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US 11,380,321 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus for a voice detector
AssigneeSemiconductor Components Industries, LLC
InventorKenichi Kiyozaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various embodiments of the present technology may provide methods and apparatus for a voice detector. The voice detector may provide a microphone and an audio processor. The microphone may provide an active signal generator configured to generate an active signal. The active signal may indicate when the signal level of detected audio is above or below a threshold level with a first state and a second state. The active signal may prevent activity at the microphone I/O interface and may prevent activity at the audio processor's internal logic.
Claims17
A voice detection system, comprising:
- a microphone configured to:
- receive a voice command;
- compare the voice command against a threshold value;
- generate a signal, wherein the signal comprises:
- a first state when the voice command is greater than the threshold value;
- and
- a second state when the voice command is less than the threshold value and corresponds to a gap between words in the voice command;
- generate a cleaned voice command wherein the cleaned voice command matches the voice command when the signal is in the first state, and wherein the cleaned voice command is set to a predetermined value when the signal is in the second state;
- and
- an audio processor, coupled to the microphone, comprising:
- a sound data controller, configured to:
- write data from the cleaned voice command to a memory when the cleaned voice command is not equal to the predetermined value;
- and
- prevent writing data from the cleaned voice command to a memory when the cleaned voice command is equal to the predetermined value;
- and
- a clock controller, coupled to the microphone, and configured to:
- generate an external clock signal based on the signal and an internal clock signal;
- and
- control a mode of operation of the microphone according to the external clock signal.
16 more elements
A method for detecting and processing an audio command, comprising
- generating an analog signal with a microphone in response to the audio command;
- generating a threshold value;
- comparing the analog signal to the threshold value;
- generating a digital signal based on the comparison of the analog signal and the threshold value, wherein the digital signal matches the analog signal when the analog signal is greater than the threshold value, and wherein the digital signal is set to a predetermined value when the analog signal is less than the threshold value;
- transmitting the digital signal to an audio processor;
- and
- controlling operation of the audio processor based on the digital signal, comprising:
- storing data, representing the audio command, in a memory according to the digital signal when the digital signal is not equal to the predetermined value;
- preventing data, representing the audio command, from being stored in the memory when the digital signal is equal to the predetermined value;
- and
- generating an external clock signal according to:
- the digital signal;
- and
- an internal clock signal;
- and
- transmitting the external clock signal to the microphone, wherein the external clock signal controls a mode of operation of the microphone.
13 more elements
An audio system, comprising:
- a digital microphone, configured to receive an analog voice command, comprising:
- a threshold generator, configured to generate a threshold value;
- and
- a comparator, coupled to the threshold generator, and configured to:
- compare the analog voice command against the threshold value;
- and
- transmit a digital signal that is in a first state when the analog voice command is greater than the threshold value and that is in a second state when the analog voice command is less than the threshold value and corresponds to a gap between words in the analog voice command;
- and
- a signal generator to generate a cleaned voice command wherein the cleaned voice command matches the analog voice command when the digital signal is in the first state, and wherein the cleaned voice commands is set to a predetermined value when the digital signal is in the second state;
- and
- an audio processor, coupled to the digital microphone, comprising:
- a write controller, configured to:
- write data from the cleaned voice command to a memory when the cleaned voice command is not equal to the predetermined value;
- and
- prevent writing data from the cleaned voice command to the memory when the cleaned voice command is equal to the predetermined value;
- and
- a clock controller, coupled to the digital microphone, and configured to:
- generate an external clock signal based on the digital signal and an internal clock signal;
- and
- control a mode of operation of the digital microphone according to the external clock signal.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.