Virtual assistant continuity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10567477-B2
Application number	US-201514841455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2015
Priority date	Mar 8, 2015
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

At a first electronic device with a display and a microphone, receiving audio input via the microphone, wherein the audio input comprises a request; sending data representing the request to a service; receiving a token from the service, wherein the token permits lookup, from the service, of at least one of: the request, and result responsive to the request; and sending the token to a second electronic device external to the first electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a first electronic device with a display and a microphone, cause the first electronic device to:
receive audio input via the microphone of the first electronic device, wherein the audio input comprises a request;
send data representing the request to a service;
receive a token from the service, wherein the token permits lookup, from the service, of at least one of: the request, and result responsive to the request;
send the token to a second electronic device external to the first electronic device; and
in accordance with receiving the request at the first electronic device:
send, from the first electronic device to the service, context information related to a context of the first electronic device at the time the request was received, wherein the context information includes prior interaction history between a digital assistant and the user,
wherein activation of the token received from the service permits: lookup, by the second electronic device, of the context information, from the service.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:
receive, from the service, a result responsive to the request; and
display at least part of the result on the display of the first electronic device.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:
determine whether a virtual assistant session is actively running on the first electronic device; and
in accordance with a determination that a virtual assistant session is actively running on the first electronic device send the token to the second electronic device, and
in accordance with a determination that no virtual assistant session is actively running on the first electronic device, forgo sending the token to the second electronic device.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 3 , wherein the virtual assistant session is active on the first electronic device when the first electronic device is sampling audio input.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 3 , wherein the virtual assistant session is active on the first electronic device when a backlight of the display of the first electronic device is on.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:
in accordance with sending the token to the second electronic device, broadcast the token on an electronic communication channel.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:
in accordance with sending the token to the second electronic device, send the token as part of a transmission addressed to the second electronic device on an electronic communication channel.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the second electronic device is configured to:
send, to the service, the token; and
receive, from the service, at least one of: the request, and result responsive to the request.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the second electronic device is configured to:
receive, from the service, result responsive to the request; and
display at least a part of the received result.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the second electronic device is configured to:
receive a second audio input via the microphone, the second audio input comprising a second request;
send data representing the second request to the service; and
receive, from the service, a message corresponding to the second request, but no token corresponding to the second request.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the message is a generic message.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the message corresponding to the second request indicates a lack of available information identified by the service responsive to the second request.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the second request comprises a request for a task unsupported by the first electronic device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein activation of the token received from the service further permits: execution, by the second electronic device, of the request based on the context of the first electronic device when the request was received.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein a continuity affordance is displayed by the second electronic device, the continuity affordance permitting activation of the token.

16. A method, comprising:
at a first electronic device with a display and a microphone:
receiving audio input via the microphone of the first electronic device, wherein the audio input comprises a request;
sending data representing the request to a service;
receiving a token from the service, wherein the token permits lookup, from the service, of at least one of: the request, and result responsive to the request;
sending the token to a second electronic device external to the first electronic device; and
in accordance with receiving the request at the first electronic device:
send, from the first electronic device to the service, context information related to a context of the first electronic device at the time the request was received, wherein the context information includes prior interaction history between a digital assistant and the user,
wherein activation of the token received from the service permits: lookup, by the second electronic device, of the context information, from the service.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving, from the service, a result responsive to the request; and
displaying at least part of the result on the display of the first electronic device.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining whether a virtual assistant session is actively running on the first electronic device; and
in accordance with a determination that a virtual assistant session is actively running on the first electronic device, sending the token to the second electronic device, and
in accordance with a determination that no virtual assistant session is actively running on the first electronic device forgoing sending the token to the second electronic device.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
in accordance with sending the token to the second electronic device, broadcasting the token on an electronic communication channel.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
in accordance with sending the token to the second electronic device, sending the token as part of a trans

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Sumner Michael R
• Dibiase Evan S
• Phipps Benjamin S

Classifications

• G06F9/4856

  resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration (G06F9/5088 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F2209/482

  Application · CPC title

• G06F9/453 Primary

  Help systems · CPC title

• G06F3/167 Primary

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

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title