US 12,118,273 B2Granted

Local voice data processing

AssigneeSonos, Inc.

InventorsSebastien Maury, Joseph Dureau, Thibaut Lorrain, Do Kyun Kim

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Abstract

Example techniques relate to local voice control in a media playback system. A satellite device (e.g., a playback device or microcontroller unit) may be configured to recognize a local set of keywords in voice inputs including context specific keywords (e.g., for controlling an associated smart device) as well as keywords corresponding to a subset of media playback commands for controlling playback devices in the media playback system. The satellite device may fall back to a hub device (e.g., a playback device) configured to recognize a more extensive set of keywords. In some examples, either device may fall back to the cloud for processing of other voice inputs.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a microcontroller unit (MCU);
a network interface;
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:
store, in data storage of the MCU, data representing local keywords corresponding to smart Internet-of-Things (IoT) commands;
capture an input sound data stream from one or more microphones;
transmit, via the network interface over a local area network to a hub device, data representing the input sound data stream for voice processing of one or more first voice inputs in the input sound data stream into respective commands by a voice assistant of the hub device, wherein the MCU and the hub device are connected to the local area network;
monitor the captured input sound data stream for the local keywords corresponding the smart IoT commands;
detect at least one keyword of the local keywords in a portion of the captured input sound data stream comprising a second voice input;
determine at least one particular smart IoT command corresponding to the at least one keyword;
send, via the network interface to the hub device, an indication that the MCU is processing the portion of the captured input sound data stream comprising the second voice input, wherein the hub device forgoes processing of the portion of the captured input sound data stream comprising the second voice input when the indication is received;
and
cause a smart IoT device to carry out the at least one particular smart IoT command.

11 more elements

A microcontroller unit (MCU) comprising:

a network interface;
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 MCU is configured to:
store, in data storage of the MCU, data representing local keywords corresponding to smart Internet-of-Things (IoT) commands;
capture an input sound data stream from one or more microphones;
transmit, via the network interface over a local area network to a hub device, data representing the input sound data stream for voice processing of one or more first voice inputs in the input sound data stream into respective commands by a voice assistant of the hub device, wherein the MCU and the hub device are connected to the local area network;
monitor the captured input sound data stream for the local keywords corresponding the smart IoT commands;
detect at least one keyword of the local keywords in a portion of the captured input sound data stream comprising a second voice input;
determine at least one particular smart IoT command corresponding to the at least one keyword;
send, via the network interface to the hub device, an indication that the MCU is processing the portion of the captured input sound data stream comprising the second voice input, wherein the hub device forgoes processing of the portion of the captured input sound data stream comprising the second voice input when the indication is received;
and
cause a smart IoT device to carry out the at least one particular smart IoT command.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/154,228Filed 13 Jan 2023 · continuation
Priority: 31 Jan 2020
Published: US 2023/0289135 A114 Sep 2023
Granted: 15 Oct 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G06F 3/167
Sound input; Sound output: audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
G06F 3/165
Sound input; Sound output: management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
G10L 15/22
Speech recognition: procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
G10L 17/02
Speaker identification or verification techniques: preprocessing operations, e.g. segment selection; Pattern representation or modelling, e.g.…

Family

Application62/968,675Us provisional application · filed 31 Jan 2020
Application17/163,506Parent of this continuation · filed 31 Jan 2021
US 2023/0289135 A1Pre-grant publication · published 14 Sep 2023
US 11,556,307 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2021/0240437 A1Published application
US 12,118,273 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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