Monitoring device having 360 degree sensing capabilities

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention are directed towards identifying users in a room by an intelligent personal assistant for automatic control of certain devices controlled by the assistant. The assistant may have a retractable, reflector that is used to identify persons in the vicinity of the assistant when the retractable, reflector is in an extended position. The retractable, reflector may additionally be stowed inside the assistant to stop processing visual information in the vicinity of the assistant.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method, performed by a device coupled to a digital camera, a microphone, and a network interface for communicating with a local area network, comprising:
 responding to a determined presence of a wake word in a data received via the microphone by causing the device to transition from a first mode of operation in which the wake word is required to provided to the device before the device will provide any voice data received via use of the microphone to the cloud-based server via use of the network interface for processing to a second mode of operation in which the device will provide any voice data received via use of the microphone to the cloud-based server via use of the network interface without regard to whether a wake word was provided to the device via use of the microphone so long as it is determined from an image data captured via use of the digital camera that a user has gazed at the device while the device is operating in the second mode of operation; and   causing the device to transition from the second mode of operation back to the first mode of operation when a predetermined amount of time has elapsed while the device is operating in the second mode of operation without any voice data being received via use of the microphone.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that a user has gazed at the device comprises determining the presence of two eyes and a mouth within the image data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the device is coupled to an output device and the method further comprises providing an indication via the output device that the device is operating in the first mode of operation. 
     
     
         4 . A device, comprising:
 a digital camera;   a microphone;   a network interface for communicating with a local area network;   a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; and   a processor coupled to the memory, the digital camera, the network interface and the microphone, for executing the processor-executable instructions that cause the device to:   respond to a determined presence of a wake word in a data received via the microphone by causing the device to transition from a first mode of operation in which the wake word is required to provided to the device before the device will provide any voice data received via use of the microphone to the cloud-based server via use of the network interface for processing to a second mode of operation in which the device will provide any voice data received via use of the microphone to the cloud-based server via use of the network interface without regard to whether a wake word was provided to the device via use of the microphone so long as it is determined from an image data captured via use of the digital camera that a user has gazed at the device while the device is operating in the second mode of operation; and   causing the device to transition from the second mode of operation back to the first mode of operation when a predetermined amount of time has elapsed while the device is operating in the second mode of operation without any voice data being received via use of the microphone.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions determine that a user has gazed at the device by determining the presence of two eyes and a mouth within the image data. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the device is coupled to an output device and the instructions cause the device to provide an indication via the output device that the device is operating in the first mode of operation.