Method, Apparatus, and System for Automatically Monitoring for Voice Input Based on Context

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• determining a context associated with a mobile computing device;
• classifying the context as a pre-defined context that likely indicates that ambient sounds will include one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from a user for the computing device to perform an operation;
• in response to classifying the context as a pre-defined context that likely indicates that ambient sounds will include one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from a user for the computing device to perform an operation, switching the computing device to a mode of operation in which the computing device monitors the ambient sounds for one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from the user for the computing device to perform an operation;
• receiving data indicating that the ambient sounds include one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from the user for the mobile computing device to perform the operation;
• and
• in response to receiving data indicating that the ambient sounds include one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from the user for the mobile computing device to perform the operation, providing an output that is responsive to the request.

A system comprising:

• one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
• determining a context associated with a mobile computing device;
• classifying the context as a pre-defined context that likely indicates that ambient sounds will include one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from a user for the computing device to perform an operation;
• in response to classifying the context as a pre-defined context that likely indicates that ambient sounds will include one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from a user for the computing device to perform an operation, switching the computing device to a mode of operation in which the computing device monitors the ambient sounds for one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from the user for the computing device to perform an operation;
• receiving data indicating that the ambient sounds include one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from the user for the mobile computing device to perform the operation;
• and
• in response to receiving data indicating that the ambient sounds include one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from the user for the mobile computing device to perform the operation, providing an output that is responsive to the request.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• determining a context associated with a mobile computing device;
• classifying the context as a pre-defined context that likely indicates that ambient sounds will include one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from a user for the computing device to perform an operation;
• in response to classifying the context as a pre-defined context that likely indicates that ambient sounds will include one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from a user for the computing device to perform an operation, switching the computing device to a mode of operation in which the computing device monitors the ambient sounds for one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from the user for the computing device to perform an operation;
• receiving data indicating that the ambient sounds include one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from the user for the mobile computing device to perform the operation;
• and
• in response to receiving data indicating that the ambient sounds include one or more trigger terms that correspond to a request from the user for the mobile computing device to perform the operation, providing an output that is responsive to the request.