Granted Patent B2

US 12,314,633 · App. 18/595,934 · Granted May 27, 2025

Inventor: Dayn Wilberding (Portland, OR)

Assignee: Sonos, Inc.

G06F3/167G10L15/22G10L15/30G10L17/02G10L17/22G10L2015/088G10L2015/223

Abstract

Claims (58)

1. A system comprising:

a first device;

a second device;

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

capture, via at least one microphone of the second device, audio;

send, via a wireless network, data representing the captured audio to the first device;

analyze, via a processor of the first device, the captured audio using a first wake-word detection algorithm configured to detect a first wake word and a second wake-word detection algorithm configured to detect a second wake word, wherein the first wake-word detection algorithm corresponds to a first voice assistant associated with the first wake word, and wherein the second wake-word detection algorithm corresponds to a second voice assistant associated with the second wake word;

when one of the first wake-word detection algorithm and the second wake-word detection algorithm detects, in the captured audio, a wake word corresponding to a particular voice assistant of (a) the first voice assistant or (b) the second voice assistant, send, to the particular voice assistant, a portion of the captured audio corresponding to a voice input;

after transmitting the portion of the captured audio, receive at least one instruction that is based on the voice input in the portion of the captured audio; and

perform a playback operation based on the at least one instruction.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises the first voice assistant, and wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

determine, via the first voice assistant, the at least one instruction based on the voice input in the portion of the captured audio.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to determine the at least one instruction based on the voice input in the portion of the captured audio comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

determine an intent of the voice input in the portion of the captured audio; and

identify the at least one instruction based on the determined intent.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising at least one server that comprises the second voice assistant, and wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

determine, via the second voice assistant, at least one additional instruction based on an additional voice input in an additional portion of the captured audio.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one instruction includes an instruction to modify playback on a television, wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to perform the playback operation based on the at least one instruction comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

cause the television to modify playback according to the instruction.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first device is integral to the television.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one instruction includes an instruction to adjust volume settings on at least one playback device, wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to perform the playback operation based on the at least one instruction comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

cause the at least one playback device to modify volume settings according to the instruction.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first device is integral to a playback device of the at least one playback device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second device comprises one or more button controls that are selectable to control operation of the first device.

10. A first device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first device is configured to:

receive, via a wireless network, data representing audio captured via at least one microphone of a second device;

analyze, via a processor of the first device, the captured audio using a first wake-word detection algorithm configured to detect a first wake word and a second wake-word detection algorithm configured to detect a second wake word, wherein the first wake-word detection algorithm corresponds to a first voice assistant associated with the first wake word, and wherein the second wake-word detection algorithm corresponds to a second voice assistant associated with the second wake word;

when one of the first wake-word detection algorithm and the second wake-word detection algorithm detects, in the captured audio, a wake word corresponding to a particular voice assistant of (a) the first voice assistant or (b) the second voice assistant, send, to the particular voice assistant, a portion of the captured audio corresponding to a voice input;

after transmitting the portion of the captured audio, receive at least one instruction that is based on the voice input in the portion of the captured audio; and

perform a playback operation based on the at least one instruction.

11. The first device of claim 10 , wherein the first device comprises the first voice assistant, and wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first device is configured to:

determine, via the first voice assistant, the at least one instruction based on the voice input in the portion of the captured audio.

12. The first device of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first device is configured to determine the at least one instruction based on the voice input in the portion of the captured audio comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first device is configured to:

determine an intent of the voice input in the portion of the captured audio; and

identify the at least one instruction based on the determined intent.

13. The first device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one instruction includes an instruction to modify playback on a television, wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first device is configured to perform the playback operation based on the at least one instruction comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first device is configured to:

cause the television to modify playback according to the instruction.

14. The first device of claim 13 , wherein the first device is integral to the television.

15. The first device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one instruction includes an instruction to adjust volume settings on at least one playback device, wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first device is configured to perform the playback operation based on the at least one instruction comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first device is configured to:

cause the at least one playback device to modify volume settings according to the instruction.

16. The first device of claim 15 , wherein the first device is integral to a playback device of the at least one playback device.

17. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by at least one processor such that a system comprising a first device and a second device is configured to:

capture, via at least one microphone of the second device, audio;

send, via a wireless network, data representing the captured audio to the first device;

analyze, via a processor of the first device, the captured audio using a first wake-word detection algorithm configured to detect a first wake word and a second wake-word detection algorithm configured to detect a second wake word, wherein the first wake-word detection algorithm corresponds to a first voice assistant associated with the first wake word, and wherein the second wake-word detection algorithm corresponds to a second voice assistant associated with the second wake word;

when one of the first wake-word detection algorithm and the second wake-word detection algorithm detects, in the captured audio, a wake word corresponding to a particular voice assistant of (a) the first voice assistant or (b) the second voice assistant, send, to the particular voice assistant, a portion of the captured audio corresponding to a voice input;

after transmitting the portion of the captured audio, receive at least one instruction that is based on the voice input in the portion of the captured audio; and

perform a playback operation based on the at least one instruction.

18. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the first device comprises the first voice assistant, and wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

determine, via the first voice assistant, the at least one instruction based on the voice input in the portion of the captured audio.

19. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to determine the at least one instruction based on the voice input in the portion of the captured audio comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

determine an intent of the voice input in the portion of the captured audio; and

identify the at least one instruction based on the determined intent.

20. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising at least one server that comprises the second voice assistant, and wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:

determine, via the second voice assistant, at least one additional instruction based on an additional voice input in an additional portion of the captured audio.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (7)

References Cited (315)