IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,118,995
Granted Patent B1
US 12,118,995 · App. 17/935,486 · Granted Oct 15, 2024

Identifying a location of a voice-input device

Inventor: Scott Ian Blanksteen (Issaquah, WA)
Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
G10L15/22G06F3/165G06F3/167H04R29/00H04S7/302G10L2015/223G10L2015/226H04R2227/005H04S7/305
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,118,995
App. No.
17/935,486
Filed
Sep 26, 2022
Granted
Oct 15, 2024
Kind
B1
Art Unit
2694
USPC
381/56
Abstract

Techniques for identifying a location of a voice-controlled device within an environment. After identifying a location of the device, the device may receive a voice command from a user within the environment and may determine a response to the command based in part on the location, may determine how to output a response based in part on the location or may determine how to interact with the user based in part on the location.

Claims (64)

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors of a first electronic device residing in an environment;

analyzing the sensor data to determine a location of the first electronic device in the environment;

storing location data indicating the location of the first electronic device in the environment;

receiving, from the first electronic device, request data representing a request to perform an operation;

causing the first electronic device or a second electronic device in the environment to perform the operation based at least in part on the request and the location data.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sensor data comprises first sensor data, the location comprises a first location, the location data comprises first location data, and the operations further comprise:

receiving second sensor data generated by the one or more sensors of the first electronic device;

analyzing the second sensor data to determine a second location of the first electronic device in the environment; and

storing second location data indicating the second location of the first electronic device in the environment.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the request data comprises first request data, the request comprises a first request, the operation comprises a first operation, and the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the first electronic device, second request data representing a second request to perform a second operation;

causing the first electronic device or the second electronic device to perform the second operation based at least in part on the second request and the second location data.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise a camera, the sensor data comprises image data generated by the camera, and the analyzing comprises analyzing the image data to determine the location of the first electronic device in the environment.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise a microphone, the sensor data comprises audio data generated by the microphone, and the analyzing comprises analyzing the audio data to determine the location of the first electronic device in the environment.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more sensors comprise a microphone;

the sensor data comprises audio data generated by the microphone; and

the analyzing comprises analyzing the audio data to determine an echo characteristic of the environment, the determining of the location based at least in part on the echo characteristic.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more sensors comprise a microphone;

the sensor data comprises audio data generated by the microphone; and

the analyzing comprises analyzing the audio data to determine background noise of the environment, the determining of the location based at least in part on the background noise.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 , the operations further comprising determining, based at least in part on at least one of the sensor data, an identity of a user associated with the request, and wherein causing the first electronic device or the second electronic device to perform the operation is further based at least in part on the identity of the user.

9. A method comprising:

receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors of a first electronic device residing in an environment;

analyzing the sensor data to determine a location of the first electronic device in the environment;

storing location data indicating the location of the first electronic device in the environment;

receiving, from the first electronic device, request data representing a request to perform an operation;

causing the first electronic device or a second electronic device in the environment to perform the operation based at least in part on the request and the location data.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the sensor data comprises first sensor data, the location comprises a first location, the location data comprises first location data, and the method further comprises:

receiving second sensor data generated by the one or more sensors of the first electronic device;

analyzing the second sensor data to determine a second location of the first electronic device in the environment; and

storing second location data indicating the second location of the first electronic device in the environment.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the request data comprises first request data, the request comprises a first request, the operation comprises a first operation, and the method further comprises:

receiving, from the first electronic device, second request data representing a second request to perform a second operation;

causing the first electronic device or the second electronic device to perform the second operation based at least in part on the second request and the second location data.

12. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise a camera, the sensor data comprises image data generated by the camera, and the analyzing comprises analyzing the image data to determine the location of the first electronic device in the environment.

13. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise a microphone, the sensor data comprises audio data generated by the microphone, and the analyzing comprises analyzing the audio data to determine the location of the first electronic device in the environment.

14. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein:

the one or more sensors comprise a microphone;

the sensor data comprises audio data generated by the microphone; and

the analyzing comprises analyzing the audio data to determine an echo characteristic of the environment, the determining of the location based at least in part on the echo characteristic.

15. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein:

the one or more sensors comprise a microphone;

the sensor data comprises audio data generated by the microphone; and

the analyzing comprises analyzing the audio data to determine background noise of the environment, the determining of the location based at least in part on the background noise.

16. The method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising determining, based at least in part on at least one of the sensor data, an identity of a user associated with the request, and wherein causing the first electronic device or the second electronic device to perform the operation is further based at least in part on the identity of the user.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving sensor data generated by one or more sensors of a first electronic device residing in an environment;

analyzing the sensor data to determine a location of the first electronic device in the environment;

storing location data indicating the location of the first electronic device in the environment;

receiving, from the first electronic device, request data representing a request to perform an operation;

causing the first electronic device or a second electronic device in the environment to perform the operation based at least in part on the request and the location data.

18. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 17 , wherein the sensor data comprises first sensor data, the location comprises a first location, the location data comprises first location data, and the operations further comprise:

receiving second sensor data generated by the one or more sensors of the first electronic device;

analyzing the second sensor data to determine a second location of the first electronic device in the environment; and

storing second location data indicating the second location of the first electronic device in the environment.

19. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 18 , wherein the request data comprises first request data, the request comprises a first request, the operation comprises a first operation, and the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the first electronic device, second request data representing a second request to perform a second operation;

causing the first electronic device or the second electronic device to perform the second operation based at least in part on the second request and the second location data.

20. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 17 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise a camera, the sensor data comprises image data generated by the camera, and the analyzing comprises analyzing the image data to determine the location of the first electronic device in the environment.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2022
From: BLANKSTEEN, SCOTT I.
To: RAWLES LLC
Reel/Frame 061218/0462 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2022
From: RAWLES LLC
To: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 061218/0467 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16882192 · May 22, 2020
Continuation 15925615 · Mar 19, 2018
Continuation 13624592 · Sep 21, 2012
Cited By (1)
US 12,555,568