IP Library Granted Patent US 11,423,893
Granted Patent B2
US 11,423,893 · App. 16/735,362 · Granted Aug 23, 2022

Response to secondary inputs at a digital personal assistant

Inventors: Arnold S. Weksler (Raleigh, NC); John Carl Mese (Cary, NC); Nathan J. Peterson (Oxford, NC); Mark Patrick Delaney (Raleigh, NC); Russell Speight VanBlon (Raleigh, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
G10L15/22G06F16/90332G10L15/20G10L2015/227
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 11,423,893
App. No.
16/735,362
Granted
Aug 23, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

One embodiment provides a method, including: receiving at a digital personal assistant coupled to an information handling device, while receiving a command from a first user, an input from a second user; determining that the input provided by the second user is directed at the first user; providing an indication indicating the command is directed to the digital personal assistant; and ignoring the input provided by the second user. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims (32)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving at a digital personal assistant coupled to an information handling device, while receiving a command from a first user during a conversational session between the first user and the digital personal assistant, an input from a second user;

determining, at the digital personal assistant and while engaged in the conversational session with the first user, that the input provided by the second user is directed at the first user and not at the digital personal assistant;

providing, from the digital personal assistant and while engaged in the conversational session with the first user, an audible output to the second user indicating the command provided by the first user is directed to the digital personal assistant and not to the second user, wherein the audible output to the second user does not interrupt the conversational session between the first user and the digital personal assistant and is provided using a second information handling device different from the information handling device; and

ignoring, at the digital personal assistant and while engaged in the conversational session with the first user, the input provided by the second user, wherein the ignoring the input comprises not performing an action corresponding to the input provided by the second user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises identifying the input as corresponding to one of a plurality of keywords.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises identifying the input is provided by the second user who is different than the first user as determined utilizing a voice recognition technique.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises identifying the input is provided by the second user based upon a location of the second user with respect to a location of the first user and a location of the digital personal assistant.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the audible output comprises providing an audible output to the second user indicating the first user is directing the command at the digital personal assistant.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the providing the audible output further comprises providing a second audible output directed to the first user to indicate the command should be continued by the first user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the audible output comprises providing a unique tone from the digital personal assistant.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a visual indication from the digital personal assistant to the second user.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

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

receive, at a digital personal assistant coupled to an information handling device, while receiving a command from a first user during a conversational session between the first user and the digital personal assistant, an input from a second user;

determine, at the digital personal assistant and while in the conversational session with the first user, that the input provided by the second user is directed at the first user and not at the digital personal assistant;

provide, from the digital personal assistant and while engaged in the conversational session with the first user, an audible output to the second user to indicate the command provided by the first user is directed to the digital personal assistant and not to the second user, wherein the audible output to the second user does not interrupt the conversational session between the first user and the digital personal assistant and is provided using a second information handling device different from the information handling device; and

ignore, at the digital personal assistant and while engaged in the conversational session with the first user, the input provided by the second user, wherein the ignoring the input comprises not performing an action corresponding to the input provided by the second user.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein to determine comprises identifying the input as corresponding to one of a plurality of keywords.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein to determine comprises identifying the input is provided by the second user who is different than the first user as determined utilizing voice recognition technique.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , where to determine comprises identifying the input is provided by the second user based upon a location of the second user with respect to a location of the first user and a location of the digital personal assistant.

13. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein to provide the audible output comprises providing an audible output to the second user indicating the first user is directing the command at the digital personal assistant.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein to provide the audible output further comprises providing a second audible output directed to the first user to indicate the command should be continued by the first user.

15. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein to provide the audible output comprises providing a unique tone from a digital personal assistant.

16. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising providing a visual indication from the digital personal assistant to the second user.

17. A product, comprising:

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

code that receives, at a digital personal assistant coupled to an information handling device, while receiving a command from a first user during a conversational session between the first user and the digital personal assistant, an input from a second user;

code that determines, at the digital personal assistant and while engaged in the conversational session with the first user, that the input provided by the second user is directed at the first user and not at the digital personal assistant;

code that provides, from the digital personal assistant and while engaged in the conversational with the first user, an audible output to the second user indicating the command provided by the first user is directed to the digital personal assistant and not to the second user, wherein the audible output to the second user that does not interrupt the conversational session between the first user and the digital personal assistant and is provided using a second information handling device different from the information handling device; and

code that ignores, at the digital personal assistant and while engaged in the conversational session with the first user, the input provided by the second user, wherein the ignoring the input comprises not performing an action corresponding to the input provided by the second user.

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 070269/0028 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 6, 2020
From: WEKSLER, ARNOLD S.; MESE, JOHN CARL; PETERSON, NATHAN J.; DELANEY, MARK PATRICK; VANBLON, RUSSELL SPEIGHT
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 051428/0317 →