IP Library Granted Patent US 11,009,970
Granted Patent B2
US 11,009,970 · App. 16/885,027 · Granted May 18, 2021

Attention aware virtual assistant dismissal

Inventors: Musa M. Hindi (Santa Clara, CA); Rohit Dasari (San Francisco, CA); Trungtin Tran (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G06F3/0346G06F3/013G06F3/0414G06F3/167G10L15/07G10L15/22G10L25/78
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,009,970
App. No.
16/885,027
Filed
May 27, 2020
Granted
May 18, 2021
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2693
USPC
345/156
Abstract

Systems and processes for operating an intelligent automated assistant are provided. An example process includes initiating a virtual assistant session responsive to receiving user input. In accordance with initiating the virtual assistant session, the process includes determining, based on data obtained using one or more sensors of the electronic device, whether one or more criteria representing expressed user disinterest are satisfied. In accordance with determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user disinterest are satisfied prior to a first time, the process includes automatically deactivating the virtual assistant session prior to the first time. The first time is defined by a setting of the electronic device. In accordance with determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user disinterest are not satisfied prior to the first time, the process includes automatically deactivating the virtual assistant session at the first time.

Claims (55)

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

initiate a virtual assistant session responsive to receiving user input;

in accordance with initiating the virtual assistant session, determine, based on data obtained using one or more sensors of the electronic device, whether one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied, wherein determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied includes determining that a direction of a user gaze is directed to the electronic device;

in accordance with determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied prior to a first time, forgo deactivating the virtual assistant session at the first time, wherein the first time is a predetermined duration after a second time at which a final result for the virtual assistant session is presented; and

in accordance with determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are not satisfied prior to the first time, deactivate the virtual assistant session at the first time.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to:

determine a type of the user input; and

wherein determining whether the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied is performed in accordance with determining that the type of the user input is a second type of user input.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the second type of user input includes input received from an external electronic device or audio input.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied includes detecting a touch on a button or on a screen of the electronic device.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied includes determining a raising of the electronic device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to:

determine whether a predetermined application is executing when the user input was received; and

in accordance with a determination that the predetermined application is executing when the user input was received, deactivate the virtual assistant session a second predetermined duration after the second time.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein initiating the virtual assistant session includes providing audio output.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein initiating the virtual assistant session includes displaying a user interface associated with the virtual assistant session.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein deactivating the virtual assistant session includes ceasing the display of the user interface associated with the virtual assistant session.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

initiating a virtual assistant session responsive to receiving user input;

in accordance with initiating the virtual assistant session, determining, based on data obtained using one or more sensors of the electronic device, whether one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied, wherein determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied includes determining that a direction of a user gaze is directed to the electronic device;

in accordance with determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied prior to a first time, forgoing deactivating the virtual assistant session at the first time, wherein the first time is a predetermined duration after a second time at which a final result for the virtual assistant session is presented; and

in accordance with determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are not satisfied prior to the first time, deactivating the virtual assistant session at the first time.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

determining a type of the user input; and

wherein determining whether the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied is performed in accordance with determining that the type of the user input is a second type of user input.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the second type of user input includes input received from an external electronic device or audio input.

13. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied includes detecting a touch on a button or on a screen of the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied includes determining a raising of the electronic device.

15. The electronic device of claim 10 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

determining whether a predetermined application is executing when the user input was received; and

in accordance with a determination that the predetermined application is executing when the user input was received, deactivating the virtual assistant session a second predetermined duration after the second time.

16. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein initiating the virtual assistant session includes providing audio output.

17. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein initiating the virtual assistant session includes displaying a user interface associated with the virtual assistant session.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein deactivating the virtual assistant session includes ceasing the display of the user interface associated with the virtual assistant session.

19. A method for operating a virtual assistant, comprising:

at an electronic device:

initiating a virtual assistant session responsive to receiving user input;

in accordance with initiating the virtual assistant session, determining, based on data obtained using one or more sensors of the electronic device, whether one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied, wherein determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied includes determining that a direction of a user gaze is directed to the electronic device;

in accordance with determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied prior to a first time, forgoing deactivating the virtual assistant session at the first time, wherein the first time is a predetermined duration after a second time at which a final result for the virtual assistant session is presented; and

in accordance with determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are not satisfied prior to the first time, deactivating the virtual assistant session at the first time.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

determining a type of the user input; and

wherein determining whether the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied is performed in accordance with determining that the type of the user input is a second type of user input.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the second type of user input includes input received from an external electronic device or audio input.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied includes detecting a touch on a button or on a screen of the electronic device.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein determining that the one or more criteria representing expressed user engagement are satisfied includes determining a raising of the electronic device.

24. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

determining whether a predetermined application is executing when the user input was received; and

in accordance with a determination that the predetermined application is executing when the user input was received, deactivating the virtual assistant session a second predetermined duration after the second time.

25. The method of claim 19 , wherein initiating the virtual assistant session includes providing audio output.

26. The method of claim 19 , wherein initiating the virtual assistant session includes displaying a user interface associated with the virtual assistant session.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein deactivating the virtual assistant session includes ceasing the display of the user interface associated with the virtual assistant session.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 16039099 · Jul 18, 2018
Provisional Application 62679332 · Jun 1, 2018
Related Publication 20200285327A1 · Sep 10, 2020
Cited By (30)
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