Providing hands-free service to multiple devices

• US 9,986,077 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Haskin, Menashe
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, James
• Application Number:
  US14/658,673
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

Techniques for providing audio services to multiple devices are described. For instance, connections between a hands-free unit and multiple wireless devices are established. The connections are themselves used to establish active communication channels, such as active audio communication channels, between the hands-free unit and the wireless devices, such as during a phone call. Upon establishment of an active communication channel with one of the wireless devices, the connections to the other wireless devices are disconnected—and/or additional connections refused—for the duration of the active communication channel. Furthermore, a routing module in various embodiments permits multiple hands-free units to route active communication channels to each other depending on user location.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first microphone;

a first audio output speaker;

one or more processors; and

a hands-free component executable by the one or more processors to cause audio data generated based at least in part on input provided by the first microphone to be sent to a first wireless device from the apparatus; and

a hands-free routing component executable by the one or more processors to;

receive an indication that a user associated with the wireless device has moved from a first environment to a second environment;

cause the audio data to be sent to the first wireless device from another apparatus associated with the second environment instead of the apparatus based at least in part on the indication that the user has moved from the first environment to the second environment, wherein the other apparatus has at least a second microphone and a second audio output speaker;

cause a wireless communication channel to be established between a second wireless device and the apparatus based at least in part on the indication that the user has moved from the first environment to the second environment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indication that the user has moved from the first environment to the second environment is based at least in part on face recognition of the user.

3. A method comprising:

determining a first wireless communication channel has been established between a first wireless device and a first computing system, wherein the first computing system has at least one first microphone and at least one first audio output speaker;

determining that a user associated with the first wireless device has moved from a first environment to a second environment; and

causing a second wireless communication channel to be established between the first wireless device and the second computing system based at least in part on the determining that the user has moved from the first environment to the second environment, wherein the second computing system has at least one second microphone and at least one second audio output speaker; and

causing a third wireless communication channel to be established between a second wireless device and the first computing system based at least in part on the determining that the user has moved from the first environment to the second environment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first wireless device is a short-range, wireless communication audio gateway, and each of the first and second computing systems includes a short-range, wireless communication hands-free capability.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

performing at least one of voice recognition or face recognition of the user; and

where determining that the user has moved from the first environment to the second environment is based at least in part on the at least one of the voice recognition or the face recognition.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

causing the at least one first audio output speaker of the first computing system to output first sound based at least in part on a first audio signal received from the first wireless device; and

causing the at least one second audio output speaker of the second computing system to output second sound based at least in part on a second audio signal received from the first wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first wireless device includes a media player component, and the first audio signal is generated by the media player component.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining is based at least in part on a difference between a first time at which sound from the user is received at the at least one first microphone of the first computing system to a second time at which the sound from the user is received at the at least one second microphone of the second computing system.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the first computing system and the second computing system includes a voice-controlled assistant.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the user has moved from the first environment to the second environment is based at least in part on global position system data associated with a location of the first wireless device.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

causing a first wireless communication channel to be established between a first wireless device and a first computing system located in a first environment, wherein the first computing system has at least one first microphone and at least one first audio output speaker;

determining that a user associated with the first wireless device has moved from the first environment to a second environment, the second environment including a second computing system;

causing a second wireless communication channel to be established between the first wireless device and the second computing system based at least in part on determining that the user has moved from the first environment to the second environment, wherein the second computing system has at least one second microphone and at least one second audio output speaker; and

causing a third wireless communication channel to be established between a second wireless device and the first computing system based at least in part on determining that the user has moved from the first environment to the second environment.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first wireless device is a short-range, wireless communication audio gateway, and each of the first and second computing systems includes a short-range, wireless communication hands-free capability.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

performing at least one of voice recognition or face recognition of the user; and

wherein determining that the user has moved from the first environment to the second environment is based at least in part on the at least one of the voice recognition or the face recognition.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

causing the at least one first audio output speaker of the first computing system to output first sound based at least in part on a first audio signal received from the wireless device; and

causing the at least one second audio output speaker of the second computing system to output second sound based at least in part on a second audio signal received from the first wireless device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first wireless device includes a media player component, and the first audio signal is generated by the media player component.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting, to the first wireless device, a first audio signal generated at least in part by the at least one first microphone of the first computing system; and

receiving, from the first wireless device, a second audio signal to be output on the at least one first audio output speaker of the first computing system.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the determining is based at least in part on analyzing a first voice signal strength of the user at the first computing system and a second voice signal strength of the user at the second computing system.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the determining is based at least in part on a difference between a first time at which audio spoken by the user is received at the at least one first microphone of the first computing system to a second time at which the audio spoken by the user is received at the at least one second microphone of the second computing system.