HOTWORD DETECTION ON MULTIPLE DEVICES

• US 20170084277A1
• Filed: 11/09/2016
• Published: 03/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sharifi, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 10,134,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/01 Assessment or evaluation of speech recognition systems
• 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 15/285 Memory allocation or algorithm optimisation to reduce hardware requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/32 Multiple recognisers used in sequence or in parallel; Score combination systems therefor, e.g. voting systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

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 first computing device, audio data that corresponds to an utterance. The actions further include determining a first value corresponding to a likelihood that the utterance includes a hotword. The actions further include receiving a second value corresponding to a likelihood that the utterance includes the hotword, the second value being determined by a second computing device. The actions further include comparing the first value and the second value. The actions further include based on comparing the first value to the second value, initiating speech recognition processing on the audio data.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device that is in a low power mode, audio data that corresponds to an utterance of a particular, predefined hotword;

while the computing device remains in the low power mode, and in response to receiving the audio data that corresponds to the utterance of the particular, predefined hotword, transmitting a message by the computing device; and

determining, by the computing device and after transmitting the message, to remain in the low power mode despite receiving the audio data that corresponds to the utterance of the particular, predefined hotword.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

receiving an additional message,

wherein determining to remain in the low power mode is based at least in part on the additional message.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising:

determining a hotword score that is based on the audio data that corresponds to the utterance of the particular, predefined hotword,

wherein the message includes the hotword score.

5. The method of claim 2, comprising:

determining a hotword score that is based on the audio data that corresponds to the utterance of the particular, predefined hotword; and

determining that the hotword score satisfies a threshold,

wherein transmitting the message is based on determining that the hotword score satisfies the threshold.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the computing device transmits the message without performing speech recognition on the audio data that corresponds to an utterance of the particular, predefined hotword.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the computing device transmits the message for a particular amount of time.

8. The method of claim 2, comprising:

determining a hotword score that is based on the audio data that corresponds to an utterance of the particular, predefined hotword;

receiving an additional message that includes an additional hotword score; and

comparing the hotword score with the additional hotword score,

wherein determining to remain in the low power mode is based on comparing the hotword score with the additional hotword score.

9. 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 in a low power mode, audio data that corresponds to an utterance of a particular, predefined hotword;

while the computing device remains in the low power mode, and in response to receiving the audio data that corresponds to the utterance of the particular, predefined hotword, transmitting a message by the computing device; and

determining, by the computing device and after transmitting the message, to remain in the low power mode despite receiving the audio data that corresponds to the utterance of the particular, predefined hotword.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an additional message,

wherein determining to remain in the low power mode is based at least in part on the additional message.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a hotword score that is based on the audio data that corresponds to the utterance of the particular, predefined hotword,

wherein the message includes the hotword score.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a hotword score that is based on the audio data that corresponds to the utterance of the particular, predefined hotword; and

determining that the hotword score satisfies a threshold,

wherein transmitting the message is based on determining that the hotword score satisfies the threshold.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device transmits the message without performing speech recognition on the audio data that corresponds to an utterance of the particular, predefined hotword.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device transmits the message for a particular amount of time.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a hotword score that is based on the audio data that corresponds to an utterance of the particular, predefined hotword;

receiving an additional message that includes an additional hotword score; and

comparing the hotword score with the additional hotword score,

wherein determining to remain in the low power mode is based on comparing the hotword score with the additional hotword score.

16. 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 in a low power mode, audio data that corresponds to an utterance of a particular, predefined hotword;

while the computing device remains in the low power mode, and in response to receiving the audio data that corresponds to the utterance of the particular, predefined hotword, transmitting a message by the computing device; and

determining, by the computing device and after transmitting the message, to remain in the low power mode despite receiving the audio data that corresponds to the utterance of the particular, predefined hotword.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an additional message,

wherein determining to remain in the low power mode is based at least in part on the additional message.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a hotword score that is based on the audio data that corresponds to the utterance of the particular, predefined hotword,

wherein the message includes the hotword score.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a hotword score that is based on the audio data that corresponds to the utterance of the particular, predefined hotword; and

determining that the hotword score satisfies a threshold,

wherein transmitting the message is based on determining that the hotword score satisfies the threshold.

20. The medium of claim 16, wherein the computing device transmits the message without performing speech recognition on the audio data that corresponds to an utterance of the particular, predefined hotword.

21. The medium of claim 16, wherein the computing device transmits the message for a particular amount of time.