Systems and methods for providing a virtual assistant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015169336-A1
Application number	US-201314107545-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2013
Priority date	Dec 16, 2013
Publication date	Jun 18, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method, performed by at least one computer, the method comprising using the at least one computer to perform acts of accessing information specifying at least one user-specified condition specified by a user and at least one corresponding user-specified action, the user-specified action to be performed when the user-specified condition is met; determining whether the at least one user-specified condition is met; and when it is determined that the at least one user-specified condition is met, causing a virtual assistant executing on a mobile device different from the at least one computer to perform the at least one user-specified action.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, performed by at least one computer, the method comprising:
using the at least one computer to perform acts of:
accessing information specifying at least one user-specified condition specified by a user and at least one corresponding user-specified action, the user-specified action to be performed when the user-specified condition is met;
determining whether the at least one user-specified condition is met; and
when it is determined that the at least one user-specified condition is met, causing a virtual assistant executing on a mobile device different from the at least one computer to perform the at least one user-specified action.

2 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one user-specified condition specifies a topic; wherein determining that the at least one user-specified condition is met comprises determining whether at least some information related to the topic has been obtained; and wherein causing the virtual assistant to perform the at least one user-specified action comprises causing the virtual assistant to present the at least some of the obtained information related to the topic to the user.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving from the user, in response to the virtual assistant presenting the at least some of the obtained information to the user, voice input related to the presented information; and using automatic speech recognition techniques and/or natural language techniques to process the voice input.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein processing the voice input using automatic speech recognition techniques comprises:
recognizing the voice input at least in part by using a language model for the topic.

5 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising monitoring and/or searching one or more sources of information to obtain the at least some information related to the topic.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual assistant is configured to perform the at least one action at least in part by using another application program configured to execute on the mobile device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving voice input from a user of the mobile device, the voice input specifying the at least one user-specified condition and the at least one corresponding user-specified action; and identifying, at least in part by using automatic speech recognition, the at least one user-specified condition and the at least one corresponding user-specified action specified by the voice input.

8 . A system comprising:
at least one computer configured to perform acts of:
accessing information specifying at least one user-specified condition specified by a user and at least one corresponding user-specified action, the user-specified action to be performed when the user-specified condition is met;
determining whether the at least one user-specified condition is met; and
when it is determined that the at least one user-specified condition is met, causing a virtual assistant executing on a mobile device different from the at least one computer to perform the at least one user-specified action.

9 . The system of claim 8 ,
wherein the at least one user-specified condition specifies a topic; wherein determining that the at least one user-specified condition is met comprises determining whether at least some information related to the topic has been obtained; and wherein causing the virtual assistant to perform the at least one user-specified action comprises causing the virtual assistant to present the at least some of the obtained information related to the topic to the user.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one computer is further configured to perform acts of:
receiving from the user, in response to the virtual assistant presenting the at least some of the obtained information to the user, voice input related to the presented information; and using automatic speech recognition techniques and/or natural language techniques to process the voice input.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein processing the voice input using automatic speech recognition techniques comprises:
recognizing the voice input at least in part by using a language model for the topic.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one computer is further configured to perform monitoring and/or searching of one or more sources of information to obtain the at least some information related to the topic.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the virtual assistant is configured to perform the at least one action at least in part by using another application program configured to execute on the mobile device.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one computer is further configured to perform acts of:
receiving voice input from a user of the mobile device, the voice input specifying the at least one user-specified condition and the at least one corresponding user-specified action; and identifying, at least in part by using automatic speech recognition, the at least one user-specified condition and the at least one corresponding user-specified action specified by the voice input.

15 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform a method comprising acts of:
accessing information specifying at least one user-specified condition specified by a user
and at least one corresponding user-specified action, the user-specified action to be performed when the user-specified condition is met;
determining whether the at least one user-specified condition is met; and
when it is determined that the at least one user-specified condition is met, causing a virtual assistant executing on a mobile device different from the at least one computer to perform the at least one user-specified action.

16 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 ,
wherein the at least one user-specified condition specifies a topic; wherein determining that the at least one user-specified condition is met comprises determining whether at least some information related to the topic has been obtained; and wherein causing the virtual assistant to perform the at least one user-specified action comprises causing the virtual assistant to present the at least some of the obtained information related to the topic to the user.

17 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , the method further comprising:
receiving from the user, in response to the virtual assistant presenting the at least some of the obtained information to the user, voice input related to the presented information; and using automatic speech recognition techniques and/or natural language techniques to process the voice input.

18 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein processing the voice input using automatic speech recognition techniques comprises:
recognizing the voice input at least in part by using a language model for the topic.

19 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , the method further comprising monitoring and/or searching one or more sources of information to obtain the at least some information related to the topic.

20 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the vi

Assignees

• Nuance Communications Inc

Inventors

• Harper Kenneth S
• Jaradeh Fares
• Quast Holger
• Radebaugh Carey
• Brown Sean P

Classifications

• G06Q30/0631

  Recommending goods or services · CPC title

• G06F3/048

  Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• G06Q30/0277

  Online advertisement · CPC title

• G06F3/167

  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