Voice activation based on user recognition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11430447-B2
Application number	US-201916685825-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2019
Priority date	Nov 15, 2019
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

A device for voice activation includes one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to receive, via one or more microphones, a keyword and a first command spoken by a first user. The one or more processors are also configured to, subsequent to receiving the first command, receive a second command via the one or more microphones without an intervening receipt of the keyword. The one or more processors are further configured to, based at least in part on determining that the second command is spoken by the same first user, selectively process the second command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a memory configured to store instructions; and
one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to:
receive, via one or more microphones, a keyword and a first command spoken by a first user;
subsequent to receiving the first command, receive a second command via the one or more microphones without an intervening receipt of the keyword;
based on determining that the first user faced the device while speaking the second command, determine that the first user directed the second command to the device; and
based at least in part on determining that the second command is spoken by the first user and that the first user directed the second command to the device, process the second command, wherein the second command includes an instruction to control a second device distinct from the device, and wherein the first user is determined to have directed the second command to the device while the first user faced the device independent of whether the first user faced the second device.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to process the second command based at least in part on determining that a conversation mode is enabled.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to process the second command based at least in part on determining that the second command is received within a threshold duration of receiving the first command.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to:
subsequent to receiving the second command, receive, via the one or more microphones, the keyword spoken by a second user;
receive, via the one or more microphones, a third command spoken by the first user; and
based on determining that the third command spoken by the first user is received subsequent to receiving the keyword spoken by the second user without an intervening receipt of the keyword spoken by the first user, refrain from processing the third command.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein receiving the keyword from the first user initiates a first session with the first user, wherein receiving the keyword from the second user initiates a second session with the second user, and wherein initiating the second session ends the first session.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the first session is associated with a period of time when the first session is scheduled to be active, wherein the keyword is received from the second user during the period of time, and wherein the third command is received during the period of time.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to determine that the keyword is spoken by the first user based on voice recognition, facial recognition, or other biometric recognition.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to determine that the keyword is spoken by the first user based on a direction of arrival analysis associated with the keyword.

9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a biometric sensor coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to:
receive biometric input from the biometric sensor; and
determine that the keyword is spoken by the first user based on the biometric input.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are included in an integrated circuit.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are included in a vehicle.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are implemented in an audio device, and wherein the audio device includes a wireless speaker and voice activated device with an integrated assistant application.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are integrated into at least one of a voice activated device, a wireless speaker and voice activated device, a portable electronic device, a car, a vehicle, a computing device, a communication device, an internet-of-things (IoT) device, a virtual reality (VR) device, or a combination thereof.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the determination that the first user faced the device while speaking the second command includes a determination that the first user faced at least one of the one or more microphones while speaking the second command.

15. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a camera, and wherein the determination that the first user faced the device while speaking the second command includes a determination that the first user faced the camera while speaking the second command.

16. A method comprising:
receiving, via one or more microphones of a device, a keyword and a first command spoken by a first user;
subsequent to receiving the first command, receiving a second command via the one or more microphones without an intervening receipt of the keyword;
based on determining that the first user faced the device while speaking the second command, determining that the first user directed the second command to the device; and
based at least in part on determining that the second command is spoken by the first user and that the first user directed the second command to the device, processing the second command, wherein the second command includes an instruction to control a second device distinct from the device, and wherein the first user is determined to have directed the second command to the device while the first user faced the device independent of whether the first user faced the second device.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving an audio signal from the one or more microphones;
determining that a first portion of the audio signal corresponds to the keyword spoken by the first user; and
determining that a second portion of the audio signal corresponds to the first command spoken by the first user.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining first voice characteristics indicated by the first portion of the audio signal; and
generating, based on the first voice characteristics, a speech model associated with the first user.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining first voice characteristics indicated by the first portion of the audio signal; and
in response to determining that the first voice characteristics match a speech model associated with the first user, determining that the keyword is spoken by the first user.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining that a third portion of the audio signal corresponds to the second command;
determining second voice characteristics indicated by the third portion of the audio signal; and
determining that the second command is spoken by the first user in response to determining that the second voice characteristics match a speech model associated with the first user.

21. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, in response to determining that the keyword is spoken by the first user, initiating a first conversation session associated with the first user.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising processing the second command based on determining that the second command is received during the first conversation session.

23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising, in response to receivin

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Sinha Ashank Kumar
• Kalvakota Pramod
• Bhowmick Debasis

Classifications

• G10L17/22

  Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces · CPC title

• G10L17/00 Primary

  Speaker identification or verification techniques · 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

• G10L15/22 Primary

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

• G10L25/51

  for comparison or discrimination · CPC title