Patent Description:
Electronic devices such as smartphones and artificial intelligence speakers can play multimedia content (e.g., music or video) over the network in real time. By using such a streaming service, the user of an electronic device can enjoy various kinds of multimedia content without permanently storing content in the memory of the electronic device.

<CIT> discloses methods, systems, apparatus, and computer software for implementing Internet of Things ("IoT") human interface functionality. The IoT human interface device and/or a computing system might identify explicit commands in the voice input, identify first IoT-capable devices to which the explicit commands are applicable, receive sensor data from IoT sensors, and analyze the voice input in view of previous user voice inputs and in view of the sensor data to determine whether the voice input contains any implicit commands. If so, second IoT-capable devices to which an implicit command is additionally applicable might be identified, instructions based on a combination of the explicit and implicit commands may be generated and sent to the second IoT-capable devices. Instructions based only on the explicit commands are generated and sent to first IoT-capable devices to which implicit commands are not applicable.

Meanwhile, when receiving a streaming service, the user of an electronic device may issue a recommendation request for appropriate content without specifying specific content. In the related art, the content provider may provide requested appropriate content to the user having a particular account in consideration of the history of the content the user has listened to, or the preference information such as likes or dislikes the user has left about the content. However, as the usage history and the user preferences are related only with data accumulated in the past, it may be difficult for the electronic device to provide content suitable for the current situation of the user.

The present invention is according to the claims. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method that enables an electronic device to provide the user with appropriate content in real time in consideration of user's situation information.

In a feature of the present disclosure, the electronic device can provide the user with appropriate content in real time in consideration of the user's situation information. For example, the electronic device can determine content to be provided to the user based on information regarding at least one of the on-or-off state of an external electronic appliance located near the user, the current time, or the illuminance. The electronic device may also determine a way of providing the determined content (e.g., volume, playback direction, and output device). Hence, even if the electronic device receives the same command from the user, the content to be provided to the user may vary depending on the user's situation information. In addition, by utilizing an external electronic device, there is no need for the electronic device to include all the sensors for collecting the user's situation information, so that the electronic device can be made smaller or lighter. Further, as it is not necessary to store all the device information, the situation information, and the content data in the memory of the electronic device to provide content suitable for the user, the memory resources of the electronic device can be efficiently utilized.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device <NUM> in a network environment <NUM> according to certain embodiments.

According to an embodiment, the connecting terminal <NUM> may include, for example, a HDMI connector, a USB connector, a SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector),.

<FIG> is a block diagram <NUM> illustrating the audio module <NUM> according to certain embodiments. Referring to <FIG>, the audio module <NUM> may include, for example, an audio input interface <NUM>, an audio input mixer <NUM>, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) <NUM>, an audio signal processor <NUM>, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) <NUM>, an audio output mixer <NUM>, or an audio output interface <NUM>.

The audio input interface <NUM> may receive an audio signal corresponding to a sound obtained from the outside of the electronic device <NUM> via a microphone (e.g., a dynamic microphone, a condenser microphone, or a piezo microphone) that is configured as part of the input device <NUM> or separately from the electronic device <NUM>. For example, if an audio signal is obtained from the external electronic device <NUM> (e.g., a headset or a microphone), the audio input interface <NUM> may be connected with the external electronic device <NUM> directly via the connecting terminal <NUM>, or wirelessly (e.g., BluetoothTM communication) via the wireless communication module <NUM> to receive the audio signal. According to an embodiment, the audio input interface <NUM> may receive a control signal (e.g., a volume adjustment signal received via an input button) related to the audio signal obtained from the external electronic device <NUM>. The audio input interface <NUM> may include a plurality of audio input channels and may receive a different audio signal via a corresponding one of the plurality of audio input channels, respectively. According to an embodiment, additionally or alternatively, the audio input interface <NUM> may receive an audio signal from another component (e.g., the processor <NUM> or the memory <NUM>) of the electronic device <NUM>.

The audio input mixer <NUM> may synthesize a plurality of inputted audio signals into at least one audio signal. For example, according to an embodiment, the audio input mixer <NUM> may synthesize a plurality of analog audio signals inputted via the audio input interface <NUM> into at least one analog audio signal. The ADC <NUM> may convert an analog audio signal into a digital audio signal. For example, according to an embodiment, the ADC <NUM> may convert an analog audio signal received via the audio input interface <NUM> or, additionally or alternatively, an analog audio signal synthesized via the audio input mixer <NUM> into a digital audio signal.

The audio signal processor <NUM> may perform various processing on a digital audio signal received via the ADC <NUM> or a digital audio signal received from another component of the electronic device <NUM>. For example, according to an embodiment, the audio signal processor <NUM> may perform changing a sampling rate, applying one or more filters, interpolation processing, amplifying or attenuating a whole or partial frequency bandwidth, noise processing (e.g., attenuating noise or echoes), changing channels (e.g., switching between mono and stereo), mixing, or extracting a specified signal for one or more digital audio signals. According to an embodiment, one or more functions of the audio signal processor <NUM> may be implemented in the form of an equalizer.

The DAC <NUM> may convert a digital audio signal into an analog audio signal. For example, according to an embodiment, the DAC <NUM> may convert a digital audio signal processed by the audio signal processor <NUM> or a digital audio signal obtained from another component (e.g., the processor (<NUM>) or the memory (<NUM>)) of the electronic device <NUM> into an analog audio signal.

The audio output mixer <NUM> may synthesize a plurality of audio signals, which are to be outputted, into at least one audio signal. For example, according to an embodiment, the audio output mixer <NUM> may synthesize an analog audio signal converted by the DAC <NUM> and another analog audio signal (e.g., an analog audio signal received via the audio input interface <NUM>) into at least one analog audio signal.

The audio output interface <NUM> may output an analog audio signal converted by the DAC <NUM> or, additionally or alternatively, an analog audio signal synthesized by the audio output mixer <NUM> to the outside of the electronic device <NUM> via the sound output device <NUM>. The sound output device <NUM> may include, for example, a speaker, such as a dynamic driver or a balanced armature driver, or a receiver. According to an embodiment, the sound output device <NUM> may include a plurality of speakers. In such a case, the audio output interface <NUM> may output audio signals having a plurality of different channels (e.g., stereo channels or <NUM> channels) via at least some of the plurality of speakers. According to an embodiment, the audio output interface <NUM> may be connected with the external electronic device <NUM> (e.g., an external speaker or a headset) directly via the connecting terminal <NUM> or wirelessly via the wireless communication module <NUM> to output an audio signal.

According to an embodiment, the audio module <NUM> may generate, without separately including the audio input mixer <NUM> or the audio output mixer <NUM>, at least one digital audio signal by synthesizing a plurality of digital audio signals using at least one function of the audio signal processor <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the audio module <NUM> may include an audio amplifier (not shown) (e.g., a speaker amplifying circuit) that is capable of amplifying an analog audio signal inputted via the audio input interface <NUM> or an audio signal that is to be outputted via the audio output interface <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the audio amplifier may be configured as a module separate from the audio module <NUM>.

The electronic device according to certain embodiments may be one of various types of electronic devices.

It should be appreciated that certain embodiments of the present disclosure and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technological features set forth herein to particular embodiments and include various changes, equivalents, or replacements for a corresponding embodiment. As used herein, each of such phrases as "A or B, " "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C," may include all possible combinations of the items enumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases.

Certain embodiments as set forth herein may be implemented as software (e.g., the program <NUM>) including one or more instructions that are stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory <NUM> or external memory <NUM>) that is readable by a machine (e.g., the electronic device <NUM>). The term "non-transitory" simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device, and does not include a signal (e.g., an electromagnetic wave), but this term does not differentiate between where data is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and where the data is temporarily stored in the storage medium.

According to an embodiment, a method according to certain embodiments of the disclosure may be included and provided in a computer program product.

According to certain embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include a single entity or multiple entities. According to certain embodiments, one or more of the above-described components may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. In such a case, according to certain embodiments, the integrated component may still perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components in the same or similar manner as they are performed by a corresponding one of the plurality of components before the integration. According to certain embodiments, operations performed by the module, the program, or another component may be carried out sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

<FIG> illustrates a smart home environment <NUM> according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

In certain embodiments, the smart home environment may include one or more cameras <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>, one or more sensors or devices including a sensor (e.g., floor microphones <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>), inner room objects (e.g., bed <NUM> and stand <NUM>), kitchen objects (e.g., refrigerator <NUM>, coffee machine <NUM>, and lights <NUM>), living room objects (e.g., TV <NUM>, sofa <NUM>, and light <NUM>), front door objects (e.g., door <NUM> and light <NUM>), a window <NUM>, an electronic device <NUM>, a network <NUM>, and one or more external servers <NUM> and <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may be, for example, an artificial intelligence speaker, or may include an electronic device that controls or cooperates with an artificial intelligence speaker. In certain embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> may utilize at least one of the cameras <NUM> to <NUM> to detect where a person is located. For example, the electronic device <NUM> can utilize the camera <NUM> to detect whether a person is entering or leaving the house through the front door. The electronic device <NUM> can also utilize the cameras <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> to detect whether a person is entering, leaving, or remaining at a designated location within the house (e.g., inner room, kitchen, living room, or front door). In an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> can utilize the camera <NUM> to detect whether a person prowling around the house, or breaking into the house. In addition, the electronic device <NUM> can identify the user by using at least one of the cameras <NUM> to <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may distinguish between a pre-designated person (e.g., resident), and an undesignated person (e.g., intruder or guest), using, for example facial recognition technology.

In certain embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> can identify the place where a person is located, using the floor microphones <NUM> to <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may determine that a person is positioned within the inner room based on a footstep sound detected by the floor microphone <NUM>. In addition, the electronic device <NUM> can identify the person by comparing the characteristics (e.g., intensity, pattern, and frequency) of the footstep sound obtained by the floor microphone <NUM>, with pre-stored characteristics of the gait of the person which may indicate an expected type, degree and quality of footstep sounds. For example, assume a family including a father, mother, and child. If the footstep sound is strong and the time interval between steps is about <NUM> to <NUM> seconds, the electronic device <NUM> can determine that the corresponding person is the father based on prestored information indicating the gait, weight, and step-pressure of the father. If the footstep sound is medium and the time interval between steps is about <NUM> to <NUM> seconds, the electronic device <NUM> can determine that the corresponding person is the mother based on information indicating the gait, weight, and step-pressure of the mother. If the footstep sound is weak and the time interval between steps is about <NUM> to <NUM> seconds, the electronic device <NUM> can determine that the corresponding person is the child based on prestored information indicating the gait, weight, and step-pressure of the child. The electronic device <NUM> can identify a person using various features such as the distance between steps, characteristics of taking a step forward from the left foot, and characteristics of taking a step forward from the right foot. For example, if footstep sounds are detected and, when compared against prestored footstep information for known users, detection of an unidentifiable gait feature may indicate that an intruder has broken into the house.

In certain embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> can determine the location of a person using a plurality of floor microphones. The electronic device <NUM> can locate the position of a person by determining the distances to the floor microphones <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> via triangulation based on intensity and volume of the detected footstep sounds. For example, the electronic device <NUM> can determine whether a person is closer to (or approaches) the TV <NUM> or the sofa <NUM> in the living room based on a louder volume or increase volume of footstep sounds by microphones disposed near or in the living room. The electronic device <NUM> can determine whether a person is closer to (or approaches) the refrigerator <NUM> or the coffee machine <NUM> in the kitchen based on a louder volume or increase in volume of footstep sounds by microphones disposed near or in the kitchen. The electronic device <NUM> can determine the direction in which a person moves from the kitchen to the inner room or from the kitchen to the living room based on a smaller or decreasing volume of footsteps detected by microphones in the kitchen, and a louder volume or increasing volume of footstep sounds detected by microphones disposed near or in the living room. In the above description, the floor microphone is illustrated as an example, but microphones can be present at various objects. For example, microphones can be present at a variety of places such as a ceiling, a lamp, a piece of furniture, and a home appliance.

In certain embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> can identify the location of the user based on information received from various objects such as the bed <NUM>, the stand <NUM>, the refrigerator <NUM>, the coffee machine <NUM>, the TV <NUM>, and the sofa <NUM>.

In certain embodiments, the bed <NUM> or the sofa <NUM> may include a motion sensor, a weight sensor, an acceleration sensor, a capacitance sensor, or a pressure sensor. The stand <NUM> may include a motion sensor, and may provide on-or-off information. The refrigerator <NUM> may include a motion sensor, a camera, a door open sensor, an acceleration sensor, and the like. The refrigerator <NUM> can provide inventory information including food items disposed within, and food items that have been removed, and further information indicating whether the door is open or closed. The coffee machine <NUM> can include a motion sensor, provide on-or-off information, and provide information on types of coffee that have been dispensed. The lights <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> may each include a motion sensor, and may provide on-or-off information. The TV <NUM> can include a motion sensor, a camera, and a microphone, provide on-or-off information, and can provide information about content that is being or has been displayed on the TV <NUM>. The door <NUM> may include a motion sensor, an acceleration sensor, a door open sensor, a biometric information sensor and the like, may provide information related to the opening and closing of the door, information indicating persons who are entering and exiting through the door <NUM>, and information about the pressure applied to the door, which may indicate attempts to forcibly open the door. The window <NUM> may have a similar structure and function as those of the door <NUM>.

In certain embodiments, devices including one or more sensors may further include a wireless communication unit, and may receive a radio signal from a portable electronic device of the user (e.g., cell phone or smart bracelet) and provide information thereon.

In certain embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> can utilize the various provided information to determine the location of the user and an identity of the user. The electronic device <NUM> can utilize various provided information and the server <NUM> to determine the location of the user and identify the user. The electronic device <NUM> can transfer (e.g., transmits) various provided information to the server <NUM>.

In certain embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> can determine the settings of a sensor based on additional information related to an electronic appliance in operation, the current time, and the user's life pattern. For example, if there is a user located in the inner room, and the light therein is presently deactivated (e.g., off), and the user is determined via the bed sensor to be lying on the bed for at least a prespecified time period, the electronic device <NUM> may determine that the user is sleeping. The electronic device <NUM> may accordingly set the sensor to a sleep configuration (e.g., executing a check for a user's presence according to a regular interval, such as once every <NUM> minutes in the early evening, and once every <NUM> minutes in the early morning).

In certain embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> may select the sensor to be activated, from among the sensors associated with the inner room. The electronic device <NUM> can selected the sensor to be operated based on additional information related to an electronic appliance in operation, the current time, and the user's life pattern. For example, the electronic device <NUM> can apply the sleep configuration to the kitchen and the living room. When the sleep configuration is set, the living room and the kitchen can be set to a monitoring configuration, and one of either the camera and the motion sensor can be operated.

In certain embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> may include a portable terminal, a tablet computer, or a wearable device of the user. The electronic device <NUM> may also be included in various electronic appliances such as a TV, a refrigerator, a set-top box, and a game console. Although the electronic device <NUM> has been described as a separate entity for ease of description, the functions of the electronic device <NUM> may be supported by one or more of various objects or electronic appliances.

<FIG> illustrates the operation of an electronic device (e.g., an artificial intelligence speaker) in a smart home environment. However, this is not limited to a smart home but may be applied in various environments (e.g., in the interior or for an exterior of a building). The electronic device described as an artificial intelligence speaker may be one of various electronic devices with or without an artificial intelligence feature. The servers <NUM> and <NUM> in <FIG> may correspond to the server <NUM> in <FIG>, and the network <NUM> may correspond to the second network <NUM> of <FIG>.

<FIG> illustrates a content providing system that obtains device information (or "things" information) from smart devices, extracts situation information of the user based on the device information, and provides the user with content corresponding to the situation information according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

The device information may include information pertinent to electronic appliances included in the smart home environment, such as an on or off state, a sound level, a brightness level, an intensity level, and arrangement relative to other devices, in addition to information pertinent to operation of those devices including user identification, user location, a current time, and an environmental illumination level, environmental sounds, etc..

In certain embodiments, the content providing system may include a first server <NUM>, a second server <NUM>, smart devices <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>, and content output devices <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>.

In certain embodiments, the first server <NUM> may obtain device information from the smart devices <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>, and analyze the obtained device information to extract the situation information of the user. The second server <NUM> can receive the situation information of the user from the first server <NUM> and determine the content to be provided to the user based on the received situation information. The second server <NUM> may transmit the determined content to the content output devices <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> for content output. Here, the first server <NUM> and the second server <NUM> are not necessarily separated from each other, and the first server <NUM> and the second server <NUM> may be integrated into one server. Specific embodiments for providing content according to the situation information will be described in more detail with reference to the following drawings.

In certain embodiments, the smart devices may include a camera <NUM>, a speaker <NUM>, and a light <NUM>. For example, the camera <NUM> can identify the user and can provide the first server <NUM> with device information for tracking the location of the user. The speaker <NUM> can provide the first server <NUM> with device information related to the speaker's position, specification, and volume. The light <NUM> can provide the first server <NUM> with device information related to the light's on or off state, color, and brightness.

In certain embodiments, the content output devices may include a refrigerator <NUM>, a TV <NUM>, and a speaker <NUM>. For example, the content output device can provide a streaming service by receiving content from the second server <NUM> and reproducing it in real time. Alternatively, the content output device may receive information about the content to be played back (e.g., play list) from the second server <NUM>, and reproduce at least one content matching the play list among the pieces of content stored in the content output device.

<FIG> is a schematic block diagram of the content providing system according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

In certain embodiments, the content providing system <NUM> may include a voice command processing module <NUM>, a situation information analysis module <NUM>, and a content reproduction module <NUM>. In other words, the content providing system <NUM> may be a system that receives a voice command from the user, analyzes situation information related to the user, and provides a suitable piece of content to the user.

In certain embodiments, the voice command processing module <NUM> may receive a voice command from the user and process the voice command to enable the electronic device <NUM> to perform operations consistent with the user's intention. For example, the voice command processing module <NUM> may receive a voice command "play music" from the user and generate a signal that causes the electronic device <NUM> to play music.

In certain embodiments, the situation information analysis module <NUM> may analyze the situation information of the user. More specifically, the situation information analysis module <NUM> can obtain at least one piece of device information from a variety of electronic appliances, sensors, and objects included in the smart home environment <NUM>. For example, the device information may include information regarding electronic appliances included in the smart home environment (e.g. on or off state, sound level, brightness level, intensity level, and arrangement), user identification, time, and illumination. The situation information analysis module <NUM> can analyze a voice command from the user and the device information to extract situation information of the user. For example, if the intensity of illumination is high and the coffee machine is turned on at <NUM> A. , the situation information analysis module <NUM> can extract situation information that the user has awoken, and intends to drink a cup of coffee, based on the intensity of illumination and the activation state of the coffee machine. Thereafter, the situation information analysis module <NUM> can transmit the situation information to the content reproduction module <NUM>, which may then reproduce content corresponding to the morning coffee theme.

In certain embodiments, the content reproduction module <NUM> can determine the content (e.g., a particular program, music, media, television show, movie, etc.) matching the identified situation information of the user and reproduce the determined content. The content reproduction module <NUM> can reproduce the content determined to be suitable for the user among the pieces of content stored in the electronic device <NUM>, or can receive content data from the server <NUM> or <NUM> for content reproduction.

In certain embodiments, when the content reproduction module <NUM> receives a music reproduction command from the user and obtains situation information such as electronic appliance information (e.g., coffee machine on, TV off, and light off), time information (e.g., <NUM> A. ), and illumination information (e.g., bright), it can reproduce a piece of content pre-associated with a known categorical theme, such as "morning coffee". Accordingly, a plurality of themes reflecting activities of a user can be stored in association with media content, and also with device and sensor-detected environmental information, such as illumination, activation/deactivation-states of smart devices, a present time, weather, etc..

In certain embodiments, the content reproduction module <NUM> may determine a configuration for reproducing the content to be provided to the user. For example, the content reproduction module <NUM> may reproduce the content at an increased volume upon obtaining specific electronic appliance information (e.g., a vacuum is active with a high power setting, requiring a louder volume from the television).

In certain embodiments, the content reproduction module <NUM> may control at least one content output device (e.g., refrigerator <NUM>, TV <NUM>, and speaker <NUM> in <FIG>) to play back content based on the location of the user. For example, when the user remains in the bedroom, the content reproduction module <NUM> can control the content output device disposed in the bedroom (e.g., speaker <NUM>) to reproduce content. For example, when the user moves from the bedroom to the living room, the content reproduction module <NUM> may control the content output device (e.g., speaker <NUM>) disposed in the bedroom to stop content reproduction, and may control the content output device (e.g., TV <NUM>) disposed in the living room to initiate reproducing content. In addition, when a plurality of content output devices are arranged in a space where the user is located, the content reproduction module <NUM> can control the content output device in closer proximity to the user to reproduce content. For example, when there are a plurality of content output devices arranged in a space where the user is located, the content reproduction module <NUM> may selectively configure a left content output device and a right content output device, with respect to the user. Thereby, the content reproduction module <NUM> can implement a stereo audio system using two devices disposed to a left and right of the user, from among a plurality of content output devices.

In certain embodiments, the content providing system <NUM> may include at least one of the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., electronic device <NUM> in <FIG>), the first server <NUM> (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>), or the second server <NUM> (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>). Hence, the operations of the voice command processing module <NUM>, the situation information analysis module <NUM>, or the content reproduction module <NUM> of the content providing system <NUM> may be performed in cooperation between the electronic device <NUM>, the first server <NUM>, and the second server <NUM>. The operations of the content providing system <NUM> may also be performed by one of the electronic device <NUM>, the first server <NUM>, and the second server <NUM>.

<FIG> is a sequence diagram depicting a first method that determines content based on a voice command and situation information of the user and plays the determined content according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

In certain embodiments, at operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a voice command from the user. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a voice command from the user via an input unit (e.g., input device <NUM> in <FIG>, or microphone).

In certain embodiments, at operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may transmit information about the user's voice command (e.g., "play music", or "play movie") to the first server <NUM>. Here, the first server <NUM> may be a cloud server (e.g., Samsung cloud) associated with the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., AI speaker), and it may obtain device information from Internet of Things (IoT) devices or other devices located in a specific space (e.g., home, or office) and may update the existing device information. For example, the device information may include information regarding electronic appliances included in the smart home environment (e.g. on or off state, sound level, brightness level, intensity level, and arrangement), user identification, user location, time, and illumination.

In certain embodiments, upon receiving the voice command information, the first server <NUM> may obtain situation information of the user. Specifically, the first server <NUM> can obtain device information from at least one smart device disposed in a space where the user is located and can analyze the obtained device information to extract the situation information of the user. For example, if the intensity of illumination is high and the coffee machine is turned on at <NUM> A. , the first server <NUM> can extract situation information that the user wants to drink a cup of coffee in the morning.

In certain embodiments, at operation <NUM>, the first server <NUM> may transmit the situation information of the user to the second server <NUM>. Here, the situation information of the user may be a combination of the voice command from the user and the device information from the smart devices. For example, the situation information may indicate that the user wants to play music and desires to drink a cup of coffee in the morning. As another example, the situation information of the user may be information obtained by analyzing device information from smart devices, regardless of a voice command from the user. In this case, the first server <NUM> may send the second server <NUM> both the user's situation information (e.g., the user wishes to drink a cup of coffee in the morning) and the information about the user's voice command (e.g., the user wants to play music). Meanwhile, the second server <NUM> may be a content providing server that stores one or more pieces of content available to the user. For example, the second server <NUM> can store pieces of digital content such as songs, movies, games, broadcasts, and radio programs and provide a piece of content matching the user's situation information.

In certain embodiments, at operation <NUM>, the second server <NUM> may determine the content to be provided to the user based on the situation information, and transmit the determined content to the electronic device <NUM>. For example, based on the user's situation information received from the first server <NUM>, the second server <NUM> may determine that the user wishes to listen to music while drinking coffee in the morning. Then, the second server <NUM> can determine at least one piece of music content corresponding to the morning coffee theme and can transmit the determined piece of music content to the electronic device <NUM>. Alternatively, the second server <NUM> may transmit a content list to the electronic device <NUM>, so that the electronic device <NUM> may reproduce content included in the content list among the pieces of stored content.

In certain embodiments, at operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may reproduce the content received from the second server <NUM>. Alternatively, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a content list from the second server <NUM> and reproduce content included in the content list among the pieces of stored content.

<FIG> is a sequence diagram depicting a second method that determines content based on a voice command and situation information of the user and plays the determined content according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

At operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a voice command from the user. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a voice command (e.g., "play music", or "play movie") from the user via an input unit (e.g., input device <NUM> in <FIG>, or microphone).

At operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> sends a request for device information to the first server <NUM>. Here, the first server <NUM> may be a cloud server (e.g., Samsung cloud) associated with the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., AI speaker), and it may obtain device information from IoT devices or other devices located in a specific space (e.g., home, or office) and may update the existing device information.

At operation <NUM>, the first server <NUM> transmits device information to the electronic device <NUM>. For example, the device information may include information regarding electronic appliances included in the smart home environment (e.g., an on or off state, a sound level, a brightness level, an intensity level, and an arrangement of the devices within the space), user identification, user location, time, and illumination.

The electronic device <NUM> obains the user's situation information based on the voice command from the user and the device information received from the first server <NUM>. For example, based on the voice command (e.g., "play music") that is received from the user and the device information received from the first server (e.g., <NUM> A. , high illuminance, coffee machine on), the electronic device <NUM> can obtain the situation information, indicating that the user wishes to listen to music while drinking coffee in the morning. At operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> transmits the situation information of the user to the second server <NUM>. Alternatively, as the user's situation information may not reflect the user's voice command (e.g., the user wants to have coffee in the morning), the electronic device <NUM> may transmit both the user's situation information and the user's voice command (e.g., play music) to the second server <NUM> at operation <NUM>. In the following operation, it is assumed that the situation information is obtained by reflecting the voice command from the user.

At operation <NUM>, the second server <NUM> determines \(e.g., select) content to be provided to the user based on the situation information and transmit the determined content to the electronic device <NUM>. For example, based on the user's situation information received from the first server <NUM>, the second server <NUM> may detect that the user wishes to listen to music while drinking coffee in the morning. Then, the second server <NUM> can select at least one piece of music content corresponding to a prestored morning coffee theme, and transmit the determined piece of music content to the electronic device <NUM>. That is, a plurality of themes reflecting activities of a user can be stored in association with media content, and also with device and sensor-detected environmental information, such as illumination, activation/deactivation-states of smart devices, a present time, weather, etc. Alternatively, the second server <NUM> may transmit a content list (e.g., a music playlist) to the electronic device <NUM>, so that the electronic device <NUM> may reproduce content included in the content list among the pieces of stored content (e.g., selecting a song from the music playlist).

At operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> reproduces the content received from the second server <NUM>. Alternatively, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a content list from the second server <NUM> and reproduce content included in the content list among the pieces of stored content.

<FIG> is a sequence diagram depicting a third method that determines content based on a voice command and situation information of the user and plays the determined content according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. Unlike the method of <FIG> or <FIG>, the method of <FIG> may provide content to the user through a single server <NUM> rather than plural servers. Hence, the server <NUM> can check the situation information of the user and provide the electronic device <NUM> with content corresponding to the situation information.

In certain embodiments, at operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a voice command from the user. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a voice command (e.g., "play music", or "play movie") from the user via an input unit (e.g., input device <NUM> in <FIG>, or microphone).

In certain embodiments, at operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may transmit information corresponding to the user's voice command (e.g., "play music", or "play movie") to the server <NUM>.

In certain embodiments, at operation <NUM>, the server <NUM> may identify situation information of the user based on the voice command of the user (e.g., the user intends to play media) and the device information stored therein, and may determine (e.g., select) the content to be provided to the user based on the situation information.

In certain embodiments, the server <NUM> may be a cloud server (e.g., Samsung cloud) associated with the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., AI speaker), and it may obtain device information from IoT devices or other devices located in a specific space (e.g., home, or office) and may update the existing device information. For example, the device information may include information regarding electronic appliances included in the smart home environment (e.g. on or off state, sound level, brightness level, intensity level, and arrangement), user identification, user location, time, and illumination.

In certain embodiments, the server <NUM> can store pieces of digital content such as songs, movies, games, broadcasts, and radio programs, and can function as a content providing server that provides a piece of content matching the user's situation information.

In certain embodiments, at operation <NUM>, the server <NUM> may transmit the selected/determined content to the electronic device <NUM>. For example, based on the voice command of the user and the device information stored in the server <NUM>, the server <NUM> may identify the situation information that the user wants to listen to music while drinking coffee in the morning. Then, the server <NUM> may determine at least one piece of music content corresponding to the morning coffee theme and may transmit the determined piece of music content to the electronic device <NUM>. Alternatively, the server <NUM> may transmit a content list to the electronic device <NUM>, so that the electronic device <NUM> may reproduce content included in the content list among the pieces of stored content.

In certain embodiments, at operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may reproduce the content received from the server <NUM>. Alternatively, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a content list from the server <NUM> and reproduce content included in the content list among the pieces of stored content.

<FIG> depicts a first scenario for recommending content by analyzing device information from a smart device according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

In certain embodiments, the electronic device (e.g., electronic device <NUM> in <FIG>) may be an artificial intelligence speaker. The electronic device <NUM> may receive a command "play music" from the user (<NUM>). Here, the command may not necessarily be a voice sound having a specific meaning. For example, the electronic device <NUM> can sense a preset sound such as an applause or a whistle as a command. As another example, the electronic device <NUM> may sense reception of a button or key input from a remote controller as a command.

In certain embodiments, upon receiving a command "play music" from the user, the electronic device <NUM> may obtain device information from at least one smart device located in a particular space (e.g., home, or office) where the electronic device <NUM> is located (<NUM>). For example, the electronic device <NUM> may obtain device information such as "the user is in the bedroom", "the light is off", time information, and speaker (talker) information. Based on the device information and the user's voice command, the electronic device <NUM> may extract situation information that the user wants to listen to quiet music or listen to music inducing sleep in the bedroom. Then, the electronic device <NUM> may receive content corresponding to the situation information from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) and provide it to the user (<NUM>). Alternatively, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a content list corresponding to the situation information from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) and provide the user with content matching the content list among the pieces of stored content (<NUM>). For example, the electronic device <NUM> may provide the user with a white noise sound or a sleep inducing sound (<NUM>).

In certain embodiments, upon receiving a command "play music" from the user, the electronic device <NUM> may request the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) to obtain device information from at least one smart device located in a particular space (e.g., home, or office) (<NUM>). For example, the server <NUM> may obtain device information such as "the user is in the bedroom", "the light is off", time information, and speaker (talker) information. Based on the device information and the user's voice command, the server <NUM> may extract situation information that the user wants to listen to quiet music or listen to music inducing sleep in the bedroom. Then, the server <NUM> may request another server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) to transmit content matching the situation information to the electronic device <NUM>. Thereafter, the electronic device <NUM> may provide the received content to the user (<NUM>). Alternatively, the server <NUM> may request the server <NUM> to transmit a content list matching the situation information to the electronic device <NUM>. Thereafter, the electronic device <NUM> may provide the user with content matching the content list among the pieces of stored content (<NUM>). For example, the electronic device <NUM> may provide the user with a white noise sound or a sleep inducing sound (<NUM>).

<FIG> depicts a second scenario for recommending content by analyzing device information from a smart device according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

In certain embodiments, upon receiving a command "play music" from the user, the electronic device <NUM> may obtain device information from at least one smart device located in a particular space (e.g., home, or office) where the electronic device <NUM> is located (<NUM>). For example, the electronic device <NUM> may obtain device information such as "the user is in the living room", "the light is on", time information, and speaker information (e.g., kid). Based on the device information and the user's voice command, the electronic device <NUM> may extract situation information that the user is a kid and wants to listen to music in the living room. Then, the electronic device <NUM> may receive content corresponding to the situation information from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) and provide it to the user (<NUM>). Alternatively, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a content list corresponding to the situation information from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) and provide the user with content matching the content list among the pieces of stored content (<NUM>). For example, the electronic device <NUM> may provide the user with a "kid's" favorite song (<NUM>).

In certain embodiments, upon receiving a command "play music" from the user, the electronic device <NUM> may request the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) to obtain device information from at least one smart device located in a particular space (e.g., home, or office) (<NUM>). For example, the server <NUM> may obtain device information such as "the user is in the living room", "the light is on", time information, and speaker information (e.g., kid). Based on the device information and the user's voice command, the electronic device <NUM> may extract situation information that the user is a kid and wants to listen to music in the living room. Then, the server <NUM> may request another server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) to transmit content matching the situation information to the electronic device <NUM>. Thereafter, the electronic device <NUM> may provide the received content to the user (<NUM>). Alternatively, the server <NUM> may request the server <NUM> to transmit a content list matching the situation information to the electronic device <NUM>. Thereafter, the electronic device <NUM> may provide the user with content matching the content list among the pieces of stored content (<NUM>). For example, the electronic device <NUM> may provide the user with a "kid's" favorite song (<NUM>).

<FIG> depicts a third scenario for recommending content by analyzing device information from a smart device according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

In certain embodiments, the electronic device (e.g., electronic device <NUM> in <FIG>) may be an artificial intelligence speaker. The electronic device <NUM> may receive a command "play video" from the user (<NUM>). Here, the command may not necessarily be a voice sound having a specific meaning. For example, the electronic device <NUM> can sense a preset sound such as an applause or a whistle as a command. As another example, the electronic device <NUM> may sense reception of a button or key input from a remote controller as a command.

In certain embodiments, upon receiving a command "play movie" from the user, the electronic device <NUM> may obtain device information from at least one smart device located in a particular space (e.g., home, or office) where the electronic device <NUM> is located (<NUM>). For example, the electronic device <NUM> may obtain device information such as "the user is in the living room", "the light is on", time information, and speaker information (e.g., kid). Based on the device information and the user's voice command, the electronic device <NUM> may extract situation information that the user is a kid and wants to view a movie in the living room. Then, the electronic device <NUM> may receive content corresponding to the situation information from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) and provide it to the user (<NUM>). Alternatively, the electronic device <NUM> may receive a content list corresponding to the situation information from the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) and provide the user with content matching the content list among the pieces of stored content (<NUM>). For example, the electronic device <NUM> may provide the user with a kids favorite movie (<NUM>). Meanwhile, if the electronic device <NUM> is an artificial intelligence speaker, as it may be not sufficient to reproduce a movie, the electronic device <NUM> may control an electronic appliance (e.g., TV <NUM> in <FIG>) located in the living room where the user remains to play the movie. In this case, the electronic device <NUM> may operate as a smart hub device in a specific space where the user is located.

In certain embodiments, upon receiving a command "play movie" from the user, the electronic device <NUM> may request the server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) to obtain device information from at least one smart device located in a particular space (e.g., home, or office) (<NUM>). For example, the server <NUM> may obtain device information such as "the user is in the living room", "the light is on", time information, and speaker information (e.g., kid). Based on the device information and the user's voice command, the server <NUM> may extract situation information that the user is a kid and wants to view a movie in the living room. Then, the server <NUM> may request another server (e.g., server <NUM> in <FIG>) to transmit content matching the situation information to the electronic device <NUM>. Thereafter, the electronic device <NUM> may provide the received content to the user (<NUM>). Alternatively, the server <NUM> may request the server <NUM> to transmit a content list matching the situation information to the electronic device <NUM>. Thereafter, the electronic device <NUM> may provide the user with content matching the content list among the pieces of stored content (<NUM>). For example, the electronic device <NUM> may provide the user with a kid's favorite movie (<NUM>). Meanwhile, if the electronic device <NUM> is an artificial intelligence speaker, as it may be not sufficient to reproduce a movie, the electronic device <NUM> may control an electronic appliance (e.g., TV <NUM> in <FIG>) located in the living room where the user remains to play the movie. In this case, the electronic device <NUM> may operate as a smart hub device in a specific space where the user is located.

<FIG> depicts a method that obtains device information from smart devices based on a voice command of the user, extracts situation information of the user based on the device information, and provides the user with content corresponding to the situation information according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

In certain embodiments, the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., AI speaker) can operate as a smart hub device in the smart home system. The electronic device <NUM> may receive a request "play music" from the user (<NUM>) and check situation information in response to the request (<NUM>). For example, to obtain the situation information, the electronic device <NUM> may obtain device information directly from the smart devices in the smart home system. Alternatively, to obtain the situation information, the electronic device <NUM> may obtain device information associated with the smart devices in the smart home system from a cloud server (e.g., Samsung cloud). The electronic device <NUM> can obtain device information such as "the current time is <NUM>:<NUM> P. ", "the TV is off", "the light is off", and "the coffee machine is off". The electronic device <NUM> may analyze the obtained device information and the voice command of the user to thereby extract the situation information that the user wants to listen to sleep inducing music (<NUM>). Then, the electronic device <NUM> may provide the user with a piece of music with a good sleep theme (<NUM>).

According to certain embodiments, an electronic device may include: an audio module; a communication module; a microphone; a memory; and a processor. The processor may be configured to control: receiving a voice command from the user via the microphone; requesting, upon receiving the voice command, a first external electronic device to obtain situation information based on device information and the voice command, and transmit the obtained situation information to a second external electronic device; and reproducing, upon receiving content corresponding to the situation information from the second external electronic device, the received content.

The device information may include information obtained from at least one electronic appliance disposed in a specific space where the electronic device is located, and the at least one electronic appliance may include at least one of an Internet of Things (IoT) device or a smart device.

The device information may be configured to include at least one of on or off information (e.g., an activation state of one or more devices), operation level information(the operation level information may refer to information related to level of operation performed by the electronic device, for example, the operation level information can mean information related to the intensity of the sound output by the electronic device or intensity of light output by the electronic device). time information (e.g., a present time at a current location, a time at another location, a scheduled time, etc.), illumination information (e.g., environmental illumination whether by artificial or ambient natural lighting), or arrangement information for an electronic appliance (e.g., a location and disposition of each networked smart device in the location), and/or user information including at least one of gender information, age information, or location information for the user.

The first external electronic device may be a server storing the device information, and may be configured to update the device information according to at least one of expiration of a preset time, reception of a voice command, or detection of a device information change by an electronic appliance.

The second external electronic device may be a server that stores pieces of content, and may be configured to determine the content theme corresponding to the situation information received from the first external electronic device and transmit at least one piece of content matching the determined content theme to the electronic device.

According to certain embodiments, an electronic device may include: an audio module; a communication module; a microphone; a memory; and a processor. The processor may be configured to control: receiving a voice command from the user via the microphone; receiving, upon receiving the voice command, device information from a first external electronic device; obtaining situation information based on the device information and the voice command; transmitting the situation information to a second external electronic device; and reproducing, upon receiving content corresponding to the situation information from the second external electronic device, the received content.

The device information may be configured to include at least one of on or off information, operation level information, time information, illumination information, or arrangement information for an electronic appliance, or at least one of gender information, age information, or location information for the user.

The second external electronic device may be a server that stores pieces of content, and may be configured to determine the content theme corresponding to the situation information received from the electronic device and transmit at least one piece of content matching the determined content theme to the electronic device.

According to certain embodiments, an electronic device may include: an audio module; a communication module; a microphone; a memory; and a processor. The processor may be configured to control: receiving a voice command from the user via the microphone; requesting, upon receiving the voice command, an external electronic device to obtain situation information based on device information and the voice command, and transmit content corresponding to the obtained situation information to the electronic device; and reproducing, upon receiving the content from the external electronic device, the received content.

The external electronic device may be a server that stores the device information and pieces of content, and it may be configured to: update the device information according to at least one of expiration of a preset time, reception of a voice command, or detection of a device information change by an electronic appliance; determine the content theme corresponding to the situation information received from the electronic device; and transmit at least one piece of content matching the determined content theme to the electronic device.

According to certain embodiments, a method for an electronic device may include: receiving a voice command from the user; requesting, upon receiving the voice command, a first external electronic device to obtain situation information based on device information and the voice command, and transmit the obtained situation information to a second external electronic device; and reproducing, upon receiving content corresponding to the situation information from the second external electronic device, the received content.

According to certain embodiments, a computer program product (CPP) included in a computer-readable storage medium such that the computer program product may include one or more instructions that, when executed by an electronic device, cause a processor of the electronic device to control: receiving a voice command from a user; requesting, upon receiving the voice command, a first external electronic device to obtain situation information based on device information and the voice command, and transmit the obtained situation information to a second external electronic device; and reproducing, upon receiving content corresponding to the situation information from the second external electronic device, the received content.

Claim 1:
An electronic device (<NUM>) comprising:
an audio module (<NUM>);
a communication circuitry (<NUM>);
a microphone (<NUM>);
a memory (<NUM>) storing programming instructions; and
a processor (<NUM>),
wherein the programming instructions are executable by the processor to cause the electronic device to:
receive a voice command from a user via the microphone;
request, upon receiving the voice command, device information from a first external electronic device, and determine situation information based on the received device information and the voice command, wherein the situation information is related to the user, and wherein the device information is configured to include at least one of on or off information, operation level information, time information, illumination information, arrangement information for an electronic appliance, and at least one of gender information, age information, or location information of the user;
after determining the situation information, transmit the situation information to a second external electronic device via the communication circuitry, wherein the second external electronic device selects content to be transmitted to the electronic device based on the situation information;
determine settings of the first external electronic device's sensor based on the situation information; and
receive content from the second external electronic device and reproduce the received content.