An intelligent automated assistant system engages with the user in an integrated, conversational manner using natural language dialog, and invokes external services when appropriate to obtain information or perform various actions. The system can be implemented using any of a number of different platforms, such as the web, email, smartphone, and the like, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the system is based on sets of interrelated domains and tasks, and employs additional functionally powered by external services with which the system can interact.

Intelligent Automated Assistant

A virtual assistant uses context information to supplement natural language or gestural input from a user. Context helps to clarify the user's intent and to reduce the number of candidate interpretations of the user's input, and reduces the need for the user to provide excessive clarification input. Context can include any available information that is usable by the assistant to supplement explicit user input to constrain an information-processing problem and/or to personalize results. Context can be used to constrain solutions during various phases of processing, including, for example, speech recognition, natural language processing, task flow processing, and dialog generation.

Using context information to facilitate processing of commands in a virtual assistant

The invention enables creation of grammar networks that can regulate, control, and define the content and scope of human-machine interaction in natural language voice user interfaces (NLVUI). More specifically, the invention concerns a phrase-based modeling of generic structures of verbal interaction and use of these models for the purpose of automating part of the design of such grammar networks.

Phrase-based dialogue modeling with particular application to creating recognition grammars for voice-controlled user interfaces

A method and apparatus are provided for building an intelligent automated assistant. Embodiments of the present invention rely on the concept of “active ontologies” (e.g., execution environments constructed in an ontology-like manner) to build and run applications for use by intelligent automated assistants. In one specific embodiment, a method for building an automated assistant includes interfacing a service-oriented architecture that includes a plurality of remote services to an active ontology, where the active ontology includes at least one active processing element that models a domain. At least one of the remote services is then registered for use in the domain.

Method and apparatus for building an intelligent automated assistant

The method includes automatically, without user input and without regard to whether a digital assistant application has been separately invoked by a user, determining that the electronic device is in a vehicle. In some implementations, determining that the electronic device is in a vehicle comprises detecting that the electronic device is in communication with the vehicle (e.g., via a wired or wireless communication techniques and/or protocols). The method also includes, responsive to the determining, invoking a listening mode of a virtual assistant implemented by the electronic device. In some implementations, the method also includes limiting the ability of a user to view visual output presented by the electronic device, provide typed input to the electronic device, and the like.

Automatically adapting user interfaces for hands-free interaction

The system of the invention provides a collaboration adapter which can be integrated into a web server or a web/application server to allow multiple computer user participants to access a single shared session to an application in a collaborative manner. The system of the invention allows a participant to create a shared session and to associate a participant identity to the shared session as the shared session owner. From thereon, participants can join the shared session and submit requests for application response information to the web server containing the collaboration adapter. In cases where the application response information must be obtained from the application, the invention substitutes participant session identification information in an original participant request with shared session identification information to create an altered request and then forwards the altered request to the application.

Methods and apparatus for providing shared access to an application

A graphical user interface allows a speech recognition system user to browse available grammars and their topics. A dialog box interface displays the currently active grammar, grammar searching mode, and a current input. A list of valid word phrases of at least one word also is generated and displayed. Using the interface, a user additionally may select an active grammar and a method of searching and displaying valid examples from the grammar based on the current input.

Brian Gladstein

Papers

Methods and apparatus for providing shared access to an application

User interface for speech recognition system grammars

Graphic user interface for navigation in speech recognition system grammars