Intelligent automated assistant for media search and playback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10956486-B2
Application number	US-201916526751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2019
Priority date	Sep 8, 2015
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

Systems and processes are disclosed for operating a digital assistant in a media environment. In an example process, a primary set of media items can be displayed. An audio input containing a media-related request can be received. A primary user intent corresponding to the media-related request can be determined. In accordance with a determination that the primary user intent comprises a user intent to narrow the primary media search query, a second primary media search query corresponding to the primary user intent can be generated. The second primary media search query can be based on the media-related request and the primary media search query. The second primary media search query can be performed to obtain a second primary set of media items. Display of the primary set of media items can be replaced with display of the second primary set of media items.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs including instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:
receive a first media search request;
obtain a first set of media items that satisfies the first media search request, wherein each media item of the first set of media items is associated with one or more parameter values;
display, on a display, at least a portion of the first set of media items via a user interface;
while displaying, on the display, the at least a portion of the first set of media items, receive a second media search request, wherein a focus of the user interface is on a media item of the first set of media items when the second media search request is received;
in accordance with a determination that the second media search request is a request to obtain an alternative set of media items similar to the media item of the first set of media items:
obtain a second set of media items, wherein one or more media items of the second set of media items is associated with one or more parameter values associated with the media item of the first set of media items; and
concurrently display, on the display, at least a portion of the first set of media items and at least a portion of the second set of media items via the user interface.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the determination that the second media search request is a request to obtain an alternative set of media items similar to the media item of the first set of media items is based on the focus of the user interface being on the media item of the first set of media items.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the determination that the second media search request is a request to obtain an alternative set of media items similar to the media item of the first set of media items is further based on a determination that a textual representation of the second media search request includes one or more words referring to the media item of the first set of media items.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 3 , wherein the user interface includes a textual representation of the one or more words referring to the media item of the first set of media items.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the first set of media items is obtained by performing a string search based on the first media search request, and wherein the second set of media items is obtained by performing a structured search based on the one or more parameter values associated with the media item of the first set of media items.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the structured search is further based on one or more additional parameter values defined in the first media search request.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the structured search is performed using the first set of media items.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein concurrently displaying, on the display, the at least a portion of the first set of media items and the at least a portion of the second set of media items via the user interface comprises:
displaying the at least a portion of the second set of media items on a top row of the user interface; and
displaying the at least a portion of the first set of media items on one or more subsequent rows of the user interface.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the one or more programs include further instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:
display media content on the display while displaying the at least a portion of the first set of media items and the at least a portion of the second set of media items.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the first media search request is received via a keyboard interface, and wherein the second media search request is a natural language user speech input.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs include further instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:
after receiving the second media search request, determine whether the second media search request is a request to narrow the first media search request; and
in accordance with a determination that the second media search request is not a request to narrow the first media search request, determine whether the second media search request is a request to obtain an alternative set of media items similar to the media item of the first set of media items.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the one or more programs include further instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:
in accordance with a determination that the second media search request is a request to narrow the first media search request:
obtain a third set of media items that satisfies the second media search request, the third set of media items being a subset of the first set of media items; and
concurrently display, on the display, the at least a portion of the first set of media items and at least a portion of the third set of media items via the user interface.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein determining whether the second media search request is a request to narrow the first media search request comprises determining whether a textual representation of the second media search request includes one of a plurality of refinement terms.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein one or more media items of the third set of media items is associated with one or more additional parameter values defined in the first media search request and one or more further additional parameter values defined in the second media search request.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein concurrently displaying, on the display, the at least a portion of the first set of media items and the at least a portion of the third set of media items via the user interface comprises:
displaying the at least a portion of the third set of media items on a top row of the user interface; and
displaying the at least a portion of the first set of media items on one or more subsequent rows of the user interface.

16. An electronic device for operating a digital assistant of a media system, the electronic device comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing one or more programs, the one or more programs including instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:
receive a first media search request;
obtain a first set of media items that satisfies the first media search request, wherein each media item of the first set of media items is associated with one or more parameter values;
display, on a display, at least a portion of the first set of media items via a user interface;
while displaying, on the display, the at least a portion of the first set of media items, receive a second media search request, wherein a focu

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Orr Ryan M
• Sidki Raumi N
• Lister Patrick M
• Russell Jonathan H

Classifications

• H04N21/41265

  having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device (unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204) · CPC title

• H04N21/42224

  Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control · CPC title

• H04N21/42222

  Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device · CPC title

• H04N21/42206

  characterized by hardware details · CPC title

• G10L2015/221

  Announcement of recognition results · CPC title