14 DAY TRIAL // PatentlyApple has unearthed an Apple invention that hints at Siri on the Mac. In the patent description, Apple envisions an iTunes application capable of interpreting speech, and performing tasks such as playing or buying songs for the user.
Entitled “Electronic Devices with Voice Command and Contextual Data Processing Capabilities” the patent in question describes a way for us to control our Macintosh computers and iOS devices remotely, by the power of speech.
The technology is there, at least on the iPhone. Siri takes vocal commands on a daily basis, whether it’s an appointment you make, or a reminder, or whether you seek directions to a certain place.
It can also launch certain applications if you tell it to. Implement it in OS X (currently at version 10.8 aka Mountain Lion), and this is what you’ll get.
“The electronic device may process voice commands locally or voice commands processing may be performed remotely. For example, the electronic device may transmit one or more recorded voice commands and associated contextual information to computing equipment such as a desktop computer.”
The Cupertino, California-based Apple Inc. goes to describe how iTunes could be one of the apps to benefit from this invention.
The user could simply talk to the computer and ask it to buy a song. Even more than that, the user could have the application recommend artists based on his / her previous purchases.
“A media playback application on a computer such as the iTunes program of Apple Inc. may take an appropriate action in response to an uploaded voice command and associated contextual data.”
“As an example, the media playback application may present a user with recommended songs for purchase. The songs that are recommended may be songs that are similar to the song that was playing on the electronic device when the user captured the audio clip voice command ‘find more like this.’”
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? That’s because Apple is describing a scenario where Genius recommendations are used in tandem with Siri. Basically, all the elements are there. The only thing Apple needs to do is put Siri on the Mac. And it will.