Voice Assistant Acoustic Interface for Low-Power Devices
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intelligent automated assistants often rely on graphical user interfaces, which are not suitable for devices with limited or no display capabilities, necessitating the development of voice-based interfaces for effective user interaction.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of voice-based interfaces on electronic devices with speakers and microphones, allowing for audio output and natural language speech input to derive user intent and perform tasks, including sampling audio inputs, providing state outputs, and presenting content in various formats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If graphical user interfaces are used for intelligent automated assistants, then user interaction capability is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces graphical user interfaces (visual/mechanical interaction) with voice-based interfaces (acoustic interaction). The microphone captures speech signals and the speaker outputs audio responses, eliminating the need for display screens and graphical processing. This substitution reduces device complexity and power consumption while maintaining effective user interaction capability through natural language processing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If voice-based interfaces are implemented on devices with limited display capabilities, then adaptability is improved, but computational demand increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the dependency on graphical display capabilities from the intelligent automated assistant system. By isolating the core functionality to acoustic input (microphone) and acoustic output (speaker) with natural language processing, the system becomes adaptable to devices with limited or no display capabilities. The computational demand is optimized by focusing processing resources on speech recognition and synthesis rather than graphical rendering.
3Loss of information
If audio output is provided continuously, then user awareness of device state is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic audio feedback through the speaker to inform users of the device's operational state. Instead of continuous audio output, the system provides state information at relevant moments (e.g., when transitioning between states, when receiving or executing commands). This periodic feedback mechanism maintains user awareness of device state while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous audio output.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and processes for operating an automated assistant are disclosed. In one example process, an electronic device provides an audio output via a speaker of the electronic device. While providing the audio output, the electronic device receives, via a microphone of the electronic device, a natural language speech input. The electronic device derives a representation of user intent based on the natural language speech input and the audio output, identifies a task based on the derived user intent; and performs the identified task.