IP Library Granted Patent US 10,431,213
Granted Patent B2
US 10,431,213 · App. 15/887,034 · Granted Oct 1, 2019

Recognizing speech in the presence of additional audio

Inventors: Diego Melendo Casado (San Francisco, CA); Ignacio Lopez Moreno (New York, NY); Javier Gonzalez-Dominguez (Madrid, ES)
Assignee: Google LLC
G10L15/20G06F3/165G06F3/167G10L15/222G10L17/06G10L21/034G10L25/84H03G3/3005G10L15/265G10L17/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,431,213
App. No.
15/887,034
Granted
Oct 1, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

The technology described in this document can be embodied in a computer-implemented method that includes receiving, at a processing system, a first signal including an output of a speaker device and an additional audio signal. The method also includes determining, by the processing system, based at least in part on a model trained to identify the output of the speaker device, that the additional audio signal corresponds to an utterance of a user. The method further includes initiating a reduction in an audio output level of the speaker device based on determining that the additional audio signal corresponds to the utterance of the user.

Claims (67)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an audio signal;

determining, using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice;

in response to determining, using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice, suppressing operation of a speech synthesis module;

after suppressing operation of the speech synthesis module, obtaining a transcription corresponding to the audio signal from an automated speech recognizer; and

providing the transcription for output.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein suppressing operation of a speech synthesis module comprises initiating a reduction in an audio output level of the speech synthesis module.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein initiating a reduction in an audio output level of the speech synthesis module comprises interrupting output of the speech synthesis module.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

obtaining a first vector corresponding to at least a portion of the audio signal;

comparing the first vector to a second vector corresponding to the model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice; and

determining that the audio signal comprises additional audio other than the synthesized voice based on a result of the comparison satisfying a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

obtaining a first vector corresponding to at least a portion of the audio signal; and

determining that the audio signal comprises additional audio other than the synthesized voice based on the first vector satisfying a threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and the model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice is an i-vector based model.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and the model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice is a neural network based model.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

receiving an audio signal comprises receiving, by an assistant device, an audio signal,

determining, using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice comprises determining, by the assistant device and using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice,

in response to determining, using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice, suppressing operation of a speech synthesis module comprises, in response to determining, by the assistant device and using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice, suppressing, by the assistant device, operation of a speech synthesis module implemented by the assistant device,

after suppressing operation of the speech synthesis module, obtaining a transcription corresponding to the audio signal from an automated speech recognizer comprises, after suppressing operation of the speech synthesis module, obtaining, by the assistant device, a transcription corresponding to the audio signal from an automated speech recognizer, and

providing the transcription for output comprises providing, by the assistant device, the transcription for output.

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 an audio signal;

determining, using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice;

in response to determining, using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice, suppressing operation of a speech synthesis module;

after suppressing operation of the speech synthesis module, obtaining a transcription corresponding to the audio signal from an automated speech recognizer; and

providing the transcription for output.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein suppressing operation of a speech synthesis module comprises initiating a reduction in an audio output level of the speech synthesis module.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein initiating a reduction in an audio output level of the speech synthesis module comprises interrupting output of the speech synthesis module.

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

obtaining a first vector corresponding to at least a portion of the audio signal;

comparing the first vector to a second vector corresponding to the model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice; and

determining that the audio signal comprises additional audio other than the synthesized voice based on a result of the comparison satisfying a threshold.

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

obtaining a first vector corresponding to at least a portion of the audio signal; and

determining that the audio signal comprises additional audio other than the synthesized voice based on the first vector satisfying a threshold.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein each of the model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and the model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice is an i-vector based model.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein each of the model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and the model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice is a neural network based model.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

receiving an audio signal comprises receiving, by an assistant device, an audio signal,

determining, using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice comprises determining, by the assistant device and using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice,

in response to determining, using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice, suppressing operation of a speech synthesis module comprises, in response to determining, by the assistant device and using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice, suppressing, by the assistant device, operation of a speech synthesis module implemented by the assistant device,

after suppressing operation of the speech synthesis module, obtaining a transcription corresponding to the audio signal from an automated speech recognizer comprises, after suppressing operation of the speech synthesis module, obtaining, by the assistant device, a transcription corresponding to the audio signal from an automated speech recognizer, and

providing the transcription for output comprises providing, by the assistant device, the transcription for output.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving an audio signal;

determining, using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice;

in response to determining, using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice, suppressing operation of a speech synthesis module;

after suppressing operation of the speech synthesis module, obtaining a transcription corresponding to the audio signal from an automated speech recognizer; and

providing the transcription for output.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining a first vector corresponding to at least a portion of the audio signal;

comparing the first vector to a second vector corresponding to the model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice; and

determining that the audio signal comprises additional audio other than the synthesized voice based on a result of the comparison satisfying a threshold.

19. The device of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining a first vector corresponding to at least a portion of the audio signal; and

determining that the audio signal comprises additional audio other than the synthesized voice based on the first vector satisfying a threshold.

20. The device of claim 17 , wherein:

receiving an audio signal comprises receiving, by an assistant device, an audio signal,

determining, using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice comprises determining, by the assistant device and using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice,

in response to determining, using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice, suppressing operation of a speech synthesis module comprises, in response to determining, by the assistant device and using a model that is trained to detect a presence of a synthesized voice and a model that is trained to detect a presence of a user's voice, that the audio signal likely includes both the synthesized voice and the user's voice, suppressing, by the assistant device, operation of a speech synthesis module implemented by the assistant device,

after suppressing operation of the speech synthesis module, obtaining a transcription corresponding to the audio signal from an automated speech recognizer comprises, after suppressing operation of the speech synthesis module, obtaining, by the assistant device, a transcription corresponding to the audio signal from an automated speech recognizer, and

providing the transcription for output comprises providing, by the assistant device, the transcription for output.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 2, 2018
From: CASADO, DIEGO MELENDO; MORENO, IGNACIO LOPEZ; GONZALEZ-DOMINGUEZ, JAVIER
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 044819/0524 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 2, 2018
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 045243/0118 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 15460342 · Mar 16, 2017
Continuation 15093309 · Apr 7, 2016
Continuation 14181345 · Feb 14, 2014
Related Publication 20180211653A1 · Jul 26, 2018