US 11,700,412 B2
Universal voice assistant
Rex Xu, Foothill Ranch, CA (US); Wesley Millora, Santa Ana, CA (US); Steven McAllister, Kowloon (HK); Arsham Hatambeiki, San Francisco, CA (US); Nicu Ahmadi, Santa Ana, CA (US); Jelmer Jonkman, Santa Ana, CA (US); Steve Gutman, Santa Ana, CA (US); Norman G. Sheridan, Fremont, CA (US); and Haiming Huang, Santa Ana, CA (US)
Assigned to Universal Electronics Inc., Scottsdale, AZ (US)
Filed by Universal Electronics Inc., Scottsdale, AZ (US)
Filed on Dec. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/137,960.
Application 17/137,960 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/717,546, filed on Dec. 17, 2019, granted, now 11,451,618.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/956,478, filed on Jan. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/789,857, filed on Jan. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0120301 A1, Apr. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. H04N 21/422 (2011.01); G10L 15/22 (2006.01)
CPC H04N 21/42203 (2013.01) [G10L 15/22 (2013.01); H04N 21/42227 (2013.01); G10L 2015/223 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A controlling device, comprising:
a processor;
a display device coupled to the processor;
at least one input element coupled to the processor;
a transmitter coupled to the processor;
a proximity sensing system coupled to the processor; and
a memory device couple to the processor, the memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the controlling device to:
operate in a one of a plurality of controlling device operating modes, wherein each of the plurality of controlling device operating modes has associated therewith at least two user interfaces presentable in the display device and each of the at least two user interfaces associated within each of the plurality of controlling device operating modes is determinative of how input received via the at least one input element received while operating in each of the plurality of controlling device operating modes is to be processed by the processor;
repeatedly use the proximity sensing system to select a one of the at least two user interfaces for the one of the plurality of controlling device operating modes;
cause the selected one of the at least two user interfaces for the one of the plurality of controlling device operating modes to be presented in the display device; and
use the selected one of the at least two user interfaces for the one of the plurality of controlling device operating modes to determine if a first predetermined input received via the at least one input element is to cause the controlling device to transmit a command to control a functional operation of a predetermined one of a plurality of target appliances via use of the transmitter.