Apple patents method to better detect when you are talking to Siri
Apple describes a system that listens to your voice and reads the words to decide if you are actually trying to talk to a digital assistant. It combines two scores—one based on how the sound is spoken and one based on the specific words used—to make this decision. If the scores match, the assistant starts the requested task; otherwise, it ignores the input.
In the filing’s own words
An example process includes: receiving a speech input representing a user utterance; determining, based on a textual representation of the speech input, a first score corresponding to a type of the user utterance; determining, based on the textual representation of the speech input, a second score representing a correspondence between the user utterance and a domain recognized by a digital assistant; determining, based on the first score and the second score, whether the speech input is intended for the digital assistant; in accordance with a determination that the speech input is intended for the digital assistant: initiating, by the digital assistant, a task based on the speech input; and providing an output indicative of the initiated task.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to: receive a speech input; determine, based on an acoustic representation of the speech input, a first score indicating whether the speech input is intended for a digital assistant operating on the electronic device; determine, based on a textual representation of the speech input, a second score indicating whether the speech input is intended for the digital assistant; determine, based on the first score and the second score, whether the speech input is intended for the digital assistant; initiate, by the digital assistant, a task based on the speech input; and in accordance with a determination that the speech input is intended for the digital assistant: provide an output indicative of the initiated task.
Facts
- Company
- Apple (Apple Inc.)
- Official title
- DETERMINING WHETHER SPEECH INPUT IS INTENDED FOR A DIGITAL ASSISTANT
- Publication number
- US20260331104A1
- Application number
- 19666071
- Filed
- May 1, 2026
- Published
- Oct 22, 2026
- Inventors
- 10
- Claims
- 17
Classified under
G10L 15/197 Physics & computingG06T 7/70 Physics & computingG06V 40/161 Physics & computingG10L 15/16 Physics & computingG10L 15/22 Physics & computingG10L 25/78 Physics & computingMore from Apple in AI & software
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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.