Apple desires Siri to be a greater “Interactive Studying Assistant” as evidenced by a newly granted patent (quantity US 11887497 B2).
In regards to the patent
The patent pertains to an interactive studying assistant, and, specifically, modifying textual content content material based mostly on studying and/or speech proficiency values. Within the patent Apple notes that present voice detection techniques are in a position to detect the presence of speech of a human consumer, and decide sure sounds (e.g., phonemes) and phrases inside the detected speech. Quite a lot of functions could also be carried out based mostly on the decided sounds and phrases. Certainly one of these functions is helping a consumer (e.g., youngsters or polyglots) in talking (e.g., uttering) a specific language.
Nonetheless, Apple notes that, in sure conditions, present voice detection techniques aren’t geared up to successfully help a consumer in studying. Present voice detection techniques are unable to evaluate whether or not sure vocalizations (e.g., utterances) made by a consumer match corresponding anticipated values. For instance, a consumer with a bodily situation or attribute, reminiscent of a speech obstacle or an underdeveloped vocal tract, produces a sort of vocalization that’s reflective of the bodily situation or attribute.
A present voice detection system might have issue recognizing the kind of vocalization. This implies it could actually’t present useful suggestions with a view to help correct studying (e.g., pronunciation) of recognized textual content content material. As one other instance, Apple says that content material is typically too advanced or not advanced sufficient (e.g., boring or boring) to sufficiently interact a consumer to learn.
A consumer with out helpful suggestions or an unengaged consumer in the end spends extra time to finish a specific language lesson, leading to larger useful resource utilization (e.g., larger processing and reminiscence utilization, lowered battery life, larger wear-and-tear, and many others.). Apple desires Siri to have the ability to present studying help in response to an evaluation of a specific sort of consumer vocalization, and in a way that engages and/or encourages the consumer to learn.
Abstract of the patent
Right here’s Apple’s summary of the patent: “A technique consists of, whereas displaying a primary set of textual content content material through a show gadget, figuring out an engagement worth that characterizes a degree of consumer engagement with respect to the primary set of textual content content material. The strategy consists of, in accordance with a dedication that the engagement worth satisfies a threshold, changing the primary set of textual content content material with a second set of textual content content material through the show gadget.
“The primary set of textual content content material is completely different from the second set of textual content content material. The strategy consists of in accordance with a dedication that the engagement worth doesn’t fulfill the edge, sustaining show of the primary set of textual content content material through the show gadget.”
