Abstract: Techniques for improving the power consumption of a device without impacting or with minimal impact to operations of the device are described. In an example, the device includes a processor. The device receives, while the processor is operating in a first power mode, first input data corresponding to first audio detected by a microphone. Based at least in part on the first input data, the device detects a sound event or ambient noise. Based at least in part on a detection of the ambient noise only, the device causes processor to operate in a second power mode in which the processor consumes less power than in the first power mode.

Abstract: A system configured to perform low power mode wakeword detection is provided. A device reduces power consumption without compromising functionality by placing a primary processor into a low power mode and using a secondary processor to monitor for sound detection. The secondary processor stores input audio data in a buffer component while performing sound detection on the input audio data. If the secondary processor detects a sound, the secondary processor sends an interrupt signal to the primary processor, causing the primary processor to enter an active mode. While in the active mode, the primary processor performs wakeword detection using the buffered audio data. To reduce a latency, the primary processor processes the buffered audio data at an accelerated rate. In some examples, the device may further reduce power consumption by including a second buffer component and only processing the input audio data after detecting a sound.

Abstract: This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for performing multi-path calculations for energy levels on an electronic device. For instance, the electronic device may include a first circuit and a second circuit, where the first circuit uses less power than the second circuit. As such, when operating in a standby mode, the electronic device may use the first circuit to calculate energy levels at the electronic device, such as speech-energy values and ambient-energy values. Additionally, while operating in an active mode, the electronic device may active the second circuit and then use the second circuit to calculate the energy levels at the electronic device. The first circuit and the second circuit can send/receive current energy levels between one another so that the electronic device can continually calculate the energy levels even when the electronic device switches between modes of operation.

Abstract: A system configured to enable a Wi-Fi processor to enter a low power mode (LPM) for short periods of time without compromising functionality is provided. A device reduces power consumption by enabling the Wi-Fi processor to enter LPM with scheduled wakeup events to enable specific functionality. In some examples, the Wi-Fi processor toggles between LPM and an active mode based on a first duty cycle to enable new device provisioning. The first duty cycle corresponds to a time required to scan a plurality of wireless channels, waking the Wi-Fi processor at a first frequency to monitor for incoming probe requests. In other examples, the Wi-Fi processor uses a second duty cycle chosen to maintain time synchronicity between a time master device and time follower devices. The device sets the second duty cycle to wake the Wi-Fi processor at a second frequency to exchange data packets with synchronized devices.

Abstract: Techniques for detecting a voice command from a user of a hearable device. The hearable device may include an in-ear facing microphone to capture sound emitted from an ear of the user, and an exterior facing microphone to capture sound emitted from an exterior environment of the user. The in-ear microphone may generate an in-ear audio signal representing the sound emitted from the ear, and the exterior microphone may generate an exterior audio signal representing sound from the exterior environment. The hearable device may include components to determine correlations or similarities between the in-ear audio signal and exterior audio signal, which indicate that the audio signals represent sound emitted from the user. Further, the components may perform voice activity detection to determine that the sound emitted from the user is a voice command, and proceed to perform further voice-processing techniques.

Abstract: A system configured to perform low power mode wakeword detection is provided. A device reduces power consumption without compromising functionality by placing a primary processor into a low power mode and using a secondary processor to monitor for sound detection. The secondary processor stores input audio data in a buffer component while performing sound detection on the input audio data. If the secondary processor detects a sound, the secondary processor sends an interrupt signal to the primary processor, causing the primary processor to enter an active mode. While in the active mode, the primary processor performs wakeword detection using the buffered audio data. To reduce a latency, the primary processor processes the buffered audio data at an accelerated rate. In some examples, the device may further reduce power consumption by including a second buffer component and only processing the input audio data after detecting a sound.

Abstract: A system configured to enable a Wi-Fi processor to enter a low power mode (LPM) for short periods of time without compromising functionality is provided. A device reduces power consumption by enabling the Wi-Fi processor to enter LPM with scheduled wakeup events to enable specific functionality. In some examples, the Wi-Fi processor toggles between LPM and an active mode based on a first duty cycle to enable new device provisioning. The first duty cycle corresponds to a time required to scan a plurality of wireless channels, waking the Wi-Fi processor at a first frequency to monitor for incoming probe requests. In other examples, the Wi-Fi processor uses a second duty cycle chosen to maintain time synchronicity between a time master device and time follower devices. The device sets the second duty cycle to wake the Wi-Fi processor at a second frequency to exchange data packets with synchronized devices.

Abstract: Apparatuses and systems for conserving power for a portable electronic device that monitors local audio for a wakeword are described herein. In a non-limiting embodiment, a portable electronic device may have two-phases. The first phase may be a first circuit that stores an audio input while determining whether human speech is present in the audio input. The second phase may be a second circuit that activates when the first circuit determines that human speech is present in the audio input. The second circuit may receive the audio input from the first circuit, store the audio input, and determine whether a wakeword is present within the audio input.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to a microphone assembly. The microphone assembly has an acoustic activity detection mode of operation when the electrical circuit is clocked using an internal clock signal generator in the absence of an external clock signal at a host interface, and an electrical circuit of the microphone assembly is configured to provide an interrupt signal to the host interface upon detection of acoustic activity by the electrical circuit. The electrical circuit is configured to control the operating mode of the microphone assembly based on a frequency of the external clock signal in response to providing the interrupt signal and is configured to provide data representing the electrical signal to the host interface using the external clock signal received at the host interface.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to a microphone assembly. The microphone assembly has an acoustic activity detection mode of operation when the electrical circuit is clocked using an internal clock signal generator in the absence of an external clock signal at a host interface, and an electrical circuit of the microphone assembly is configured to provide an interrupt signal to the host interface upon detection of acoustic activity by the electrical circuit. The electrical circuit is configured to control the operating mode of the microphone assembly based on a frequency of the external clock signal in response to providing the interrupt signal and is configured to provide data representing the electrical signal to the host interface using the external clock signal received at the host interface.

Abstract: This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for implementing voice-enabled devices in vehicle environments to facilitate voice interaction with vehicle computing devices. Due to the differing communication capabilities of existing vehicle computing devices, the techniques described herein describe different communication topologies for facilitating voice interaction with the vehicle computing devices. In some examples, the voice-enabled device may be communicatively coupled to a user device, which may communicate with a remote speech-processing system to determine and perform operations responsive to the voice commands, such as conducting phone calls using loudspeakers of the vehicle computing device, streaming music to the vehicle computing device, and so forth.

Abstract: This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for implementing voice-enabled devices in vehicle environments to facilitate voice interaction with vehicle computing devices. Due to the differing communication capabilities of existing vehicle computing devices, the techniques described herein describe different communication topologies for facilitating voice interaction with the vehicle computing devices. In some examples, the voice-enabled device may be communicatively coupled to a user device, which may communicate with a remote speech-processing system to determine and perform operations responsive to the voice commands, such as conducting phone calls using loudspeakers of the vehicle computing device, streaming music to the vehicle computing device, and so forth.

Abstract: This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for performing multi-path calculations for energy levels on an electronic device. For instance, the electronic device may include a first circuit and a second circuit, where the first circuit uses less power than the second circuit. As such, when operating in a standby mode, the electronic device may use the first circuit to calculate energy levels at the electronic device, such as speech-energy values and ambient-energy values. Additionally, while operating in an active mode, the electronic device may active the second circuit and then use the second circuit to calculate the energy levels at the electronic device. The first circuit and the second circuit can send/receive current energy levels between one another so that the electronic device can continually calculate the energy levels even when the electronic device switches between modes of operation.

Abstract: This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for implementing voice-enabled devices in vehicle environments to facilitate voice interaction with vehicle computing devices. Due to the differing communication capabilities of existing vehicle computing devices, the techniques described herein describe different communication topologies for facilitating voice interaction with the vehicle computing devices. In some examples, the voice-enabled device may be communicatively coupled to a user device, which may communicate with a remote speech-processing system to determine and perform operations responsive to the voice commands, such as conducting phone calls using loudspeakers of the vehicle computing device, streaming music to the vehicle computing device, and so forth.

Abstract: A microphone assembly includes an acoustic sensor configured to produce an electrical signal and an electrical circuit including a voice activity detector coupled to an output of the acoustic sensor. The microphone assembly further includes an internal clock signal generator and a host interface coupled to the electrical circuit. The host interface has external connections including an external clock signal and a data connection. The microphone assembly includes an acoustic activity detection mode of operation when the electrical circuit is clocked by the internal clock signal generator in the absence of an external clock signal at the host interface. The microphone assembly has a plurality of operating modes controlled by an external clock signal received in response to an interrupt signal provided by the electrical circuit. The electrical circuit is configured to provide data representing the electrical signal at the host interface when the external clock signal is received.

Abstract: Apparatuses and systems for conserving power for a portable electronic device that monitors local audio for a wakeword are described herein. In a non-limiting embodiment, a portable electronic device may have two-phases. The first phase may be a first circuit that stores an audio input while determining whether human speech is present in the audio input. The second phase may be a second circuit that activates when the first circuit determines that human speech is present in the audio input. The second circuit may receive the audio input from the first circuit, store the audio input, and determine whether a wakeword is present within the audio input.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to microphone apparatus. One microphone apparatus includes an acoustic sensor, an electrical circuit including an acoustic activity detector, a frequency detection circuit and a control block, an internal clock signal generator coupled to the electrical circuit, and a host interface with external connections including a connection for an external clock signal and data. The microphone assembly has an acoustic activity detection mode of operation when the electrical circuit is clocked using the internal clock signal generator in the absence of an external clock signal at the host interface, and the electrical circuit is configured to provide an interrupt signal to the host interface upon detection of acoustic activity by the electrical circuit.

Abstract: At a configurable filter bank, commands or command signals are received from an external processing device. The commands or command signals are effective to configure and connect selective ones of the plurality of elements in the filter bank. An acoustic signal is received from a transducer. The acoustic signal is converted to a PDM signal and the PDM signal is converted to a PCM signal.

Abstract: A microphone system includes a first transducer deployed at a first microphone; a second transducer deployed at a second microphone, the first microphone being physically distinct from the second microphone; a decimator deployed at the second microphone that receives first pulse density modulation (PDM) data from the first transducer and second PDM data from the second transducer and decimates and combines the first PDM data and the second PDM data into combined pulse code modulation (PCM) data; and an interpolator deployed at the second microphone for converting the combined PCM data to combined PDM data, and transmits the combined PDM data to an external processing device.

Abstract: A microphone assembly includes an acoustic sensor and a voice activity detector on an integrated circuit coupled to an external-device interface. The acoustic sensor produces an electrical signal representative of acoustic energy detected by the sensor. A filter bank separates data representative of the acoustic energy into a plurality of frequency bands. A power tracker obtains a power estimate for at least one band, including a first estimate based on relatively fast changes in a power metric of the data and a second estimate based on relatively slow changes in a power metric of the data. The presence of voice activity in the electrical signal is based upon the power estimate.