Intelligent device arbitration and control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11809783-B2
Application number	US-202117194134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2021
Priority date	Jun 11, 2016
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

This relates to systems and processes for using a virtual assistant to arbitrate among and/or control electronic devices. In one example process, a first electronic device samples an audio input using a microphone. The first electronic device broadcasts a first set of one or more values based on the sampled audio input. Furthermore, the first electronic device receives a second set of one or more values, which are based on the audio input, from a second electronic device. Based on the first set of one or more values and the second set of one or more values, the first electronic device determines whether to respond to the audio input or forego responding to the audio input.

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 cause first electronic device to:
receive, with the first electronic device, data corresponding to an audio input from the first user device;
identify a task and a first parameter based on the data corresponding to the audio input, wherein the first parameter identifies a user device to perform the task;
transmit a request to a second electronic device, wherein the request includes the first parameter;
receive an identification of a second user device from the second electronic device;
obtain, with the first electronic device, a second parameter associated with the task determined from the audio input based on the data corresponding to the audio input; and
provide to the first user device from the first electronic device, a command including the parameter associated with the task determined from the audio input and the identification of the second user device.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions which when executed by the one or more processors cause the first electronic device to:
cause, with the first user device, performance of the task using the second parameter at the second user device.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the second parameter associated with the task comprises:
transmitting, with the first electronic device, a request to a database, wherein the request includes an identification of the second parameter; and
receiving, with the first electronic device, the second parameter from the database.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the first parameter includes an indication of a type of a device.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising instructions which when executed by the one or more processors cause the second electronic device to:
receive, with the second electronic device, the request including the first parameter;
obtain, with the second electronic device, data from a record, wherein the record stores a plurality of sets of attributes respectively corresponding to a plurality of user devices;
determine, with the second electronic device, the identification of the second user device based on the first parameter, wherein the second user device is part of the plurality of user devices; and
transmit, with the second electronic device, the identification of the second user device to the first electronic device.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein determining the identification of the second user device based on the first parameter comprises:
determining, with the second electronic device, whether at least one attribute of the second user device matches the first parameter.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5 , further comprising instructions which when executed by the one or more processors cause the second electronic device to:
discover, with the second electronic device, one or more user devices; and
update the record, with the second electronic device, based on attributes of the one or more discovered user devices.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein discovering the one or more user devices comprises discovering, with the second electronic device, a user device associated with an indication of a named location of a user.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the identification of the second user device based on the first parameter further comprises instructions which when executed by the one or more processors cause the first electronic device to:
receive, with the first electronic device, a plurality of identifications corresponding to a plurality of user devices from a second electronic device;
transmit, with the first electronic device, the plurality of identifications corresponding to the plurality of user devices to the first user device;
receive, with the first electronic device, data corresponding to a selection of a particular user device of the plurality of the user devices from the first user device; and
obtain, with the first electronic device, the identification of the second user device based on the received data corresponding to the selection of the particular user device of the plurality of the user devices.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions which when executed by the one or more processors cause the first user device to:
receive, with the first user device, the plurality of identifications corresponding to the plurality of user devices;
present, with the first user device, the plurality of user devices as selectable options;
receive, with the first user device, an input representing the selection of the particular user device of the plurality of user devices; and
transmit, with the first user device, the data corresponding to the selection of the particular user device to the first electronic device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of user devices has an attribute matching the first parameter.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein receiving the identification of a second user device from the second electronic device further comprises instructions which when executed by the one or more processors cause the first electronic device to:
receive, with the first electronic device, data corresponding to a candidate user device from a second electronic device;
transmit, with the first electronic device, the data corresponding to the candidate user device to the first user device;
receive, with the first electronic device, data corresponding to a confirmation of the candidate user device from the first user device; and
in response to receiving the data corresponding to the confirmation, obtain, with the first electronic device, the identification of the second user device by obtaining an identification of the candidate user device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising instructions which when executed by the one or more processors cause the first user device to:
receive, with the first user device, the data corresponding to the candidate user device;
present, with the first user device, the candidate user device as a confirmable option;
receive, with the first user device, an input representing the confirmation of the candidate user device; and
transmit, with the first user device, data corresponding to the confirmation of the candidate user device to the first electronic device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising instructions which when executed by the one or more processors cause the second electronic device to:
receive, with the second electronic device, a request for identifying a user device from the first electronic device, wherein the request includes the first parameter;
obtain, with the second electronic device, data from a record, wherein the record stores a plurality of sets of attributes respectively corresponding to a plurality of user devices;
obtain, with the second electronic device, data corresponding to the candidate user device based on the parameter, wherein the candidate user device is not part of the plurality of user d

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Piersol Kurt
• Orr Ryan M
• Mandel Daniel J

Classifications

• G06F3/167 Primary

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

• G10L15/22 Primary

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

• G10L15/30

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

• G10L25/84

  for discriminating voice from noise · CPC title

• G10L17/00

  Speaker identification or verification techniques · CPC title