Audio user interface apparatus and method

1. A method for an audio user interface comprising:

monitoring audio in an environment around an electronic device by at least one microphone of the electronic device;

detecting a voice command during monitoring, wherein the voice command is configured to trigger the audio user interface;

converting at least one syllable of the detected voice command into one or more voltage signals, wherein each syllable of the at least one syllable is associated with a frequency range;

determining one or more voltage levels based on the one or more voltage signals, comprising determining one or more voltage levels for each associated frequency range;

comparing of the determined one or more voltage signals levels with one or more voltage levels of an audio trigger command within the electronic device, wherein the audio trigger command is predetermined; and

initiating activation of a user interface action when the detected voice command matches the audio trigger command based on the comparison.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining the one of more voltage signals comprises determining whether the one or more voltage signals are in one of a plurality of adjacent voltage ranges.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the one or more voltage levels are defined by a plurality of voltage comparators each associated with a voltage threshold, and wherein the plurality of voltage comparators divide the one or more voltage levels for each different frequency range over a plurality of adjacent voltage ranges based on determining that a voltage signal exceeds an associated voltage threshold.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein the user interface action is activated when voltage range information of the one or more voltage signals of the converted at least one syllable of the detected voice command matches voltage range information of the audio trigger command.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the method comprises determining that the voice command matches the audio trigger command when the difference between the voltage range information of the converted at least one syllable of the detected voice command and the voltage range information of the audio trigger is less than a voltage threshold.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein the voltage range information of the audio trigger command is determined before the voice command is detected.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one syllable of the detected voice command is converted into one or more voltage signals with a frequency-to-voltage converter.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining comprises storing the one or more voltage signals in a buffer for a time period.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining the one or more voltage signals is carried out over a time period.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the initiating activation comprises sending a signal configured to activate another processor configured to perform the user interface action.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, where the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to at least:

monitor audio in an environment around an electronic device by at least one microphone of the electronic device;

detect a voice command during monitoring, wherein the voice command is configured to trigger the audio user interface;

convert at least one syllable of the detected voice command into one or more voltage signals, wherein each syllable is associated with a frequency range;

determine one or more voltage levels based on the one or more voltage signals, comprising determining one or more voltage levels for each associated frequency range;

compare the determined one or more voltage levels with one or more voltage levels of an audio trigger command within the electronic device, wherein the audio trigger command is predetermined;

and initiate activation of a user interface action when the detected voice command matches the audio trigger command based on the comparison.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to determine whether the one or more voltage signals are in one of a plurality of adjacent voltage ranges.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to use a plurality of voltage comparators to define the one or more voltage levels, wherein the plurality of voltage comparators divide the one or more voltage levels for each different frequency range over the plurality of adjacent voltage ranges based on determining that a voltage signal exceeds an associated voltage threshold.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to activate the user interface action when voltage range information of the one or more voltage signals of the converted at least one syllable of the detected voice command matches voltage range information of the audio trigger command.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to determine that the voice command matches the audio trigger command when the distance between the voltage range information of the converted at least one syllable of the detected voice command and the voltage range information of the audio trigger is less than a voltage threshold.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to determine the voltage range information of the audio trigger command before the voice command is detected.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the apparatus comprises a buffer configured to store the one or more voltage signals in for a time period.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to determine the one or more voltage signals over a time period.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the at least one memory including the computer program code is configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to send a signal for activating another processor configured to perform the user interface.

20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring is based on a selection of activation of a voice user interface from a settings menu of the audio user interface and the audio user interface displaying an indication that the monitoring has started.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the detecting is based on a detection of the voice command three consecutive times or detection of the voice command within a predetermined time period following the displayed indication.

22. The method according to claim 1 , wherein converting the at least one syllable of the detected voice command into one or more voltage signals is identifying a particular user voice from which the voice command is detected.