Audio firewall

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11790918-B2
Application number	US-202117530975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2021
Priority date	May 29, 2018
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

An audio firewall system has a microphone that generates audio data. A speech-to-text engine converts the audio data to text data. The text data is parsed for a service wake word and corresponding content data. The service wake word identifies one of a local security system and a remote assistant server. A text-to-speech engine converts the service wake word and the corresponding content data to converted audio data. The converted audio data is provided to the remote assistant server. The content data is provided to the local security system. The audio firewall system receives a response from the remote assistant server or the local security system and outputs an audio signal corresponding to the response.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
identifying, at a client device, a wake word and a request in first audio data that is generated at the client device;
determining whether the first audio data is directed at a local security system by determining that the request identifies a local device that is locally connected to the local security system, and whether the request includes a command directed at the local device; and
in response to determining that the first audio data is directed at a server and not at the local security system, converting a text of the wake word and the request to second audio data, and providing the second audio data to the server.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the first audio data is directed at the server based on the wake word.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating first audio data with a microphone of the client device;
converting the first audio data to text data;
parsing the text data for the wake word and the request; and
in response to determining that the first audio data is directed at the local security system, providing the request in the text data to the local security system.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a response from the server in response to providing the second audio data to the server; and
outputting an audio signal corresponding to the response with a speaker of the client device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a response from the local security system in response to providing the request to the local security system; and
outputting an audio signal corresponding to the response with a speaker at the audio firewall system.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adjusting at least one of a pitch or a speed of the first audio data to generate the second audio data.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying the wake word from a plurality of wake words; and
identifying the server from a plurality of remote servers, the server corresponding to the wake word, each remote server identified with a corresponding wake word.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a custom wake word;
determining that the custom wake word is different from a plurality of wake words; and
associating the custom wake word with the local security system in response to determining that the custom wake word is different from the plurality of wake words.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying the local device connected to the local security system based on the request;
generating a command to the local device based on the request;
receiving a response from the local device; and
generating an audio signal corresponding to the response from the local device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
communicating with a plurality of remote servers, each remote server having a corresponding wake word.

11. A client device comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the client device to perform operations comprising:
identifying, at a client device, a wake word and a request in first audio data that is generated at the client device;
determining whether the first audio data is directed at a local security system by determining that the request identifies a local device that is locally connected to the local security system, and whether the request includes a command directed at the local device; and
in response to determining that the first audio data is directed to at a server and not at the local security system, converting a text of the wake word and the request to second audio data, and providing the second audio data to the server.

12. The client device of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining whether the first audio data is directed at the server based on the wake word.

13. The client device of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
generating first audio data with a microphone of the client device;
converting the first audio data to text data;
parsing the text data for the wake word and the request; and
in response to determining that the first audio data is directed at the local security system, providing the request in the text data to the local security system.

14. The client device of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a response from the server in response to providing the second audio data to the server; and
outputting an audio signal corresponding to the response with a speaker of the client device.

15. The client device of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a response from the local security system in response to providing the request to the local security system; and
outputting an audio signal corresponding to the response with a speaker at the audio firewall system.

16. The client device of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
adjusting at least one of a pitch or a speed of the first audio data to generate the second audio data.

17. The client device of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying the wake word from a plurality of wake words; and
identifying the server from a plurality of remote servers, the server corresponding to the wake word, each remote server identified with a corresponding wake word.

18. The client device of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a custom wake word;
determining that the custom wake word is different from a plurality of wake words; and
associating the custom wake word with the local security system in response to determining that the custom wake word is different from the plurality of wake words.

19. The client device of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying the local device connected to the local security system based on the request;
generating a command to the local device based on the request;
receiving a response from the local device; and
generating an audio signal corresponding to the response from the local device.

20. A non-transitory machine-storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
identifying, at a client device, a wake word and a request in first audio data that is generated at the client device;
determining whether the first audio data is directed at a local security system by determining that the request identifies a local device that is locally connected to the local security system, and whether the request includes a command directed at the local device; and
in response to determining that the first audio data is directed at a server and not at the local security system, converting a text of the wake word and the request to second audio data, and providing the second audio data to the server.

Assignees

• Nortek Security & Control Llc

Inventors

• Bunker Philip Alan
• Saxena Mayank

Classifications

• G10L15/26 Primary

  Speech to text systems (G10L15/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G10L13/00

  Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems · CPC title

• G10L15/22

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

• G10L15/30

  Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications · CPC title

• G10L2015/223

  Execution procedure of a spoken command · CPC title