# US 11,451,618 B2 · Universal voice assistant > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,451,618 B2 - Document ID: US11451618B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/717,546 - Filed: 2019-12-17 - Published: 2020-06-25 - Granted: 2022-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-15 - Assignees: Universal Electronics Inc. - Applicants: Universal Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Arsham Hatambeiki; Haiming Huang; Nicu Ahmadi; Rex Xu; Wesley Millora - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451618B2 ## CPC - G06F 9/44526: {Plug-ins; Add-ons} - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - G05B 15/02: electric - G06F 8/61: Installation - H04W 8/24: Transfer of terminal data - G05B 2219/163: Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart, intelligent house - G05B 2219/2642: Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house - H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Described are systems and methods for enabling voice interaction with appliances, services (e.g., media streaming services, gaming services, news feed services, social platform services, etc.), and the like by way of appropriate supplied apps (also referred to as “skills,” “actions,” or the like) which may be presented or downloaded to a smart device having associated therewith one or more cloud-based voice service platforms. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions wherein the instructions, when executed by a universal voice assistant, cause the universal voice assistant to perform steps comprising: using first data received by the universal voice assistant to identify a controllable appliance within a networked environment, wherein the networked environment includes the universal voice assistant and the controllable appliance; using second data received by the universal voice assistant to identify a one of a plurality of cloud-based, voice serving platforms; retrieving from a data store a skill appropriate for providing voice control of the controllable appliance within the networked environment identified by use of the first data via use of the universal voice assistant operating in conjunction with the one of the plurality of cloud-based, voice serving platforms identified by use of the second data; and installing the retrieved skill on the universal voice assistant. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the second data comprises a keyword, spoken by a user, as received via use of a microphone associated with the universal voice assistant. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 2, wherein the instructions cause the universal voice assistant engine to solicit the user to speak the keyword. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 2, wherein the instructions cause the universal voice assistant to passively listen for the keyword as spoken by the user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the second data is received from the controllable appliance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the skill to be automatically installed on the universal voice assistant in response to the skill being retrieved from the data store. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the instructions cause the skill to be installed on the universal voice assistant only in response to a user approval of the installation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the first data is received from a token via use of a token reading device associated with the universal voice assistant. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the second data is received from the token via use of the token reading device associated with the universal voice assistant. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the first data is received from the controllable appliance. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the instructions cause the universal voice assistant to initiate a sending of the first data by the controllable appliance to the voice assistant. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the universal voice assistant to synchronize a state of the skill when installed on the universal voice assistant to a state of another, previously installed instance of the skill. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the universal voice assistant to retrieve the skill from an Internet server having an associated database in which the skill is stored. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the universal voice assistant to issue a command communication to the controllable appliance to place at least the controllable appliance into a predetermined state upon initiation of the skill. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the universal voice assistant to identify a language in which a wake word is spoken by the user and to provide to the one of the plurality of cloud-based, voice serving platforms an indication of the language. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the universal voice assistant is a component part of a smart device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the smart device comprises a television. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, wherein the smart device comprises a set-top box.