Abstract: A computer-implemented technique can include detecting, by a first computing device, a set of user communications at least one of transmitted to and received by from a second computing device via a first communication mode, identifying a second communication mode that is available for communication between the first and second computing devices, and obtaining an appropriateness score for the first and second communication modes based on a contextual feature of the set of user communications, wherein the contextual feature relates an appropriateness of a particular communication mode for the set of user communications, and wherein each appropriateness score is indicative of a level of the appropriateness of a particular communication mode for the set of user communications. The technique can also include selectively outputting a suggestion to switch from the first communication mode to the second communication mode.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a first instance of raw audio data corresponding to a voice-based command and receiving a second instance of the raw audio data corresponding to an utterance of audible contents for an audio-based communication spoken by a user. When a voice filtering recognition routine determines to activate voice filtering for at least the voice of the user, the method also includes obtaining a respective speaker embedding of the user and processing, using the respective speaker embedding, the second instance of the raw audio data to generate enhanced audio data for the audio-based communication that isolates the utterance of the audible contents spoken by the user and excludes at least a portion of the one or more additional sounds that are not spoken by the user The method also includes executing.

Abstract: Implementations relate to automatic generation of speaker features for each of one or more particular text-dependent speaker verifications (TD-SVs) for a user. Implementations can generate speaker features for a particular TD-SV using instances of audio data that each capture a corresponding spoken utterance of the user during normal non-enrollment interactions with an automated assistant via one or more respective assistant devices. For example, a portion of an instance of audio data can be used in response to: (a) determining that recognized term(s) for the spoken utterance captured by that the portion correspond to the particular TD-SV; and (b) determining that an authentication measure, for the user and for the spoken utterance, satisfies a threshold. Implementations additionally or alternatively relate to utilization of speaker features, for each of one or more particular TD-SVs for a user, in determining whether to authenticate a spoken utterance for the user.

Abstract: A method for optimizing speech recognition includes receiving a first acoustic segment characterizing a hotword detected by a hotword detector in streaming audio captured by a user device, extracting one or more hotword attributes from the first acoustic segment, and adjusting, based on the one or more hotword attributes extracted from the first acoustic segment, one or more speech recognition parameters of an automated speech recognition (ASR) model. After adjusting the speech recognition parameters of the ASR model, the method also includes processing, using the ASR model, a second acoustic segment to generate a speech recognition result. The second acoustic segment characterizes a spoken query/command that follows the first acoustic segment in the streaming audio captured by the user device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining whether to combine responses from multiple automated assistants. An automated assistant may be invoked by a user utterance, followed by a query, which is provided to a plurality of automated assistants. A first response is received from a first automated assistant and a second response is received from a second automated assistant. Based on similarity between the responses, a primary automated assistant determines whether to combine the responses into a combined response. Once the combined response has been generated, one or more actions are performed in response to the combined response.

Abstract: A method includes receiving user queries directed toward a cloud-based assistant service. For each received user query directed toward the cloud-based assistant service, the method also includes extracting one or more attributes from the user query and logging the user query into one or more of a plurality of category buckets based on the one or more attributes extracted from the user query. The method also includes determining when at least one of the plurality of category buckets includes a threshold number of the user queries logged into the at least one category bucket, and when the at least one of the plurality of category buckets includes the threshold number of the user queries, generating a distilled model of the cloud-based assistant service. The distilled model of the cloud-based assistant service is configured to execute on one or more target client devices.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for obtaining, for each of multiple words or sub-words, audio data corresponding to multiple users speaking the word or sub-word; training, for each of the multiple words or sub-words, a pre-computed hotword model for the word or sub-word based on the audio data for the word or sub-word; receiving a candidate hotword from a computing device; identifying one or more pre-computed hotword models that correspond to the candidate hotword; and providing the identified, pre-computed hotword models to the computing device.

Abstract: A method for detecting freeze words includes receiving audio data that corresponds to an utterance spoken by a user and captured by a user device associated with the user. The method also includes processing, using a speech recognizer, the audio data to determine that the utterance includes a query for a digital assistant to perform an operation. The speech recognizer is configured to trigger endpointing of the utterance after a predetermined duration of non-speech in the audio data. Before the predetermined duration of non-speech, the method includes detecting a freeze word in the audio data. In response to detecting the freeze word in the audio data, the method also includes triggering a hard microphone closing event at the user device. The hard microphone closing event prevents the user device from capturing any audio subsequent to the freeze word.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing audio data, from an initially invoked automated assistant to a subsequently invoked automated assistant. An initially invoked automated assistant may be invoked by a user utterance, followed by audio data that includes a query. The query is provided to a secondary automated assistant for processing. Subsequently, the user can submit a query that is related to the first query. In response, the initially invoked automated assistant provides the query to the secondary automated assistant in lieu of providing the query to other secondary automated assistants based on similarity between the first query and the subsequent query.

Abstract: A method includes receiving text input data for conversion into synthesized speech and determining, using a hotword-aware model trained to detect a presence of a hotword assigned to a user device, whether a pronunciation of the text input data includes the hotword. The hotword is configured to initiate a wake-up process on the user device for processing the hotword and/or one or more other terms following the hotword in the audio input data. When the pronunciation of the text input data includes the hotword, the method also includes generating an audio output signal from the text input data and providing the audio output signal to an audio output device to output the audio output signal. The audio output signal when captured by an audio capture device of the user device, configured to prevent initiation of the wake-up process on the user device.

Abstract: Some implementations process, using warm word model(s), a stream of audio data to determine a portion of the audio data that corresponds to particular word(s) and/or phrase(s) (e.g., a warm word) associated with an assistant command, process, using an automatic speech recognition (ASR) model, a preamble portion of the audio data (e.g., that precedes the warm word) and/or a postamble portion of the audio data (e.g., that follows the warm word) to generate ASR output, and determine, based on processing the ASR output, whether a user intended the assistant command to be performed. Additional or alternative implementations can process the stream of audio data using a speaker identification (SID) model to determine whether the audio data is sufficient to identify the user that provided a spoken utterance captured in the stream of audio data, and determine if that user is authorized to cause performance of the assistant command.

Abstract: A first computing device can implement a method for providing navigation instructions. The method includes initiating a first navigation session for providing a first set of navigation instructions to a user from a starting location to a destination location along a first route. The method also includes detecting a second computing device in proximity to the first computing device, and determining that the second computing device is implementing a second navigation session for providing a second set of navigation instructions to the destination location along a second route. Further, the method includes adjusting the first navigation session in accordance with the second navigation session.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for designating certain voice commands as hotwords. The methods, systems, and apparatus include actions of receiving a hotword followed by a voice command. Additional actions include determining that the voice command satisfies one or more predetermined criteria associated with designating the voice command as a hotword, where a voice command that is designated as a hotword is treated as a voice input regardless of whether the voice command is preceded by another hotword. Further actions include, in response to determining that the voice command satisfies one or more predetermined criteria associated with designating the voice command as a hotword, designating the voice command as a hotword.

Abstract: Implementations set forth herein relate to an automated assistant that can control a camera according to one or more conditions specified by a user. A condition can be satisfied when, for example, the automated assistant detects a particular environment feature is apparent. In this way, the user can rely on the automated assistant to identify and capture certain moments without necessarily requiring the user to constantly monitor a viewing window of the camera. In some implementations, a condition for the automated assistant to capture media data can be based on application data and/or other contextual data that is associated with the automated assistant. For instance, a relationship between content in a camera viewing window and other content of an application interface can be a condition upon which the automated assistant captures certain media data using a camera.

Abstract: To provide media content tailored to a user's route, a computing device receives a request for navigation directions to a destination location, and obtains a set of navigation directions for traveling on a route to the destination location. The computing device also obtains candidate media content items to play during the route, and selects one or more of the candidate media content items to play during the route based on characteristics of the candidate media content items and characteristics of the route. Then the computing device provides the set of navigation directions and an indication of the selected one or more media content items to a user for presentation during the route. The selected one or more media content items are automatically presented upon receiving a selection by the user to initiate a navigation session for traveling along the route in accordance with the set of navigation directions.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for receiving a natural language query of a user, and environmental data, identifying a media item based on the environmental data, determining an entity type based on the natural language query, selecting an entity associated with the media item that matches the entity type, selecting, from a media consumption database that identifies media items that have been indicated as consumed by the user, one or more media items that have been indicated as consumed by the user and that are associated with the selected entity, and providing a response to the query based on selecting the one or more media items that have been indicated as consumed by the user and that are associated with the selected entity.

Abstract: Implementations set forth relate to suggesting an alternate interface modality when an automated assistant and/or a user is expected to not understand a particular interaction between the user and the automated assistant. In some instances, the automated assistant can pre-emptively determine that a forthcoming and/or ongoing interaction between a user and an automated assistant may experience interference. Based on this determination, the automated assistant can provide an indication that the interaction may not be successful and/or that the user should interact with the automated assistant through a different modality. For example, the automated assistant can render a keyboard interface at a portable computing device when the automated assistant determines that an audio interface of the portable computing device is experiencing interference.

Abstract: System and methods are provided for generating panoramic imagery. An example method may be performed by one or more processors and includes obtaining first panoramic imagery depicting a geographic area. The method also includes obtaining an image depicting one or more physical objects absent from the first panoramic imagery. Further, the method includes transforming the first panoramic imagery into second panoramic imagery depicting the one or more physical objects and including at least a portion of the first panoramic imagery.

Abstract: Systems and methods for multi device learning and inference in an ambient computing environment. In some aspects, the present technology discloses systems and methods for performing cross-device learning in which new devices may be trained based on supervision signals from existing devices in the ambient computing environment. In some aspects, the present technology discloses systems and methods for performing multi-device inference across two or more devices in the ambient computing environment. Likewise, in some aspects, the present technology discloses systems and methods for training models that are robust to the addition or removal of one or more devices from an ambient computing environment.

Abstract: A computing device may implement a method for providing navigation information regarding a current trip by a user without the user having previously initiated a navigation session. The method may include receiving a request for navigation information regarding a current trip by a user prior to a user initiating a navigation session, and determining a destination for the current trip. The method may also include generating one or more sets of navigation directions for traveling from a current location of the user to the destination along one or more routes based on a current trajectory of the user, and providing a response to the request for navigation information based on the generated one or more sets of navigation directions.