US 12,744,035 B2Granted

Voice detection by multiple devices

AssigneeSonos, Inc.

InventorsJonathon Reilly, Gregory Burlingame, Christopher Butts, Romi Kadri, Jonathan P. Lang

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Disclosed herein are example techniques for voice detection by multiple NMDs. An example implementation may involve one or more servers receiving, via a network interface, data representing multiple audio recordings of a voice input spoken by a given user, each audio recording recorded by a respective NMD of the multiple NMDs, wherein the voice input comprises a detected wake-word. Based on respective sound pressure levels of the multiple audio recordings of the voice input, the servers (i) select a particular NMD of the multiple NMDs and (ii) forego selection of other NMDs of the multiple NMDs. The servers send, via the network interface to the particular NMD, data representing a playback command that corresponds to a voice command in the voice input represented in the multiple audio recordings, wherein the data representing the playback command causes the particular NMD to play back audio content according to the playback command.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a first microphone array;
a second microphone array;
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:
receive first voice data captured via the first microphone array, the first voice data representing a first portion of a voice input;
receive second voice data captured via the second microphone array, the second voice data representing the first portion of the voice input;
based on (i) one or more characteristics of the first voice data and (ii) one or more characteristics of the second voice data, select the first voice data from among (a) the first voice data and (b) the second voice data;
receive third voice data captured via the first microphone array, the third voice data representing a second portion of the voice input;
receive fourth voice data captured via the second microphone array, the fourth voice data representing the second portion of the voice input;
based on (i) one or more characteristics of the third voice data and (ii) one or more characteristics of the fourth voice data, select the fourth voice data from among (a) the third voice data and (b) the fourth voice data;
and
send the selected first voice data and the selected fourth voice data to a voice assistant for processing of the voice input.

10 more elements

At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by at least one processor such that a device is configured to:

receive first voice data captured via a first microphone array of a playback device, the first voice data representing a first portion of a voice input;
receive second voice data captured via a second microphone array of the playback device, the second voice data representing the first portion of the voice input;
based on (i) one or more characteristics of the first voice data and (ii) one or more characteristics of the second voice data, select the first voice data from among (a) the first voice data and (b) the second voice data;
receive third voice data captured via the first microphone array, the third voice data representing a second portion of the voice input;
receive fourth voice data captured via the second microphone array, the fourth voice data representing the second portion of the voice input;
based on (i) one or more characteristics of the third voice data and (ii) one or more characteristics of the fourth voice data, select the fourth voice data from among (a) the third voice data and (b) the fourth voice data;
and
send the selected first voice data and the selected fourth voice data to a voice assistant for processing of the voice input.

5 more elements

A device comprising:

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 device is configured to:
receive first voice data captured via a first microphone array of a playback device, the first voice data representing a first portion of a voice input;
receive second voice data captured via a second microphone array of the playback device, the second voice data representing the first portion of the voice input;
based on (i) one or more characteristics of the first voice data and (ii) one or more characteristics of the second voice data, select the first voice data from among (a) the first voice data and (b) the second voice data;
receive third voice data captured via the first microphone array, the third voice data representing a second portion of the voice input;
receive fourth voice data captured via the second microphone array, the fourth voice data representing the second portion of the voice input;
based on (i) one or more characteristics of the third voice data and (ii) one or more characteristics of the fourth voice data, select the fourth voice data from among (a) the third voice data and (b) the fourth voice data;
and
send the selected first voice data and the selected fourth voice data to a voice assistant for processing of the voice input.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/323,726Filed 25 May 2023 · continuation
Priority: 15 Jul 2016
Published: US 2024/0029731 A125 Jan 2024
Granted: 22 Sep 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G10L 15/22
Speech recognition: procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
G06F 3/167
Sound input; Sound output: audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
G10L 15/02
Speech recognition: feature extraction for speech recognition; Selection of recognition unit
G10L 15/20
Speech recognition: speech recognition techniques specially adapted for robustness in adverse environments, e.g. in noise, of stress induced speech

Family

Application15/211,748Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Jul 2016
Application16/214,666Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Dec 2018
US 10,152,969 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Dec 2018
Application16/416,752Parent of this continuation · filed 20 May 2019
US 10,297,256 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 21 May 2019
Application16/915,234Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Jun 2020
US 10,699,711 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Jun 2020
US 2024/0029731 A1Pre-grant publication · published 25 Jan 2024
US 11,664,023 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2018/0018964 A1Published application
US 2019/0108839 A1Published application
US 2019/0341045 A1Published application
US 2020/0395015 A1Published application
US 12,744,035 B2This patent

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