Command Boundaries for Intelligent Virtual Assistants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Intelligent virtual assistants (IVAs) in shared environments face challenges in accurately capturing verbal commands due to interfering noises and overlapping command boundaries, leading to potential security breaches when malicious individuals overhear sensitive information.
Innovation Solution
Establishing near field and personal information command boundaries to differentiate between near field and far field audio, and implementing command rules to ensure that only authorized devices receive and execute commands within their designated boundaries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple IVAs operate in a shared environment without command boundaries, then the system provides broader coverage and accessibility, but command misidentification occurs leading to security breaches
Solution Approach 1:
The shared environment is segmented into multiple non-overlapping command boundaries, each assigned to a specific IVA. This spatial segmentation allows multiple IVAs to operate simultaneously without interference, maintaining both broad coverage and command accuracy by ensuring each command is processed by only one designated IVA.
Solution Approach 2:
A command boundary determination mechanism acts as an intermediary between audio capture and command processing. This intermediary layer identifies which IVA should receive a command based on the audio source location relative to command boundaries, preventing misidentification and security breaches while maintaining system versatility.
2Ease of operation
If IVAs capture audio from all directions without boundaries, then the system is more accessible to users, but interfering noises reduce command recognition accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The audio capture space is segmented into distinct command boundary zones. Each IVA is responsible for capturing and processing audio within its designated boundary, filtering out interfering noises from other zones. This maintains accessibility within each zone while improving recognition accuracy by excluding external distractions.
Solution Approach 2:
Each command boundary has localized audio capture characteristics optimized for its specific IVA. The system adjusts sensitivity and capture parameters locally within each boundary to match the IVA's capabilities and environmental conditions, improving recognition accuracy without compromising overall accessibility.
3Reliability
If command boundaries are established to improve security, then command accuracy increases, but system complexity increases due to boundary management
Solution Approach 1:
The determination of command boundaries and IVA identification is merged into a single integrated process. The system simultaneously establishes spatial boundaries and identifies the responsible IVA based on audio source location, reducing the need for separate boundary management mechanisms and simplifying overall system complexity while maintaining high command accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Each IVA autonomously determines its own command boundary and processes commands within that boundary without requiring centralized coordination for every decision. This self-service approach reduces system complexity by distributing boundary management responsibilities while maintaining reliable command accuracy through consistent boundary enforcement.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for managing commands utilizing command boundaries includes establishing a first command boundary for a first intelligent virtual assistant operating on a first electronic device. The method also includes, responsive to receiving audio from a plurality of sources within a vicinity of the first electronic device, identifying a portion of the audio from the plurality of sources within the first command boundary. The method also includes, responsive to determining a command is identifiable in the portion of the audio from the plurality of sources within the first command boundary, sending the command to the first intelligent virtual assistant on the first electronic device.