Automated Assistant Proximity Bypass for Wearable Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated assistants require an initial invocation phrase to respond to user inputs, which can lead to missed opportunities for task completion when users are unable to provide active inputs, such as when preoccupied with other tasks.
Innovation Solution
An automated assistant that transitions into a mode allowing it to respond to spoken utterances without an initial invocation phrase when a user is determined to be holding an assistant-enabled device while wearing a computerized watch, using ultrasonic signals to determine the distance between devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the automated assistant requires an invocation phrase for each command, then the assistant can be precisely controlled by user intent, but the user experience deteriorates when the user is preoccupied and cannot provide active inputs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the user's physical state (holding device while wearing watch) before the user provides input. This preliminary action establishes a context where the assistant is pre-positioned to respond to spoken commands without requiring prior invocation phrases, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining reliability through state-based activation
2Productivity
If the automated assistant processes every spoken utterance as a potential command, then the responsiveness improves, but computational resources are wasted on irrelevant inputs
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different processing qualities to different contexts. When the user is detected to be in the specific state of holding the device while wearing the watch, the assistant transitions to a mode with enhanced responsiveness where spoken utterances are processed as commands. This local quality adjustment optimizes productivity for the relevant use case while avoiding unnecessary processing in other contexts
3Ease of operation
If the automated assistant uses proximity detection to enable hands-free operation, then the ease of operation improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and processing
Solution Approach 1:
The system leverages existing multi-functional capabilities already present in modern smartphones and wearables. The proximity detection feature utilizes existing sensors (microphones, accelerometers, GPS) that serve multiple purposes such as call detection, fitness tracking, and location services. By making these existing components serve the additional function of assistant activation detection, the system improves ease of operation without proportionally increasing device complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the automated assistant to process user commands without requiring an explicit invocation phrase, thereby preserving computational resources and reducing processing time, while ensuring accurate detection of user intent based on contextual factors.
Implementation Method 1
the computerized watch can communicate a first ultrasonic signal to the other computing device
Implementation Method 2
In response to receiving the first ultrasonic signal, the other computing device can provide a second ultrasonic signal
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations relate to an automated assistant that can bypass invocation phrase detection when an estimation of device-to-device distance satisfies a distance threshold. The estimation of distance can be performed for a set of devices, such as a computerized watch and a cellular phone, and/or any other combination of devices. The devices can communicate ultrasonic signals between each other, and the estimated distance can be determined based on when the ultrasonic signals are sent and/or received by each respective device. When an estimated distance satisfies the distance threshold, the automated assistant can operate as if the user is holding onto their cellular phone while wearing their computerized watch. This scenario can indicate that the user may be intending to hold their device to interact with the automated assistant and, based on this indication, the automated assistant can temporarily bypass invocation phrase detection (e.g., invoke the automated assistant).