IP Library Granted Patent US 11,580,973
Granted Patent B2
US 11,580,973 · App. 16/877,390 · Granted Feb 14, 2023

Multi-user devices in a connected home environment

Inventors: Vijay Sundaram (San Ramon, CA); Thomas Alsina (Saratoga, CA); Anush G. Nadathur (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G10L15/22G10L15/26G16Y40/35
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,580,973
App. No.
16/877,390
Granted
Feb 14, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device implementing a system for providing content in response to a request includes a processor configured to receive a voice request for content associated with a home environment, the voice request corresponding to a user account, and determine, based on the voice request, not to provide the content via the device. The processor is further configured to select, in response to the determining, a second device from among multiple devices associated with the home environment, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on configuration settings associated with the home environment, and provide for the second device to output the content based on a profile of the user account.

Claims (40)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a voice request for content at a first device associated with a home environment, the voice request corresponding to a user account;

determining, based on the voice request, not to provide the content via the first device;

selecting, in response to the determining, a second device from among multiple devices associated with the home environment, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on home environment configuration settings that indicate that a profile corresponding to the user account is associated with the second device;

causing, by the first device, a current active profile of the second device to switch to the profile; and

after the switching, providing, by the first device, for the second device to output the content based on the profile of the user account.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting is based on the home environment configuration settings indicating the first device and the second device are within a same room of the home environment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting is based on the home environment configuration settings indicating that the content is available on the second device from among the multiple devices.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the voice request corresponds to the user account based on a voice profile associated with the user account.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing, by the first device, a current active profile of the second device to switch to the profile comprises transmitting, by the first device, a command to the second device to switch the current active profile of the second device to the profile.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

updating a playback history for the user account based on the activating and the providing.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining is based on the voice request indicating to provide the content via a device other than the first device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining is based on the first device not including hardware needed to provide the content.

9. A device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

receive a voice request for content, the device being associated with a home environment;

select, based on the voice request, a second device to output the content, the second device being selected from among multiple devices associated with the home environment, the selecting being based at least in part on configuration settings associated with the home environment;

determine that the voice request corresponds to a voice profile associated with a user account;

transmit a command to the second device to activate a profile on the second device that corresponds to the user account; and

after transmission of the command, provide for the second device to output the content based on the activated profile of the user account.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the selecting is based on the configuration settings indicating the device and the second device are within a same room of the home environment.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the selecting is based on the configuration settings indicating that the profile of the user account is associated with the second device.

12. The device of claim 9 , wherein the selecting is based on the configuration settings indicating that the content is available on the second device from among the multiple devices.

13. The device of claim 9 , the instructions further causing the at least one processor to:

update a playback history for the user account based on the activating and the providing.

14. The device of claim 9 , wherein the determining is based on the voice request indicating to provide the content via a device other than the device.

15. The device of claim 9 , wherein the determining is based on the device not including hardware needed to provide the content.

16. The device of claim 9 wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to transmit the command to the second device to change a current active profile on the second device to the profile when the current active profile on the second device is not the profile.

17. A computer program product comprising code, stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the code comprising:

code to receive a voice request for content at a first device associated with a home environment, the voice request corresponding to a user account;

code to determine, based on the voice request, to provide the content via a second device in the home environment instead of via the first device;

code to select, in response to the determining, the second device from among multiple devices associated with the home environment, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on configuration settings associated with the home environment;

code to cause, by the first device, the second device to change a current active profile on the second device to the profile that corresponds to the user account; and

code to provide for the second device to output the content based on the profile of the user account.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the selecting is based on the configuration settings indicating the first device and the second device are within a same room of the home environment.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the selecting is based on the configuration settings indicating that the profile of the user account is associated with the second device.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the selecting is based on the configuration settings indicating that the content is available on the second device from among the multiple devices.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 22, 2020
From: SUNDARAM, VIJAY; ALSINA, THOMAS; NADATHUR, ANUSH G.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 052737/0446 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62855808 · May 31, 2019
Related Publication 20200380983A1 · Dec 3, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,567,407