Patently Apple posted a report regarding Apple acquiring their third AI Company in three years to advance Siri and beyond. Interestingly the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple this week that revealed real advancements coming to future applications for Siri beyond today’s iDevices and Mac. Apple introduces us to the concept of Siri on a user’s iDevice communicating with an automated system hub that is a discrete entity. Apple provides many examples but in one case, the home based digital assistant can be associated with the user’s door. The digital assistant using advanced facial recognition can identify who is at the door. The user can tell the home based Siri to open the door to let his girlfriend in, even if he’s not at home. But if a stranger comes to the door the assistant can snap a photo and send it to the owner’s iPhone seeking instructions on what to do with the unexpected visitor. The messaging is done through iMessage. Without a doubt, Siri is going to rapidly advance in many directions going forward and adding a new AI company this week just illustrates how Apple is plowing ahead in this area to keep Siri in tune or ahead of competitors like Alexa, Cortana, Bixby and others.
Siri: Architecture for advanced Interactions
Jumping right to the core of this invention, Apple’s patent FIG. 7D noted below illustrates an architecture designed for advanced virtual assistant interactions.
Apple notes that a first digital assistant #700a is accessed by the user through an iPhone (any iDevice). A second digital assistant #700b is accessed by a user through a human automation system hub.
According to other embodiments, the second digital assistant is accessed by a user through an iPhone, Apple TV, CarPlay or any other device through which a digital assistant can be accessed (think of an Echo-like device).
In an example shown below in patent FIGS. 8Y and 8AA we’re able to see that there could be a future ‘Smart Home’ application/digital assistant, as a second digital assistant.
More specifically Apple notes that the user digital assistant #700a is separate from the hub digital assistant #700b; the two digital assistants 700a, 700b are discrete entities.
Each separate digital assistant 700a, 700b is associated with the same user, according to some embodiments; for example, the user digital assistant 700a may be accessed by the user through his or her portable electronic device 700a, and the hub digital assistant 700b may be accessed by the user through his or her home automation system.
Siri for the home is one of the key areas that Apple is obviously focusing on and we’re likely to hear more about this at their upcoming WWDC event next month.
(Source: www.patentlyapple.com)
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