Hub device, multi-device system including the hub device and plurality of devices, and method of operating the same

A hub device for controlling a device based on a voice input, the hub device comprising:

• a communication interface configured to perform data communication with at least one of a plurality of devices, a voice assistant server, or an Internet of things (IoT) server;
• a microphone configured to receive a voice input of a user;
• a memory configured to store a program comprising one or more instructions;
• and
• a processor configured to execute the one or more instructions of the program stored in the memory, to:
• convert the voice input received through the microphone into text by performing automatic speech recognition (ASR),
• identify a device capable of performing an operation corresponding to the text;
• identify which device stores a function determination model corresponding to the device capable of performing the operation corresponding to the text, from among the hub device, and a plurality of other devices connected to the hub device;
• and
• based on the identified device that stores the function determination model being a device that is different from the hub device, control the communication interface to transmit at least part of the text to the identified device which stores the function determination model.

A method of operating a system comprising a hub device and a first device that stores a function determination model, the method comprising:

• based on receiving, by a hub device a voice input of a user:
• converting, by the hub device, the received voice input into text, by performing automatic speech recognition (ASR) by using data about an ASR module stored in a memory of the hub device;
• identifying, by the hub device, the first device as a device capable of performing an operation corresponding to the text, by using data stored in the memory of the hub device;
• obtaining, by the hub device, from the first device, information about a function determination model stored in the first device;
• and
• transmitting, by the hub device, at least part of the text to the first device, based on the obtained information about the function determination model.

A multi-device system comprising a hub device and a first device that stores a function determination model, wherein the hub device comprises:

• a communication interface configured to perform data communication with the first device that stores a function determination model;
• a microphone configured to receive a voice input of a user;
• a memory configured to store a program comprising one or more instructions;
• and
• a processor configured to execute the one or more instructions of the program stored in the memory, to:
• convert the voice input received through the microphone into text by performing automatic speech recognition (ASR),
• identify the first device as a device capable of performing an operation corresponding to the text,
• control the communication interface to obtain, from the first device, information about the function determination model stored in the first device, and
• control the communication interface to transmit at least part of the text to the first device, based on the obtained information about the function determination model.