IP Library Granted Patent US 11,741,951
Granted Patent B2
US 11,741,951 · App. 16/282,770 · Granted Aug 29, 2023

Context enabled voice commands

Inventors: John Weldon Nicholson (Cary, NC); Daryl Cromer (Raleigh, NC); Howard Locker (Cary, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
G10L15/22G10L2015/223
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,741,951
App. No.
16/282,770
Granted
Aug 29, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

One embodiment provides a method, including: detecting, at an input device of an information handling device, voice input; determining, using a processor, whether the voice input corresponds to a voice command; identifying, responsive to determining that the voice input corresponds to a voice command, that the voice command is associated with an enabled voice command; determining, using a processor, whether a characteristic of the voice command corresponds to a predetermined input characteristic; and performing, responsive to identifying that the voice command is associated with the enabled voice command and responsive to determining that the characteristic corresponds to the predetermined input characteristic, an action corresponding to the enabled voice command. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims (41)

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, at an input device of an information handling device, voice input from a user, wherein the voice input was detected during receipt of input having another input type other than voice;

determining the voice input corresponds to a voice command by accessing a list of associations between voice inputs and voice commands and determining that the voice input is substantially similar to one of the voice commands;

identifying, responsive to determining the voice input corresponds to a voice command, the voice command is associated with an enabled voice command of an open application that is associated with an actionable function by the open application, wherein the voice command is different from an enabled voice command executable by an active application of a plurality of open applications;

determining the user intended to perform the actionable function corresponding to the enabled voice input within the active application using the voice input by determining a characteristic of the voice command corresponds to a predetermined input characteristic corresponding to a cadence of the voice input and associated with a predetermined input cadence of the enabled voice commands; and

performing, responsive to identifying the voice command is associated with the enabled voice command and that the characteristic corresponds to the predetermined input characteristic, the actionable function corresponding to the enabled voice command, wherein the actionable function modifies the input having another input type.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining whether the voice input corresponds to a voice command comprises:

accessing a list of associations between voice inputs and voice commands; and

thereafter determining whether at least a portion of the voice input corresponds to an association in the list.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying comprises identifying that the voice command is associated with the active application.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying comprises identifying that the voice command was detected during receipt of another, predetermined input type.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enabled voice command comprises a set of enabled voice commands.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the voice command corresponds to an audible characteristic.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the audible characteristic is associated with a speed of the voice command and wherein the predetermined input characteristic is associated with a predetermined input speed.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined input cadence comprises a pause at one or more predetermined points in the voice command.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising notifying, responsive to determining that the characteristic does not correspond to the predetermined input characteristic, a user.

10. An information handling device, comprising:

a processor;

an input device;

a memory device that stores instructions executable by the processor to:

detect voice input from a user, wherein the voice input was detected during receipt of input having another input type other than voice;

determine the voice input corresponds to a voice command by accessing a list of associations between voice inputs and voice commands and determining that the voice input is substantially similar to one of the voice commands;

identify, responsive to determining the voice input corresponds to a voice command, the voice command is associated with an enabled voice command of an open application that is associated with an actionable function by the open application, wherein the voice command is different from an enabled voice command executable by an active application of a plurality of open applications;

determine the user intended to perform the actionable function corresponding to the enabled voice input within the active application using the voice input by determining a characteristic of the voice command corresponds to a predetermined input characteristic corresponding to a cadence of the voice input and associated with a predetermined input cadence of the enabled voice commands; and

perform, responsive to identifying the voice command is associated with the enabled voice command and that the characteristic corresponds to the predetermined input characteristic, the actionable function corresponding to the enabled voice command, wherein the actionable function modifies the input having another input type.

11. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to determine whether the voice input corresponds to a voice command comprise instructions executable by the processor to:

access a list of associations between voice inputs and voice commands; and

thereafter determine whether at least a portion of the voice input corresponds to an association in the list.

12. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to identify comprise instructions executable by the processor to identify that the voice command is associated with the active application.

13. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to identify comprise instructions executable by the processor to identify that the voice command was detected during receipt of another, predetermined input type.

14. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein the enabled voice command comprises a set of enabled voice commands.

15. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein the characteristic of the voice command corresponds to an audible characteristic.

16. The information handling device of claim 15 , wherein the audible characteristic is associated with a speed of the voice command and wherein the predetermined input characteristic is associated with a predetermined input speed.

17. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined input cadence comprises a pause at one or more predetermined points in the voice command.

18. A product, comprising:

a storage device that stores code, the code being executable by a processor and comprising:

code that detects voice input from a user, wherein the voice input was detected during receipt of input having another input type other than voice;

code that determines the voice input corresponds to a voice command by accessing a list of associations between voice inputs and voice commands and determining that the voice input is substantially similar to one of the voice commands;

code that identifies, responsive to determining the voice input corresponds to a voice command, the voice command is associated with an enabled voice command of an open application that is associated with an actionable function by the open application, wherein the voice command is different from an enabled voice command executable by an active application of a plurality of open applications;

code that determines the user intended to perform the actionable function corresponding to the enabled voice input within the active application using the voice input by determining a characteristic of the voice command corresponds to a predetermined input characteristic corresponding to a cadence of the voice input and associated with a predetermined input cadence of the enabled voice commands; and

code that performs, responsive to identifying the voice command is associated with the enabled voice command and that the characteristic corresponds to the predetermined input characteristic, the actionable function corresponding to the enabled voice command, wherein the actionable function modifies the input having another input type.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 070269/0092 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2025
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD.
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 070266/0925 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 22, 2019
From: NICHOLSON, JOHN WELDON; CROMER, DARYL; LOCKER, HOWARD
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 048408/0387 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200273454A1 · Aug 27, 2020