Device, method, and graphical user interface for enabling conversation persistence across two or more instances of a digital assistant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12073147-B2
Application number	US-202117343288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2021
Priority date	Jun 9, 2013
Publication date	Aug 27, 2024
Grant date	Aug 27, 2024

Abstract

An electronic device with one or more processors and memory includes a procedure for enabling conversation persistence across two or more instances of a digital assistant. In some embodiments, the device displays a first dialogue in a first instance of a digital assistant user interface. In response to a request to display a user interface different from the digital assistant user interface, the device displays the user interface different from the digital assistant user interface. In response to a request to invoke the digital assistant, the device displays a second instance of the digital assistant user interface, including displaying a second dialogue in the second instance of the digital assistant user interface, where the first dialogue remains available for display in the second instance of the digital assistant user interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a digital assistant, performed at an electronic device having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the method comprising:
while displaying a first user interface other than a digital assistant user interface, receiving a user request to invoke the digital assistant;
in response to receiving the user request to invoke the digital assistant, initiating a current interactive session of the digital assistant user interface, including:
displaying the digital assistant user interface; and
obtaining audio data containing a spoken query;

determining whether the user request to invoke the digital assistant satisfies a first predetermined condition, wherein:
the user request to invoke the digital assistant satisfies the first predetermined condition if the user request is received within a predetermined duration after a previous interactive session of the digital assistant user interface ends; and
the previous interactive session of the digital assistant user interface ends by ceasing to display the digital assistant user interface; and

in accordance with a determination that the user request to invoke the digital assistant satisfies the first predetermined condition:
using context data from the previous interactive session of the digital assistant user interface to determine a response to the spoken query; and
providing, by the digital assistant, the response to the spoken query.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the previous interactive session of the digital assistant user interface was initiated on the electronic device prior to displaying the first user interface.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in accordance with a determination that the user request to invoke the digital assistant does not satisfy the first predetermined condition:
determining a second response to the spoken query without using the context data; and
providing, by the digital assistant, the second response to the spoken query.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to displaying the first user interface, the electronic device causes the context data to be stored in a context history of the digital assistant, and wherein the method further comprises:
in accordance with a determination that the user request to invoke the digital assistant does not satisfy the first predetermined condition, causing the stored context data to be removed from the context history.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user request to invoke the digital assistant does not satisfy the first predetermined condition if the electronic device is in a locked state while receiving the user request to invoke the digital assistant.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the user request to invoke the digital assistant satisfies a second predetermined condition; and
in accordance with a determination that the user request to invoke the digital assistant satisfies the second predetermined condition:
enabling the displayed digital assistant user interface to display previous dialogue from the previous interactive session.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the user request to invoke the digital assistant satisfies the second predetermined condition if the user request is received within a second predetermined duration after the previous interactive session of the digital assistant user interface ends.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first predetermined duration is shorter than the second predetermined duration.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein prior to displaying the first user interface, the electronic device causes the previous dialogue to be stored in a conversation history of the digital assistant, the method further comprising:
in accordance with a determination that the user request to invoke the digital assistant does not satisfy the second predetermined condition, causing the previous dialog to be removed from the conversation history.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
detecting user input via the displayed digital assistant user interface;
in accordance with detecting the user input and in accordance with the determination that the user request to invoke the digital assistant satisfies the second predetermined condition, displaying the previous dialogue in the displayed digital assistant user interface.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
while displaying the previous dialogue, receiving a user request to activate a microphone of the electronic device;
in accordance with receiving the user request to activate the microphone, obtaining second audio data containing a second spoken query;
in accordance with detecting the user input and in accordance with the determination that the user request to invoke the digital assistant does not satisfy the first predetermined condition and satisfies the second predetermined condition:
using the context data from the previous interactive session of the digital assistant user interface to determine a response to the second spoken query; and
providing, by the digital assistant, the response to the second spoken query.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for operating a digital assistant, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the device to perform operations comprising:
while displaying a first user interface other than a digital assistant user interface, receiving a user request to invoke the digital assistant;
in response to receiving the user request to invoke the digital assistant, initiating a current interactive session of the digital assistant user interface, including:
displaying the digital assistant user interface; and
obtaining audio data containing a spoken query;

determining whether the user request to invoke the digital assistant satisfies a first predetermined condition, wherein:
the user request to invoke the digital assistant satisfies the first predetermined condition if the user request is received within a predetermined duration after a previous interactive session of the digital assistant user interface ends; and
the previous interactive session of the digital assistant user interface ends by ceasing to display the digital assistant user interface; and

in accordance with a determination that the user request to invoke the digital assistant satisfies the first predetermined condition:
using context data from the previous interactive session of the digital assistant user interface to determine a response to the spoken query; and
providing, by the digital assistant, the response to the spoken query.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the previous interactive session of the digital assistant was initiated on the electronic device prior to displaying the first user interface.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the electronic device, further cause the device to perform operations comprising:
in accordance with a determination that the user request to invoke the digital assistant does not satisfy the first predetermined condition:
determining a second response to the spoken query without using the context data; and
providing, by the digital assistant, the second response to the spoken query.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein prior to displaying the first user interface, the electronic devi

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Carson David
• Keen Daniel
• Dibiase Evan
• Saddler Harry J
• Iacono Marco
• Lemay Stephen O
• Pitschel Donald W
• Gruber Thomas R

Classifications

• G06F16/3344 Primary

  using natural language analysis · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/167 Primary

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