IP Library Granted Patent US 9,495,969
Granted Patent B2
US 9,495,969 · App. 14/447,821 · Granted Nov 15, 2016

Simplified decoding of voice commands using control planes

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,495,969
App. No.
14/447,821
Granted
Nov 15, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A received transport stream may be demultiplexed into a compressed audio stream and a control stream. The compressed audio stream may be decoded. Audio corresponding to a tuned program may be stored. The stored audio may be separated from the compressed audio stream by subtracting the stored audio from the decoded audio stream, until a no-active-speech command is found in the control stream. Responsive to the no-active-speech command, the subtracting may be omitted for a period corresponding to a duration of the no-active-speech command.

Claims (38)

1. A method performed in a digital home communication terminal (DHCT), the method comprising:

demultiplexing a received transport stream into a compressed audio stream and a control stream;

decoding the compressed audio stream;

storing audio corresponding to a tuned program;

separating the stored audio from the compressed audio stream by subtracting the stored audio from the decoded audio stream, until a no-active-speech command is found in the control stream, wherein the no-active-speech command is received from a digital signal processor (DSP) in between a start command and a stop command representing a gap between spoken words, wherein the DSP is configured to compare an energy level of the compressed audio stream with a predetermined threshold value to determine the gap; and

responsive to the no-active-speech command, omitting the subtracting for a period corresponding to a duration of the no-active-speech command.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the transport stream from a remote control.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the decoding begins upon finding the start command in the control stream.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the decoding ends upon finding the stop command in the control stream.

5. The method of claim 1 , the separating further comprising subtracting samples of the stored audio from a program buffer from the samples of the decoded audio stream from a speech buffer, the method further comprising:

responsive to the no-active-speech command, advancing a consumption index in the program buffer by an amount corresponding to a duration of the no-active-speech command.

6. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising storing a start and length of the no-active-speech command, wherein the omitting utilizes the start and the length.

7. A system comprising:

a microphone for receiving a plurality of inputs;

a digital signal processor (DSP) configured to generate a no-active-speech command in between a start command and a stop command representing a gap between spoken words, wherein the DSP configured to compare an energy level of the compressed audio stream with a predetermined threshold value to determine the gap;

a multiplexer for multiplexing the plurality of inputs with one or more control commands to produce a data stream; and

a transmitter for transmitting the data stream to a DHCT, wherein the plurality of inputs are configured to effect the no-active-speech command at the DHCT upon receipt.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the no-active speech command is configured to omit a subtraction function for a period corresponding to the duration of the no-active speech command.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising at least one processor for digitizing the plurality of inputs.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the transmitter transmits the data stream over a wireless network.

11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising an enable microphone function, wherein the enable microphone function activates the microphone for receipt of one or more inputs.

12. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a processor to create a first control command upon detection of the no-active-speech command.

13. A method comprising:

receiving an audio signal;

comparing, by a digital signal processor (DSP), an energy level of the compressed audio stream with a predetermined threshold value to determine a gap between spoken words in the audio signal;

generating, by the DSP, a no-active-speech command in between a start command and a stop command, wherein the no-active-speech command represents the determined gap;

multiplexing control commands with the audio signal, wherein at least one command is the no-active-speech command;

transmitting a data stream comprising the multiplexed control commands and the audio signal to a DHCT;

subtracting the audio signal from the data stream until the no-active-speech command is located; and

omitting the subtracting for a period corresponding to a duration of the no-active-speech command.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the data stream is transmitted as a stream of encoded, digitized signals.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the data stream is transmitted as part of a program to train voice activation software.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the audio signal comprises one or more voice commands provided by a user.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the subtraction begins upon finding the start command in the control commands.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising decoding the data stream with at least one speech decoder.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein decoding the data stream ends upon finding the stop command in the control commands.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising storing decoded audio signals in a first audio buffer.

Assignments (6)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT NUMBER THE ASSIGNMENT WAS FILED PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 048172 FRAME: 0917. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 3, 2019
From: NDS LIMITED
To: SYNAMEDIA LIMITED
Reel/Frame 050254/0903 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 7, 2018
From: NDS LIMITED
To: SYNAMEDIA LIMITED
Reel/Frame 048172/0917 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2018
From: BEAUMARIS NETWORKS LLC; CISCO SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL S.A.R.L.; CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.; CISCO VIDEO TECHNOLOGIES FRANCE
To: NDS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 047420/0600 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 2, 2016
From: RODRIGUEZ, ARTURO A.; SEDACCA, DAVID A.; GARCIA, ALBERT
To: SCIENTIFIC-ATLANTA, INC.
Reel/Frame 039311/0938 →
CERTIFICATE OF CONVERSION Recorded Aug 2, 2016
From: SCIENTIFIC-ATLANTA, INC.
To: SCIENTIFIC-ATLANTA, LLC
Reel/Frame 039537/0645 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST Recorded Aug 2, 2016
From: SCIENTIFIC-ATLANTA, LLC
To: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 039537/0784 →