Personal domain for a virtual assistant system on a communal device

Abstract

One embodiment provides a data processing system on a communal electronic device, the data processing system comprising a memory device to store instructions and one or more processors to execute the instructions stored on the memory device. The instructions cause the one or more processors to provide a virtual assistant to receive commands at the communal electronic device, where the virtual assistant, via the one or more processors, is configured to receive a command at the communal electronic device and determine whether the command is to access personal data of a user associated with the communal electronic device. Personal data of the user includes data that is specific to the user. In response to a determination that the command is to access personal data of the user, the virtual assistant can send a request to a personal electronic device of the user to process at least a portion of the command.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A data processing system on a communal electronic device, the data processing system comprising:
 a memory device to store instructions;   one or more processors to execute the instructions stored on the memory device, the instructions to cause the one or more processors to provide a virtual assistant to receive commands at the communal electronic device, wherein the virtual assistant, via the one or more processors, is to:
 receive a command at the communal electronic device; 
 determine whether the command is to access personal data of a user associated with the communal electronic device, wherein the personal data includes data that is specific to the user; and 
 in response to a determination that the command is to access personal data of the user, send a request to a personal electronic device of the user to process at least a portion of the command. 
   
     
     
         2 . The data processing system as in  claim 1 , wherein personal data of the user includes a contact list, text message, e-mail, call history, alarm, reminder, communication history, settings, preferences, or location history, and the communal electronic device includes a smart speaker device. 
     
     
         3 . The data processing system as in  claim 1 , wherein personal data is stored on the personal electronic device of the user and the virtual assistant is to request the personal electronic device to access personal data on behalf of the communal electronic device. 
     
     
         4 . The data processing system as in  claim 1 , the virtual assistant to receive output of a request sent to the personal electronic device of the user and to complete processing of a command based on the output, wherein the command is a voice command or a text command. 
     
     
         5 . The data processing system as in  claim 1 , wherein to send a request to the personal electronic device of the user includes to redirect a command to the personal electronic device of the user, the personal electronic device to process the command on behalf of the communal electronic device. 
     
     
         6 . The data processing system as in  claim 5 , the virtual assistant to receive an audio response generated by the personal electronic device and play the audio response as a response to the command. 
     
     
         7 . The data processing system as in  claim 6 , wherein the command is a command to send a message to a contact of the user and the audio response is a notification of a received reply to the message. 
     
     
         8 . The data processing system as in  claim 7 , the communal electronic device to establish a trust relationship with the personal electronic device before the communal electronic device is enabled to send the request to the personal electronic device, the virtual assistant to send the request to a personal electronic device of the user over a verified data connection with the personal electronic device, the verified data connection established based on the trust relationship with the personal electronic device. 
     
     
         9 . The data processing system as in  claim 8 , the verified data connection to be verified via data exchanged during establishment of the trust relationship. 
     
     
         10 . The data processing system as in  claim 8 , the verified data connection established over a remote data connection established via a wide area network. 
     
     
         11 . The data processing system as in  claim 1 , wherein the personal data includes inherently personal or private data. 
     
     
         12 . The data processing system as in  claim 1 , wherein the personal data includes data designated as personal or private. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instruction to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 determining that a communication session is to be established between a communal electronic device and a companion device, wherein the companion device is an electronic device having access to personal data associated with a user, wherein the personal data includes data that is specific to the user;   establishing a data connection between the communal electronic device and the companion device;   verifying a trust relationship between the communal electronic device and the companion device;   establishing an encrypted communication session between the communal electronic device and the companion device after verifying the trust relationship; and   relaying a command received at the communal electronic device to the companion device over the encrypted communication session.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in  claim 13 , the operations additionally comprising:
 attempting discovery of the companion device on a local network; and   establishing the data connection between the communal electronic device and the companion device over the local network after discovering the companion device on the local network.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in  claim 13 , the operations additionally comprising:
 attempting discovery of the companion device on a local network;   after failing discovery of the companion device on the local network, determining if a remote identifier for the companion device is available at the communal electronic device; and   establishing the data connection with the companion device via a wide area network using the remote identifier in response to determining that the remote identifier for the companion device is available at the communal electronic device.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in  claim 13 , the operations additionally comprising relaying the command received at the communal electronic device to the companion device over the encrypted communication session in response to determining that the command is to access personal data of a user of the companion device. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium as in  claim 16 , the operations additionally comprising receiving a response to the command at the communal electronic device, the response to the command generated by the companion device, wherein the command is a voice command or a text command. 
     
     
         18 . An electronic device comprising:
 a network interface to connect to one or more networks;   a memory device to store instructions and personal data associated with a user of the electronic device, wherein the personal data includes data that is specific to the user;   one or more processors to execute instructions stored on the memory device, the instructions to cause the one or more processors to provide a virtual assistant to receive commands, the virtual assistant, via the one or more processors, to:
 receive, via the network interface, a command redirected from a communal electronic device, the command to access personal data associated with a user of the electronic device, wherein the personal data includes data that is specific to the user; 
 process at least a portion of the command on behalf of the communal electronic device; and 
 transmit, via the network interface, output of processing performed on behalf of the communal electronic device to the communal electronic device. 
   
     
     
         19 . The electronic device as in  claim 18 , wherein to access personal data on behalf of the communal electronic device includes to access personal data only after a successful unlock authorization on the communal electronic device. 
     
     
         20 . The electronic device as in  claim 18 , wherein to process at least a portion of the command on behalf of the communal electronic device includes to access personal data on behalf of the communal electronic device. 
     
     
         21 . The electronic device as in  claim 18 , wherein to process at least a portion of the command on behalf of the communal electronic device includes to access remotely stored personal data via the network interface on behalf of the communal electronic device. 
     
     
         22 . The electronic device as in  claim 18 , additionally including a unique identifier to enable the communal electronic device to connect to the electronic device over a wide area network and redirect at least a portion of the command to the virtual assistant on the electronic device. 
     
     
         23 . The electronic device as in  claim 18 , additionally including a unique identifier to identify the virtual assistant to a virtual assistant server, the virtual assistant to connect to the virtual assistant server via the network interface to process at least a portion of the command redirected from the communal electronic device, wherein the command is a voice command or a text command. 
     
     
         24 . The electronic device as in  claim 18 , wherein to access personal data on behalf of the communal electronic device includes to request authorization to access personal data on behalf of the communal electronic device, wherein to request authorization to access personal data on behalf of the communal electronic device includes to display an authorization request via a display or play an audio request for authorization via a speaker device. 
     
     
         25 . The electronic device as in  claim 18 , wherein the personal data includes data that is designated as personal or private or data that is inherently personal or private.