IP Library Granted Patent US 9,582,246
Granted Patent B2
US 9,582,246 · App. 14/602,155 · Granted Feb 28, 2017

Voice-command suggestions based on computer context

Inventors: Christian Klein (Duvall, WA); Zach Johnson (Woodinville, WA); Matthew Fleming (Duvall, WA); Gregg Wygonik (Redmond, WA)
Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
G06F3/167G10L15/22H04N21/4222H04N21/42203H04N21/4668H04N21/478A63F13/215A63F13/424A63F13/79G10L2015/223G10L2015/225G10L2015/228
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,582,246
App. No.
14/602,155
Granted
Feb 28, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A contextual state of a graphical user interface presented via a display of the computing system is identified. A voice command is selected from a set of voice commands based on the contextual state of the graphical user interface. A context-specific voice-command suggestion corresponding to the selected voice command is identified. A graphical user interface including the context-specific voice-command suggestion is presented via a display.

Claims (51)

1. On a computing system, a method for suggesting voice commands to control user interaction with the computing system, the method comprising:

identifying a contextual state of a graphical user interface presented via a display of the computing system;

selecting a parameterized voice command from a set of voice commands based on the contextual state of the graphical user interface, the parameterized voice command including a root operation and a parameter that modifies the root operation;

selecting a first context-specific value of the parameter based on the contextual state;

identifying a context-specific voice-command suggestion corresponding to the selected parameterized voice command and the selected first context-specific value of the parameter;

presenting via a display a graphical user interface including the context-specific voice-command suggestion with the first context-specific value of the parameter;

in response to exceeding a duration, selecting a second context-specific value of the parameter based on the contextual state, the second context-specific value being different than the first context-specific value; and

presenting via the display the parameterized context-specific voice-command suggestion with the second context-specific value of the parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contextual state includes one or more of a music state, a video state, a gameplay state, and a communication state.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying a contextual state of the graphical user interface includes identifying a plurality of contextual states, and the method further comprises:

assigning a priority order to the plurality of contextual states; and

wherein the parameterized voice command is selected according to the priority order.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a first contextual state of the plurality of contextual states that currently has focus over the other of the plurality of contextual states is assigned a highest priority of the priority order.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein a plurality of voice commands are selected for presentation as context-specific voice-command suggestions, and wherein a selected number of context-specific voice-command suggestions corresponding to a first contextual state having a first priority is greater than a selected number of context-specific voice-command suggestions corresponding to a second contextual state having a second priority that is lower than the first priority.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein context-specific voice-command suggestions corresponding to a first contextual state are presented with a first visual indication, and wherein context-specific voice-command suggestions corresponding to a second contextual state are presented with a second visual indication different than the first visual indication.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a user identity of a user interacting with the computing system; and

wherein the parameterized voice command is selected from the set of voice commands based on the user identity and the contextual state.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein voice commands corresponding to the contextual state that have previously been successfully employed by the user are associated with the user identity, and wherein a voice command corresponding to the contextual state that has not previously been successfully employed by the user is selected as the parameterized voice command.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein context-specific voice-command suggestions that have previously been presented to the user are associated with the user identity, and wherein context-specific voice-command suggestions that have been previously presented to the user and ignored by the user are omitted from being selected as the parameterized voice command for a designated period.

10. A computing system, comprising:

a logic machine; and

a storage machine holding instruction executable by the logic machine to:

select a parameterized voice command from a set of voice commands, the parameterized voice command including a root operation and a parameter that modifies the root operation;

identify a parameterized voice-command suggestion corresponding to the selected parameterized voice command; and

present via a display a graphical user interface including the parameterized voice-command suggestion with a first value of the parameter;

in response to exceeding a duration, present via the display the graphical user interface including the parameterized voice-command suggestion with a second value of the parameter that differs from the first value of the parameter.

11. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

identify a user identity of a user interacting with the computing system;

select the first value of the parameter based on the user identity; and

select the second value of the parameter based on the user identity.

12. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

identify a plurality of user identities corresponding to a plurality of users interacting with the computing system;

select the first value of the parameter based on a first user identity of the plurality of user identities; and

select the second value of the parameter based a second user identity of the plurality of user identities, the first user identity differing from the second user identity.

13. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

identify a contextual state of the graphical user interface;

select the first value of the parameter based on the contextual state; and

select the second value of the parameter based on the contextual state.

14. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

identify a plurality of applications installed on the computing system;

select the first value of the parameter based on a first application of the plurality of applications; and

select the second value of the parameter based on a second application of the plurality of applications, the first application differing from the second application.

15. A computing system, comprising:

a logic machine; and

a storage machine holding instruction executable by the logic machine to:

receive a plurality of voice commands that end with performance of an operation, wherein the plurality of voice commands include a plurality of user interface navigation operations that navigate to a virtual storefront, and wherein the operation includes installing on the computing system a first media content item purchased from the virtual storefront; and

after receiving the plurality of voice commands, present via a display a voice-command shortcut suggestion subsequently useable to perform the operation with fewer voice commands than the plurality of voice commands, wherein the voice-command shortcut suggestion corresponds to a voice command to purchase a second media content item directly without navigating to the virtual storefront.

16. The computing system of claim 15 , wherein the storage machine further holds instructions executable by the logic machine to:

identify a user identity of a user interacting with the computing system; and

wherein the second media content item is selected based on the user identity.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2015
From: KLEIN, CHRISTIAN; JOHNSON, ZACH; FLEMING, MATTHEW; WYGONIK, GREGG
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 034780/0036 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61947926 · Mar 4, 2014
Related Publication 20150254058A1 · Sep 10, 2015