Audio Query Coordination Across Overlapping Digital Assistants

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Solution Overview

Problem

Excessive network transmissions of network traffic data between computing devices can lead to inefficient bandwidth utilization and delayed responses due to processing capacity limitations, often involving invalid requests and differing processing techniques among digital assistant components.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for coordinating overlapping processing of audio queries by multiple digital assistant components, utilizing a coordinator component to arbitrate and prioritize responses based on confidence scores and quality assessments, allowing parallel processing to reduce latency and increase reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple digital assistant components process audio queries in parallel, then processing speed and reliability are improved, but network bandwidth consumption and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The coordinator component performs preliminary routing decisions by assessing query characteristics and component capabilities before initiating parallel processing. This preliminary action filters out queries that don't require parallel processing, reducing unnecessary network bandwidth consumption while maintaining fast response times for suitable queries.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements selective parallel processing where only a subset of components processes each query based on relevance and current load. This partial action approach avoids the excessive bandwidth consumption of full parallel processing while maintaining the speed benefits for queries that truly require multiple processing paths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Reliability

If multiple digital assistant components process audio queries simultaneously, then system reliability is improved through redundancy, but device complexity and coordination overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidcoordination complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The coordinator component serves as an intermediary that centralizes the coordination logic for parallel processing. It receives queries, determines appropriate routing strategies, monitors component responses, and synthesizes final results. This intermediary approach manages the complexity of coordinating multiple components while maintaining system reliability through structured oversight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the coordinator monitors responses from processing components in real-time. Based on this feedback regarding response quality, processing speed, and component performance, the coordinator dynamically adjusts routing decisions and can request reprocessing from alternative components if needed, thereby managing complexity through adaptive control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of time

If parallel processing is implemented across multiple digital assistant components, then response timeliness is improved, but bandwidth utilization efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponse latencyVSAvoidbandwidth utilization efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the parallel processing workload by dividing queries into different processing paths based on their characteristics and the capabilities of available components. This segmentation allows the coordinator to optimize bandwidth usage for each segment while maintaining overall response timeliness, rather than treating all queries uniformly with full parallel processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The routing strategy implemented by the coordinator is dynamic rather than static. It continuously adapts parallel processing decisions based on current network conditions, component availability, and query characteristics. This dynamic approach optimizes bandwidth utilization in real-time while maintaining the response timeliness benefits of parallel processing when conditions are favorable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3596616B1Coordination of overlapping processing of audio queries
Publication Date: 2026.01.14 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3596616B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3596616B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3596616B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Coordinating processing of audio queries is provided. A system receives a query. The system provides the query to a first digital assistant component and a second digital assistant component for processing. The system receives a first response to the query from the first digital assistant component, and a second response to the query from the second digital assistant component. The first digital assistant component can be authorized to access a database the second digital assistant component is prohibited from accessing. The system determines, based on a ranking decision function, to select the second response to the query from the second digital assistant component. The system provides, responsive to the selection, the second response from the second digital assistant to a computing device.