Voice Skill Session Lifetime Management via Ultrasonic Proximity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Authentication processes for voice-activated devices in enterprise settings are cumbersome, particularly when devices lack touchscreens or keyboards, leading to inefficiencies and user frustration due to the need for lengthy voice authentication sequences and potential session termination during silent periods.

Innovation Solution

A networked environment solution that uses a workflow service to manage voice skill sessions, employing ultrasonic pulses and session extension codes to maintain authenticated sessions without requiring continuous user input, ensuring security and convenience by extending sessions based on silence thresholds and verified device proximity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If voice authentication sequences are made lengthy to ensure security, then authentication security is improved, but user convenience and workflow efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication securityVSAvoiduser convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authentication actions during device pairing or initial setup, establishing trust relationships and security tokens before actual voice workflows begin. This preliminary authentication reduces the need for lengthy re-authentication sequences during normal operation, allowing users to maintain secure access without repeated cumbersome authentication steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the voice-activated device communicates session status and authentication validity to the workflow service, which responds with session extension tokens or re-authentication requirements. This feedback loop allows the system to maintain security while extending session lifetimes, reducing the frequency of authentication requests and improving user convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If session lifetime is extended to reduce re-authentication frequency, then user convenience is improved, but security risk increases due to potential silent periods

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession continuityVSAvoidsecurity risk during silent periods

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic session extension actions where the voice-activated device sends keep-alive or session extension requests at predetermined intervals during silent periods. This periodic action maintains session continuity and user convenience while managing security risk by actively refreshing authentication tokens rather than relying on continuous user presence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The voice-activated device performs self-service session maintenance by automatically sending session extension requests to the workflow service during silent periods without requiring user intervention. The device monitors its own session state and initiates extension actions to maintain connectivity, balancing convenience and security without continuous user input.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If authentication requires verification through another device, then security is improved, but workflow efficiency and productivity deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidworkflow efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The workflow service acts as an intermediary that manages authentication and session extension between the voice-activated device and enterprise resources. This intermediary handles security verification centrally, allowing the voice-activated device to maintain secure access without requiring constant verification through separate devices, thereby improving workflow efficiency while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The workflow service provides multi-functional capabilities including authentication, session management, and session extension in a single system. This universal service reduces the need for separate authentication devices or steps, allowing the voice-activated device to perform multiple functions through a unified security framework and improving overall productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Ease of operation

If the device lacks touchscreen and keyboard inputs, then ease of operation is improved, but authentication complexity increases due to reliance on voice commands

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevoice-activated operationVSAvoidauthentication process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces mechanical input methods (touchscreen, keyboard) with acoustic field-based voice commands for user input. This substitution maintains ease of operation for voice-activated devices while managing authentication complexity by using the workflow service to handle the complexity of secure verification through acoustic inputs rather than requiring complex local processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12088585B2Voice skill session lifetime management

Publication Date: 2024.09.10 OMNISSA LLC

AI summary

Disclosed are various aspects of voice skill session lifetime management. In some examples, a session extension request is received. The session extension request extends a voice skill session of a voice-activated device. A personal client device is identified based on the session extension request. A command to emit an ultrasonic pulse is transmitted to the personal client device.