Voice control user interface for low power mode

• US 10,304,465 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2014
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gunn, Michael E., Kamdar, Pratik M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yehl, Walter
• Application Number:
  US14/197,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20140278443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,910 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/18 Use of a frame buffer in a display terminal, inclusive of the display panel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/393 Arrangements for updating the contents of the bit-mapped memory
• 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 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/24 the user being prompted to utter a password or a predefined phrase
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/225 Feedback of the input speech
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method include placing a first processor in a sleep operating mode and running a second processor that is operative to wake the first processor from the sleep operating mode in response to a speech command phrase. The method includes identifying, by the second processor, a speech command phrase segment and performing a control operation in response to detecting the segment in detected speech. The control operation is performed while the first processor is maintained in the sleep operating mode.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

during operation of a mobile computing device in a low power mode in which functionality of a voice recognition engine of the mobile computing device is reduced;

receiving, at data processing hardware of the mobile computing device, an utterance of at least an initial portion of a predetermined command phrase, the predetermined command phrase comprising a series of multiple words configured to cause the mobile computing device to wake-up from the low power mode in response to detecting each word of the series of multiple words in the utterance;

detecting, by the data processing hardware, the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the utterance; and

in response to detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the utterance;

determining, by the data processing hardware, whether a remaining portion of the predetermined command phrase is detected in the utterance within a first predetermined period of time after detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the utterance;

activating, by the data processing hardware, a display of the mobile computing device;

providing, by the data processing hardware for output on the display, display data that was stored in a frame buffer of the mobile computing device before receiving the utterance of at least the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase; and

when the remaining portion of the predetermined command phrase is not detected in the utterance within the first predetermined period of time, automatically deactivating, by the data processing hardware, the display of the mobile device a second predetermined period of time after providing the display data for output on the display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display data that was stored in the frame buffer includes data specifying a time of day, a battery level, and a notification indicator.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the utterance, providing, by the data processing hardware, and audible response or a mechanical movement for output from the mobile computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after deactivating the display:

receiving, at the data processing hardware, an additional utterance of the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase; and

in response to receiving the additional utterance of the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase;

activating, by the data processing hardware, the display of the mobile computing device,

providing, by the data processing hardware for output on the display, additional display data, and

automatically deactivating, by the data processing hardware, the display of the mobile device the second predetermined period of time after providing the additional display data for output on the display.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional display data includes data to display a prompt requesting a user to configure voice controls for the mobile computing device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional display data includes data to display a prompt requesting a user to confirm that the predetermined command phrase was not uttered.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined period of time is less than ten seconds.

8. A system comprising:

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;

during operation of a mobile computing device in a low power mode in which functionality of a voice recognition engine of the mobile computing device is reduced;

receiving an utterance of at least an initial portion of a predetermined command phrase, the predetermined command phrase comprising a series of multiple words configured to cause the mobile computing device to wake-up from the low power mode in response to detecting each word of the series of multiple words in the utterance;

detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the utterance; and

in response to detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the utterance;

determining whether a remaining portion of the predetermined command phrase is detected in the utterance within a first predetermined period of time after detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the utterance;

activating a display of the mobile computing device;

providing, for output on the display, display data that was stored in a frame buffer of the mobile computing device before receiving the utterance of at least the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase; and

when the remaining portion of the predetermined command phrase is not detected in the utterance within the first predetermined period of time, automatically deactivating the the display of the mobile device a second predetermined period of time after providing the display data for output on the display.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the display data that was stored in the frame buffer includes data specifying a time of day, a battery level, and a notification indicator.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the utterance, providing, by the data processing hardware, and audible response or a mechanical movement for output from the mobile computing device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise, after deactivating the display:

receiving an additional utterance of the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase; and

in response to receiving the additional utterance of the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase;

activating the display of the mobile computing device,

providing, for output on the display, additional display data, and

automatically deactivating the display of the mobile device the second predetermined period of time after providing the additional display data for output on the display.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the additional display data includes data to display a prompt requesting a user to configure voice controls for the mobile computing device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the additional display data includes data to display a prompt requesting a user to confirm that the predetermined command phrase was not uttered.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the first predetermined period of time is less than ten seconds.

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:

during operation of a mobile computing device in a low power mode in which functionality of a voice recognition engine of the mobile computing device is reduced;

receiving an utterance of at least an initial portion of a predetermined command phrase, the predetermined command phrase comprising a series of multiple words configured to cause the mobile computing device to wake-up from the low power mode in response to detecting each word of the series of multiple words in the;

detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the utterance; and

in response to detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the utterance;

determining whether a remaining portion of the predetermined command phrase is detected in the utterance within a first predetermined period of time after detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the utterance;

activating a display of the mobile computing device;

providing, for output on the display, display data that was stored in a frame buffer of the mobile computing device before receiving the utterance of at least the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase; and

when the remaining portion of the predetermined command phrase is not detected in the utterance within the first predetermined period of time, automatically deactivating the the display of the mobile device a second predetermined period of time after providing the display data for output on the display.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the display data that was stored in the frame buffer includes data specifying a time of day, a battery level, and a notification indicator.

17. The medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the utterance, providing, by the data processing hardware, and audible response or a mechanical movement for output from the mobile computing device.

18. The medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise, after deactivating the display:

receiving an additional utterance of the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase; and

in response to receiving the additional utterance of the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase;

activating the display of the mobile computing device,

providing, for output on the display, additional display data, and

automatically deactivating the display of the mobile device the second predetermined period of time after providing the additional display data for output on the display.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the additional display data includes data to display a prompt requesting a user to configure voice controls for the mobile computing device.

20. The medium of claim 18, wherein the additional display data includes data to display a prompt requesting a user to confirm that the predetermined command phrase was not uttered.