Intelligent automated assistant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10741185-B2
Application number	US-201916352410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2019
Priority date	Jan 18, 2010
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

The intelligent automated assistant system engages with the user in an integrated, conversational manner using natural language dialog, and invokes external services when appropriate to obtain information or perform various actions. The system can be implemented using any of a number of different platforms, such as the web, email, smartphone, and the like, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the system is based on sets of interrelated domains and tasks, and employs additional functionally powered by external services with which the system can interact.

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 one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:
receive a first user input;
after receiving the first user input, receive a second input;
in response to receiving the second user input, define a dialogue session including a previous entertainment event search, wherein the dialog session is defined by a predetermined duration based on the first user input and the second user input;
receive a speech input from a user through a dialogue interface of the digital assistant, wherein the speech input is related to an entertainment event search;
determine context information associated with the speech input, wherein the context information includes previously obtained search results related to the previous entertainment event search;
process the speech input to determine one or more entertainment search criteria, wherein the processing comprises at least one of supplementing and disambiguating the speech input with the previously obtained search results to determine at least one of the one or more entertainment search criteria; and
present a plurality of search results to the user through the dialogue interface, each search result corresponding to a respective entertainment event identified in accordance with the one or more entertainment search criteria.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to:
receive a reservation request for a first search result of the plurality of search results from the user through the dialogue interface of the digital assistant; and
in response to receiving the reservation request, execute a reservation procedure to purchase one or more tickets for a respective entertainment event corresponding to the first search result.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the context information associated with the speech input includes at least one prior interaction between the user and the digital assistant through the dialogue interface.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the context information includes information stored in one or more applications including a calendar application, an e-mail application, an instant messaging application, and an address book application.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the context information includes one or more of a current location, a current time, and current or forecasted weather information.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to:
concurrently present one or more user interface elements in the dialogue interface along with the plurality of search results, wherein selection of at least one of the user interface elements causes downloading and playing of a media file associated with a selected search result.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to:
receive, through the dialogue interface, a follow-up speech input from the user requesting additional information;
disambiguate at least part of the follow-up speech input to generate a search query for retrieving the requested additional information, wherein the disambiguating is based at least in part on one or more properties related to respective entertainment events corresponding to the plurality of search results; and
present information retrieved based on the search query to the user through the dialogue interface of the digital assistant.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to:
during a dialogue session in which the speech input was received:
maintain a dialogue context based on user inputs received through the dialogue interface and information provided to the user through the dialogue interface;
receive one or more additional speech inputs from the user through the dialogue interface;
process each of the one or more additional speech inputs based on the dialogue context to determine a user intent expressed in the additional speech input, the processing including at least one of supplementing and disambiguating the additional speech input based on the dialogue context; and
based on the processing, provide additional information in response to each of the one or more additional speech inputs.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to:
during the dialogue session in which the speech input was received:
receive a reservation request through the dialogue interface of the digital assistant after presentation of the plurality of search results has been replaced with other information in response to subsequent user inputs;
determine a target entertainment event of the reservation request based on the dialogue context, wherein the target entertainment event corresponds to a first search result of the plurality of search results; and
in response to receiving the reservation request, execute a reservation procedure to purchase one or more tickets for the determined target entertainment event.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the context information includes information extracted from one or more speech inputs previously received through the dialogue interface.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the context information includes information extracted from one or more non-verbal inputs previously received through the dialogue interface.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to:
provide an audio output including a paraphrase of a request included in the speech input.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to:
provide an audio output including at least one of the plurality of search results.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to:
determine whether at least one search result of the plurality of search results satisfy the one or more entertainment search criteria; and
in accordance with a determination that at least one search result of the plurality of search results does not satisfy the one or more entertainment search criteria:
modify at least one search criteria of the one or more entertainment search criteria.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein modifying at least one search criteria of the one or more entertainment search criteria includes expanding a location search area.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions further cause the device to:
in accordance with a determination that at least one search result of the plurality of search results does not satisfy the one or more entertainment search criteria:
present a plurality of second search results to the user through the dialogue interface, each search result corresponding to a respective entertainment event identified in accordance with the modified one or more entertainment search criteria.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of second search results includes an indication that at least one search result of the plurality of search results did not satisfy the one or more entertainment search criteria.

18. The compu

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Gruber Thomas R
• Cheyer Adam J
• Keen Daniel

Classifications

• G06Q10/028

  for seating or spaces in a venue · CPC title

• G06Q10/021

  Re-booking existing reservations · CPC title

• G06F3/167 Primary

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

• G06F16/2457

  with adaptation to user needs · CPC title

• G06Q10/02

  Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events · CPC title