SLEEP MODE FOR AN INTERACTIVE ASSISTANT

An interactive assistant, referred to herein as “an interactive assistant,” “a virtual assistant,” or simply “an assistant,” may, after previously receiving explicit user authorization to process user input, be configured to stop processing further user input (e.g., audible user input) for a period of time or until the occurrence of one or more detected events. Over the course of time, a user may engage in various different interactions with the assistant by submitting queries, performing searches, requesting select information, providing instructions, and the like. At any point in time, the user may request that the interactive assistant enter a sleep mode by instructing the assistant to stop processing further user input. For example, the user may issue an audible command to instruct the interactive assistant to stop listening to or otherwise processing the user’s audible input for a certain period of time (e.g., 10 minutes) or until the occurrence of a particular event (e.g., the completion of a game currently being played). The interactive assistant may then, in response, refrain from listening to or otherwise processing the user’s audible input until the period of time has lapsed or until the particular event has occurred. Once the period of time has lapsed, or the particular event has occurred, the interactive assistant may resume listening to or otherwise processing the user’s input and may, in some cases, optionally provide an indication (e.g., audible tone, visible indicator) to alert the user that the interactive assistant has resumed such processing