Context-Aware Audio Trigger Selection for Computing Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computing devices face challenges in accurately interpreting audio inputs without entering an audio input mode, leading to unintended actions, as they struggle to differentiate between intended commands and background noise.
Innovation Solution
The computing device determines its context, such as active applications and location, to identify contextual audio triggers associated with specific operations, allowing it to recognize and respond to natural language audio inputs without the need for a default trigger.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the computing device continuously monitors audio data for default triggers, then it can respond to audio commands, but it may perform unintended actions due to background noise or unintended speech
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by determining contextual information (active applications, location, device state) before monitoring for audio triggers. This pre-establishment of context allows the device to selectively activate specific audio triggers only when appropriate, reducing false activations while maintaining responsiveness. For example, the system determines that a media player is actively playing music, then activates only media-related audio triggers like 'pause' or 'skip' in that context.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by making audio trigger sensitivity context-dependent rather than uniform. Different audio triggers have different activation thresholds and sensitivities based on the current context. When a navigation application is active, location-related audio commands have higher sensitivity, while other triggers remain less sensitive. This localized adjustment of trigger properties reduces unintended activations while maintaining ease of use for relevant commands.
2Ease of operation
If the computing device requires entry into audio input mode before processing audio, then it avoids unintended actions, but it reduces the naturalness of interaction
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the audio input mode based on contextual conditions rather than maintaining a static state. The device transitions between different operational states (monitoring vs. active audio input mode) based on real-time context evaluation. When the context indicates a high likelihood of intended audio input (e.g., user recently interacted with the device, specific applications are active), the system dynamically enables more sensitive audio trigger monitoring, thereby improving naturalness while maintaining reliability through context-aware activation.
3Reliability
If the computing device determines contextual information and selects specific audio triggers, then it improves command recognition accuracy, but it increases processing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the audio trigger recognition process into distinct modular components: context determination module, trigger selection module, and audio monitoring module. Each module performs a specific function and can be independently optimized. The context determination module gathers information about active applications, location, and device state, then passes this contextual information to the trigger selection module, which selects appropriate triggers from a predefined set. This segmentation reduces overall complexity by making each component simpler and more manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a universal context determination framework that serves multiple functions: it identifies active applications, determines device location, assesses user intent, and selects relevant audio triggers. This multi-functional context module replaces what would otherwise require separate systems for each function, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high accuracy in audio trigger recognition through integrated contextual analysis.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computing device includes at least one processor and at least one module, operable by the at least one processor, to determine a context of the computing device, the context including an indication of at least one of an application executing at the computing device and a location of the computing device and determine, based at least in part on the context, one or more contextual audio triggers usable to initiate interaction with the computing device, each of the one or more contextual audio triggers being associated with a respective operation of the computing device. The at least one module is further operable to receive audio data, and responsive to determining that a portion of the audio data corresponds to a particular contextual audio trigger from the one or more contextual audio triggers, perform the respective operation associated with the particular contextual audio trigger.