Abstract: A system that is capable of controlling multiple entertainment systems and/or speakers using voice commands. The system receives voice commands and may determine audio sources and speakers indicated by the voice commands. The system may generate audio data from the audio sources and may send the audio data to the speakers using multiple interfaces. For example, the system may send the audio data directly to the speakers using a network address, may send the audio data to the speakers via a voice-enabled device or may send the audio data to the speakers via a speaker controller. The system may generate output zones including multiple speakers and may associate input devices with speakers within the output zones. For example, the system may receive a voice command from an input device in an output zone and may reduce output audio generated by speakers in the output zone.

Abstract: A device that includes a microphone and a speaker may capture audio uttered by a user. The device, or another device, may then perform a particular operation in response to the captured audio. A user's cell phone number may be associated with the device. When an incoming call is directed to the user's cell phone, the device may generate a notification. The user may utter a command that causes the device to establish an audio connection with a cellular carrier network, thereby facilitating the phone conversation while bypassing the cell phone. Similarly, a user may make an outgoing call associated with the user's cell phone. The outgoing call is facilitated through an audio connection between the device and the cellular carrier network, bypassing the cell phone.

Abstract: Techniques for tailoring beamforming techniques to environments such that processing resources may be devoted to a portion of an audio signal corresponding to a lobe of a beampattern that is most likely to contain user speech. The techniques take into account both acoustic characteristics of an environment and heuristics regarding lobes that have previously been found to include user speech.

Abstract: A voice interaction architecture that compiles multiple audio signals captured at different locations within an environment, determines a time offset between a primary audio signal and other captured audio signals and identifies differences between the primary signal and the other signal(s). Thereafter, the architecture may provide the primary audio signal, an indication of the determined time offset(s) and the identified differences to remote computing resources for further processing. For instance, the architecture may send this information to a network-accessible distributed computing platform that performs beamforming and/or automatic speech recognition (ASR) on the received audio. The distributed computing platform may in turn determine a response to provide based upon the beamforming and/or ASR.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques for transitioning an electronic device between device states. In one example, a voice-controlled device is configured to transition from a low power state to an interactive state in response to identifying a user speaking a defined utterance. If, however, the device determines that the user has spoken an utterance that is close, but not equivalent to, the defined utterance, then the device may lower a threshold for subsequent speech such that the device is more likely to determine that the subsequent speech is equivalent to the defined utterance.

Abstract: Techniques for using both speaker-identification information and other characteristics associated with received voice commands to determine how and whether to respond to the received voice commands. A user may interact with a device through speech by providing voice commands. After beginning an interaction with the user, the device may detect subsequent speech, which may originate from the user, from another user, or from another source. The device may then use speaker-identification information and other characteristics associated with the speech to attempt to determine whether or not the user interacting with the device uttered the speech. The device may then interpret the speech as a valid voice command and may perform a corresponding operation in response to determining that the user did indeed utter the speech. If the device determines that the user did not utter the speech, however, then the device may refrain from taking action on the speech.

Abstract: A speech recognition platform configured to receive an audio signal that includes speech from a user and perform automatic speech recognition (ASR) on the audio signal to identify ASR results. The platform may identify: (i) a domain of a voice command within the speech based on the ASR results and based on context information associated with the speech or the user, and (ii) an intent of the voice command. In response to identifying the intent, the platform may perform a corresponding action, such as streaming audio to the device, setting a reminder for the user, purchasing an item on behalf of the user, making a reservation for the user or launching an application for the user. The speech recognition platform, in combination with the device, may therefore facilitate efficient interactions between the user and a voice-controlled device.

Abstract: A speech recognition platform configured to receive an audio signal that includes speech from a user and perform automatic speech recognition (ASR) on the audio signal to identify ASR results. The platform may identify: (i) a domain of a voice command within the speech based on the ASR results and based on context information associated with the speech or the user, and (ii) an intent of the voice command. In response to identifying the intent, the platform may perform a corresponding action, such as streaming audio to the device, setting a reminder for the user, purchasing an item on behalf of the user, making a reservation for the user or launching an application for the user. The speech recognition platform, in combination with the device, may therefore facilitate efficient interactions between the user and a voice-controlled device.