# US 12,014,742 B1 · Voice controlled assistant with coaxial speaker and microphone arrangement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,014,742 B1 - Document ID: US12014742B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/074,798 - Filed: 2022-12-05 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2012-06-01 - Assignees: Amazon Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Amazon Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Timothy Theodore List - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12014742B1 ## CPC - G10L 17/22: Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces - G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback} - G10L 15/08: Speech classification or search - G10L 15/1822: {Parsing for meaning understanding} - G10L 15/30: Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications - G10L 21/0208: Noise filtering - H04R 1/08: Mouthpieces; {Microphones;} Attachments therefor - H04R 1/323: {for loudspeakers (H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence)} - H04R 1/326: {for microphones (H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence)} - H04R 1/345: {for loudspeakers} - H04R 3/002: {Damping circuit arrangements for transducers, e.g. motional feedback circuits} - H04R 3/005: {for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - G10L 15/20: Speech recognition techniques specially adapted for robustness in adverse environments, e.g. in noise, of stress induced speech (G10L21/02 takes precedence) - G10L 2021/02082: {the noise being echo, reverberation of the speech} - G10L 2021/02166: {Microphone arrays; Beamforming} - H04R 3/12: for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - H04R 27/00: Public address systems (circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; {monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007}; amplifiers H03F) - H04R 2227/003: Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet - H04R 2420/07: Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract A voice controlled assistant has a housing to hold one or more microphones, one or more speakers, and various computing components. The housing has an elongated cylindrical body extending along a center axis between a base end and a top end. The microphone(s) are mounted in the top end and the speaker(s) are mounted proximal to the base end. The microphone(s) and speaker(s) are coaxially aligned along the center axis. The speaker(s) are oriented to output sound directionally toward the base end and opposite to the microphone(s) in the top end. The sound may then be redirected in a radial outward direction from the center axis at the base end so that the sound is output symmetric to, and equidistance from, the microphone(s). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device, comprising: a housing; a microphone disposed at least partly within the housing; a speaker; a network interface configured to communicate with a remote system; one or more processors; and non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: generating audio data representing audio captured by the microphone; identifying a wake word based at least in part on analysis of the audio data; generating a message based at least in part on at least identifying the wake word; sending, based at least in part on at least identifying the wake word, the message to the remote system; and receiving, from the remote system, information to perform an action associated with the audio data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable media is further configured with instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising performing a double-talk-reduction process in association with at least a portion of the audio data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable media is further configured with instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising performing an echo-cancellation process in association with at least a portion of the audio data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable media is further configured with instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising performing speech recognition processing on at least a portion of the audio data prior to sending the message to the remote system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable media is further configured with instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising performing natural language processing associated with at least a portion of the audio data prior to sending the message to the remote system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the message includes data representing a query sent to the remote system, the query requesting a response associated with at least a portion of the audio data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising a light element, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable media is further configured with instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising causing the light element to emit light based at least in part on identifying the wake word. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable media is further configured with instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising, prior to sending the message, performing beamforming on at least a portion of the audio data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable media is further configured with instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising causing the speaker to output audio based at least in part on the information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable media is further configured with instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising causing the device to transition from a first state to a second state based at least in part on identifying the wake word. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the audio data includes: a first portion representing the wake word; and a second portion representing a voice command associated with the action. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the audio data represents the wake word. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising a light element, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable media is further configured with instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising causing the light element to emit light based at least in part on at least a portion of the audio data. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the microphone comprises a first microphone, and the device further comprises a second microphone. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the speaker comprises a first speaker, and the device further comprises a second speaker, wherein the first speaker has a first size that differs from a second size of the second speaker. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the speaker is disposed such that sound emitted from the speaker is directed at least partially away from the microphone. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising a light element configured to emit light indicating a state of the device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes openings associated with the speaker, the openings sized to permit passage of sound waves from the speaker through the openings. ### Claim 19 A method, comprising: generating, at a device, audio data representing audio captured by a microphone of the device; identifying a wake word based at least in part on analysis of the audio data; generating a message based at least in part on at least identifying the wake word; sending, based at least in part on at least identifying the wake word, the message to a remote system from the device; and receiving, from the remote system, information to perform an action associated with the audio data. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising performing a double-talk-reduction process in association with at least a portion of the audio data. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising performing an echo-cancellation process in association with at least a portion of the audio data. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising performing speech recognition processing on at least a portion of the audio data prior to sending the message to the remote system. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising performing natural language processing associated with at least a portion of the audio data prior to sending the message to the remote system. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the message includes data representing a query sent to the remote system, the query requesting a response associated with at least a portion of the audio data. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising causing a light element of the device to emit light based at least in part on at least a portion of the audio data corresponding at least in part to a predetermined word. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising, prior to sending the message, performing beamforming on at least a portion of the audio data. ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising causing a speaker to output audio based at least in part on the information. ### Claim 28 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising causing the device to transition from a first state to a second state based at least in part on identifying the wake word.