Handsfree device with countinuous keyword recognition

• US 9,214,155 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2013
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Stracke, John Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): ABEBE, DANIEL DEMELASH
• Application Number:
  US13/889,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• 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: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/109 Arrangements to adapt hands free headphones for use on both ears
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

A handsfree device, which is coupled to a data processing device, may be operable to monitor at least one audio stream for occurrence of at least one keyword. Upon recognition of the at least one keyword, the handsfree device may establish a first connection between the handsfree device and the data processing device for launching a voice interface in the data processing device. The handsfree device may send audio data received after the recognition of the at least one keyword to the data processing device, via the first connection for responding to the audio data via the voice interface. During a keyword configuration operation, the handsfree device may send at least one inputted keyword to the data processing device for recording. The handsfree device may receive, via a second connection, the recorded at least one keyword from the data processing device for keyword configuration of the handsfree device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a handsfree device that is paired with a separate, mobile communications device, first audio data;

determining, by a speech recognizer implemented on the handsfree device, that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords;

after determining that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords, initiating, by the handsfree device, establishment of an active communication channel between the handsfree device and the mobile communication device; and

transmitting stored second audio data received after establishment of an active communication channel between the handsfree device and the mobile communication device and stored in a buffer on the handsfree device over the active communication channel to the mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating establishment of an active communication channel between the handsfree device and the mobile communication device comprises transmitting at least a portion of the first audio data through the communications channel to the mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords comprises determining that the first audio data includes one or more keywords that are hard-coded in a memory of the handsfree device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords comprises determining that the first audio data includes one or more user-defined keywords.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords comprises determining that the first audio data includes one or more keywords that are associated with one or more voice commands.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords comprises determining that the first audio data includes a hotword.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising performing, by the speech recognizer implemented on the handsfree device, speech recognition on the first audio data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the speech recognizer implemented on the handsfree device comprises a continuous speech recognizer.

9. A computer-readable storage device 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 handsfree device that is paired with a separate, mobile communications device, first audio data;

determining, by a speech recognizer implemented on the handsfree device, that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords;

after determining that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords, initiating, by the handsfree device, establishment of an active communication channel between the handsfree device and the mobile communication device;

after initiating establishment of an active communication channel between the handsfree device and the mobile communication device, receiving, by the handsfree device, second audio data;

storing the second audio data in a buffer on the handsfree device;

determining that the active communication channel between the handsfree device and the mobile communication device has been established; and

after determining that the active communication channel between the handsfree device and the mobile communication device has been established, transmitting the stored second audio data over the active communication channel to the mobile communication device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein initiating establishment of an active communication channel between the handsfree device and the mobile communication device comprises transmitting at least a portion of the first audio data through the communications channel to the mobile communication device.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein determining that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords comprises determining that the first audio data includes one or more keywords that are hard-coded in a memory of the handsfree device.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein determining that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords comprises determining that the first audio data includes one or more user-defined keywords.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein determining that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords comprises determining that the first audio data includes one or more keywords that are associated with one or more voice commands.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein determining that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords comprises determining that the first audio data includes a hotword.

15. The device of claim 9, comprising performing, by the speech recognizer implemented on the handsfree device, speech recognition on the first audio data.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the speech recognizer implemented on the handsfree device comprises a continuous speech recognizer.

17. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

a computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a computer program product comprising instructions to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a handsfree device that is paired with a separate, mobile communications device, first audio data;

determining, by a speech recognizer implemented on the handsfree device, that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords;

after determining that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords, initiating, by the handsfree device, establishment of an active communication channel between the handsfree device and the mobile communication device;

after initiating establishment of an active communication channel between the handsfree device and the mobile communication device, receiving, by the handsfree device, second audio data;

storing the second audio data in a buffer on the handsfree device;

determining that the active communication channel between the handsfree device and the mobile communication device has been established; and

after determining that the active communication channel between the handsfree device and the mobile communication device has been established, transmitting the stored second audio data over the active communication channel to the mobile communication device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein initiating establishment of an active communication channel between the handsfree device and the mobile communication device comprises transmitting at least a portion of the first audio data through the communications channel to the mobile communication device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein determining that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords comprises determining that the first audio data includes one or more keywords that are hard-coded in a memory of the handsfree device.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein determining that the first audio data includes one or more particular keywords comprises determining that the first audio data includes one or more user-defined keywords.