Voice control user interface during low-power mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10381001-B2
Application number	US-201615282303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Oct 30, 2012
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A method include placing a first processor in a sleep operating mode and running a second processor that is operative to wake the first processor from the sleep operating mode in response to a speech command phrase. The method includes identifying, by the second processor, a speech command phrase segment and performing a control operation in response to detecting the segment in detected speech. The control operation is performed while the first processor is maintained in the sleep operating mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
during operation of a mobile device in a low-power mode in which functionality of a voice recognition engine of the mobile device is reduced:
detecting, by data processing hardware, an initial portion of a predetermined command phrase in a first utterance while a display of the mobile device is turned off, the predetermined command phrase comprising a series of multiple words configured to cause the mobile device to wake-up from the low-power mode in response to detecting each word of the series of multiple words in any given utterance;
detecting, by the data processing hardware, the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in a second utterance while the display of the mobile device is turned off;
determining, by the data processing hardware, whether the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase was detected in the second utterance within a first predetermined period of time after detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the first utterance; and
when the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase was detected in the second utterance within the first predetermined period of time:
turning on, by the data processing hardware, the display of the mobile device; and
providing, by the data processing hardware for output on the display, a graphical user interface comprising a message box.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message box of the graphical user interface comprises a recommendation to a user of the mobile device to speak a next utterance of the predetermined command phrase louder than the first utterance and the second utterance.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message box of the graphical user interface includes text of the series of multiple words of the predetermined command phrase.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to determining whether the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase was detected in the second utterance within the first predetermined period of time:
in response to detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the second utterance, incrementing, by the data processing hardware, a counter, the counter indicating a total number of times the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase was detected in utterances beginning with the first utterance; and
determining, by the data processing hardware, that the counter satisfies a command phrase attempt threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after turning on the display of the mobile device:
determining, by the data processing hardware, whether a remaining portion of the predetermined command phrase is detected in the second utterance within a second predetermined period of time after detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the second utterance; and
when the remaining portion of the predetermined command phrase is not detected in the second utterance within the second predetermined period of time, automatically deactivating, by the data processing hardware, the display of the mobile device a third predetermined period of time after providing the graphical user interface comprising the message box for output on the display.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising, when the remaining portion of the predetermined command phrase is detected in the second utterance within the second predetermined period of time, commanding, by the data processing hardware, the mobile device to wake-up from the low-power mode and operate in an awake mode.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising, during operation of the mobile device in the awake mode in which full functionality of the speech recognition engine is provided, detecting, by the data processing hardware, a voice command in the second utterance that follows the predetermined command phrase.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, after detecting the voice command in the second utterance that follows the predetermined command phrase, performing, by the data processing hardware, an action that corresponds to the voice command.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein turning on the display of the mobile device is based on a setting input by a user of the mobile device that specifies to turn on the display of the mobile device in response to receiving the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase.

10. 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:
during operation of a mobile device in a low-power mode in which functionality of a voice recognition engine of the mobile device is reduced:
detecting an initial portion of a predetermined command phrase in a first utterance while a display of the mobile device is turned off, the predetermined command phrase comprising a series of multiple words configured to cause the mobile device to wake-up from the low-power mode in response to detecting each word of the series of multiple words in any given utterance;
detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in a second utterance while the display of the mobile device is turned off;
determining whether the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase was detected in the second utterance within a first predetermined period of time after detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the first utterance; and
when the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase was detected in the second utterance within the first predetermined period of time:
turning on the display of the mobile device; and
providing, for output on the display, a graphical user interface comprising a message box.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the message box of the graphical user interface comprises a recommendation to a user of the mobile device to speak a next utterance of the predetermined command phrase louder than the first utterance and the second utterance.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the message box of the graphical user interface includes text of the series of multiple words of the predetermined command phrase.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise, prior to determining whether the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase was detected in the second utterance within the first predetermined period of time:
in response to detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the second utterance, incrementing a counter, the counter indicating a total number of times the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase was detected in utterances beginning with the first utterance; and
determining that the counter satisfies a command phrase attempt threshold.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise, after turning on the display of the mobile device:
determining whether a remaining portion of the predetermined command phrase is detected in the second utterance within a second predetermined period of time after detecting the initial portion of the predetermined command phrase in the second utterance; and
when the remaining portion of the predetermined command phrase is not detected in the second utterance within the second predetermined period of time, automatically deactivating the display of the mobile device a third predetermined period of time after providing the graphical user interface comprising the message box for output on the display.

Assignees

• Google Technology Holdings LLC

Inventors

• Gunn Michael E
• Kamdar Pratik M

Classifications

• G10L15/22 Primary

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title

• G10L25/78

  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) · CPC title

• G10L2015/225

  Feedback of the input speech · CPC title

• G09G2360/18

  Use of a frame buffer in a display terminal, inclusive of the display panel · CPC title

• G06F1/3231

  Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users · CPC title