Hotword detection on multiple devices

• US 10,665,239 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2019
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• 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:
  US16/454,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20190385604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 334 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, audio data;

while receiving the audio data, performing, by the computing device, an operation;

determining, by the computing device, that the audio data includes the predefined hotword and an audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data;

after determining that the audio data includes the predefined hotword and the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data, continuing, by the computing device, to perform the operation; and

in response to determining, by the computing device, that the audio data includes the predefined hotword and the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data, bypassing, by the computing device, further processing of the audio data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein bypassing, by the computing device, further processing of the audio data further comprises:

(i) placing the computing device into a sleep mode, (iii) bypassing, by the computing device, emitting additional audio data that includes an additional audio signal indicating that an additional computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data, and (iv) bypassing, by the computing device, outputting a visual indication that the computing device is processing the audio data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the audio data comprises;

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

determining that the audio data includes the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data of the voice commands that includes the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the bit stream includes the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the audio data comprises;

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

determining that the audio data includes the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data that includes the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the ultrasonic signal includes the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

while performing the operation and continuing to perform the operation without interruption, a screen of the computing device is blank.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in response to determining that the audio data includes the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data of the voice commands that includes the predefined hotword, generating, by the computing device, a command for the computing device to bypass further processing of the audio data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio signal comprises an audio frequency pattern.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein bypassing further processing of the audio data is based on the command for the computing device to bypass further processing of the audio data.

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;

receiving, by a computing device that is configured to process voice commands that are preceded by a predefined hotword, audio data;

while receiving the audio data, performing, by the computing device, an operation;

determining, by the computing device, that the audio data includes the predefined hotword and an audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data;

after determining that the audio data includes the predefined hotword and the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data, continuing, by the computing device, to perform the operation; and

in response to determining, by the computing device, that the audio data includes the predefined hotword and the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data, bypassing, by the computing device, further processing of the audio data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein bypassing, by the computing device, further processing of the audio data further comprises:

(i) placing the computing device into a sleep mode, (iii) bypassing, by the computing device, emitting additional audio data that includes an additional audio signal indicating that an additional computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data, and (iv) bypassing, by the computing device, outputting a visual indication that the computing device is processing the audio data.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein:

receiving the audio data comprises;

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

determining that the audio data includes the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data of the voice commands that includes the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the bit stream includes the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein:

receiving the audio data comprises;

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

determining that the audio data includes the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data that includes the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the ultrasonic signal includes the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein:

while performing the operation and continuing to perform the operation without interruption, a screen of the computing device is blank.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein:

in response to determining that the audio data includes the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data of the voice commands that includes the predefined hotword, generating, by the computing device, a command for the computing device to bypass further processing of the audio data.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the audio signal comprises an audio frequency pattern.

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, audio data;

while receiving the audio data, performing, by the computing device, an operation;

determining, by the computing device, that the audio data includes the predefined hotword and an audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data;

after determining that the audio data includes the predefined hotword and the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data, continuing, by the computing device, to perform the operation; and

in response to determining, by the computing device, that the audio data includes the predefined hotword and the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data, bypassing, by the computing device, further processing of the audio data.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein bypassing, by the computing device, further processing of the audio data further comprises:

(i) placing the computing device into a sleep mode, (iii) bypassing, by the computing device, emitting additional audio data that includes an additional audio signal indicating that an additional computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data, and (iv) bypassing, by the computing device, outputting a visual indication that the computing device is processing the audio data.

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

receiving the audio data comprises;

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

determining that the audio data includes the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data of the voice commands that includes the predefined hotword comprises;

determining that the bit stream includes the audio signal indicating that the computing device is to bypass further processing of the audio data.