VAS toggle based on device orientation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11862161-B2
Application number	US-202117536572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2021
Priority date	Oct 22, 2019
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

As noted above, example techniques relate to toggling a cloud-based VAS between enabled and disabled modes. An example implementation involves a NMD detecting that the housing is in a first orientation and enabling a first mode. Enabling the first mode includes disabling voice input processing via a cloud-based VAS and enabling local voice input processing. In the first mode, the NMD captures sound data associated with a first voice input and detects, via a local natural language unit, that the first voice input comprises sound data matching one or more keywords. The NMD determines an intent of the first voice input and performs a first command according to the determined intent. The NMD may detect that the housing is in a second orientation and enables the second mode. Enabling the second mode includes enabling voice input processing via the cloud-based VAS.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A network microphone device comprising:
at least one physical control;
one or more microphones;
a network interface;
at least one processor; and
a housing carrying the one or more microphones, the network interface, the at least one processor, and data storage including instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to:
detect a first input to the at least one physical control;
after detection of the first input to the at least one physical control, enable a first mode, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to enable the first mode comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to: (a) disable voice input processing via a cloud-based voice assistant service and (b) enable voice input processing via a local natural language unit;
while the first mode is enabled: (i) capture sound data associated with a first voice input via the one or more microphones and (ii) detect, via the local natural language unit, that the first voice input comprises sound data matching one or more keywords from a local natural language unit library of the local natural language unit;
determine, via the local natural language unit, an intent of the first voice input based on at least one of the one or more keywords;
perform a first command according to the determined intent of the first voice input;
detect a second input to the at least one physical control; and
after detection of the second input to the at least one physical control, enable a second mode, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to enable the second mode comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to: (a) enable voice input processing via the cloud-based voice assistant service and (b) disable voice input processing via the local natural language unit.

2. The network microphone device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one physical control comprises a physical toggle control, and wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to detect the second input to the at least one physical control comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to:
detect that the second input toggled the physical toggle control from a first position associated with the first mode to a second position associated with the second mode.

3. The network microphone device of claim 1 , wherein the network microphone device is paired to a network internet-of-things (IoT) device, and wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to perform the first command comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to:
transmit, via the network interface over a local area network, an instruction to the network IoT device.

4. The network microphone device of claim 3 , wherein the network IoT device comprises a smart illumination device, and wherein the first command comprises a command to toggle an illumination state of the smart illumination device.

5. The network microphone device of claim 3 , wherein the network microphone device is paired to a playback device carried in a separate housing from the network IoT device, and wherein the playback device is configured to process playback commands transmitted to the playback device from one or more remote computing devices of the cloud-based voice assistant service.

6. The network microphone device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is further configured to:
while the second mode is enabled, (i) capture additional sound data associated with a second voice input via the one or more microphones; (ii) detect a wake-word in the additional sound data; and (iii) after detection of the wake-word, transmit at least a portion of the additional sound data to one or more remote computing devices of the cloud-based voice assistant service for processing of the second voice input.

7. The network microphone device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more microphones comprise at least one first microphone and at least one second microphone, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to enable the first mode comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to: (a) enable the at least one first microphone and (b) disable the at least one second microphone, and wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to enable the second mode comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to: (a) disable the at least one first microphone and (b) enable the at least one second microphone.

8. A system comprising:
a network microphone device, the network microphone device comprising:
at least one physical control;
one or more microphones;
a network interface;
at least one processor; and
a housing carrying the one or more microphones, the network interface, the at least one processor, and data storage including instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to:
detect a first input to the at least one physical control;
after detection of the first input to the at least one physical control, enable a first mode, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to enable the first mode comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to: (a) disable voice input processing via a cloud-based voice assistant service and (b) enable voice input processing via a local natural language unit;
while the first mode is enabled: (i) capture sound data associated with a first voice input via the one or more microphones and (ii) detect, via the local natural language unit, that the first voice input comprises sound data matching one or more keywords from a local natural language unit library of the local natural language unit;
determine, via the local natural language unit, an intent of the first voice input based on at least one of the one or more keywords;
perform a first command according to the determined intent of the first voice input;
detect a second input to the at least one physical control; and
after detection of the second input to the at least one physical control, enable a second mode, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to enable the second mode comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the network microphone device is configured to: (a) enable voice input processing via the cloud-based voice assistant service and (b) disable voice input processing via the local natural language unit.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one physical control comprises a physical toggle control, and wherein the i

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Schillmoeller Fiede
• Smith Connor

Classifications

• G10L15/22 Primary

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

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• G10L15/1815

  Semantic context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word meaning · CPC title