Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of monitoring an acoustic environment of a mobile device, at least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform such a method and/or a mobile device configured to perform such a method is provided. The method comprises receiving acoustic input from the environment of the mobile device while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command based on performing a plurality of processing stages on the acoustic input, wherein at least one of the plurality of processing stages is performed while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, and using at least one contextual cue to assist in detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of monitoring an acoustic environment of a mobile device, at least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform such a method and/or a mobile device configured to perform such a method is provided. The method comprises receiving acoustic input from the environment of the mobile device while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command based on performing a plurality of processing stages on the acoustic input, wherein at least one of the plurality of processing stages is performed while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, and using at least one contextual cue to assist in detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of monitoring an acoustic environment of a mobile device, at least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform such a method and/or a mobile device configured to perform such a method is provided. The method comprises receiving acoustic input from the environment of the mobile device while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command based on performing a plurality of processing stages on the acoustic input, wherein at least one of the plurality of processing stages is performed while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, and using at least one contextual cue to assist in detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of monitoring an acoustic environment of a mobile device, at least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform such a method and/or a mobile device configured to perform such a method is provided. The method comprises receiving acoustic input from the environment of the mobile device while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command based on performing a plurality of processing stages on the acoustic input, wherein at least one of the plurality of processing stages is performed while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, and using at least one contextual cue to assist in detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of monitoring an acoustic environment of a mobile device, at least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform such a method and/or a mobile device configured to perform such a method is provided. The method comprises receiving acoustic input from the environment of the mobile device while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command based on performing a plurality of processing stages on the acoustic input, wherein at least one of the plurality of processing stages is performed while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, and using at least one contextual cue to assist in detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of monitoring an acoustic environment of a mobile device, at least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform such a method and/or a mobile device configured to perform such a method is provided. The method comprises receiving, by the mobile device, acoustic input from the environment of the mobile device, detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command from a user without requiring receipt of an explicit trigger from the user, and initiating responding to the detected voice command.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to techniques for receiving a query from a device, the query comprising content; determining based at least in part on the content of the query that an application is to be launched on the device; and causing the device to launch the application using at least some information determined from the content of the query. Some embodiments relate to techniques for receiving a free-form query from a user; transferring a representation of the query to at least one computer; and receiving from the at least one computer at least one instruction to launch an application on the device.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of monitoring an acoustic environment of a mobile device, at least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform such a method and/or a mobile device configured to perform such a method is provided. The method comprises receiving acoustic input from the environment of the mobile device while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command based on performing a plurality of processing stages on the acoustic input, wherein at least one of the plurality of processing stages is performed while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, and using at least one contextual cue to assist in detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to techniques for receiving a query from a device, the query comprising content; determining based at least in part on the content of the query that an application is to be launched on the device; and causing the device to launch the application using at least some information determined from the content of the query. Some embodiments relate to techniques for receiving a free-form query from a user; transferring a representation of the query to at least one computer; and receiving from the at least one computer at least one instruction to launch an application on the device.

Abstract: Some aspects include a method of monitoring an acoustic environment of a mobile device operating in a low power mode, the mobile device having a first and second processor, the method comprises receiving acoustic input while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, performing at least one first processing stage on the acoustic input using the first processor, prior to engaging the second processor, to evaluate whether the acoustic input includes a voice command, performing at least one second processing stage on the acoustic input using the second processor to evaluate whether the acoustic input includes a voice command if further processing is needed to determine whether the acoustic input includes a voice command, and initiating responding to the voice command when either the at least one first processing stage or the at least one second processing stage determines that the acoustic input includes a voice command.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of monitoring an acoustic environment of a mobile device, at least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform such a method and/or a mobile device configured to perform such a method is provided. The method comprises receiving, by the mobile device, acoustic input from the environment of the mobile device, detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command from a user without requiring receipt of an explicit trigger from the user, and initiating responding to the detected voice command.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of monitoring an acoustic environment of a mobile device, at least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform such a method and/or a mobile device configured to perform such a method is provided. The method comprises receiving, by the mobile device, acoustic input from the environment of the mobile device, detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command from a user without requiring receipt of an explicit trigger from the user, and initiating responding to the detected voice command.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to performing a search for content via the Internet, wherein user input specifying a search query is supplied to a mobile communications device, such as, for example, a smartphone. The mobile communications device separately issues the search query to a plurality of search engines and can receive the results from each search engine and display the results to the user. Thus, the user does not have to separately issue the query to each of the plurality of search engines.

Abstract: Some aspects include a method of monitoring an acoustic environment of a mobile device operating in a low power mode, the mobile device having a first and second processor, the method comprises receiving acoustic input while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, performing at least one first processing stage on the acoustic input using the first processor, prior to engaging the second processor, to evaluate whether the acoustic input includes a voice command, performing at least one second processing stage on the acoustic input using the second processor to evaluate whether the acoustic input includes a voice command if further processing is needed to determine whether the acoustic input includes a voice command, and initiating responding to the voice command when either the at least one first processing stage or the at least one second processing stage determines that the acoustic input includes a voice command.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of monitoring an acoustic environment of a mobile device, at least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform such a method and/or a mobile device configured to perform such a method is provided. The method comprises receiving, by the mobile device, acoustic input from the environment of the mobile device, detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command from a user without requiring receipt of an explicit trigger from the user, and initiating responding to the detected voice command.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method of monitoring an acoustic environment of a mobile device, at least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform such a method and/or a mobile device configured to perform such a method is provided. The method comprises receiving acoustic input from the environment of the mobile device while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command based on performing a plurality of processing stages on the acoustic input, wherein at least one of the plurality of processing stages is performed while the mobile device is operating in the low power mode, and using at least one contextual cue to assist in detecting whether the acoustic input includes a voice command.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to techniques for performing a search for content, in which a user may issue a search query, and the search engine or engines to which that query is provided may be determined dynamically based on any of a variety of factors. For example, in some embodiments, the search engine or engines to which the query is provided may be determined based on the content of the search query, and/or auxiliary information such as the user's location, demographics, query history and/or browsing history.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to performing a search for content via the Internet, wherein user input specifying a search query is supplied to a mobile communications device, such as, for example, a smartphone. The mobile communications device separately issues the search query to a plurality of search engines and can receive the results from each search engine and display the results to the user. Thus, the user does not have to separately issue the query to each of the plurality of search engines.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a method of performing a search for content on the Internet, in which a user may speak a search query and speech recognition may be performed on the spoken query to generate a text search query to be provided to a plurality of search engines. This enables a user to speak the search query rather than having to type it, and also allows the user to provide the search query only once, rather than having to provide it separately to multiple different search engines.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to performing a search for content via the Internet, wherein user input specifying a search query is supplied to a mobile communications device, such as, for example, a smartphone. The mobile communications device separately issues the search query to a plurality of search engines and can receive the results from each search engine and display the results to the user. Thus, the user does not have to separately issue the query to each of the plurality of search engines.