# US 2019/0173687 A1 · Ducking and Erasing Audio from Nearby Devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0173687 A1 - Document ID: US20190173687A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/114,812 - Filed: 2018-08-28 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-06 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Applicants: Google LLC - Inventors: Kenneth John MacKay; Nikita Gupta; Tomer Shekel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190173687A1 ## CPC - H04L 12/2821: {Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances (cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00)} - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue - G10L 17/00: Speaker identification or verification techniques - H04L 12/2814: {Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08)} - H04L 67/51: Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services - H04R 27/00: Public address systems (circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; {monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007}; amplifiers H03F) - H04L 2012/2849: {Audio/video appliances} - H04R 2227/003: Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet - H04R 2227/005: Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use - H04R 2430/01: Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - 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 - 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 smart home device (e.g., a voice assistant device) includes an audio control system that determines a set of one or more audio devices to include nearby devices that are capable of providing audio streams that are audibly detected by a microphone of the smart home device. The audio control system initiates a voice-interaction mode for operating the smart home device to receive voice commands from a user and provide audio output in response to the voice commands. The audio control system transmits an audio control signal to nearby devices that configures each nearby device to implement one or more of: reducing a volume level associated with the audio streams generated by the nearby devices while the smart home device is operating in the voice-interaction mode; and transmitting, to the smart home device, audio stream data associated with a current audio stream generated for audible output by the nearby device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method, comprising: detecting, by a primary computing device, one or more secondary computing devices configured to generate audio streams for audible output in an environment, wherein the primary computing device and the one or more secondary computing devices are communicatively coupled via a network; categorizing, by the primary computing device, at least one of the one or more secondary computing devices as a nearby device when such a secondary computing device is determined to be capable of providing audio streams that are audibly detected by the primary computing device; initiating, by the primary computing device, a voice-interaction mode for operating the primary computing device to receive voice commands from a user and provide audio output in response to the voice commands; and transmitting, by the primary computing device to each nearby device, an audio signal that configures the nearby device to reduce a volume level associated with the audio stream generated by the nearby device while the primary computing device is operating in the voice-interaction mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the primary computing device and from a user, a voice command that is determined by the primary computing device to match a mode initiation command; and wherein initiating, by the primary computing device, a voice-interaction mode for operating the primary computing device is implemented in response to receiving the voice command that is determined to match the mode initiation command. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein categorizing, by the primary computing device, at least one of the one or more secondary computing devices as a nearby device comprises determining that a location identifier associated with the one or more secondary computing devices matches a location identifier associated with the primary computing device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein categorizing, by the primary computing device, at least one of the one or more secondary computing devices as a nearby device comprises: obtaining, by the primary computing device via the network, audio stream data associated with current audio streams generated for audible output by each of the one or more secondary computing devices; obtaining, by the primary computing device via a microphone, a current audio sample received at the primary computing device; and comparing, by the primary computing device, the current audio streams generated for audible output by each of the one or more secondary computing devices to the current audio sample received at the primary computing device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising: obtaining, by the primary computing device via the network, a timestamp associated with the current audio streams generated for audible output by each of the one or more secondary computing devices; and estimating, by the primary computing device, a clock offset between a system clock associated with the primary computing device and system clocks associated with each of the one or more secondary computing devices; and wherein the clock offset is used at least in part in comparing, by the primary computing device, the current audio streams generated for audio output by each of the one or more secondary computing devices to the current audio sample received at the primary computing device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising modifying, by the primary computing device, the current audio sample to reduce a portion of the current audio sample corresponding to the current audio streams generated for audible output by each of the one or more secondary computing devices. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein modifying, by the primary computing device, the current audio sample is implemented before initiating, by the primary computing device, the voice-interaction mode for operating the primary computing device such that the current audio sample has a reduced audio contribution from each nearby device before being analyzed for detection of a predetermined mode initiation command. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein modifying, by the primary computing device, the current audio sample is implemented after initiating, by the primary computing device, the voice-interaction mode for operating the primary computing device such that the current audio sample has a reduced audio contribution from each nearby device before being analyzed to determine voice commands from a user while operating in the voice-interaction mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein categorizing, by the primary computing device, at least one of the one or more secondary computing devices as a nearby device comprises determining that a remote signal from each of the one or more secondary computing devices is received by the primary computing device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein each remote signal comprises an audio signal containing a device-specific code identifying a corresponding secondary computing device sending the remote signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the primary computing device to each nearby device, an audio signal that configures the nearby devices to return to a previous volume level after the primary computing device is finished operating in the voice-interaction mode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising reducing, by the primary computing device, a volume level associated with audio output by the primary computing device while the primary computing device is operating in the voice-interaction mode. ### Claim 13 An audio control system for a primary computing device, the system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that store instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause a primary computing device to perform operations comprising: obtaining audio stream data associated with current audio streams generated for audible output by one or more secondary computing devices, wherein the audio stream data is obtained by the primary computing device via a network; obtaining a current audio sample received at the primary computing device, wherein the current audio sample is obtained by a microphone associated with the primary computing device; modifying the current audio sample to reduce a portion of the current audio sample corresponding to the current audio streams generated for audible output by the one or more secondary computing devices; detecting one or more voice commands within the modified current audio sample; and triggering an output of the primary computing device in response to detecting the one or more voice commands within the modified current audio sample. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The audio control system of claim 13, wherein the one or more secondary computing devices comprise the primary computing device such that modifying the current audio sample reduces the portion of the current audio sample corresponding to the current audio streams generated for audible output by the primary computing device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The audio control system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise: obtaining a timestamp associated with the current audio streams generated for audible output by the one or more secondary computing devices; and estimating a clock offset between a system clock associated with the primary computing device and system clocks associated with the one or more secondary computing devices; and wherein the clock offset is used at least in part in modifying the current audio sample to reduce the portion of the current audio sample corresponding to the current audio streams generated for audible output by the one or more secondary computing devices. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The audio control system of claim 13, wherein: detecting one or more voice commands within the modified current audio sample comprises detecting one or more keywords associated with a predetermined mode initiation command; triggering an output of the primary computing device in response to detecting the one or more voice commands within the modified current audio sample comprises activating a lighting component of the primary computing device; and the operations further comprise initiating, in response to detecting the one or more keywords associated with the predetermined mode initiation command, a voice-interaction mode for operating the primary computing device to receive voice commands from a user and provide audio output in response to the voice commands. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The audio control system of claim 13, wherein: the operations further comprise initiating a voice-interaction mode for operating the primary computing device to receive voice commands from a user and provide audio output in response to the voice commands; and triggering an output of the primary computing device in response to detecting the one or more voice commands within the modified current audio sample comprises providing an audio output from the primary computing device that is generated in response to the voice commands. ### Claim 18 A voice assistant device, comprising: a communications interface configured to establish wireless communication with one or more audio devices; a microphone configured to obtain current audio samples from an environment surrounding the voice assistant device; and an audio control system configured to: determine a set of the one or more audio devices to include nearby devices that are capable of providing audio streams that are audibly detected by the microphone of the voice assistant device; initiate a voice-interaction mode for operating the voice assistant device to receive voice commands from a user and provide audio output in response to the voice commands; and transmit an audio control signal to the nearby devices that configures each nearby device to implement one or more of: reducing a volume level associated with the audio streams generated by the nearby devices while the voice assistant device is operating in the voice-interaction mode; and transmitting, to the voice assistant device, audio stream data associated with a current audio stream generated for audible output by the nearby device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The voice assistant device of claim 18, wherein the audio control system is configured to: transmit to the nearby devices an audio control signal that configures each nearby device to reduce a volume level associated with the audio streams generated by the nearby devices while the voice assistant device is operating in the voice-interaction mode; reduce a volume level associated with audio output by the voice assistant device while the voice assistant device is operating in the voice-interaction mode; and transmit to the nearby devices an audio control signal that configures the nearby devices to return to a previous volume level after the voice assistant device is finished operating in the voice-interaction mode. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The voice assistant device of claim 18, wherein the audio control system is configured to: transmit to the nearby devices an audio control signal that configures each nearby device to transmit, to the voice assistant device, audio stream data associated with a current audio stream generated for audible output by the nearby device; modify one or more of the current audio samples to reduce a portion of the one or more current audio samples corresponding to the current audio streams; detect one or more voice commands within the modified current audio sample; and trigger an output of the voice assistant device in response to detecting the one or more voice commands within the modified current audio sample.