Device arbitration for digital assistant-based intercom systems

    公开(公告)号:US11810578B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-11-07

    申请号:US17073092

    申请日:2020-10-16

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: G10L17/22 G10L17/18

    Abstract: Systems and processes for operating an intercom system via a digital assistant are provided. The intercom system is trigger-free, in that users communicate, in real-time, via devices without employing a trigger to speak. Acoustic fingerprints are employed to associate users with devices. Acoustic fingerprints include vector embeddings of speech input in an acoustic-feature vector space. Speech heard at multiple devices, as embedded in a fingerprint, may be clustered in the vector space, and the structure of the clusters is employed to associate users and devices. Based on the fingerprints, a device is mapped to a user, and the user employs that device to participate in a conversation, via the intercom service.

    Virtual assistant operations in multi-device environments

    公开(公告)号:US12067985B2

    公开(公告)日:2024-08-20

    申请号:US17951037

    申请日:2022-09-22

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Systems and processes for providing a virtual assistant service are provided. In accordance with one or more examples, a method includes receiving, from an accessory device communicatively coupled to the first electronic device, a representation of a speech input representing a user request. The method further includes detecting a second electronic device and transmitting, from the first electronic device, a representation of the user request and data associated with the detected second electronic device to a third electronic device. The method further includes receiving, from the third electronic device, a determination of whether a task is to be performed by the second electronic device in accordance with the user request; and in accordance with a determination that a task is to be performed by the second electronic device, requesting the second electronic device to performed the task in accordance with the user request.

    HYBRID ROUTING FOR HANDS-FREE VOICE ASSISTANT, AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

    公开(公告)号:US20200380992A1

    公开(公告)日:2020-12-03

    申请号:US16868351

    申请日:2020-05-06

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An appliance can include a microphone transducer configured to receive sound from an environment and to convert the received sound into an audio signal. The appliance can be configured to receive an input audio signal via the microphone transducer, responsive to an activation input. The appliance can be configured to initiate a bi-directional, wireless communication connection with an external device in parallel with receiving the input audio signal, and responsive to the activation input. The appliance can be configured to transmit an output audio signal corresponding to the input audio signal over the communication connection when the wireless communication connection is established. Related aspects also are described.

    Hybrid routing for hands-free voice assistant, and related systems and methods

    公开(公告)号:US11735187B2

    公开(公告)日:2023-08-22

    申请号:US16868351

    申请日:2020-05-06

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: G10L15/30 G10L15/26 H04M1/72412

    Abstract: An appliance can include a microphone transducer configured to receive sound from an environment and to convert the received sound into an audio signal. The appliance can be configured to receive an input audio signal via the microphone transducer, responsive to an activation input. The appliance can be configured to initiate a bi-directional, wireless communication connection with an external device in parallel with receiving the input audio signal, and responsive to the activation input. The appliance can be configured to transmit an output audio signal corresponding to the input audio signal over the communication connection when the wireless communication connection is established. Related aspects also are described.

    Virtual assistant operation in multi-device environments

    公开(公告)号:US11495218B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-11-08

    申请号:US16119576

    申请日:2018-08-31

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Systems and processes for providing a virtual assistant service are provided. In accordance with one or more examples, a method includes receiving, from an accessory device communicatively coupled to the first electronic device, a representation of a speech input representing a user request. The method further includes detecting a second electronic device and transmitting, from the first electronic device, a representation of the user request and data associated with the detected second electronic device to a third electronic device. The method further includes receiving, from the third electronic device, a determination of whether a task is to be performed by the second electronic device in accordance with the user request; and in accordance with a determination that a task is to be performed by the second electronic device, requesting the second electronic device to performed the task in accordance with the user request.

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