Server and method for controlling external device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10650822-B2
Application number	US-201715689428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 7, 2016
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A server controlling an external device is provided. The server includes a communicator; a processor; a memory which stores at least one natural language understanding (NLU) engine for generating a command corresponding to a user's utterance. The server receives, from a pairing device paired to the external device, the user's utterance controlling the external device and information about at least one external device registered with the pairing device, via the communicator, determines an NLU engine corresponding to the external device, from among the at least one NLU engine, based on the user's utterance controlling the external device and the information about the at least one external device, and generates the command controlling the external device based on the user's utterance, by using the determined NLU engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A server for controlling an external device, the server comprising:
a communicator;
a memory configured to store at least one natural language understanding (NLU) engine, which generates a command corresponding to a user's utterance; and
a processor configured to:
control the communicator to receive, via a first communication, from a pairing device paired to the external device, the user's utterance to control the external device and information about at least one external device registered with the pairing device,
identify an NLU engine corresponding to the external device, from among the at least one NLU engine, based on the user's utterance and the information about the at least one external device, and
provide the command controlling the external device based on the user's utterance, using the identified NLU engine,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
identify whether the external device is paired to the pairing device via a second communication,
based on the external device being paired to the pairing device via the second communication, control the communicator to transmit an information corresponding to the external device and the provided command to the pairing device via the first communication, and
based on the external device not being paired to the pairing device via the second communication, control the communicator to directly transmit the provided command to the external device via a third communication.

2. The server of claim 1 , wherein the at least one NLU engine comprises a plurality of NLU engines, which are different from one another based on at least one of a manufacturer of the external device and a type of the external device.

3. The server of claim 1 , wherein the processor identifies the NLU engine corresponding to the external device, from among the at least one NLU engine, by:
extracting a portion of a call sign of the external device and a portion of a phrase of a service call of the external device from the user's utterance controlling the external device, and
identifying the NLU engine corresponding to the portion of the call sign of the external device, from among the at least one NLU engine, based on the extracted portion of the call sign of the external device and the information about the at least one external device.

4. The server of claim 3 , wherein the processor provides the command controlling the external device based on the user's utterance by:
providing an NLU result corresponding to the extracted portion of the phrase of the service call of the external device, by using the identified NLU engine, and
providing the command controlling the external device, based on the provided NLU result.

5. The server of claim 4 , wherein the processor provides the command controlling the external device based on the user's utterance by: providing a natural language corresponding to the command controlling the external device, based on the NLU result.

6. The server of claim 3 , wherein the at least one call sign of the at least one external device is determined based on a user input via the pairing device.

7. The server of claim 1 , wherein the information about the at least one external device comprises an identification (ID) of the at least one external device, an ID of a manufacturer of the at least one external device, and at least one call sign of the at least one external device.

8. The server of claim 1 , wherein the second communication includes near-field communication.

9. The server of claim 1 , wherein the information corresponding to the external device is provided by the pairing device.

10. A control method of controlling an external device, the control method comprising:
storing at least one natural language understanding (NLU) engine for generating a command corresponding to a user's utterance;
receiving via a first communication, from a pairing device paired to the external device, the user's utterance controlling the external device and information about at least one external device registered with the pairing device;
identifying an NLU engine corresponding to the external device, from among the at least one NLU engine, based on the user's utterance controlling the external device and the information about the at least one external device;
providing the command controlling the external device based on the user's utterance, by using the identified NLU engine;
identifying whether the external device is paired to the pairing device via a second communication;
based on the external device being paired to the pairing device via the second communication, transmitting an information corresponding to the external device and the provided command to the pairing device via the first communication; and
based on the external device not being paired to the pairing device via the second communication, directly transmitting the provided command to the external device via a third communication.

11. The control method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one NLU engine comprises a plurality of NLU engines which are different from one another based on at least one of a manufacturer of the external device and a type of the external device.

12. The control method of claim 10 , wherein the identifying of the NLU engine corresponding to the external device, from among the at least one NLU engine comprises:
extracting a portion of a call sign of the external device and a portion of a phrase of a service call of the external device from the user's utterance controlling the external device, and
identifying the NLU engine corresponding to the portion of the call sign of the external device, from among the at least one NLU engine, based on the portion of the call sign of the external device and the information about the at least one external device.

13. The control method of claim 12 , wherein the providing the command controlling the external device comprises:
providing an NLU result corresponding to the extracted portion of the phrase of the service call of the external device, by using the identified NLU engine, and
providing the command controlling the external device, based on the NLU result.

14. The control method of claim 13 , wherein the providing the command controlling the external device further comprises providing a natural language corresponding to the command controlling the external device, based on the NLU result.

15. The control method of claim 10 , wherein the information about the at least one external device comprises:
an identification (ID) of the at least one external device,
an ID of a manufacturer of the at least one external device, and
at least one call sign of the at least one external device.

16. The control method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one call sign of the at least one external device is determined based on a user input via the pairing device.

17. The control method of claim 10 , wherein the second communication includes near-field communication.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having stored thereon a program, which when executed by a computer, performs the control method of claim 10 .

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Dong-Hyun

Classifications

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• G06F3/167

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

• G10L15/30 Primary

  Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications · CPC title

• H04L12/2818

  from a device located outside both the home and the home network (access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007) · CPC title

• G10L2015/228

  of application context · CPC title