Integration of VoIP phone services with Intelligent Cloud Voice Recognition for emergency services overcomes limitations of conventional residential telephone technology to inexpensively provide more useful and advanced residential telephone services. For example, in an embodiment, a communication method may comprise establishing a communications session between either a user device and a telephone system or between a user device and voice recognition system, if the communications session is between a user device and a telephone system, extending the communications session to include a voice recognition system, if the communications session is between a user device and a voice recognition system, extending the communications session to include a telephone system, providing voice or speech information to the voice recognition system from the user device, and performing at least one function with the voice recognition system based on the provided voice or speech information.

The disclosed embodiments include computerized methods, systems, and devices, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for generating terms of a search query based on a user's spoken utterances, identifying multiple cross-platform messages based on the generated terms, and to generating, via a presentation device, a single interface that enables the user to interact with identified messages. Based on a spoken utterance, the disclosed embodiments may determine user-specified search terms and/or criteria, and based on the user-specified search terms and/or criteria, may obtain cross-platform message data that corresponds to the search query. The communications device may generate one or more interface elements that describe corresponding ones of the cross-platform messages, which may be presented within a unified graphical user interface or voice-user interface by a communications device.

The disclosed embodiments include computerized methods, systems, and devices, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for generating terms of a search query based on a user's spoken utterances, identifying multiple cross-platform messages based on the generated terms, and to generating, via a presentation device, a single interface that enables the user to interact with identified messages. Based on a spoken utterance, the disclosed embodiments may determine user-specified search terms and/or criteria, and based on the user-specified search terms and/or criteria, may obtain cross-platform message data that corresponds to the search query. The communications device may generate one or more interface elements that describe corresponding ones of the cross-platform messages, which may be presented within a unified graphical user interface or voice-user interface by a communications device.

Described herein is a system and method for controlling a remote computer over a remote session. In an exemplary aspect, the method comprises receiving, by an intelligent personal assistant (IPA), a speech-based instruction from a user of a mobile device, the speech-based instruction comprising a request to execute a task; in response to determining, based on analysis of the speech-based instruction, an intent of the user to initiate the remote session with the remote computer: identifying, by the IPA, a remote client on the mobile device for creating the remote session with the remote computer via the cloud infrastructure; generating, by the IPA, a command object that causes a software agent on the remote computer to execute the task; and transmitting, by the IPA, the command object through the remote session to the remote computer; and presenting results for execution of the task in an interface of the remote client.

A system and method for making a call to a service provider on behalf of a user is disclosed. The system and method include using an intelligent voice assistant to call the service provider and having the intelligent voice assistant navigate an interactive voice response system to reach a representative. The system and method also include using the intelligent voice assistant to reconnect a user with a representative after an interrupted call.

Methods and systems for performing contact resolution are described herein. When initiating a communications session using a voice activated electronic device, a contact name may be resolved to determine an appropriate contact with which the communications session may be directed to. Contacts from an individual's contact list may be queried to determine a listing of probable contacts associated with the contact name, and contact identifiers associated with the contact may be determined. Using one or more rules for disambiguating between similar contact names, a single contact may be identified, and a communications session with that contact may be initiated.

An example process includes at an electronic device with one or more processors and memory: receiving a natural language input including a user request; determining whether the user request corresponds to a personal request; in accordance with a determination that the user request does not correspond to a personal request: transmitting, by the electronic device, a representation of the user request to an external electronic device; and in accordance with a determination that the user request corresponds to a personal request: initiating, by the electronic device, a task based on the user request without transmitting the representation of the user request to the external electronic device; and providing a first result based on the initiated task.

A method for quickly starting an application service, and a terminal. The method includes acquiring, by a terminal, event trigger information; starting, by the terminal, the application service software after determining that the event trigger information meets a preset quick startup condition; and acquiring, by the terminal, a voice instruction input by a user, and running the application service software according to the voice instruction. According to the method provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, application service software is started by using event trigger information, so that a background of a terminal starts to perform recording only after the application service software is started, and background recording is stopped after the terminal provides an application service for a user, preventing a recording device in the background of the terminal from being always in a recording state, and further reducing power consumption of the terminal.

An electronic device includes a device housing supporting a touch actuator operable to initiate a predefined function of the electronic device. One or more processors of the electronic device are operable with the touch actuator. The one or more processors preclude initiation of the predefined function when a predefined condition occurs while the touch actuator is actuated.

Techniques are disclosed for connecting third-party accessories to a cellular-capable device to participate in a telephone call. In one example, a user can voice a request to make a call to an accessory device. The accessory device can transmit the request to a controller device. Upon processing the request, the controller device can identify an appropriate cellular-capable device and instruct the cellular-capable device to place the requested call. The controller device can also instruct the cellular-capable device to establish an audio connection with the accessory device to relay the call audio. In another example, the controller device can listen for a word spoken at the accessory device indicating the end of the call. Upon receiving the end of call word, the controller device can instruct the cellular-capable device to terminate the call. While in the listening state, the controller device may continue processing user requests received at other accessory devices.