause the first set of results to be transmitted to the voice-enabled communications device, wherein the first set of results are presented to the user by the voice-enabled communications device.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
receive first audio input data from a voice-enabled communications device, the first audio input data corresponding to a first utterance of a user received by a microphone of the voice-enabled communications device;
identify a first volume level of the first audio input data corresponding to a first search query;
receive second audio input data from the voice-enabled communications device, the second audio input data corresponding to a second utterance of the user received by the microphone of the voice-enabled communications device;
identify a second volume level of the second audio input data corresponding to a second search query;
determine whether a first set of results of the first query is correct based at least in part on a calculated comparison of the first volume level and the second volume level;
identify a second category of a set of categories associated with the first search query;
decrease a relevance score of the first set of results for the first search query or increase a relevance score of a second set of results associated with the second category for the first speech query, based at least in part on the calculated comparison when the calculated comparison yields a voice volume differen

Assignees

• A9 Com Inc

Inventors

• Kumar Mukul Raj
• Pankaj Balpreet Singh

Classifications

• G10L2025/783

  based on threshold decision · CPC title

• G10L25/51

  for comparison or discrimination · CPC title

• G06F16/2425

  Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query · CPC title

• G06F16/63

  Querying · CPC title

• G10L25/54

  for retrieval · CPC title