IP Library Granted Patent US 11,922,937
Granted Patent B2
US 11,922,937 · App. 17/503,810 · Granted Mar 5, 2024

Electronic message transmission

Inventor: Varun Bhagwan (Los Gatos, CA)
Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
G10L15/22G10L15/26G10L2015/223H04W52/0229H04W84/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,922,937
App. No.
17/503,810
Granted
Mar 5, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

One or more computing devices, systems, and/or methods for detecting trigger phrases and transmitting electronic messages to devices are provided. For example, audio received via a microphone of a first device may be monitored. Responsive to detecting a first trigger phrase in a first audio segment identified during the monitoring, a first electronic message comprising instructions to activate a microphone function of a second device may be generated and the first electronic message may be transmitted to the second device. Responsive to detecting a second trigger phrase in a second audio segment identified during the monitoring, a second electronic message comprising instructions to activate a microphone function of a third device may be generated and the second electronic message may be transmitted to the third device.

Claims (63)

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring audio received via a microphone of a first device, wherein a plurality of devices, comprising a second device and a third device, are concurrently in an area in which audio from an entity is receivable;

responsive to detecting a first trigger phrase in a first audio segment identified during the monitoring:

selecting the second device but not the third device, from amongst the plurality of devices, based upon the first trigger phrase;

generating a first electronic message; and

transmitting the first electronic message to the second device selected based upon the first trigger phrase but not the third device of the plurality of devices despite both the second device and the third device being in the area in which audio from the entity is receivable; and

responsive to detecting a second trigger phrase in a second audio segment identified during the monitoring:

selecting the third device but not the second device, from amongst the plurality of devices, based upon the second trigger phrase;

generating a second electronic message; and

transmitting the second electronic message to the third device selected based upon the second trigger phrase but not the second device of the plurality of devices despite both the second device and the third device being in the area in which audio from the entity is receivable.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

identifying the first trigger phrase based upon a comparison of at least a portion of the first audio segment with a plurality of trigger phrases associated with the plurality of devices connected to the first device, each trigger phrase of the plurality of trigger phrases associated with a device of the plurality of devices.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising:

identifying the second trigger phrase based upon a comparison of at least a portion of the second audio segment with the plurality of trigger phrases.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

identifying the first trigger phrase based upon a comparison of at least a portion of the first audio segment with a plurality of trigger phrases associated with a plurality of virtual assistants, each trigger phrase of the plurality of trigger phrases associated with a virtual assistant of the plurality of virtual assistants; and

identifying the second trigger phrase based upon a comparison of at least a portion of the second audio segment with the plurality of trigger phrases.

5. The method of claim 1 ,

the entity comprising the first device.

6. The method of claim 1 ,

the entity comprising a user of the first device.

7. The method of claim 1 ,

the first device, the second device and the third device connected to a local area network, wherein the first electronic message is transmitted to the second device via the local area network and the second electronic message is transmitted to the third device via the local area network.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

transmitting the first electronic message to the second device using a first wireless connection; and

transmitting the second electronic message to the third device using a second wireless connection.

9. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

memory comprising processor-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause performance of operations, the operations comprising:

monitoring audio received via a microphone of a first device, wherein a plurality of devices, comprising a second device and a third device, are concurrently in an area in which audio from an entity is receivable; and

responsive to detecting a trigger phrase in a first audio segment identified during the monitoring and a command in a second audio segment identified during the monitoring:

selecting the second device but not the third device, from amongst the plurality of devices, based upon the trigger phrase;

generating an electronic message associated with the command; and

transmitting the electronic message to the second device selected based upon the trigger phrase but not the third device of the plurality of devices despite both the second device and the third device being in the area in which audio from the entity is receivable.

10. The computing device of claim 9 , the operations comprising:

identifying the trigger phrase based upon a comparison of at least a portion of the first audio segment with a plurality of trigger phrases associated with the plurality of devices connected to the first device, each trigger phrase of the plurality of trigger phrases associated with a device of the plurality of devices.

11. The computing device of claim 9 , the plurality of devices connected to the first device.

12. The computing device of claim 9 , the operations comprising:

transcribing the second audio segment to generate a text transcription; and

determining the command based upon the text transcription.

13. The computing device of claim 9 , the operations comprising:

transcribing the second audio segment to generate a text transcription, the electronic message comprising the text transcription.

14. The computing device of claim 9 , the operations comprising:

responsive to detecting a second command in a third audio segment identified during the monitoring, associated with the command:

generating a second electronic message comprising instructions to perform a second action associated with the second command; and

transmitting the second electronic message to the second device.

15. The computing device of claim 9 ,

the first device and the second device connected to a local area network, wherein the electronic message is transmitted to the second device via the local area network.

16. The computing device of claim 9 , the operations comprising:

transmitting the electronic message to the second device using a wireless connection.

17. The computing device of claim 9 , the operations comprising:

responsive to detecting a second trigger phrase in a third audio segment identified during the monitoring and a second command in a fourth audio segment identified during the monitoring:

generating a second electronic message comprising instructions to perform a second action associated with the second command; and

transmitting the second electronic message to the third device.

18. A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions that when executed cause performance of operations, the operations comprising:

monitoring audio received via a microphone of a first device, wherein a plurality of devices, comprising a second device and a third device, are concurrently in an area in which audio from an entity is receivable; and

responsive to detecting a trigger phrase in a first audio segment identified during the monitoring:

selecting the second device but not the third device, from amongst the plurality of devices, based upon the trigger phrase;

generating a first electronic message; and

transmitting the first electronic message to the second device selected based upon the trigger phrase but not the third device of the plurality of devices despite both the second device and the third device being in the area in which audio from the entity is receivable.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 18 , the operations comprising:

identifying the trigger phrase based upon a comparison of at least a portion of the first audio segment with a plurality of trigger phrases associated with the plurality of devices connected to the first device.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 19 , each trigger phrase of the plurality of trigger phrases associated with a device of the plurality of devices.

Assignments (1)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Sep 29, 2022
From: YAHOO ASSETS LLC
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 061571/0773 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15941395 · Mar 30, 2018
Related Publication 20220036901A1 · Feb 3, 2022