IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,255,920
Granted Patent B2
US 10,255,920 · App. 15/625,685 · Granted Apr 9, 2019

Methods and systems for detecting and processing speech signals

Inventors: Jay Pierre Civelli (Sunnyvale, CA); Mikhal Shemer (Tel-Aviv, IL); Turaj Zakizadeh Shabestary (Mountain View, CA); David Tapuska (Waterloo, CA)
Assignee: Google LLC
G10L15/30G10L15/22G10L15/32G10L15/02G10L2015/088G10L2015/223
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,255,920
App. No.
15/625,685
Granted
Apr 9, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are methods, systems, and apparatuses for detecting, processing, and responding to audio signals, including speech signals, within a designated area or space. A platform for multiple media devices connected via a network is configured to process speech, such as voice commands, detected at the media devices, and respond to the detected speech by causing the media devices to simultaneously perform one or more requested actions. The platform is capable of scoring the quality of a speech request, handling speech requests from multiple end points of the platform using a centralized processing approach, a de-centralized processing approach, or a combination thereof, and also manipulating partial processing of speech requests from multiple end points into a coherent whole when necessary.

Claims (42)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device that (i) is operating in a low power mode, (ii) is configured to exit the low power mode upon determining that a particular hotword has likely been spoken, and (iii) is in proximity of other computing devices that are each also configured to exit the low power mode upon determining that the particular hotword has been spoken, audio data corresponding to a user uttering the particular hotword;

based on comparing a hotword confidence score generated by the computing device with one or more respective hotword confidence scores received from one or more of the other computing devices, determining, by the computing device, to remain operating in the low power mode despite determining that the particular hotword has likely been spoken.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , comprising:

transmitting, by the computing device, the hotword confidence score to the other computing devices in response to determining the hotword confidence score.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , comprising:

transmitting, by the computing device, the hotword confidence score to a server in response to receiving other hotword confidence scores from the other computing devices.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the hotword confidence score is based on a location of the user relative to the computing device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining, by the computing device, to remain operating in the low power mode despite determining that the particular hotword has likely been spoken comprises:

determining, by the computing device, to remain operating in the low power mode despite determining that the particular hotword has likely been spoken in response to determining the hotword confidence score generated by the computing device is less than the one or more respective hotword confidence scores received from the one or more of the other computing devices.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein transmitting the hotword confidence score to a server comprises:

transmitting, by the computing device, the hotword confidence score to the server in response to determining the hotword confidence score is greater than the other hotword confidence scores.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , comprising:

waiting, by the computing device, a predetermined amount of time to receive the other hotword confidence scores from the other computing devices in response to transmitting the hotword confidence score to the other computing devices.

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 (i) is operating in a low power mode, (ii) is configured to exit the low power mode upon determining that a particular hotword has likely been spoken, and (iii) is in proximity of other computing devices that are each also configured to exit the low power mode upon determining that the particular hotword has been spoken, audio data corresponding to a user uttering the particular hotword;

based on comparing a hotword confidence score generated by the computing device with one or more respective hotword confidence scores received from one or more of the other computing devices, determining, by the computing device, to remain operating in the low power mode despite determining that the particular hotword has likely been spoken.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting, by the computing device, the hotword confidence score to the other computing devices in response to determining the hotword confidence score.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting, by the computing device, the hotword confidence score to a server in response to receiving other hotword confidence scores from the other computing devices.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the hotword confidence score is based on a location of the user relative to the computing device.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining, by the computing device, to remain operating in the low power mode despite determining that the particular hotword has likely been spoken comprises:

determining, by the computing device, to remain operating in the low power mode despite determining that the particular hotword has likely been spoken in response to determining the hotword confidence score generated by the computing device is less than the one or more respective hotword confidence scores received from the one or more of the other computing devices.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein transmitting the hotword confidence score to a server comprises:

transmitting, by the computing device, the hotword confidence score to the server in response to determining the hotword confidence score is greater than the other hotword confidence scores.

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

waiting, by the computing device, a predetermined amount of time to receive the other hotword confidence scores from the other computing devices in response to transmitting the hotword confidence score to the other computing devices.

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:

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 (i) is operating in a low power mode, (ii) is configured to exit the low power mode upon determining that a particular hotword has likely been spoken, and (iii) is in proximity of other computing devices that are each also configured to exit the low power mode upon determining that the particular hotword has been spoken, audio data corresponding to a user uttering the particular hotword;

based on comparing a hotword confidence score generated by the computing device with one or more respective hotword confidence scores received from one or more of the other computing devices, determining, by the computing device, to remain operating in the low power mode despite determining that the particular hotword has likely been spoken.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations comprise:

transmitting, by the computing device, the hotword confidence score to the other computing devices in response to determining the hotword confidence score.

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

transmitting, by the computing device, the hotword confidence score to a server in response to receiving other hotword confidence scores from the other computing devices.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the hotword confidence score is based on a location of the user relative to the computing device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein determining, by the computing device, to remain operating in the low power mode despite determining that the particular hotword has likely been spoken comprises:

determining, by the computing device, to remain operating in the low power mode despite determining that the particular hotword has likely been spoken in response to determining the hotword confidence score generated by the computing device is less than the one or more respective hotword confidence scores received from the one or more of the other computing devices.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein transmitting the hotword confidence score to a server comprises:

transmitting, by the computing device, the hotword confidence score to the server in response to determining the hotword confidence score is greater than the other hotword confidence scores.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 20, 2017
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 044567/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 19, 2017
From: CIVELLI, JAY PIERRE; SHEMER, MIKHAL; SHABESTARY, TURAJ ZAKIZADEH; TAPUSKA, DAVID
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 042745/0713 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 15624935 · Jun 16, 2017
Continuation 15622170 · Jun 14, 2017
Continuation 15597249 · May 17, 2017
Continuation 15052426 · Feb 24, 2016
Related Publication 20170287486A1 · Oct 5, 2017