Structuring verbal commands to allow concatenation in a voice interface in a mobile device

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computing device having at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

• receiving a spoken utterance, wherein the spoken utterance includes at least a first level of a multi-level command format, wherein the first level identifies an application;
• in response to receiving the spoken utterance, displaying a representation of the identified application on a display of the computing device;
• determining whether the spoken utterance includes a second level of the multi-level command format, wherein the second level relates to an action;
• if the spoken utterance includes the second level of the multi-level command format, identifying the action;
• if the spoken utterance does not include the second level of the multi-level command format, waiting for a first predetermined period of time to receive an additional spoken utterance that includes the second level of the multi-level command format and, if no additional spoken utterance that includes the second level is received within the first predetermined period of time, providing at least one of an audible or visual action prompt;
• determining whether the spoken utterance includes a third level of the multi-level command format, wherein the third level identifies slot input;
• if the spoken utterance includes both the second level and the third level of the multi-level command format, populating at least one slot of the identified action with the slot input and initiating the identified action with the at least one slot populated with the slot input;
• and
• if the spoken utterance includes the second level but not the third level of the multi-level command format, waiting for a second predetermined period of time to receive an additional spoken utterance that includes the third level of the multi-level command format and, if no additional spoken utterance that includes the third level is received within the second predetermined period of time, providing at least one of an audible or visual slot prompt.

A computing device, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• data storage;
• a plurality of instructions stored in the data storage and executable by the at least one processor to cause the computing device to perform functions, the functions comprising:
• receiving a spoken utterance, wherein the spoken utterance includes at least a first level of a multi-level command format, wherein the first level identifies an application;
• in response to receiving the spoken utterance, displaying a representation of the identified application on a display of the computing device;
• determining whether the spoken utterance includes a second level of the multi-level command format, wherein the second level relates to an action;
• if the spoken utterance includes the second level of the multi-level command format, identifying the action;
• if the spoken utterance does not include the second level of the multi-level command format, waiting for a first predetermined period of time to receive an additional spoken utterance that includes the second level of the multi-level command format and, if no additional spoken utterance that includes the second level is received within the first predetermined period of time, providing at least one of an audible or visual action prompt;
• determining whether the spoken utterance includes a third level of the multi-level command format, wherein the third level identifies slot input;
• if the spoken utterance includes both the second level and the third level of the multi-level command format, populating at least one slot of the identified action with the slot input and initiating the identified action with the at least one slot populated with the slot input;
• and
• if the spoken utterance includes the second level but not the third level of the multi-level command format, waiting for a second predetermined period of time to receive an additional spoken utterance that includes the third level of the multi-level command format and, if no additional spoken utterance that includes the third level is received within the second predetermined period of time, providing at least one of an audible or visual slot prompt.