# US 10,504,507 B2 · Always-on keyword detector > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,504,507 B2 - Document ID: US10504507B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/235,396 - Filed: 2018-12-28 - Published: 2019-07-04 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-28 - Assignees: Syntiant - Applicants: Syntiant - Inventors: Kurt F. Busch; Jeremiah H. Holleman, III; Pieter Vorenkamp; Stephen W. Bailey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504507B2 ## CPC - G10L 15/16: using artificial neural networks - G06N 3/0495: Quantised networks; Sparse networks; Compressed networks - G06N 3/065: Analogue means - G06N 3/08: Learning methods - G06N 3/105: {Shells for specifying net layout} - G06N 20/20: Ensemble learning - G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue - G10L 15/28: Constructional details of speech recognition systems - G10L 2015/088: {Word spotting} - G10L 2015/223: {Execution procedure of a spoken command} - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## Abstract Provided herein is an integrated circuit including, in some embodiments, a special-purpose host processor, a neuromorphic co-processor, and a communications interface between the host processor and the co-processor configured to transmit information therebetween. The special-purpose host processor is operable as a stand-alone host processor. The neuromorphic co-processor includes an artificial neural network. The co-processor is configured to enhance special-purpose processing of the host processor through the artificial neural network. In such embodiments, the host processor is a keyword identifier processor configured to transmit one or more detected words to the co-processor over the communications interface. The co-processor is configured to transmit recognized words, or other sounds, to the host processor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated circuit for detecting keywords, comprising: a keyword identifier host processor operable as a stand-alone host processor and configured to identify one or more words within a received audio stream; a neuromorphic co-processor including an artificial neural network that is configured to identify one or more desired keywords among the one or more words received from the host processor; and a communications interface between the host processor and the co-processor configured to transmit information therebetween. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the neuromorphic co-processor includes a database comprised of known keywords whereby the one or more desired keywords may be identified among the one or more words. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The integrated circuit of claim 2, wherein new keywords may be added to the database and distinguished from existing keywords. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The integrated circuit of claim 3, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to operate on battery power. ### Claim 5 A method for detecting keywords within an audio stream, comprising: receiving the audio stream in the form of electrical signals to a keyword identifier host processor; transmitting the electrical signals from the host processor to a neuromorphic co-processor; identifying one or more desired keywords within the electrical signals; transmitting the one or more desired keywords from the neuromorphic co-processor to the host processor; and sending one or more output signals from the host processor upon receiving the one or more desired keywords from the neuromorphic co-processor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the neuromorphic co-processor includes a database comprised of known keywords whereby the one or more desired keywords may be identified within the electrical signals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more keywords are comprised of predefined acoustic signal other than speech. ### Claim 8 An integrated circuit, comprising: a special-purpose host processor operable as a stand-alone host processor; a neuromorphic co-processor including an artificial neural network that is configured to enhance special-purpose processing of the host processor; and a communications interface between the host processor and the co-processor configured to transmit information therebetween. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The integrated circuit of claim 8, wherein the host processor is a keyword identifier processor configured to transmit an audio stream in the form of electrical signals to the co-processor over the communications interface, and wherein the co-processor is configured to enhance the special-purpose processing of the host processor by providing one or more detected keywords to the host processor over the communications interface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein the communications interface between the host processor and the co-processor is a serial peripheral interface (“SPI”) bus or inter-integrated circuit (“I2C”) bus. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The integrated circuit of claim 10, wherein the artificial neural network is disposed in an analog multiplier array of a number of two-quadrant multipliers in a memory sector of the integrated circuit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The integrated circuit of claim 11, wherein synaptic weights of the artificial neural network are stored in firmware of the integrated circuit, and wherein the firmware is configured for cloud-based upgrades to update the synaptic weights of the artificial neural network. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The integrated circuit of claim 12, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to operate on battery power. ### Claim 14 An integrated circuit for detecting keywords, comprising: a special-purpose host processor configured to identify one or more sounds within a received audio stream and transmit the one or more sounds to a neuromorphic co-processor; an artificial neural network comprising the neuromorphic co-processor that is configured to identify one or more desired sounds among the one or more sounds received from the host processor; and a communications interface between the host processor and the co-processor configured to transmit information therebetween. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The integrated circuit of claim 14, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to operate on battery power. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to remain in a low-power, always-on state whereby the integrated circuit remains continuously ready to receive the audio stream. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The integrated circuit of claim 14, wherein the host processor is configured to output one or more signal upon detection of the one or more desired sounds. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The integrated circuit of claim 14, wherein the integrated circuit is configured for implementation within a mobile device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The integrated circuit of claim 18, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to be powered by current leakage from a battery comprising the mobile device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The integrated circuit of claim 19, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to remain in a fully aware state whereby the integrated circuit remains continuously ready to receive the audio stream.