Patent Abstract:
A voice assistant of a device is activated not by a key word being spoken but by recognizing speech and determining whether context of the speech indicates that audible voice assistance is appropriate.

Full Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present application relates generally to systems and methods for a natural language voice assistant. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    As recognized herein, existing voice assistants allow the user to create calendar entries, shopping lists, tasks, etc. But these devices only process what is spoken after receipt of a predefined wakeup word. As understood herein, it is common for users to discuss things they need to do while around the device, but there is no value the digital assistant provides to the user unless the user remembers to utter the wakeup word. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    Accordingly, in one aspect a device includes a processor and storage accessible to the processor. The storage bears instructions executable by the processor to receive speech and without receiving a user command to enter voice recognition mode, execute voice recognition on the speech to return plural words. The instructions are executable to, using the plural words as entering argument, access a database to correlate the plural words to ancillary information, and to return the ancillary information. 
         [0004]    In some examples, the ancillary information may be output on at least one audio speaker. If desired, the instructions may be executable to, using the plural words as entering argument, access a grammar database, determine, using the plural words, whether the grammar database indicates at least one word is indicated, and responsive to the grammar database indicating at least one word is indicated, return the ancillary information. The ancillary information is related to the at least one word. 
         [0005]    In some examples, the instructions can be executable to, using the plural words as entering argument, access a database, determine, using the plural words, whether the database indicates additional information is associated with the plural words, and responsive to the database indicating additional information is associated with the plural words, return the ancillary information. The ancillary information may include at least some of the additional information. 
         [0006]    In some examples, the database includes plural phrase entries correlated with respective ancillary information. The correlation is not necessarily one-to-one, such that a first phrase entry is correlated to more than one ancillary information. 
         [0007]    In an active return mode, return of the ancillary information may include presenting a user interface (UI) prompting to add an item from a phrase of detected natural speech to a data structure when the ancillary information is determined. In a passive return mode, return of the ancillary information may include collecting plural ancillary information over time and returning the ancillary information together, allowing a user to determine whether to use the ancillary information. 
         [0008]    In another aspect, a computer readable storage medium that is not a transitory signal includes instructions executable by a processor to activate voice assistant at a device not by receiving a spoken key word but by recognizing speech in natural language, and to determine whether context of the speech indicates that audible voice assistance is appropriate. 
         [0009]    In another aspect, a method includes receiving speech and without receiving a user command to enter voice recognition mode, executing voice recognition on the speech to return plural words. The method includes using the plural words as entering argument, accessing a database to correlate the plural words to ancillary information, and returning the ancillary information. 
         [0010]    The details of present principles, both as to their structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example system in accordance with present principles; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is an example block diagram of a network of devices in accordance with present principles; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an example device that may be implemented by any appropriate device described in  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart of an example overall algorithm in accordance with present principles; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart of additional logic; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a schematic representation of a natural language phrase-to-potential lookup items data structure; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a screen shot of an example user interface (UI) illustrating principles of active response; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a flow chart of example logic showing passive response; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a screen shot of an example UI pertaining to  FIG. 8 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    With respect to any computer systems discussed herein, a system may include server and client components, connected over a network such that data may be exchanged between the client and server components. The client components may include one or more computing devices including televisions (e.g., smart TVs, Internet-enabled TVs), computers such as desktops, laptops and tablet computers, so-called convertible devices (e.g., having a tablet configuration and laptop configuration), and other mobile devices including smart phones. These client devices may employ, as non-limiting examples, operating systems from Apple, Google, or Microsoft. A Unix or similar such as Linux operating system may be used. These operating systems can execute one or more browsers such as a browser made by Microsoft or Google or Mozilla or another browser program that can access web pages and applications hosted by Internet servers over a network such as the Internet, a local intranet, or a virtual private network. 
         [0021]    As used herein, instructions refer to computer-implemented steps for processing information in the system. Instructions can be implemented in software, firmware or hardware; hence, illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are sometimes set forth in terms of their functionality. 
         [0022]    A processor may be any conventional general purpose single- or multi-chip processor that can execute logic by means of various lines such as address lines, data lines, and control lines and registers and shift registers. Moreover, any logical blocks, modules, and circuits described herein can be implemented or performed, in addition to a general purpose processor, in or by a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A processor can be implemented by a controller or state machine or a combination of computing devices. 
         [0023]    Any software and/or applications described by way of flow charts and/or user interfaces herein can include various sub-routines, procedures, etc. It is to be understood that logic divulged as being executed by, e.g., a module can be redistributed to other software modules and/or combined together in a single module and/ or made available in a shareable library. 
         [0024]    Logic when implemented in software, can be written in an appropriate language such as but not limited to C# or C++, and can be stored on or transmitted through a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., that is not a transitory signal) such as a random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disk storage such as digital versatile disc (DVD), magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices including removable thumb drives, etc. 
         [0025]    In an example, a processor can access information over its input lines from data storage, such as the computer readable storage medium, and/or the processor can access information wirelessly from an Internet server by activating a wireless transceiver to send and receive data. Data typically is converted from analog signals to digital by circuitry between the antenna and the registers of the processor when being received and from digital to analog when being transmitted. The processor then processes the data through its shift registers to output calculated data on output lines, for presentation of the calculated data on the device. 
         [0026]    Components included in one embodiment can be used in other embodiments in any appropriate combination. For example, any of the various components described herein and/or depicted in the Figures may be combined, interchanged or excluded from other embodiments. 
         [0027]    The term “circuit” or “circuitry” may be used in the summary, description, and/or claims. As is well known in the art, the term “circuitry” includes all levels of available integration, e.g., from discrete logic circuits to the highest level of circuit integration such as VLSI, and includes programmable logic components programmed to perform the functions of an embodiment as well as general-purpose or special-purpose processors programmed with instructions to perform those functions. 
         [0028]    Now specifically in reference to  FIG. 1 , an example block diagram of an information handling system and/or computer system  100  is shown. Note that in some embodiments the system  100  may be a desktop computer system, such as one of the ThinkCentre® or ThinkPad® series of personal computers sold by Lenovo (US) Inc. of Morrisville, N.C., or a workstation computer, such as the ThinkStation®, which are sold by Lenovo (US) Inc. of Morrisville, N.C.; however, as apparent from the description herein, a client device, a server or other machine in accordance with present principles may include other features or only some of the features of the system  100 . Also, the system  100  may be, e.g., a game console such as XBOX®, and/or the system  100  may include a wireless telephone, notebook computer, and/or other portable computerized device. 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the system  100  may include a so-called chipset  110 . A chipset refers to a group of integrated circuits, or chips, that are designed to work together. Chipsets are usually marketed as a single product (e.g., consider chipsets marketed under the brands INTEL®, AMD®, etc.). 
         [0030]    In the example of  FIG. 1 , the chipset  110  has a particular architecture, which may vary to some extent depending on brand or manufacturer. The architecture of the chipset  110  includes a core and memory control group  120  and an I/O controller hub  150  that exchange information (e.g., data, signals, commands, etc.) via, for example, a direct management interface or direct media interface (DMI)  142  or a link controller  144 . In the example of  FIG. 1 , the DMI  142  is a chip-to-chip interface (sometimes referred to as being a link between a “northbridge” and a “southbridge”). 
         [0031]    The core and memory control group  120  include one or more processors  122  (e.g., single core or multi-core, etc.) and a memory controller hub  126  that exchange information via a front side bus (FSB)  124 . As described herein, various components of the core and memory control group  120  may be integrated onto a single processor die, for example, to make a chip that supplants the conventional “northbridge” style architecture. 
         [0032]    The memory controller hub  126  interfaces with memory  140 . For example, the memory controller hub  126  may provide support for DDR SDRAM memory (e.g., DDR, DDR2, DDR3, etc.). In general, the memory  140  is a type of random-access memory (RAM). It is often referred to as “system memory.” 
         [0033]    The memory controller hub  126  can further include a low-voltage differential signaling interface (LVDS)  132 . The LVDS  132  may be a so-called LVDS Display Interface (LDI) for support of a display device  192  (e.g., a CRT, a flat panel, a projector, a touch-enabled display, etc.). A block  138  includes some examples of technologies that may be supported via the LVDS interface  132  (e.g., serial digital video, HDMI/DVI, display port). The memory controller hub  126  also includes one or more PCI-express interfaces (PCI-E)  134 , for example, for support of discrete graphics  136 . Discrete graphics using a PCI-E interface has become an alternative approach to an accelerated graphics port (AGP). For example, the memory controller hub  126  may include a 16-lane (x16) PCI-E port for an external PCI-E-based graphics card (including, e.g., one of more GPUs). An example system may include AGP or PCI-E for support of graphics. 
         [0034]    In examples in which it is used, the I/O hub controller  150  can include a variety of interfaces. The example of  FIG. 1  includes a SATA interface  151 , one or more PCI-E interfaces  152  (optionally one or more legacy PCI interfaces), one or more USB interfaces  153 , a LAN interface  154  (more generally a network interface for communication over at least one network such as the Internet, a WAN, a LAN, etc. under direction of the processor(s)  122 ), a general purpose I/O interface (GPIO)  155 , a low-pin count (LPC) interface  170 , a power management interface  161 , a clock generator interface  162 , an audio interface  163  (e.g., for speakers  194  to output audio), a total cost of operation (TCO) interface  164 , a system management bus interface (e.g., a multi-master serial computer bus interface)  165 , and a serial peripheral flash memory/controller interface (SPI Flash)  166 , which, in the example of  FIG. 1 , includes BIOS  168  and boot code  190 . With respect to network connections, the I/O hub controller  150  may include integrated gigabit Ethernet controller lines multiplexed with a PCI-E interface port. Other network features may operate independent of a PCI-E interface. 
         [0035]    The interfaces of the I/O hub controller  150  may provide for communication with various devices, networks, etc. For example, where used, the SATA interface  151  provides for reading, writing or reading and writing information on one or more drives  180  such as HDDs, SDDs or a combination thereof, but in any case the drives  180  are understood to be, e.g., tangible computer readable storage mediums that are not transitory signals. The I/O hub controller  150  may also include an advanced host controller interface (AHCI) to support one or more drives  180 . The PCI-E interface  152  allows for wireless connections  182  to devices, networks, etc. The USB interface  153  provides for input devices  184  such as keyboards (KB) and mice, microphones and various other devices (e.g., cameras, phones, storage, media players, etc.). 
         [0036]    In the example of  FIG. 1 , the LPC interface  170  provides for use of one or more ASICs  171 , a trusted platform module (TPM)  172 , a super I/O  173 , a firmware hub  174 , BIOS support  175  as well as various types of memory  176  such as ROM  177 , Flash  178 , and non-volatile RAM (NVRAM)  179 . With respect to the TPM  172 , this module may be in the form of a chip that can be used to authenticate software and hardware devices. For example, a TPM may be capable of performing platform authentication and may be used to verify that a system seeking access is the expected system. 
         [0037]    The system  100 , upon power on, may be configured to execute boot code  190  for the BIOS  168 , as stored within the SPI Flash  166 , and thereafter processes data under the control of one or more operating systems and application software (e.g., stored in system memory  140 ). An operating system may be stored in any of a variety of locations and accessed, for example, according to instructions of the BIOS  168 . 
         [0038]    Additionally, though not shown for clarity, in some embodiments the system  100  may include a gyroscope that senses and/or measures the orientation of the system  100  and provides input related thereto to the processor  122 , an accelerometer that senses acceleration and/or movement of the system  100  and provides input related thereto to the processor  122 , an audio receiver/microphone that provides input from the microphone to the processor  122  based on audio that is detected, such as via a user providing audible input to the microphone, and a camera that gathers one or more images and provides input related thereto to the processor  122 . The camera may be a thermal imaging camera, a digital camera such as a webcam, a three-dimensional (3D) camera, and/or a camera otherwise integrated into the system  100  and controllable by the processor  122  to gather pictures/images and/or video. Still further, and also not shown for clarity, the system  100  may include a GPS transceiver that is configured to receive geographic position information from at least one satellite and provide the information to the processor  122 . However, it is to be understood that another suitable position receiver other than a GPS receiver may be used in accordance with present principles to determine the location of the system  100 . 
         [0039]    It is to be understood that an example client device or other machine/computer may include fewer or more features than shown on the system  100  of  FIG. 1 . In any case, it is to be understood at least based on the foregoing that the system  100  is configured to undertake present principles. 
         [0040]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , example devices are shown communicating over a network  200  such as the Internet in accordance with present principles. It is to be understood that each of the devices described in reference to  FIG. 2  may include at least some of the features, components, and/or elements of the system  100  described above. 
         [0041]      FIG. 2  shows a notebook computer and/or convertible computer  202 , a desktop computer  204 , a wearable device  206  such as a smart watch, a smart television (TV)  208 , a smart phone  210 , a tablet computer  212 , and a server  214  such as an Internet server that may provide cloud storage accessible to the devices  202 - 212 . It is to be understood that the devices  202 - 214  are configured to communicate with each other over the network  200  to undertake present principles. 
         [0042]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , a block diagram of an example computerized device  300  is shown that may be implemented by any appropriate device described above. Thus, the device  300  includes one or more of the above-described components as appropriate, including one or more processors and one or more computer storage media. 
         [0043]    The device  300  can communicate over a wired and/or wireless link with headphones  302 . 
         [0044]    The device  300  may include a display  304  such as a touch-sensitive display that may present one or more soft selector keys  306 . The device may also include one or more hard selector keys  308 , one or more audio speakers  310 , and one or more microphones  312 . The device  300  may further include one or more indicator lamps  314  such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), one or more tactile signal generators  316  such as a vibrator, and one or more proximity sensors  318  to sense a user&#39;s proximity to the device. The proximity sensor may be implemented by an infrared detector whose signal is analyzed by the processor of the device to determine whether a human is proximate (within an IR signal strength threshold, for instance) to the device, or the sensor  318  may be a camera images from which are analyzed by the processor employing face recognition to determine whether a particular person is recognized and based on the size of the image of the face, whether the person is within a proximity threshold of the device. 
         [0045]      FIG. 4  illustrates overall logic. Commencing at block  400 , a multi-word natural language is received. This may entail leaving the device&#39;s microphone powered up and the assistant in a monitor mode. Speech recognition is executed on the phrase to return the words for use as database entering argument or other computerized use as described below. 
         [0046]    Moving to block  402 , one or more local or cloud-based databases are accessed and the phrase from block  400  used to enter the database to determine, at diamond  404 , whether the phrase is correlated with a potential term lookup. If it is, the logic may move to diamond  406  to look up the term, but a negative test at either diamond  404  or  406  can cause the process to end at state  408 . 
         [0047]    In contrast, a positive test at diamond  406  moves the logic to block  410 , wherein the result of the lookup of the term is returned, e.g., for perceptible output on the computer device. 
         [0048]      FIG. 5  illustrates. Commencing at block  500 , a phrase that indicates a need is received and adjudged as such if, for example, the phrase contains the word “need” or if a grammar database indicates that the words of the phrase likely indicate a need. For example, the computer may detect a husband telling his wife “we are out of beer.” Were a keyword required, the husband would have to initiate the digital assistant lookup by remembering to say “[keyword], put beer on the shopping list”. However, in  FIG. 5  only a single-purpose phrase (such as the one hypothesized above) is used to move the logic to block  502 , in which speech recognition of the received phrase reveals that the phrase contains a noun (in this case, beer) that is correlated to ancillary information (in this case, a shopping list), which is returned at block  504  by, e.g., automatically placing “beer” on an electronic shopping list. Had the husband said “We&#39;re out of luck”, the logic of digital assistant would ignore it because “luck” would not be found in the database as an item correlated with a phrase containing “need”. Similarly, if the husband said “We are almost out of beer”, the timing of adding the suggested item could be delayed (e.g., by a threshold time). 
         [0049]    As another example, responsive to the device identifying ancillary information for the phrase ‘we are out of milk’, the voice assistant may provide an audible prompt indicating ‘Would you like me to add milk to your shopping list?’ The user may then audibly respond in the affirmative or negative, which may be detected by the device and used to take an appropriate action, such as adding milk to the shopping list or not doing so, respectively. 
         [0050]    As another example, suppose a wife is detected telling her husband ‘We need to clean up the basement’. This would be an example of a single-purpose phrase that is to be followed by a task or to-do item. Alternatives may include ‘Remember to [task]’ or ‘Don&#39;t forget to [task]’. 
         [0051]    The same principles apply to types of reminders such as calendar entries, tasks, to-do lists, lists, notes, etc. For example “I need to pick up my prescription today” would add a task to the user&#39;s configured task tracking application. As yet another example “I need to email [certain person]” may automatically generate an email draft with the email addressed to the person indicated by the user. 
         [0052]    Multiple single-purpose phrases could be predefined by the device manufacturer, then as the user&#39;s spoken dialog is learned, the number of phrases could be refined down to what is most used in a particular household. This may result in using less processing and saving power needed for the digital assistant to process speech. Additionally or alternatively, the user may configure single-purpose phrases to their natural language preference. 
         [0053]      FIG. 6  illustrates an example data structure  600  appertaining to disclosure above. A series of phrase entries  602  are correlated with respective ancillary information actions  604  and as shown, the correlation need not be one-to-one, but can be one-to-many. For example, for a phrase recognized as indicating a noun naming an item of commerce, a web search may be correlated to it and returned to be conducted as the ancillary information. On the other hand, for a phase recognized as indicating a time, a calendar may be accessed to return entries connected to the time, and/or a social media site may be accessed to return entries correlated to the time, as the ancillary information. 
         [0054]    Return of the ancillary information may be active or passive. Referring to  FIG. 7  for an example of the former, a user interface (UI)  700  may be presented on the computer device inquiring whether the user wishes to add a digital-assistant recognized item (in this case, soap) from a phrase of detected natural speech to a shopping list. The user may select at  704  to add the item and likewise can decline by selecting “no” selector  706 . 
         [0055]    In addition to or in lieu of the foregoing, return of the ancillary information in an active manner may also include providing other types of notifications and indications that ancillary information has been returned, such as a light (e.g., an LED) of the device being illuminated in a particular color associated with the return of ancillary information, and/or illumination of a light indicator on the digital assistant user interface itself that is presented on the display. This light may thus indicate that there is ancillary information that may be observed by the user so that the user can provide a command to present the ancillary information such as via the UI  700  discussed above. 
         [0056]      FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate the passive approach. At block  800  in  FIG. 8 , ancillary information in the form of suggestions (to add something to a list, etc.) according to disclosure above may be collected over a tacit period and then periodically at block  802  (e.g., every “N” minutes or upon some other triggering event such as a button push) the ancillary information such as a list can be presented to the user at block  804 . The respective ancillary information may also be presented (e.g., in list form) based on a user command so that the user can observe the information at their convenience. 
         [0057]    The UI  900  of  FIG. 9  illustrates this even further. Multiple suggestions  902  collected as ancillary information from natural speech at block  800  may be presented on the display of the device, along with an indication of when the phrase from which a suggestion was derived was spoken and along with accept and decline selectors  904 ,  906  for each suggestion that can be selected to respectively accept and decline the respective suggestion. The passive mode gives the user an opportunity to sort through ambiguous or potentially invalid input at the time of their choosing. They could quickly allow or reject each candidate reminder to get added to their shopping list, calendar, etc. 
         [0058]    A confidence may be associated with each candidate reminder. For example “We&#39;re out of luck” would have a low confidence since “luck” isn&#39;t a common shopping list item. The confidence can be based on how likely the follow up speech matches the preceding spoken dialog phrase. The user can be presented with a UI to adjust this confidence to increase/decrease the number of candidate reminders. 
         [0059]    If desired, in some embodiments a list of natural language recognizer words or phrases may be used. For example, the phrases “I need to”, “remember to”, “don&#39;t forget to”, and “we&#39;re out of” may all establish natural language phrases that may be identifiable to initiate a search for and return of ancillary information regarding language spoken after the recognizer words. Furthermore, “we&#39;re out of” may be a recognizer phrase specifically for adding items to a grocery list, for instance. Thus, in some embodiments special use-case recognizer words/phrases may be used for particular actions to be taken by the voice assistant, such as adding an item to a to-do list or generating an email draft based on particular words/phrases that are spoken. 
         [0060]    Still further, these types of words/phrases may be customized by a user, so that a user may provide input (e.g., to a UI) specifying certain words or phrases and corresponding actions the voice assistant should take when the words/phrases are spoken. The user may even provide input for certain words/phrases to be disabled such that the voice assistant would not seek ancillary information when they are spoken. 
         [0061]    Even further, the voice assistant may over time build a customized database for a particular user based on what the user has consistently or habitually (e.g., more than a threshold number of times) done, said, purchased, added to a list, etc. so that the voice assistant may over time become more confident regarding actions to take based on natural language from that user. What&#39;s more, if a given user never uses certain terms or is identified as speaking a particular dialect or with a particular accent (e.g., an American southern accent or a New York accent), the database may be customized based on that while other words/phrases outside of that user&#39;s dialect or accent may be omitted. 
         [0062]    The voice assistant may choose whether to present ancillary information actively or passively in some embodiments based on the level of confidence the voice assistant has. So, for example, if the assistant has a high level of confidence then ancillary information may be returned actively, while if the assistant has a low level of confidence the ancillary information may be returned passively (e.g., to be viewed by a user at a later time of their choosing). However, note that this feature may be user-configurable (e.g., based on input to a UI) so that if desired, the user may configure the assistant to return ancillary information passively when the assistant has a high level of confidence and to return the ancillary information actively when the assistant has a low level of confidence. 
         [0063]    Before concluding, it is to be understood that although a software application for undertaking present principles may be vended with a device such as the system  100 , present principles apply in instances where such an application is downloaded from a server to a device over a network such as the Internet. Furthermore, present principles apply in instances where such an application is included on a computer readable storage medium that is being vended and/or provided, where the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal and/or a signal per se. 
         [0064]    It is to be understood that whilst present principals have been described with reference to some example embodiments, these are not intended to be limiting, and that various alternative arrangements may be used to implement the subject matter claimed herein. Components included in one embodiment can be used in other embodiments in any appropriate combination. For example, any of the various components described herein and/or depicted in the Figures may be combined, interchanged or excluded from other embodiments.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6