Media Playback Voice Assistant Arbitration for Interrupt-Free Responses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing associations between multiple voice assistant services (VASes) in media playback systems is challenging due to potential interruptions and asynchronous responses, which can compromise user experience and privacy.
Innovation Solution
A playback device arbitrates between multiple VASes by managing content playback and activation-word detection, suppressing or delaying content from one VAS to avoid interrupting another, and disabling detection for a VAS during active user engagement with a first VAS to prevent erroneous interruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the system supports multiple voice assistant services simultaneously, then the versatility and functionality are improved, but the complexity of managing associations and preventing interruptions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the management of multiple voice assistant services by creating distinct association contexts for each VAS. Each voice assistant service is tracked independently with its own activation state, allowing the system to manage multiple services without creating a single complex management layer. The playback device maintains separate associations with each VAS, enabling independent control and prevention of interruptions between services.
2Ease of operation
If the system allows continuous voice assistant interactions, then the user experience is improved, but interruptions between different VASes occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing associations with multiple voice assistant services before user interactions occur. The playback device pre-configures tracking mechanisms for each VAS's activation state and content playback status. This preliminary setup enables the system to proactively manage and coordinate interactions, preventing interruptions before they occur during actual user voice commands.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor the activation state of each voice assistant service and the playback status of associated content. When a VAS becomes active or content playback changes state, the system receives feedback and adjusts its behavior accordingly - suppressing or delaying content from one VAS to avoid interrupting another active VAS interaction, thereby maintaining reliable playback while supporting multiple services.
3Reliability
If the system suppresses content from one VAS to avoid interrupting another, then the reliability of voice assistant responses is improved, but the loss of time for content playback increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by making the content playback state changeable based on real-time VAS interaction conditions. Content from a particular VAS can be suppressed or delayed dynamically when another VAS is actively interacting with the user. The playback device adjusts content delivery flexibly, transitioning between normal playback and suppressed states according to the current interaction context, thereby maintaining response integrity without permanent time loss.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C~1E
AI summary
Systems and methods for managing multiple voice assistants are disclosed. Audio input is received via one or more microphones of a playback device. A first activation word is detected in the audio input via the playback device. After detecting the first activation word, the playback device transmits a voice utterance of the audio input to a first voice assistant service (VAS). The playback device receives, from the first VAS, first content to be played back via the playback device. The playback device also receives, from a second VAS, second content to be played back via the playback device. The playback device plays back the first content while suppressing the second content. Such suppression can include delaying or canceling playback of the second content.