Patent Document ID: 9423870
Application ID: 13466673
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method comprising: de-activating voice control of a voice-controlled device located remotely from a user, wherein the voice-controlled device comprises a gaze tracking component and an indicator component; determining, using the gaze tracking component of the voice-controlled device, and while the voice control is deactivated, whether a gaze of a user is in a direction of a gaze target, wherein the gaze target comprises a portion of the voice-controlled device in which the indicator component and the gaze tracking component are positioned; in response to determining that the gaze of the user is not in the direction of the gaze target, and while the voice control is deactivated, providing, using the indicator component and at the gaze target, a first human-perceivable indication that indicates no gaze of the user in the direction of the gaze target is detected and that the voice control is deactivated; subsequent to providing the first human-perceivable indication that indicates no gaze of the user in the direction of the gaze target is detected, and while the voice control is deactivated, determining, using the gaze tracking component of the voice-controlled device, that the gaze of the user is in the direction of the gaze target; responsive to the subsequent determination that the gaze of the user is in the direction of the gaze target, and while the voice control is deactivated, switching from providing the first human-perceivable indication that indicates no gaze of the user in the direction of the gaze target is detected to providing, to the user using the indicator component and at the gaze target, a second human-perceivable indication that indicates that: the gaze of the user is in the direction of the gaze target, the voice control is deactivated, and maintaining the gaze in the direction of the gaze target for a predetermined time period will activate the voice control; subsequent to switching from providing the first human-perceivable indication that indicates no gaze of the user in the direction of the gaze target is detected to providing the second human-perceivable indication that indicates that the gaze of the user is in the direction of the gaze target, and while the voice control is deactivated, determining, using the gaze tracking component of the voice-controlled device, that the predetermined time period has elapsed while the gaze of the user is in the direction of the gaze target; responsive to determining that the predetermined time period has elapsed while the gaze of the user is in the direction of the gaze target: switching from providing the second human-perceivable indication to providing, to the user using the indicator component and at the gaze target, a third human-perceivable indication that indicates that the gaze of the user has been maintained in the direction of the gaze target for at least the predetermined time period and that the voice control is activated, wherein the first, second, and third human-perceivable indications are different from one another, and switching a voice input component from an off-state to an on-state; and determining that a voice command that is received after switching the voice input component to the on-state is an input for the voice-controlled device.