# US 2017/0256263 A1 · Microphone apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0256263 A1 - Document ID: US20170256263A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/132,252 - Filed: 2016-04-19 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-02 - Assignees: Merry Electronics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Merry Electronics(Suzhou) Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Chao-Sen Chang; Shen-Hang Wei; You-Hsien Lin; Yung-Shiang Chang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170256263A1 ## CPC - G10L 15/28: Constructional details of speech recognition systems - G10L 15/10: using distance or distortion measures between unknown speech and reference templates - H04R 1/04: Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor (in electric hearing aids H04R25/00) - H04R 3/00: Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) - H04R 29/004: {for microphones (H04R29/007 takes precedence)} - G10L 2025/783: {based on threshold decision} - H04R 2499/11: Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - 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 microphone apparatus is provided. Whether an electronic signal converted from an audio signal is in compliance with a preset sound characteristic and a preset voice recognition information is determined. When the electronic signal is in compliance with the preset sound characteristic and the preset voice recognition information, an actuation control signal is outputted, so as to trigger an operation of an external circuit external to the microphone apparatus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A microphone apparatus, adapted to an electronic device, the microphone apparatus comprising: a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) circuit, converting an audio signal received by the microphone apparatus to an electrical signal; an integrated circuit (IC), coupled to the MEMS circuit, amplifying the electrical signal; and a voice recognition circuit, coupled to the IC, triggering an operation of an external circuit external to the microphone apparatus, wherein the processing unit determines whether the electrical signal is in compliance with a predetermined sound characteristic and whether the electrical signal is in compliance with the sound recognition information while the electronic device is in a sleep mode, wherein the processing unit sends an actuation control signal when the electrical signal is in compliance with the predetermined sound characteristic and the sound recognition information, so that the voice recognition circuit triggers the operation of the external circuit external to the microphone apparatus. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The microphone apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the voice recognition circuit comprises: a detection unit, coupled to the IC, detecting a sound characteristic of the electrical signal, determining whether the electrical signal is in compliance with the predetermined sound characteristic, activating the processing unit if the electrical signal is in compliance with the predetermined sound characteristic; a storage unit, coupled to the processing unit, storing a sound recognition information; and a triggering unit, coupled to the processing unit, triggering an operation of the external circuit external to the microphone apparatus after the actuation control signal is received. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The microphone apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the detection unit is a voice activity detector (VAD). ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The microphone apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the voice recognition unit further comprises: a transmission interface unit, coupled to the processing unit, wherein the processing unit receives an update recognition information through the transmission interface unit, and storing the update recognition information to the storage unit as the sound recognition information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The microphone apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the transmission interface unit is an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) transmission interface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The microphone apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical signal is an analog signal, and the IC converts the electrical signal to a digital signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The microphone apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined sound characteristic is a predetermined threshold, and the processing unit determines whether the sound characteristic of the electrical signal is in compliance with the predetermined sound characteristic if a sound volume of the audio signal received by the microphone apparatus is greater than the predetermined threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The microphone apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sound recognition information is a keyword, and the processing unit compares the electrical signal to the keyword, and the processing unit determines that the electrical signal is in compliance with the sound recognition information if the electrical signal is in compliance with the keyword. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The microphone apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit first determines whether the electrical signal is in compliance with the predetermined sound characteristic, and then determines whether the electrical signal is in compliance with the sound recognition information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The microphone apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an internal clock generator, coupled to the IC and the voice recognition circuit, providing an internal clock signal to the IC and the voice recognition circuit as an operation clock signal for the IC and the voice recognition circuit under the sleep mode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The microphone apparatus as claimed in claim 10, the internal clock generator provides clock signals having different frequencies.