IP Library Granted Patent US 11,037,565
Granted Patent B2
US 11,037,565 · App. 16/717,790 · Granted Jun 15, 2021

Intelligent digital assistant in a multi-tasking environment

Inventors: Aram D. Kudurshian (San Francisco, CA); Bronwyn Jones (San Francisco, CA); Elizabeth Caroline Furches 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 11,037,565
App. No.
16/717,790
Granted
Jun 15, 2021
Kind
B2
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 (103)

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 a first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

provide a media output;

while providing the media output:

receive a speech input requesting to continue providing the media output at a second electronic device different from the first electronic device;

determine, based on the speech input, whether to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device:

cause the second electronic device to continue providing the media output by resuming the media output based on where the media output was previously stopped at the first electronic device.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein causing the second electronic device to continue providing the media output by resuming the media output based on where the media output was previously stopped at the first electronic device further comprises:

determining a point in the media output when the speech input was received; and

causing the second electronic device to continue providing the media output at the point in the media output when the speech input was received.

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

cease the media output at the first electronic device.

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

in accordance with the determination to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device:

cause the second electronic device provide a spoken output indicating the media output.

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

provide content to be provided as the media output to the second electronic device, prior to causing the second electronic device to continue providing the media output.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein determining, based on the speech input, whether to provide the media output at the second electronic device further comprises:

determining whether providing the media output at the second electronic device satisfies performance criteria.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the performance criteria is determined based on context information.

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

in accordance with a determination that providing the media output at the second electronic device does not satisfy performance criteria:

continue to provide the media output.

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

in accordance with the determination to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device:

provide an output requesting whether a third electronic device should continue providing the media output.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of the first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to:

receive an input confirming that the third electronic device should continue providing the media output from a user; and

in response to receiving the input confirming that the third electronic device should provide the media output from the user, cause the third electronic device to continue providing the media output.

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

in accordance with the determination to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device:

request confirmation to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the request for confirmation is provided as a spoken output.

13. A first 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:

providing a media output;

while providing the media output:

receiving a speech input requesting to continue providing the media output at a second electronic device different from the first electronic device;

determining, based on the speech input, whether to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device:

causing the second electronic device to continue providing the media output by resuming the media output based on where the media output was previously stopped at the first electronic device.

14. The first electronic device of claim 13 , wherein causing the second electronic device to continue providing the media output by resuming the media output based on where the media output was previously stopped at the first electronic device further comprises:

determining a point in the media output when the speech input was received; and

causing the second electronic device to continue providing the media output at the point in the media output when the speech input was received.

15. The first electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

ceasing the media output at the first electronic device.

16. The first electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

in accordance with the determination to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device:

causing the second electronic device provide a spoken output indicating the media output.

17. The first electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

providing content to be provided as the media output to the second electronic device, prior to causing the second electronic device to continue providing the media output.

18. The first electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

determining whether providing the media output at the second electronic device satisfies performance criteria.

19. The first electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the performance criteria is determined based on context information.

20. The first electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that providing the media output at the second electronic device does not satisfy performance criteria:

continuing to provide the media output.

21. The first electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

in accordance with the determination to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device:

providing an output requesting whether a third electronic device should continue providing the media output.

22. The first electronic device of claim 21 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

receiving an input confirming that the third electronic device should continue providing the media output from the user; and

in response to receiving the input confirming that the third electronic device should provide the media output from the user, causing the third electronic device to continue providing the media output.

23. The first electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

in accordance with the determination to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device:

requesting confirmation to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device.

24. The first electronic device of claim 23 , wherein the request for confirmation is provided as a spoken output.

25. A method comprising:

at a first electronic device with one or more processors and memory:

providing a media output;

while providing the media output:

receiving a speech input requesting to continue providing the media output at a second electronic device different from the first electronic device;

determining, based on the speech input, whether to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device:

causing the second electronic device to continue providing the media output by resuming the media output based on where the media output was previously stopped at the first electronic device.

26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

determining a point in the media output when the speech input was received; and

causing the second electronic device to continue providing the media output at the point in the media output when the speech input was received.

27. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

ceasing the media output at the first electronic device.

28. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

in accordance with the determination to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device:

causing the second electronic device provide a spoken output indicating the media output.

29. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

providing content to be provided as the media output to the second electronic device, prior to causing the second electronic device to continue providing the media output.

30. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

determining whether providing the media output at the second electronic device satisfies performance criteria.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the performance criteria is determined based on context information.

32. The method of claim 30 , further comprising:

in accordance with a determination that providing the media output at the second electronic device does not satisfy performance criteria:

continuing to provide the media output.

33. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

in accordance with the determination to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device:

providing an output requesting whether a third electronic device should continue providing the media output.

34. The method of claim 33 , further comprising:

receiving an input confirming that the third electronic device should continue providing the media output from the user; and

in response to receiving the input confirming that the third electronic device should provide the media output from the user, causing the third electronic device to continue providing the media output.

35. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

in accordance with the determination to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device:

requesting confirmation to continue providing the media output at the second electronic device.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the request for confirmation is provided as a spoken output.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 15271766 · Sep 21, 2016
Provisional Application 62348728 · Jun 10, 2016
Related Publication 20200118568A1 · Apr 16, 2020
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