Context-aware hardware-based voice activity detection

A method for performing voice activity detection, comprising:

• receiving audio data from an audio source of an electronic device;
• generating a plurality of model input features using a hardware-based feature generator based on the received audio data, wherein generating the plurality of model input features comprises:
• preprocessing the received audio data to generate domain transformation input data;
• generating a plurality of band outputs with a domain transformation circuit based on the domain transformation input data;
• determining a current context associated with the audio data based on spectral coefficients associated with the received audio data and spectral coefficients associated with a prior context associated with an audio environment in which previous audio data was captured, wherein determining the current context comprises:
• determining that the current context is unchanged relative to the prior context when the spectral coefficients associated with the received audio data are within a threshold distance from the spectral coefficients associated with the prior context, or
• determining that the current context is different from the prior context when the spectral coefficients associated with the received audio data are outside the threshold distance from the spectral coefficients associated with the prior context;
• selecting a subset of band outputs from the plurality of band outputs from the domain transformation circuit by filtering symmetric band outputs from the plurality of band outputs, wherein the subset of band outputs comprises fewer band outputs than the plurality of band outputs;
• and
• determining a signal-to-noise ratio for each band output of the subset of band outputs, wherein each signal-to-noise ratio for each band output of the subset of band outputs is a model input feature of the plurality of model input features;
• and
• determining a presence of voice activity in the audio data based on an output value generated by a hardware-based voice activity detection model based on the model input features, wherein the hardware-based voice activity detection model comprises a model including context-specific model parameters associated with the determined current context associated with the audio data.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method for performing voice activity detection, the method comprising:

• receiving audio data from an audio source of an electronic device;
• generating a plurality of model input features using a hardware-based feature generator based on the received audio data, wherein generating the plurality of model input features comprises:
• preprocessing the received audio data to generate domain transformation input data;
• generating a plurality of band outputs with a domain transformation circuit based on the domain transformation input data;
• determining a current context associated with the audio data based on spectral coefficients associated with the received audio data and spectral coefficients associated with a prior context associated with an audio environment in which previous audio data was captured, wherein determining the current context comprises:
• determining that the current context is unchanged relative to the prior context when the spectral coefficients associated with the received audio data are within a threshold distance from the spectral coefficients associated with the prior context, or
• determining that the current context is different from the prior context when the spectral coefficients associated with the received audio data are outside the threshold distance from the spectral coefficients associated with the prior context;
• selecting a subset of band outputs from the plurality of band outputs from the domain transformation circuit by filtering symmetric band outputs from the plurality of band outputs, wherein the subset of band outputs comprises fewer band outputs than the plurality of band outputs;
• and
• determining a signal-to-noise ratio for each band output of the subset of band outputs, wherein each signal-to-noise ratio for each band output of the subset of band outputs is a model input feature of the plurality of model input features;
• and
• determining a presence of voice activity in the audio data based on an output value generated by a hardware-based voice activity detection model based on the model input features, wherein the hardware-based voice activity detection model comprises a model including context-specific model parameters associated with the determined current context associated with the audio data.

A processing device, comprising:

• means for receiving audio data from an audio source of an electronic device;
• means for generating a plurality of model input features using a hardware-based feature generator based on the received audio data, wherein the means for generating the plurality of model input features comprises:
• means for preprocessing the received audio data to generate domain transformation input data;
• means for generating a plurality of band outputs with a domain transformation circuit based on the domain transformation input data,
• means for determining a current context associated with the audio data based on spectral coefficients associated with the received audio data and spectral coefficients associated with a prior context associated with an audio environment in which previous audio data was captured, wherein the means for determining the current context is configured to:
• determine that the current context is unchanged relative to the prior context when the spectral coefficients associated with the received audio data are within a threshold distance from the spectral coefficients associated with the prior context, or
• determine that the current context is different from the prior context when the spectral coefficients associated with the received audio data are outside the threshold distance from the spectral coefficients associated with the prior context;
• means for selecting a subset of band outputs from the plurality of band outputs from the domain transformation circuit by filtering symmetric band outputs from the plurality of band outputs, wherein the subset of band outputs comprises fewer band outputs than the plurality of band outputs;
• and
• means for determining a signal-to-noise ratio for each band output of the subset of band outputs, wherein each signal-to-noise ratio for each band output of the subset of band outputs is a model input feature of the plurality of model input features;
• means for providing the plurality of model input features to a hardware-based voice activity detection model, wherein the hardware-based voice activity detection model comprises a model including context-specific model parameters associated with the determined current context associated with the audio data;
• means for receiving an output value from the hardware-based voice activity detection model;
• and
• means for determining a presence of voice activity in the audio data based on the output value.