Abstract: Provided is a voice assistance system with proactive routines that couples a remote server and respective user voice interactive devices to deliver a complete experience to the end user of the device. The voice assistance system can also provide a platform to connect remote users to customize commands (e.g., proactive or reactive) to improve day-to-day operation across groups of devices and/or users. For example, routines can be built for an organization and made available to voice interactive devices distributed by or on behalf of the organization. Administrators can select features for the device and pre-configure voice assistance devices with groups of pre-selected routines to deliver a device that is ready to go out of the box. Updates to a device or routines can be based on such groups. Additionally, primary routine instances can be linked to groups where changes to the primary instance are propagated to any linked users.

Abstract: Provided is a voice assistance system with proactive routines that couples a remote server and respective user voice interactive devices to deliver a complete experience to the end user of the device. The user devices can be managed by groups and/or associated entities who manage voice services for their users. For example, the entities can provide pre-configured voice routines that perform actions on behalf of their users. The voice assistance system can also allow users to customize these routines to improve day to day operation. In addition, external services and/or providers can be linked to the system and allowed to define routines that have external system dependencies. Avoiding and managing conflicts in this environment becomes quite challenging. Some approaches use execution queues and priority, others invoke time slices and limitations on assignment of routines to time slices to resolve these issues, among other examples.

Abstract: Provided is a voice assistance system with proactive routines that couples a remote server and respective user voice interactive devices to deliver a complete experience to the end user of the device. The voice assistance system can also provide a platform to connect remote users to customize commands (e.g., proactive or reactive) to improve day-to-day operation across groups of devices and/or users. For example, routines can be built for an organization and made available to voice interactive devices distributed by or on behalf of the organization. Administrators can select features for the device and pre-configure voice assistance devices with groups of pre-selected routines to deliver a device that is ready to go out of the box. Updates to a device or routines can be based on such groups. Additionally, primary routine instances can be linked to groups where changes to the primary instance are propagated to any linked users.

Abstract: Provided is a voice assistance system with proactive routines that couples a remote server and respective user voice interactive devices to deliver a complete experience to the end user of the device. The user devices can be managed by groups and/or associated entities who manage voice services for their users. For example, the entities can provide pre-configured voice routines that perform actions on behalf of their users. The voice assistance system can also allow users to customize these routines to improve day to day operation. In addition, external services and/or providers can be linked to the system and allowed to define routines that have external system dependencies. Avoiding and managing conflicts in this environment becomes quite challenging. Some approaches use execution queues and priority, others invoke time slices and limitations on assignment of routines to time slices to resolve these issues, among other examples.

Abstract: The operation of an application on a first device may be guided by a user operating a second device. The application on the first device may present a character on a display of the first device and obtain an audio signal of speech of a user of the first device. Audio data may be transmitted to the second device and corresponding audio may be played from speakers of the second device. The second device may present suggestions of phrases to be spoken by the character displayed on the first device. A user of the second device may select a phrase to be spoken by the character. Phrase data may be transmitted to the first device, and the first device may generate audio of the character speaking the phrase using a text-to-speech voice associated with the character.

Abstract: A service may be provided that allows interacting users to interact with characters presented by devices of the interacting users. The operation of the character presented to an interacting user may be customized for that interacting user. For example, a first controlling user may specify first information for configuring or controlling the operation of the character when the character is interacting with a first interacting user, and a second controlling user may specify second information for configuring or controlling the operation of the character when the character is interacting with a second interacting user. The information provided by a controlling user may be used to select a segment to be used for a session between an interacting user and the character.

Abstract: Assistance may be provided to a first user of a first device by monitoring sensors of the first device and providing assistance via a character presented by the device. Sensor data, such as audio, video, or biometric data, may be transmitted to a server, and a server may process the sensor data to determine a state of the first user. The server may determine to request assistance based on the state of the first user. The server may then send a request to a second device of a second user to guide the character presented by the first device. The second user may then provide assistance to the first user by guiding the character presented by the first device.

Abstract: A service may be provided that allows interacting users to interact with characters presented by devices of the interacting users. The operation of the character presented to an interacting user may be customized for that interacting user. For example, a first controlling user may specify first information for configuring or controlling the operation of the character when the character is interacting with a first interacting user, and a second controlling user may specify second information for configuring or controlling the operation of the character when the character is interacting with a second interacting user. The information provided by a controlling user may be used to select a segment to be used for a session between an interacting user and the character.

Abstract: A first user of a first device may interact with a character presented on the first device where the character presented on the first device is guided by a second user of a second device. To begin a communications session, the first user may request to communicate with the character. A server may process the request to speak with the character and identify the second user from a plurality of guiding users, where the second user is identified by comparing profile information of the first user with profile information of the second user. The server may then send a request to the second device of the second user to guide the character presented by the first device. The first user may then communicate with the character with the guidance of the second user.

Abstract: A user of a device may interact with a character presented by the device. A session between the user and the character may be started by a user, may be triggered by an event, or may be started in other ways. The user of the of the device may be associated with one or more trigger events. Information about the trigger events may be obtained and processed to determine when a trigger event has occurred. When a trigger event has occurred, a session may be started on the device with the character. A segment may be selected to be presented during the session, and an interaction corresponding to the segment may be presented by the character to the user. For example, the character may speak a phrase using a text-to-speech voice.

Abstract: The operation of an application on a first device may be guided by a user operating a second device. The application on the first device may present a character on a display of the first device and obtain an audio signal of speech of a user of the first device. Audio data may be transmitted to the second device and corresponding audio may be played from speakers of the second device. The second device may present suggestions of phrases to be spoken by the character displayed on the first device. A user of the second device may select a phrase to be spoken by the character. Phrase data may be transmitted to the first device, and the first device may generate audio of the character speaking the phrase using a text-to-speech voice associated with the character.

Abstract: The operation of an application on a first device may be guided by a user operating a second device. The application on the first device may present a character on a display of the first device and obtain an audio signal of speech of a user of the first device. Audio data may be transmitted to the second device and corresponding audio may be played from speakers of the second device. The second device may present suggestions of phrases to be spoken by the character displayed on the first device. A user of the second device may select a phrase to be spoken by the character. Phrase data may be transmitted to the first device, and the first device may generate audio of the character speaking the phrase using a text-to-speech voice associated with the character.

Abstract: The operation of an application on a first device may be guided by a user operating a second device. The application on the first device may present a character on a display of the first device and obtain an audio signal of speech of a user of the first device. Audio data may be transmitted to the second device and corresponding audio may be played from speakers of the second device. The second device may present suggestions of phrases to be spoken by the character displayed on the first device. A user of the second device may select a phrase to be spoken by the character. Phrase data may be transmitted to the first device, and the first device may generate audio of the character speaking the phrase using a text-to-speech voice associated with the character.

Abstract: An output driver in an integrated circuit includes a driver circuit operable by a power supply voltage and coupled to an output pad, and a driver power conditioner configured to generate a fractional pad voltage in response to a voltage on the output pad and to provide the fractional pad voltage to at least one transistor of the driver circuit as a protected supply voltage in response to an absence of the power supply voltage.