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AppleGranted patentAI & softwareInterest 6/10

Apple patents smart assistant that manages device settings

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

This patent describes a method for a digital assistant to understand when a user wants to check a device setting versus change it. The system identifies the current status of the setting and determines if the user is asking for information or requesting a specific action. If the user wants to change a setting, the assistant prepares the modification and displays an option for the user to confirm or adjust the change.

Why it mattersThis improves how voice assistants handle system settings by distinguishing between simple questions and commands that require changing device configurations.

In the filing’s own words

Systems and processes for operating a digital assistant are provided. In one example, a method includes receiving a first speech input from a user. The method further includes identifying context information and determining a user intent based on the first speech input and the context information. The method further includes determining whether the user intent is to perform a task using a searching process or an object managing process. The searching process is configured to search data, and the object managing process is configured to manage objects. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination the user intent is to perform the task using the searching process, performing the task using the searching process; and in accordance with the determination that the user intent is to perform the task using the object managing process, performing the task using the object managing process.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of a user device, the one or more programs including instructions for: receiving, from a user of the user device, an input to manage a system configuration of the user device; identifying a current status of the system configuration; determining a user intent based on the input and the current status of the system configuration; determining whether the user intent indicates an informational request related to the system configuration of the user device or a request for performing a task related to the system configuration of the user device; in accordance with a determination that the user intent indicates the informational request related to the system configuration of the user device, providing a response to the informational request including the current status of the system configuration of the user device; and in accordance with a determination that the user intent indicates the request for performing the task: instantiating a process to modify the system configuration from the current status to a desired status determined from the input; and displaying an affordance, wherein the affordance enables the user to modify a status of the system configuration.

Facts

Company
Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title
Intelligent digital assistant in a multi-tasking environment
Patent number
US12763078B2
Application number
18988688
Filed
Dec 19, 2024
Granted
Oct 13, 2026
Inventors
4
Claims
60

Classified under

G10L 15/22 Physics & computingG06F 3/167 Physics & computingG06F 16/685 Physics & computingG06F 16/9032 Physics & computingG06F 16/951 Physics & computingG10L 13/02 Physics & computing

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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.