How a Voice Assistant Automatically Understands Your Spoken or Typed Words
This patent describes how a computer, like a voice assistant, automatically processes spoken or typed words from a user to understand and analyze what they mean.
Original patent title: “Computer implemented method for the automated analysis or use of data”
This patent describes how a computer, like a voice assistant, automatically processes spoken or typed words from a user to understand and analyze what they mean. Granted in 2026.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent outlines a computer-implemented method for a voice assistant to understand user input. First, the system stores a structured, machine-readable version of the user's speech or text input in its memory, referred to as a 'machine representation'. This machine representation conforms to a specific machine-readable language. Second, the system automatically processes these machine representations to analyze the user's input. For example, if a user asks, "What time is it in London?", the voice assistant would convert this phrase into a structured data format and then automatically analyze that format to identify the request for time and the location "London".
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover systems that rely on manual human analysis of user speech or text input.
- Does not cover processing of non-speech or non-text user input, such as gestures or biometric data.
- Does not cover systems that do not create or use a structured, machine-readable representation of the user's input.
- Does not cover analysis of data that does not originate from a user's direct speech or text input.
- Does not cover systems where the processing of the machine representation is not automated.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The clever bit is the method of converting user speech or text into a structured, machine-readable representation that can then be automatically processed for analysis. This structured format allows the voice assistant to efficiently and accurately interpret complex user requests.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Amazon Alexa
Google Assistant
Apple Siri
Microsoft Cortana
Most modern smartphone voice commands
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology is fundamental to the operation of modern voice assistants and smart devices. It enables computers to understand and respond to human language, making interactions more natural and intuitive. This capability is essential for the widespread adoption of hands-free computing and for accessing information quickly through voice commands.
Filed
August 24, 2021
Granted
September 15, 2026
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Major technology companies like Amazon, Google, Apple, and Microsoft are continuously advancing the underlying technologies for voice assistants. These companies invest heavily in natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to improve how their voice assistants understand and respond to user input.
Market impact
This type of technology has been crucial in enabling the creation and rapid growth of the smart speaker and voice-controlled device markets. It has fundamentally changed how many people interact with technology, making devices more accessible and creating new product categories focused on conversational interfaces.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent outlines a computer-implemented method for a voice assistant to understand user input. First, the system stores a structured, machine-readable version of the user's speech or text input in its memory, referred to as a 'machine representation'. This machine representation conforms to a specific machine-readable language. Second, the system automatically processes these machine representations to analyze the user's input. For example, if a user asks, "What time is it in London?", the voice assistant would convert this phrase into a structured data format and then automatically analyze that format to identify the request for time and the location "London".
The clever bit
The clever bit is the method of converting user speech or text into a structured, machine-readable representation that can then be automatically processed for analysis. This structured format allows the voice assistant to efficiently and accurately interpret complex user requests.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover systems that rely on manual human analysis of user speech or text input.
- Does not cover processing of non-speech or non-text user input, such as gestures or biometric data.
- Does not cover systems that do not create or use a structured, machine-readable representation of the user's input.
- Does not cover analysis of data that does not originate from a user's direct speech or text input.
- Does not cover systems where the processing of the machine representation is not automated.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$19K – $61K
Midpoint $38K · 14.9 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
Concepts involved
Cite this patent
(2026). How a Voice Assistant Automatically Understands Your Spoken or Typed Words (U.S. Patent No. 12,737,552). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12737552/computer-implemented-method-for-the-automated-analysis-or-use-of-data
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How a Voice Assistant Automatically Understands Your Spoken or Typed Words cover?
This patent describes how a computer, like a voice assistant, automatically processes spoken or typed words from a user to understand and analyze what they mean.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 15, 2046, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology is fundamental to the operation of modern voice assistants and smart devices. It enables computers to understand and respond to human language, making interactions more natural and intuitive. This capability is essential for the widespread adoption of hands-free computing and for accessing information quickly through voice commands.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover systems that rely on manual human analysis of user speech or text input.
Patent monitoring