Intelligent automated assistant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12087308-B2
Application number	US-202016912278-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2020
Priority date	Jan 18, 2010
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

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. An electronic device, comprising: one or more processors;
a memory; and
one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for: storing vocabulary associated with a predetermined domain of information, the vocabulary organized in accordance with a plurality of predetermined query types for selectively retrieving information related to the predetermined domain of information of a plurality of predetermined domains of information, wherein the plurality of predetermined domains of information include a respective predetermined domain of information having a sub-domain including predetermined query types associated with queries frequently received from a plurality of users;
receiving a speech input from a user through a dialogue interface of a digital assistant;
determining context information associated with the speech input;
processing the speech input to determine one or more search criteria, wherein the processing comprises at least one of supplementing and disambiguating the speech input using the context information and the vocabulary associated with the predetermined domain of information;
retrieving information related to the predetermined domain of information in accordance with the one or more search criteria;
presenting, based on the retrieved information, one or more results to the user through the dialogue interface of the digital assistant;
determining that each of the one or more search criteria have been satisfied based on the one or more results;
after presenting the one or more results to the user, providing a prompt to the user, wherein the prompt includes an option to initiate playback of a media item corresponding to the one or more results; and
in response to a user acceptance of the option to initiate playback of the media item corresponding to the one or more results, initiating playback of the media item corresponding to the one or more results.

2. The device of claim 1 , the one or more programs including instructions for:
during a dialogue session in which the speech input was received:
maintaining a dialogue context based on user inputs received through the dialogue interface and information provided to the user through the dialogue interface;
receiving one or more additional speech inputs from the user through the dialogue interface;
processing 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 supplementing or disambiguating the additional speech input based on the dialogue context; and
based on the processing, providing additional information in response to each of the one or more additional speech input.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein presenting, based on the retrieved information, one or more results to the user through the dialogue interface of the digital assistant further comprises:
determining whether the retrieved information is satisfactory to a question obtained from the speech input; and
in accordance with a determination that the retrieved information is not satisfactory to a question obtained from the speech input, presenting information related to the retrieved information to the user through the dialogue interface of the digital assistant.

4. The device of claim 1 , the one or more programs including instructions for:
storing a plurality of language patterns associated with a predetermined domain of information, wherein the processing comprises at least one of supplementing and disambiguating the speech input using the language patterns associated with a predetermined domain of information.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of language patterns include at least one of a particular query template and a request pattern.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined domain of information is associated with a sports domain including sports vocabulary stored in association with query types related to one or more of scores, athlete statistics, sports teams, current games, and current seasons.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined domain of information is associated with a sub-domain of common query types.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined domain corresponds to a sports domain, and wherein the common query types include one or more question types associated with game scores, player statistics, game times, team rosters, athlete salaries, player team history, and current sports news.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined domain corresponds to a music domain, and wherein the common query types include one or more question types associated with artists, genre, lyrics, and famous songs.

10. The device of claim 1 , the one or more programs including instructions for:
maintaining a dialog context including information asked by the user and information received by the user, wherein the dialog context includes an ordered list of information based on time parameters.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the dialog context includes at least one question received from the user and at least one answer to the at least one question.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein presenting, based on the retrieved information, one or more results to the user through the dialogue interface of the digital assistant comprises:
providing a speech output including search results; and
presenting the search results on a display screen of the electronic device.

13. A computer-implemented method, comprising: at an electronic device with one or more processors and memory:
storing vocabulary associated with a predetermined domain of information, the vocabulary organized in accordance with a plurality of predetermined query types for selectively retrieving information related to the predetermined domain of information of a plurality of predetermined domains of information, wherein the plurality of predetermined domains of information include a respective predetermined domain of information having a sub-domain including predetermined query types associated with queries frequently received from a plurality of users;
receiving a speech input from a user through a dialogue interface of a digital assistant;
determining context information associated with the speech input;
processing the speech input to determine one or more search criteria, wherein the processing comprises at least one of supplementing and disambiguating the speech input using the context information and the vocabulary associated with the predetermined domain of information;
retrieving information related to the predetermined domain of information in accordance with the one or more search criteria;
presenting, based on the retrieved information, one or more results to the user through the dialogue interface of the digital assistant;
determining that each of the one or more search criteria have been satisfied based on the one or more results;
after presenting the one or more results to the user, providing a prompt to the user, wherein the prompt includes an option to initiate playback of a media item corresponding to the one or more results; and
in response to a user acceptance of the option to initiate playback of the media item corresponding to the one or more results, initiating playback of the media item corresponding to the one or more results.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Gruber Thomas R
• Cheyer Adam J
• Keen Daniel

Classifications

• G06F16/9537

  Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries · CPC title

• G06F16/2457

  with adaptation to user needs · CPC title

• G10L2015/226

  using non-speech characteristics · CPC title

• G10L15/22

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

• G06F3/167 Primary

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