Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Christopher M Barth

Mikhail Skobov

Christian Klein

Otso Joona Casimir Tuomi

Brendan D Elliott

Callil R Capuozzo

Shuo Shen

Techniques are described for automatically determining which of a plurality of target devices should be connected with a source device using data regarding ambient signals about the source device. For example, a request is received for an identifier to which a source device is to connect. Data is received describing at least one ambient signal detected by the source device. The data is compared with a plurality of target device profiles. It is determined that the data matches a target device profile of the plurality of device profiles. An identifier associated with the determined target device profile is returned.

Disambiguation of target devices using ambient signal data

Embodiments relate to enabling force-based interactions with an intelligent personal assistant (IPA). A computing device capable of sensing the force exerted to input touch inputs is configured with a pressure-based filter that checks pressures of touch inputs to determine which touch inputs are to be diverted to the IPA or which are to be passed on to underlying user interface that is not related to the IPA. Touch inputs designated for the IPA based on their pressure characteristics can become part of the context of the IPA. Some IPA uses of the touch inputs include selecting graphic objects on the display, resolving exophoric phrases (e.g., 'that', 'those') as referring to such selected graphic objects, displaying transient user interface to provide information about (or actions for) the selected object, incorporating a selected object into the current context of the IPA, etc.

Force-based interactions with digital agents

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Christopher M Barth