# US 2017/0287485 A1 · Methods And Systems For Detecting And Processing Speech Signals > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0287485 A1 - Document ID: US20170287485A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/624,935 - Filed: 2017-06-16 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-24 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Applicants: Google Inc. - Inventors: Jay Pierre Civelli; Mikhal Shemer; Turaj Zakizadeh Shabestary; David Tapuska - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170287485A1 ## CPC - G10L 15/30: Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications - G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue - G10L 15/32: Multiple recognisers used in sequence or in parallel; Score combination systems therefor, e.g. voting systems - G10L 15/02: Feature extraction for speech recognition; Selection of recognition unit - G10L 2015/088: {Word spotting} - G10L 2015/223: {Execution procedure of a spoken command} - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING ## Abstract Provided are methods, systems, and apparatuses for detecting, processing, and responding to audio signals, including speech signals, within a designated area or space. A platform for multiple media devices connected via a network is configured to process speech, such as voice commands, detected at the media devices, and respond to the detected speech by causing the media devices to simultaneously perform one or more requested actions. The platform is capable of scoring the quality of a speech request, handling speech requests from multiple end points of the platform using a centralized processing approach, a de-centralized processing approach, or a combination thereof, and also manipulating partial processing of speech requests from multiple end points into a coherent whole when necessary. ## Claims ### Claim 1 (canceled) ### Claim 2 A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a computing device that (i) is operating in a low power mode, (ii) is configured to exit the low power mode upon determining that a particular hotword has likely been spoken, and (iii) is in proximity of other computing devices that are each also configured to exit the low power mode upon determining that the particular hotword has been spoken, audio data corresponding to a user uttering the particular hotword; based on transmitting data to a centralized hotword disambiguation entity, determining, by the computing device, to remain operating in the low power mode despite determining that the particular hotword has likely been spoken. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, comprising: transmitting, by the computing device, the hotword confidence score to the other computing devices in response to determining the hotword confidence score. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising: transmitting, by the computing device, data associated with the computing device to the centralized hotword disambiguation entity in response to determining the hotword confidence score is greater than a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising: receiving, at the computing device, an activation signal from the centralized hotword disambiguation entity; activating, by the computing device, a microphone associated with the computing device in response to receiving the activation signal; recording, by the microphone associated with the computing device, a command uttered by the user; and transmitting, by the computing device, the recorded command uttered by the user to the centralized hotword disambiguation entity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising: receiving, by the computing device, a requested action from the centralized hotword disambiguation entity; and providing, by the computing device, an audible confirmation of the requested action to the user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein receiving the requested action from the centralized disambiguation entity comprises: receiving, at the computing device, an inactivation signal from the centralized hotword disambiguation entity. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein providing the audible confirmation of the requested action to the user comprises: muting, by the computing device, a loudspeaker associated with the computing device in response to receiving the inactivation signal from the centralized hotword disambiguation entity. ### Claim 9 A system comprising: one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising: receiving, by a computing device that (i) is operating in a low power mode, (ii) is configured to exit the low power mode upon determining that a particular hotword has likely been spoken, and (iii) is in proximity of other computing devices that are each also configured to exit the low power mode upon determining that the particular hotword has been spoken, audio data corresponding to a user uttering the particular hotword; based on transmitting data to a centralized hotword disambiguation entity, determining, by the computing device, to remain operating in the low power mode despite determining that the particular hotword has likely been spoken. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting, by the computing device, the hotword confidence score to the other computing devices in response to determining the hotword confidence score. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: transmitting, by the computing device, data associated with the computing device to the centralized hotword disambiguation entity in response to determining the hotword confidence score is greater than a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, at the computing device, an activation signal from the centralized hotword disambiguation entity; activating, by the computing device, a microphone associated with the computing device in response to receiving the activation signal; recording, by the microphone associated with the computing device, a command uttered by the user; and transmitting, by the computing device, the recorded command uttered by the user to the centralized hotword disambiguation entity. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, by the computing device, a requested action from the centralized hotword disambiguation entity; and providing, by the computing device, an audible confirmation of the requested action to the user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein receiving the requested action from the centralized disambiguation entity comprises: receiving, at the computing device, an inactivation signal from the centralized hotword disambiguation entity. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein providing the audible confirmation of the requested action to the user comprises: muting, by the computing device, a loudspeaker associated with the computing device in response to receiving the inactivation signal from the centralized hotword disambiguation entity. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising: one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising: receiving, by a computing device that (i) is operating in a low power mode, (ii) is configured to exit the low power mode upon determining that a particular hotword has likely been spoken, and (iii) is in proximity of other computing devices that are each also configured to exit the low power mode upon determining that the particular hotword has been spoken, audio data corresponding to a user uttering the particular hotword; based on transmitting data to a centralized hotword disambiguation entity, determining, by the computing device, to remain operating in the low power mode despite determining that the particular hotword has likely been spoken. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations comprise: transmitting, by the computing device, the hotword confidence score to the other computing devices in response to determining the hotword confidence score. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The computer-readable medium of claim 16, comprising: transmitting, by the computing device, data associated with the computing device to the centralized hotword disambiguation entity in response to determining the hotword confidence score is greater than a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations comprise: receiving, at the computing device, an activation signal from the centralized hotword disambiguation entity; activating, by the computing device, a microphone associated with the computing device in response to receiving the activation signal; recording, by the microphone associated with the computing device, a command uttered by the user; and transmitting, by the computing device, the recorded command uttered by the user to the centralized hotword disambiguation entity. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations comprise: receiving, by the computing device, a requested action from the centralized hotword disambiguation entity; and providing, by the computing device, an audible confirmation of the requested action to the user. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein receiving the requested action from the centralized disambiguation entity comprises: receiving, at the computing device, an inactivation signal from the centralized hotword disambiguation entity.