Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120309363 | TRIGGERING NOTIFICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH TASKS ITEMS THAT REPRESENT TASKS TO PERFORM - Techniques for processing task items are provided. A task item is electronic data that represents a task to be performed, whether manually or automatically. A task item includes one or more details about its corresponding task, such as a description of the task and a location of the task. Specifically, techniques for generating task items, organizing task items, triggering notifications of task items, and consuming task items are described. In one approach, a task item is generated based on input from a user and context of the input. In another approach, different attributes of task items are used to organize the task items intelligently into multiple lists. In another approach, one or more criteria, such as location, are used to determine when to notify a user of a task. In another approach, actions other than generating notifications are enabled or automatically performed, actions such as emailing, calling, and searching. | 12-06-2012 |
20120311583 | GENERATING AND PROCESSING TASK ITEMS THAT REPRESENT TASKS TO PERFORM - Techniques for processing task items are provided. A task item is electronic data that represents a task to be performed, whether manually or automatically. A task item includes one or more details about its corresponding task, such as a description of the task and a location of the task. Specifically, techniques for generating task items, organizing task items, triggering notifications of task items, and consuming task items are described. In one approach, a task item is generated based on input from a user and context of the input. In another approach, different attributes of task items are used to organize the task items intelligently into multiple lists. In another approach, one or more criteria, such as location, are used to determine when to notify a user of a task. In another approach, actions other than generating notifications are enabled or automatically performed, actions such as emailing, calling, and searching. | 12-06-2012 |
20120311584 | PERFORMING ACTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH TASK ITEMS THAT REPRESENT TASKS TO PERFORM - Techniques for processing task items are provided. A task item is electronic data that represents a task to be performed, whether manually or automatically. A task item includes one or more details about its corresponding task, such as a description of the task and a location of the task. Specifically, techniques for generating task items, organizing task items, triggering notifications of task items, and consuming task items are described. In one approach, a task item is generated based on input from a user and context of the input. In another approach, different attributes of task items are used to organize the task items intelligently into multiple lists. In another approach, one or more criteria, such as location, are used to determine when to notify a user of a task. In another approach, actions other than generating notifications are enabled or automatically performed, actions such as emailing, calling, and searching. | 12-06-2012 |
20120311585 | ORGANIZING TASK ITEMS THAT REPRESENT TASKS TO PERFORM - Techniques for processing task items are provided. A task item is electronic data that represents a task to be performed, whether manually or automatically. A task item includes one or more details about its corresponding task, such as a description of the task and a location of the task. Specifically, techniques for generating task items, organizing task items, triggering notifications of task items, and consuming task items are described. In one approach, a task item is generated based on input from a user and context of the input. In another approach, different attributes of task items are used to organize the task items intelligently into multiple lists. In another approach, one or more criteria, such as location, are used to determine when to notify a user of a task. In another approach, actions other than generating notifications are enabled or automatically performed, actions such as emailing, calling, and searching. | 12-06-2012 |
20130275138 | Hands-Free List-Reading by Intelligent Automated Assistant - Systems and methods for providing hands-free reading of content comprising: identifying a plurality of data items for presentation to a user, the plurality of data items associated with a domain-specific item type and sorted according to a particular order; based on the domain-specific item type, generating a speech-based overview of the plurality of data items; for each of the plurality of data items, generating a respective speech-based, item-specific paraphrase for the data item based on respective content of the data item; and providing, to a user through the speech-enabled dialogue interface, the speech-based overview, followed by the respective speech-based, item-specific paraphrases for at least a subset of the plurality of data items in the particular order. | 10-17-2013 |
20130275164 | Intelligent Automated Assistant - 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. | 10-17-2013 |
20130275875 | Automatically Adapting User Interfaces for Hands-Free Interaction - The method includes automatically, without user input and without regard to whether a digital assistant application has been separately invoked by a user, determining that the electronic device is in a vehicle. In some implementations, determining that the electronic device is in a vehicle comprises detecting that the electronic device is in communication with the vehicle (e.g., via a wired or wireless communication techniques and/or protocols). The method also includes, responsive to the determining, invoking a listening mode of a virtual assistant implemented by the electronic device. In some implementations, the method also includes limiting the ability of a user to view visual output presented by the electronic device, provide typed input to the electronic device, and the like. | 10-17-2013 |
20130275899 | Application Gateway for Providing Different User Interfaces for Limited Distraction and Non-Limited Distraction Contexts - An electronic device receives a first input that corresponds to a request to open a respective application, and in response to receiving the first input, in accordance with a determination that the device is being operated in a limited-distraction context, provides a limited-distraction user interface that includes providing for display fewer selectable user interface objects than are displayed in a non-limited user interface for the respective application, and in accordance with a determination that the device is not being operated in a limited-distraction context, provides a non-limited user interface for the respective application. | 10-17-2013 |
20130304758 | Crowd Sourcing Information to Fulfill User Requests - A user request is received from a mobile client device, where the user request includes at least a speech input and seeks an informational answer or performance of a task. A failure to provide a satisfactory response to the user request is detected. In response to detection of the failure, information relevant to the user request is crowd-sourced by querying one or more crowd sourcing information sources. One or more answers are received from the crowd sourcing information sources, and the response to the user request is generated based on at least one of the one or more answers received from the one or more crowd sourcing information sources. | 11-14-2013 |
20130311997 | Systems and Methods for Integrating Third Party Services with a Digital Assistant - The electronic device with one or more processors and memory receives an input of a user. The electronic device, in accordance with the input, identifies a respective task type from a plurality of predefined task types associated with a plurality of third party service providers. The respective task type is associated with at least one third party service provider for which the user is authorized and at least one third party service provider for which the user is not authorized. In response to identifying the respective task type, the electronic device sends a request to perform at least a portion of a task to a third party service provider of the plurality of third party service providers that is associated with the respective task type. | 11-21-2013 |
20140033071 | Actionable Reminder Entries - Techniques for processing task items are provided. A task item is electronic data that represents a task to be performed, whether manually or automatically. A task item includes one or more details about its corresponding task, such as a description of the task and a location of the task. Specifically, techniques for generating task items, organizing task items, triggering notifications of task items, and consuming task items are described. In one approach, a task item is generated based on input from a user and context of the input. In another approach, different attributes of task items are used to organize the task items intelligently into multiple lists. In another approach, actions other than the generation of notification are enabled or automatically performed, actions such as entailing, calling, texting, and searching. | 01-30-2014 |
20140195252 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HANDS-FREE NOTIFICATION SUMMARIES - A method includes outputting an alert corresponding to an information item. In some implementations, the alert is a sound. In some implementations, the alert is ambiguous (e.g., the sound indicates several possible information items). The method further includes receiving a speech input after outputting the alert. The method further includes determining whether the speech input includes a request for information about the alert. The method further includes, in response to determining that the speech input includes a request for information about the alert, providing a first speech output including information about the alert. | 07-10-2014 |
20140222436 | VOICE TRIGGER FOR A DIGITAL ASSISTANT - A method for operating a voice trigger is provided. In some implementations, the method is performed at an electronic device including one or more processors and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors. The method includes receiving a sound input. The sound input may correspond to a spoken word or phrase, or a portion thereof. The method includes determining whether at least a portion of the sound input corresponds to a predetermined type of sound, such as a human voice. The method includes, upon a determination that at least a portion of the sound input corresponds to the predetermined type, determining whether the sound input includes predetermined content, such as a predetermined trigger word or phrase. The method also includes, upon a determination that the sound input includes the predetermined content, initiating a speech-based service, such as a voice-based digital assistant. | 08-07-2014 |
20140272821 | USER TRAINING BY INTELLIGENT DIGITAL ASSISTANT - The method includes receiving, from a user, a first speech input spoken in a first language; inferring a user intent based on at least the first speech input in the first language; based on the inferred user intent, generating one or more alternative expressions of the first speech input in the first language; and providing feedback to the user introducing the alternative expressions as a more preferred input to express the inferred user intent than the first speech input provided by the user. | 09-18-2014 |
20140278413 | TRAINING AN AT LEAST PARTIAL VOICE COMMAND SYSTEM - An electronic device with one or more processors and memory includes a procedure for training a digital assistant. In some embodiments, the device detects an impasse in a dialogue between the digital assistant and a user including a speech input. During a learning session, the device utilizes a subsequent clarification input from the user to adjust intent inference or task execution associated with the speech input to produce a satisfactory response. In some embodiments, the device identifies a pattern of success or failure associated with an aspect previously used to complete a task and generates a hypothesis regarding a parameter used in speech recognition, intent inference or task execution as a cause for the pattern. Then, the device tests the hypothesis by altering the parameter for a subsequent completion of the task and adopts or rejects the hypothesis based on feedback information collected from the subsequent completion. | 09-18-2014 |
20140282003 | CONTEXT-SENSITIVE HANDLING OF INTERRUPTIONS - A list of notification items is received, the list including a plurality of notification items, wherein each respective one of the plurality of notification items is associated with a respective urgency value. An information item is detected. In some implementations, the information item is a communication (e.g., an email). In some implementations, the information item is a change in context of a user. Upon determining that the information item is relevant to the urgency value of the first notification item, the urgency value of the first notification item is adjusted. Upon determining that the adjusted urgency value satisfies the predetermined threshold, a first audio prompt is provided to a user. | 09-18-2014 |
20140297284 | USING CONTEXT INFORMATION TO FACILITATE PROCESSING OF COMMANDS IN A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT - A virtual assistant uses context information to supplement natural language or gestural input from a user. Context helps to clarify the user's intent and to reduce the number of candidate interpretations of the user's input, and reduces the need for the user to provide excessive clarification input. Context can include any available information that is usable by the assistant to supplement explicit user input to constrain an information-processing problem and/or to personalize results. Context can be used to constrain solutions during various phases of processing, including, for example, speech recognition, natural language processing, task flow processing, and dialog generation. | 10-02-2014 |
20140365216 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USER-SPECIFIED PRONUNCIATION OF WORDS FOR SPEECH SYNTHESIS AND RECOGNITION - The method is performed at an electronic device with one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. A first speech input including at least one word is received. A first phonetic representation of the at least one word is determined, the first phonetic representation comprising a first set of phonemes selected from a speech recognition phonetic alphabet. The first set of phonemes is mapped to a second set of phonemes to generate a second phonetic representation, where the second set of phonemes is selected from a speech synthesis phonetic alphabet. The second phonetic representation is stored in association with a text string corresponding to the at least one word. | 12-11-2014 |
20140365885 | DEVICE, METHOD, AND GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR ENABLING CONVERSATION PERSISTENCE ACROSS TWO OR MORE INSTANCES OF A DIGITAL ASSISTANT - 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. | 12-11-2014 |