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

An electronic device may capture a voice command from a user. The electronic device may store contextual information about the state of the electronic device when the voice command is received. The electronic device may transmit the voice command and the contextual information to computing equipment such as a desktop computer or a remote server. The computing equipment may perform a speech recognition operation on the voice command and may process the contextual information. The computing equipment may respond to the voice command. The computing equipment may also transmit information to the electronic device that allows the electronic device to respond to the voice command.

Electronic Devices with Voice Command and Contextual Data Processing Capabilities

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

A method for operating a voice trigger is provided. In some implementations, the method is performed at an electronic device including one or more processors and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors. The method includes receiving a sound input. The sound input may correspond to a spoken word or phrase, or a portion thereof. The method includes determining whether at least a portion of the sound input corresponds to a predetermined type of sound, such as a human voice. The method includes, upon a determination that at least a portion of the sound input corresponds to the predetermined type, determining whether the sound input includes predetermined content, such as a predetermined trigger word or phrase. The method also includes, upon a determination that the sound input includes the predetermined content, initiating a speech-based service, such as a voice-based digital assistant.

Voice trigger for a digital assistant

Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) for authentication can be implemented in a variety of electronic devices including FPGAs, RFIDs, and ASICs. In some implementations, challenge-response pairs corresponding to individual PUFs can be enrolled and used to determine authentication data, which may be managed in a database. Later when a target object with a PUF is intended to be authenticated a set (or subset) of challenges are applied to each PUF device to authenticate it and thus distinguish it from others. In some examples, authentication is achieved without requiring complex cryptography circuitry implemented on the device. Furthermore, an authentication station does not necessarily have to be in communication with an authority holding the authentication data when a particular device is to be authenticated.

Authentication with physical unclonable functions

A key is determined from a volatile response using circuitry on the device. The volatile response depend on process variation in fabrication of the device. Error control data that depends on the first volatile response can be computed, stored externally to the device, and then used to generate the key using a volatile response using the circuit. Applications of volatile keys include authentication and rights management for content and software.

Volatile device keys and applications thereof

Methods for optimizing social media are disclosed. Such methods may include identifying at least one keyword utilized for at least one webpage, identifying social media correspondence referencing the at least one keyword, analyzing content collected from the social media to determine a frequency of references to the at least one keyword and generating at least one report including information based on the analysis. The report may include recommendations for optimizing social media by, for example, increasing visibility by using high-performing keywords. Systems for performing the methods are also disclosed.

Optimization of social media engagement

A field configurable device, such as an FPGA, supports secure field configuration without using non-volatile storage for cryptographic keys on the device and without requiring a continuous or ongoing power source to maintain a volatile storage on the device. The approach can be used to secure the configuration data such that it can in general be used on a single or a selected set of devices and/or encryption of the configuration data so that the encrypted configuration data can be exposed without compromising information encoded in the configuration data.

Securely field configurable device

A method for pairing web pages with keywords may include obtaining a keyword paired with a public web page, the public web page configured to be published at a public address; determining a mapping between the public address of the public web page and an internal address of an internal web page that corresponds to the public web page, the internal address pointing to the internal web page used in a content management system that generates the internal web page and the public web page; creating a keyword-page pairing entry that includes the keyword and the mapping between the public address and the internal address, the keyword-page pairing entry indicating the keyword is paired with the internal web page; and sending the keyword-page pairing entry to the content management system.

Thomas J. Ziola

Papers

Authentication with physical unclonable functions

Volatile device keys and applications thereof

Optimization of social media engagement

Securely field configurable device

Content management systems