IP Library Granted Patent US 10,733,993
Granted Patent B2
US 10,733,993 · App. 16/024,447 · Granted Aug 4, 2020

Intelligent digital assistant in a multi-tasking environment

Inventors: Aram D. Kudurshian (San Francisco, CA); Bronwyn Jones (San Francisco, CA); Elizabeth Caroline Cranfill (San Francisco, CA); Harry J. Saddler (Berkeley, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G10L15/22G06F3/167G06F16/685G06F16/9032G06F16/951G10L13/02G10L15/1815G10L15/30G10L2015/223G10L2015/228
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,733,993
App. No.
16/024,447
Filed
Jun 29, 2018
Granted
Aug 4, 2020
Kind
B2
Examiner
YEN, ERIC L
Art Unit
2658
USPC
704/257
Abstract

Systems and processes for operating a digital assistant are provided. In one example, a method includes receiving a first speech input from a user. The method further includes identifying context information and determining a user intent based on the first speech input and the context information. The method further includes determining whether the user intent is to perform a task using a searching process or an object managing process. The searching process is configured to search data, and the object managing process is configured to manage objects. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination the user intent is to perform the task using the searching process, performing the task using the searching process; and in accordance with the determination that the user intent is to perform the task using the object managing process, performing the task using the object managing process.

Claims (101)

1. A method for providing a digital assistant service, comprising:

at a user device with one or more processors and memory:

receiving a speech input from a user to manage one or more user configurable system settings of the user device, wherein the user device is concurrently displaying a plurality of graphical user interfaces associated with a plurality of corresponding applications;

identifying context information associated with the user device;

determining a user intent based on the speech input and context information;

determining whether the user intent indicates an informational request related to the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device or a request for performing a task related to one of the plurality of corresponding applications;

in accordance with a determination that the user intent indicates the informational request related to the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device:

providing a spoken response to the informational request including a status of the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device;

displaying an affordance for managing the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device; and

displaying a link associated with the informational request, wherein the link displays a user interface for managing the one or more user configurable system settings when selected by the user; and

in accordance with a determination that the user intent indicates a request for performing the task, instantiating a process associated with the user device to perform the task.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to receiving the speech input:

displaying, on a display of the user device, an affordance to invoke the digital assistant.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

instantiating the digital assistant service in response to receiving a pre-determined phrase.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

instantiating the digital assistant service in response to receiving a selection of the affordance.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device comprise audio configurations.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device comprise date and time configurations.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device comprise dictation configurations.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device comprise display configurations.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device comprise input device configurations.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device comprise network configurations.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device comprise notification configurations.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device comprise printer configurations.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device comprise security configurations.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device comprise backup configurations.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device comprise application configurations.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device comprise user interface configurations.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the user intent comprises:

determining one or more actionable intents; and

determining one or more parameters associated with the actionable intent.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the context information comprises at least one of: user-specific data, device configuration data, and sensor data.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the user intent indicates the informational request or a request for performing the task comprises:

determining whether the user intent is to vary a user configurable system setting.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the spoken response to the informational request including a status of the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device further comprises:

obtaining the status of the one or more user configurable system settings according to the informational request.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the user interface is a first user interface, further comprising, in accordance with the determination that the user intent indicates the informational request:

displaying a second user interface providing information according to the status of the one or more user configurable system settings.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein instantiating the process associated with the user device to perform the task comprises:

performing the task using the process.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:

providing a second spoken response according to a result of performing the task.

24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:

providing a third user interface enabling the user to manipulate a result of performing the task.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the third user interface comprises a link associated with the result of performing the task.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein instantiating the process associated with the user device to perform the task comprises:

providing a fourth user interface enabling the user to perform the task.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the fourth user interface includes a link enabling the user to perform the task.

28. The method of claim 26 , further comprising providing a third spoken response associated with the fourth user interface.

29. A user device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs stored in memory, the one or more programs including instructions for performing:

receiving a speech input from a user to manage one or more user configurable system settings of the user device, wherein the user device is concurrently displaying a plurality of graphical user interfaces associated with a plurality of corresponding applications;

identifying context information associated with the user device;

determining a user intent based on the speech input and context information;

determining whether the user intent indicates an informational request related to the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device or a request for performing a task related to one of the plurality of corresponding applications;

in accordance with a determination that the user intent indicates the informational request related to the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device:

providing a spoken response to the informational request including a status of the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device;

displaying an affordance for managing the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device; and

displaying a link associated with the informational request, wherein the link displays a user interface for managing the one or more user configurable system settings when selected by the user; and

in accordance with a determination that the user intent indicates a request for performing the task, instantiating a process associated with the user device to perform the task.

30. The user device of claim 29 , wherein determining whether the user intent indicates the informational request or a request for performing the task comprises:

determining whether the user intent is to vary a user configurable system setting.

31. The user device of claim 29 , wherein providing the spoken response to the informational request including a status of the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device further comprises:

obtaining the status of the one or more user configurable system settings according to the informational request.

32. The user device of claim 31 , wherein the user interface is a first user interface, further comprising instructions for, in accordance with the determination that the user intent indicates the informational request:

displaying a second user interface providing information according to the status of the one or more user configurable system settings.

33. The user device of claim 29 , wherein instantiating the process associated with the user device to perform the task comprises:

performing the task using the process.

34. The user device of claim 33 , further comprising instructions for:

providing a second spoken response according to a result of performing the task.

35. The user device of claim 33 , further comprising instructions for:

providing a third user interface enabling the user to manipulate a result of performing the task.

36. The user device of claim 29 , wherein instantiating the process associated with the user device to perform the task comprises:

providing a fourth user interface enabling the user to perform the task.

37. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of a user device, the one or more programs including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the user device to:

receive a speech input from a user to manage one or more user configurable system settings of the user device, wherein the user device is concurrently displaying a plurality of graphical user interfaces associated with a plurality of corresponding applications;

identify context information associated with the user device;

determine a user intent based on the speech input and context information;

determine whether the user intent indicates an informational request related to the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device or a request for performing a task related to one of the plurality of corresponding applications;

in accordance with a determination that the user intent indicates the informational request related to the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device:

provide a spoken response to the informational request including a status of the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device;

display an affordance for managing the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device; and

display a link associated with the informational request, wherein the link displays a user interface for managing the one or more user configurable system settings when selected by the user; and

in accordance with a determination that the user intent indicates a request for performing the task, instantiate a process associated with the user device to perform the task.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein determining whether the user intent indicates the informational request or a request for performing the task comprises:

determining whether the user intent is to vary a user configurable system setting.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein providing the spoken response to the informational request including a status of the one or more user configurable system settings of the user device further comprises:

obtaining the status of the one or more user configurable system settings according to the informational request.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 39 , wherein the user interface is a first user interface, the one or more programs further including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the user device to, in accordance with the determination that the user intent indicates the informational request:

display a second user interface providing information according to the status of the one or more user configurable system settings.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein instantiating the process associated with the user device to perform the task comprises:

performing the task using the process.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 41 , the one or more programs further including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the user device to:

provide a second spoken response according to a result of performing the task.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 41 , the one or more programs further including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the user device to:

provide a third user interface enabling the user to manipulate a result of performing the task.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein instantiating the process associated with the user device to perform the task comprises:

providing a fourth user interface enabling the user to perform the task.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 15271766 · Sep 21, 2016
Provisional Application 62348728 · Jun 10, 2016
Related Publication 20180308485A1 · Oct 25, 2018
Cited By (8)
US 1,117,314 US 12,205,594 US 12,300,245 US 12,327,558 US 12,367,858 US 12,412,031 US 12,499,317 US 12,640,142