Hotword detection on multiple devices

• US 10,347,253 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2018
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Foerster, Jakob Nicolaus, Gruenstein, Alexander H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hang, Vu B
• Application Number:
  US15/959,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20180315424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/02 Feature extraction for speech recognition; Selection of recognition unit
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2025/783 based on threshold decision
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/03 characterised by the type of extracted parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/87 Detection of discrete points within a voice signal

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for hotword detection on multiple devices are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving, by a computing device, audio data that corresponds to an utterance. The actions further include determining a likelihood that the utterance includes a hotword. The actions further include determining a loudness score for the audio data. The actions further include based on the loudness score, determining an amount of delay time. The actions further include, after the amount of delay time has elapsed, transmitting a signal that indicates that the computing device will initiate speech recognition processing on the audio data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device that is configured to process voice commands that are preceded by a predefined hotword, first audio data of an utterance of a voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword;

receiving, by the computing device, second audio data;

determining, by the computing device, that the second audio data includes a frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword;

in response to determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, generating, by the computing device, a command for the computing device to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword; and

in response to the command to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, (i) placing the computing device into a sleep mode, (ii) bypassing, by the computing device, further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, (iii) bypassing, by the computing device, emitting third audio data that includes the frequency pattern, and (iv) bypassing, by the computing device, outputting a visual indication that the computing device is processing the first audio data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass performing speech recognition on the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, and

bypassing further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword comprises;

in response to determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass performing speech recognition on the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, bypassing performing speech recognition on the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining, by the computing device, that the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword includes the predefined hotword,

wherein determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword is based on determining that the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword includes the predefined hotword, and

wherein bypassing further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword is based on determining that the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword includes the predefined hotword.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

before receiving the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword and the second audio data, receiving an initial broadcast of the second audio data and data indicating to bypass processing of received audio data upon receipt of the second audio data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the second audio data comprises;

receiving, by a radio of the computing device, a bit stream, and

determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the bit stream includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the second audio data comprises;

receiving, by a microphone of the computing device, an ultrasonic signal, and

determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the ultrasonic signal includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

while receiving the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword and the second audio data, performing, by the computing device, an operation; and

in response to determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, continuing, by the computing device, performance of the operation.

8. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a computing device that is configured to process voice commands that are preceded by a predefined hotword, first audio data of an utterance of a voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword;

receiving, by the computing device, second audio data;

determining, by the computing device, that the second audio data includes a frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword;

in response to determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, generating, by the computing device, a command for the computing device to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword; and

in response to the command to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, (i) placing the computing device into a sleep mode, (ii) bypassing, by the computing device, further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, (iii) bypassing, by the computing device, emitting third audio data that includes the frequency pattern, and (iv) bypassing, by the computing device, outputting a visual indication that the computing device is processing the first audio data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass performing speech recognition on the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, and

bypassing further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword comprises;

in response to determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass performing speech recognition on the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, bypassing performing speech recognition on the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein:

determining, by the computing device, that the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword includes the predefined hotword,

wherein determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword is based on determining that the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword includes the predefined hotword, and

wherein bypassing further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword is based on determining that the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword includes the predefined hotword.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations comprise:

before receiving the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword and the second audio data, receiving an initial broadcast of the second audio data and data indicating to bypass processing of received audio data upon receipt of the second audio data.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein:

receiving the second audio data comprises;

receiving, by a radio of the computing device, a bit stream, and

determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the bit stream includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein:

receiving the second audio data comprises;

receiving, by a microphone of the computing device, an ultrasonic signal, and

determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the ultrasonic signal includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations comprise:

while receiving the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword and the second audio data, performing, by the computing device, an operation; and

in response to determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, continuing, by the computing device, performance of the operation.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a computing device that is configured to process voice commands that are preceded by a predefined hotword, first audio data of an utterance of a voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword;

receiving, by the computing device, second audio data;

determining, by the computing device, that the second audio data includes a frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword;

in response to determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, generating, by the computing device, a command for the computing device to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword; and

in response to the command to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, (i) placing the computing device into a sleep mode, (ii) bypassing, by the computing device, further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, (iii) bypassing, by the computing device, emitting third audio data that includes the frequency pattern, and (iv) bypassing, by the computing device, outputting a visual indication that the computing device is processing the first audio data.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass performing speech recognition on the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, and

bypassing further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword comprises;

in response to determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass performing speech recognition on the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword, bypassing performing speech recognition on the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise:

determining, by the computing device, that the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword includes the predefined hotword,

wherein determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword is based on determining that the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword includes the predefined hotword, and

wherein bypassing further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword is based on determining that the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword includes the predefined hotword.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise:

before receiving the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword and the second audio data, receiving an initial broadcast of the second audio data and data indicating to bypass processing of received audio data upon receipt of the second audio data.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

receiving the second audio data comprises;

receiving, by a radio of the computing device, a bit stream, and

determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the bit stream includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

receiving the second audio data comprises;

receiving, by a microphone of the computing device, an ultrasonic signal, and

determining that the second audio data includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the ultrasonic signal includes the frequency pattern indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the first audio data of the utterance of the voice command that is preceded by the predefined hotword.