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GoogleGranted patentAudio & voiceInterest 8/10

Google patents voice assistant that cuts off its own answer to hear a new question

This patent describes a method where a voice assistant can stop speaking its current answer if it detects a new question from the user. It uses audio analysis to decide if the new sound is directed at the assistant, then immediately switches to answering that new request instead of finishing the old one.

Why it mattersIt makes voice interactions feel more natural by allowing users to interrupt the assistant without needing to say a specific wake word like "Hey Google".

In the filing’s own words

The presentation of an automated assistant response may be selectively pre-empted in response to a hot-word free utterance that is received during the presentation and that is determined to be likely directed to the automated assistant. The determination that the utterance is likely directed to the automated assistant may be performed, for example, using an utterance classification operation that is performed on audio data received during presentation of the response, and based upon such a determination, the response may be pre-empted with another response associated with the later-received utterance. In addition, the duration that is used to determine when a session should be terminated at the conclusion of a conversation between a user and an automated assistant may be dynamically controlled based upon when the presentation of a response has completed.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving first data associated with a first utterance captured by a microphone and directed to an automated assistant device, wherein at least a portion of the first data causes a first utterance fulfillment operation to be initiated to generate a first response for the first utterance captured by the microphone; receiving second data associated with a second, hot-word free utterance captured by the microphone during presentation of the first response to the first utterance captured by the microphone, wherein the presentation of the first response includes playback of a spoken audio response, and the second, hot-word free utterance is captured by the microphone during the playback of the spoken audio response; and using the first and second data, and during the playback of the spoken audio response: determining that the second, hot-word free utterance is likely directed to the automated assistant device; causing a second utterance fulfillment operation to be initiated to generate a second response for the second, hot-word free utterance; and pre-empting the playback of the spoken audio response of the presentation of the first response with a generated presentation of the second response.

Facts

Company
Google (GOOGLE LLC)
Official title
Hot-word free pre-emption of automated assistant response presentation
Patent number
US12738268B2
Application number
18889063
Filed
Sep 18, 2024
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Inventors
2
Claims
20

Classified under

G10L 15/16 Physics & computingG06N 3/08 Physics & computingG10L 17/00 Physics & computingG10L 21/0208 Physics & computingG10L 2015/088 Physics & computingG10L 2021/02082 Physics & computing
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.