A system and method is disclosed for enabling user friendly interaction with a camera system. Specifically, the inventive system and method has several aspects to improve the interaction with a camera system, including voice recognition, gaze tracking, touch sensitive inputs and others. The voice recognition unit is operable for, among other things, receiving multiple different voice commands, recognizing the vocal commands, associating the different voice commands to one camera command and controlling at least some aspect of the digital camera operation in response to these voice commands. The gaze tracking unit is operable for, among other things, determining the location on the viewfinder image that the user is gazing upon. One aspect of the touch sensitive inputs provides that the touch sensitive pad is mouse-like and is operable for, among other things, receiving user touch inputs to control at least some aspect of the camera operation. Another aspect of the disclosed invention provides for gesture recognition to be used to interface with and control the camera system.

Implementations are directed to using an assistant to initiate automated telephone calls with entities. Some implementations identify an item of interest, identify a group of entities associated with the item, and initiate the calls with the entities. During a given call with a given entity, the assistant can request a status update regarding the item, and determine a temporal delay before initiating another call with the given entity to request a further status update regarding the item based on information received responsive to the request. Other implementations receive a request to perform an action on behalf of a user, identify a group of entities that can perform the action, and initiate a given call with a given entity. During the given call, the assistant can initiate an additional call with an additional entity, and generate notification(s), for the user, based on result(s) of the given call and/or the additional call.

Systems and methods for establishing communication connections using speech, such as establishing calls between speech-controlled devices, are described. A first speech-controlled device receives a communication request in the form of audio and sends audio data corresponding to the captured audio to a server. The server performs speech processing on the audio data to determine a recipient, a subject for the call, and a device associated with the recipient. The server then sends a message indicating the communication request and audio data corresponding to the communication topic to the recipient's speech-controlled device. The recipient device outputs audio to the recipient requesting whether the recipient accepts the communication request. The recipient audibly refuses or accepts the communication request, and the recipient's speech-controlled device sends an indication of the recipient's audible decision to the server. If the recipient accepted the communication request, the server causes a communication connection be established between the two speech-controlled devices.

Methods and devices for enabling and disabling applications using voice are described herein. In some embodiments, an individual speak an utterance to their electronic device, which may send audio data representing the utterance to a backend system. The backend system may generate text data representing the utterance, and may determine that an intent of the utterance was for an application to be enabled or disabled for their user account on the backend system. If, for instance, the intent was to enable the application, the backend system may receive one or more rules for performing functionalities of the application, as well as one or more sample templates of sample utterances and sample responses that future utterances may use when requesting the application. Furthermore, one or more invocation phrases that may be used within the future utterances to invoke the application may be received, along with slot values for the sample templates.

Methods and electronic devices for facilitating communication are described. In one example, the present application describes processor-implemented method. The method includes: receiving an audio signal; determining that the audio signal includes a voice command to communicate with a contact using a first communication type; and determining that communication with the contact using the first communication type is unavailable; and after determining that communication with the contact using the first communication type is unavailable, facilitating communication with the contact using a second communication type.

Techniques for only ringing devices configured as restricted devices when a communication is intended and approved for a restricted user. A first user may indicate to a system that the first user wants to communicate with a second user. The system may determine a group account including the second user. The system may also determine one or more devices specifically associated with the second user in the group account. The system may cause only the device(s) associated with the second userbut not other devices of the group profile not specifically associated with second userto receive the communication. Techniques for permitting a restricted device to send or commence communications based on at least one access parameter.

A system and method of providing caller identification (ID) over a public switched telephone network (PSTN). For outbound calls, the system and method enable a caller to provide a caller ID that differs from the native caller ID of their mobile phone. The system and method enable multiple phones tied to a single account to display the same caller ID for outbound calls. For forwarded inbound calls, such as calls being forwarded from an office, the system and method inform the recipient of the identification of the call as well as that the call is being forwarded. The system and method enable the recipient to have calls forwarded from more than one number and identify the identity of the caller as well as the specific number the call is being forwarded from.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for systems and methods for dynamic mode switching and management of communications between devices. Example methods include receiving a first event from a first application on a first device, determining a first application identifier of the first application, and determining that the first device is in a communal mode. Example methods may include determining a communal mode profile for the first device, where the communal mode profile is associated with a first user account identifier that is associated with the first device, determining a set of user account identifiers associated with an accessory device identifier of the accessory device, and associating the set of user account identifiers and the accessory device identifier with the communal mode profile. Example methods may include receiving an indication of a second event, and disassociating the set of user account identifiers from the communal mode profile.

Systems, methods, and devices provide a user experience capable of integrating robo-advising with human advising based on various inputs that are actively detected. Inputs from a conversation, or multiple conversations separated in time, may be analyzed to determine, based on voice inputs, that live communications should be initiated. Based on triggers identified, a robo-advising session may additionally or alternatively be initiated. Transitions between advising sessions may be facilitated to allow users to more efficiently employ robo-advising until human advising is triggered.

Systems and methods are provided for managing a conference call with multiple voice-enabled and voice-capturing devices, such as smart speakers. Reproduced, duplicate voice commands can cause unexpected results in a conference call. The voice commands can be determined to be received from the same conference call. A voice command for a particular voice-enabled device can be selected based on an energy level of an audio signal, event data, time data, and/or user identification.