# US 2018/0025733 A1 · Activating voice assistant based on at least one of user proximity and context > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0025733 A1 - Document ID: US20180025733A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/217,426 - Filed: 2016-07-22 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. - Applicants: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. - Inventors: Ming Qian; Song Wang; John Weldon Nicholson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025733A1 ## CPC - G10L 17/22: Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces - G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback} - G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue - G10L 25/78: Detection of presence or absence of voice signals (switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract In one aspect, a device includes a processor, a microphone accessible to the processor, and storage accessible to the processor. The storage bears instructions executable by the processor to, without receiving a user command to enter voice recognition mode, automatically activate the microphone responsive to a determination based on a proximity signal that a user is proximate to the device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device, comprising: a processor; a microphone accessible to the processor; and storage accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by the processor to: without receiving a user command to enter voice recognition mode, automatically activate the microphone responsive to a determination based on a proximity signal that a user is proximate to the device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to: without receiving a user command to enter voice recognition mode, automatically activate a voice assistant module (VAM) of the device responsive to the determination based on the proximity signal that the user is proximate to the device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to: without receiving a user command to enter voice recognition mode, automatically activate the microphone responsive to the determination based on the proximity signal that the user is proximate to the device and that a user context test is satisfied. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to: without receiving a user command to enter voice recognition mode, at least one of automatically de-activate the microphone and maintain deactivated the microphone responsive to the determination based on the proximity signal that the user is proximate to the device and that the user context test is not satisfied. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to: without receiving a user command to enter voice recognition mode, at least one of automatically de-activate the microphone and maintain deactivated the microphone responsive to the determination based on the proximity signal that the user is not proximate to the device and that the user context test is satisfied. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein the context test comprises whether the user is asleep. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein the context test requires consideration of at least two input parameters. ### Claim 8 A computer readable storage medium (CRSM) that is not a transitory signal, the computer readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor to: activate at least one microphone associated with a voice assistant module (VAM), not by a key word being spoken or button press, but at least one of responsive to a signal from a proximity sensor indicating that a user is near the microphone and responsive to a determination that the user's context satisfies a context test. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The CRSM of claim 8, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to: activate the at least one microphone responsive to the signal from the proximity sensor indicating that a user is near the microphone. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The CRSM of claim 8, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to: activate the at least one microphone responsive to a determination that the user's context satisfies a context test. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The CRSM of claim 8, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to: activate and deactivate the VAM along with respectively activating and deactivating the microphone. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The CRSM of claim 8, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to: automatically activate the microphone responsive to the determination based on the proximity signal that the user is near the microphone and that a user context test is satisfied. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The CRSM of claim 12, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to: at least one of automatically de-activate the microphone and maintain deactivated the microphone responsive to the determination based on the proximity signal that the user is near the microphone and that the user context test is not satisfied. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The CRSM of claim 13, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to: without receiving a user command to enter voice recognition mode, at least one of automatically de-activate the microphone and maintain deactivated the microphone responsive to the determination based on the proximity signal that the user is not near the microphone and that the user context test is satisfied. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The CRSM of claim 10, wherein the context test comprises whether the user is asleep. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The CRSM of claim 10, wherein the context test requires consideration of at least two input parameters. ### Claim 17 A method, comprising: presenting, on a display of a device, at least one user interface (UI) facilitating automatic activation and deactivation of a microphone associated with the device; responsive to first input to the UI, automatically activating and deactivating the microphone based on user proximity to the device; responsive to second input to the UI, automatically activating and deactivating the microphone based on user context; and responsive to first and second input to the UI, automatically activating and deactivating the microphone based on both user proximity to the device and based on user context. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, comprising: responsive to first and second input to the UI, automatically activating the microphone responsive to user proximity satisfying a proximity test and responsive to user context satisfying a context test; responsive to first and second input to the UI, at least one of automatically deactivating the microphone and maintaining deenergized the microphone responsive to user proximity satisfying the proximity test and responsive to user context not satisfying the context test; responsive to first and second input from the UI, at least one of automatically deactivating the microphone and maintaining deenergized the microphone responsive to user proximity not satisfying the proximity test and responsive to user context satisfying a context test. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, comprising: activating and deactivating a voice assistant module (VAM) along with respectively activating and deactivating the microphone. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the context test requires consideration of at least two input parameters.