Multiple digital assistant coordination in vehicular environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11410648-B2
Application number	US-201716609491-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2017
Priority date	Oct 3, 2017
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure is generally related to a data processing system to selectively invoke applications for execution. A data processing system can receive an input audio signal and can parse the input audio signal to identify a command. The data processing system can identify a first functionality of a first digital assistant application hosted on the data processing system in the vehicle and a second functionality of a second digital assistant application accessible via a client device. The data processing system can determine that one of the first functionality or the second functionality supports the command. The data processing system can select one of the first digital assistant application or the second digital assistant application based on the determination. The data processing system invoke one of the first digital assistant application or the second digital assistant application based on the selection.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system to selectively invoke applications for execution in a vehicular environment, comprising:
a natural language processor component executed by a data processing system of a vehicle configured to receive, via an interface, an input audio signal and to parse the input audio signal to identify a request and a command corresponding to the request;
a configuration tracker executed by the data processing system configured to identify a first functionality of a first digital assistant application hosted on the data processing system in the vehicle and a second functionality of a second digital assistant application accessible via a client device communicatively coupled to the data processing system;
a performance evaluator executed by the data processing system configured to determine a quality score of the second digital assistant application based on at least one of a feedback indicator via the client device, a rating score from an application distribution platform, and an automated test evaluation; and
an application selector executed by the data processing system configured to:
determine that one of the first functionality or the second functionality supports the command corresponding to the request;
select, based on the quality score, one of the first digital assistant application hosted on the data processing system or the second digital assistant application accessible via the client device based on the determination that one of the first functionality or the second functionality supports the command; and
invoke one of the first digital assistant application or the second digital assistant application selected based on the determination that one of the first functionality or the second functionality supports the command.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the configuration tracker is further configured to:
identify the first functionality of the first digital assistant application, the first functionality including at least one of an application profile of the first digital assistant application, a version number of the first digital assistant application, connectivity of the data processing system with a network, a plurality of functions supported by the first digital assistant application, and a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the data processing system; and
identify the second functionality of the second digital assistant application, the second functionality including at least one of an application profile of the second digital assistant application, a version number of the second digital assistant application, connectivity of the client device with the network, connectivity of the client device with the data processing system in the vehicle, a plurality of functions supported by the second digital assistant application, and a plurality of peripheral devices interfaced with the client device in the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the application selector is further configured to select one of the first digital assistant application hosted on the data processing system or the second digital assistant application accessible via the client device based on an input via a vehicle input interface.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
the natural language processor component configured to parse the input audio signal to identify a trigger keyword in the request; and
the application selector is further configured to select one of the first digital assistant application hosted on the data processing system or the second digital assistant application accessible via the client device based on the trigger keyword.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
the natural language processor component configured to determine that the command corresponding to the request identified from the input audio signal corresponds to a vehicle functionality; and
the application selector is further configured to select one of the first digital assistant application hosted on the data processing system, responsive to the determination that the command corresponds to the vehicle functionality.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a database of the data processing system configured to store application data from the second digital assistant application of the client device communicatively coupled to the data processing system, the application for use by the first digital assistant application.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the application selector is further configured to:
determine that a third functionality of a second client device and one of the first functionality or the second functionality supports the command corresponding to the request; and
invoke one of the first digital assistant application or the second digital assistant application to execute the command using application data from the second client device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the application selector is further configured to invoke the second digital assistant application accessible via the client device by assigning control of input controls of the vehicle from the data processing system to the client device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the application selector is further configured to set the first digital assistant application as a default application and the second digital assistant application as a secondary application.

10. A method of selectively invoking applications for execution, comprising:
receiving, by a natural language processor component executed by a data processing system of a vehicle, via an interface, an input audio signal;
parsing, by the natural language processor component, the input audio signal to identify a request and a command corresponding to the request;
identifying, by a configuration tracker executed by the data processing system, a first functionality of a first digital assistant application hosted on the data processing system in the vehicle and a second functionality of a second digital assistant application accessible via a client device communicatively coupled to the data processing system;
determining, by an application selector executed by the data processing system, that one of the first functionality or the second functionality supports the command corresponding to the request;
determining, by the application selector, that a third functionality of a second client device and one of the first functionality or the second functionality supports the command corresponding to the request;
selecting, by the application selector, one of the first digital assistant application hosted on the data processing system or the second digital assistant application accessible via the client device based on the determination that one of the first functionality or the second functionality supports the command; and
invoking, by the application selector, one of the first digital assistant application or the second digital assistant application to execute the command using application data from the second client device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
identifying, by the configuration tracker, the first functionality of the first digital assistant application, the first functionality including at least one of an application profile of the first digital assistant application, a version number of the first digital assistant application, connectivity of the data processing system with a network, a plurality of functions supported by the first digital assistant application, and a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the data processing system; and
identifying, by the configuration tracker, the second functionality of the second digital assistant application, the second functionality including at least

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Ramic Haris
• Aggarwal Vikram
• Gali Moises Morgenstern
• Stuut Brandon

Classifications

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title

• G10L15/22 Primary

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title

• G06F9/452 Primary

  Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation (protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131) · CPC title

• G10L2015/088

  Word spotting · CPC title

• G10L2015/223

  Execution procedure of a spoken command · CPC title