# US 12,593,168 B2 · Low-power programmable analog subsystem for acoustic activity detection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,593,168 B2 - Document ID: US12593168B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/329,428 - Filed: 2023-06-05 - Published: 2024-12-05 - Granted: 2026-03-31 - Earliest claimed: 2023-06-05 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies Americas Corp. - Applicants: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation - Inventors: Eashwar Thiagarajan; Rodolfo Gondim Lossio; Ding Ma; Nidhin Mulangattil Sudhakaran; Andrew Page; Ashutosh Pandey; Bert Sullam - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12593168B2 ## CPC - H04R 1/406: {microphones} - H04R 3/00: Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) - G06F 1/3206: Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality - G10L 25/78: Detection of presence or absence of voice signals (switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10) - H04R 3/04: for correcting frequency response - H04R 1/08: Mouthpieces; {Microphones;} Attachments therefor - H04R 2430/01: Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems - H04R 2430/03: Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing - H04R 2499/11: Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's - 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) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING ## Abstract A method includes receiving a first signal, wherein the first signal is an audio signal. The method further includes providing the first signal to a first comparison circuit. The method further includes providing the first signal to a second comparison circuit. The method further includes receiving, from the first comparison circuit, a first comparison signal. The method further includes receiving, from the second comparison circuit, a second comparison signal. The method further includes providing a wake-up signal to a processing device based on the first comparison signal and the second comparison signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: receiving a first signal, wherein the first signal is an audio signal; providing the first signal to a first comparison circuit; providing the first signal to a second comparison circuit; receiving from the first comparison circuit a first comparison signal; receiving from the second comparison circuit a second comparison signal; and providing a wake-up signal to a processing device based on the first comparison signal and the second comparison signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the first comparison circuit, whether the first signal satisfies a first threshold voltage condition; determining, by the first comparison circuit, a number of instances that the first signal satisfies the first threshold voltage condition in a first period of time; and determining, by the first comparison circuit, whether the number of instances that the first signal satisfies the first threshold voltage condition in a first period of time satisfies a first frequency condition, wherein the first comparison signal is based on whether the number of instances that the first signal satisfies the first threshold voltage condition in the first period of time satisfies the first frequency condition. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: receiving a third comparison signal from the first comparison circuit; and adjusting a value of a second threshold voltage condition to the first threshold voltage condition responsive to receiving the third comparison signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: receiving a third comparison signal from the first comparison circuit; and adjusting a duration associated with determining the number of instances that the first signal satisfies the first threshold voltage condition from a first value to a second value, wherein the second value is associated with the first period of time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: receiving a third comparison signal from the first comparison circuit; and adjusting a value of a frequency condition associated with the number of instances that the first signal satisfies the first threshold voltage condition in a first period of time from a first value to a second value, wherein the second value is associated with the first frequency condition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the first signal satisfies a first threshold voltage condition comprises determining whether a voltage of the first signal exceeds a target voltage, and wherein the target voltage is correlated to a target volume of the audio signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the first signal satisfies a first threshold voltage condition comprises determining whether a voltage of the first signal is less than a target voltage, and wherein the number of instances that the first signal satisfies the first threshold voltage condition in a first period of time is correlated to a frequency of the audio signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the wake-up signal facilitates performance of operations comprising: converting, by an analog-to-digital converter, the first signal to a digital format; and storing the first signal in the digital format to memory. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: obtaining, by the processing device, the first signal in the digital format; and performing wake word detection analysis on the first signal in the digital format. ### Claim 10 A method, comprising: receiving a first signal, wherein the first signal is an audio signal; providing a first voltage to a first comparator; providing the first signal to the first comparator; receiving a first comparison signal based on output of the first comparator; adjusting the first voltage to a second voltage in view of the first comparison signal; receiving a second signal, wherein the second signal is indicative of an audio signal; providing the second voltage to the first comparator; providing the second signal to the first comparator; receiving a second comparison signal based on output of the first comparator, wherein the second comparison signal is generated responsive to the second voltage and the second signal; and providing a wake-up signal to a processing device responsive to the second comparison signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first comparison signal is correlated to a volume of an acoustic signal associated with the first signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: determining a frequency that the first signal satisfies a condition associated with the second voltage, wherein the frequency that the first signal satisfies the conditions associated with the second voltage is correlated to a frequency of an acoustic signal associated with the first signal. ### Claim 13 A method, comprising: receiving a first signal, wherein the first signal is an audio signal; providing a first voltage to a first comparator; providing the first signal to the first comparator; receiving a first comparison signal based on output of the first comparator; adjusting the first voltage to a second voltage in view of the first comparison signal providing the first signal to a second comparator; providing a third voltage to the second comparator; receiving a second comparison signal based on output of the second comparator; and adjusting the third voltage to a fourth voltage in view of the second comparison signal providing a second signal to the first comparator, wherein the second signal is indicative of an audio signal; providing the second signal to the second comparator; receiving a second comparison signal from the first comparator, wherein the second comparison signal is based on the second signal and the second voltage; receiving a third comparison signal from the second comparator, wherein the third comparison signal is based on the second signal and the fourth voltage; and providing a wake-up signal to a processing device responsive to the second comparison signal and third comparison signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first comparison signal is correlated to a volume of an acoustic signal associated with the first signal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: determining a frequency that the first signal satisfies a condition associated with the second voltage, wherein the frequency that the first signal satisfies the conditions associated with the second voltage is correlated to a frequency of an acoustic signal associated with the first signal.