公开(公告)号：US09734822B1

公开(公告)日：2017-08-15

申请号：US14727504

申请日：2015-06-01

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Shiva Sundaram ,  Ramya Gopalan

IPC: G10L17/22 ,  H04R1/08 ,  G10L15/08 ,  G10L15/02 ,  G10L21/00 ,  G10L15/04

CPC classification number: G10L15/08 ,  G10L17/22 ,  H04R1/08 ,  H04R3/005 ,  H04R2430/00 ,  H04R2430/20

Abstract: Features are disclosed for improving the accuracy and stability of beamformed signal selection. The selection may consider processing feedback information to identify when the current beam selection may need to be re-evaluated. The feedback information may further be used to select a beamformed signal for processing. For example, beams which detect wake-words or yield high confidence speech recognition may be favored over beams which fail to detect or recognize at a lower confidence level.

公开(公告)号：US09689960B1

公开(公告)日：2017-06-27

申请号：US13857040

申请日：2013-04-04

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： William Folwell Barton ,  Kenneth Edgar Hild, II ,  Ramya Gopalan ,  Kavitha Velusamy ,  Amit Singh Chhetri

IPC: H04R3/00 ,  G01S3/808 ,  H04B3/20 ,  H04R25/00

CPC classification number: G01S3/8083 ,  G01S3/805 ,  G01S3/86 ,  G01S5/22 ,  H04R1/406 ,  H04R3/005 ,  H04R25/407 ,  H04R2201/401 ,  H04R2201/403 ,  H04R2430/20 ,  H04R2499/11

Abstract: The systems, devices, and processes described herein may identify a beam of a voice-controlled device that is directed toward a reflective surface, such as a wall. The beams may be created by a beamformer. An acoustic echo canceller (AEC) may create filter coefficients for a reference sound. The filter coefficients may be analyzed to identify beams that include multiple peaks. The multiple peaks may indicate presence of one or more reflective surfaces. Using the amplitude and the time delay between the peaks, the device may determine that it is close to a reflective surface in a direction of the beam.

公开(公告)号：US09432768B1

公开(公告)日：2016-08-30

申请号：US14229406

申请日：2014-03-28

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Jeffrey Cornelius O'Neill ,  Amit Singh Chhetri ,  Philip Ryan Hilmes ,  Ramya Gopalan

IPC: H04R3/00

CPC classification number: H04R3/005 ,  H04R2201/023 ,  H04R2499/11

Abstract: A wearable computer is configured to use beamforming techniques to isolate a user's speech from extraneous audio signals occurring within a physical environment. A microphone array of the wearable computer may generate audio signal data from an utterance from a user's mouth. A motion sensor(s) of the wearable computer may generate motion data from movement of the wearable computer. This motion data may be used to determine a direction vector pointing from the wearable computer to the user's mouth, and a beampattern may be defined that has a beampattern direction in substantial alignment with the determined direction vector to focus the microphone array on the user's mouth for speech isolation.

Abstract translation: 可穿戴式计算机被配置为使用波束形成技术来将用户的语音与在物理环境中发生的外来音频信号隔离开来。 可穿戴式计算机的麦克风阵列可以从用户口的话语产生音频信号数据。 可穿戴计算机的运动传感器可以从可穿戴计算机的运动产生运动数据。 该运动数据可以用于确定从可佩戴计算机指向用户嘴部的方向矢量，并且可以限定具有与所确定的方向矢量基本对准的波纹图案方向的波纹图案，以将麦克风阵列聚焦在用户的嘴上 言语隔离。

公开(公告)号：US10746840B1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-18

申请号：US15601981

申请日：2017-05-22

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： William Folwell Barton ,  Kenneth Edgar Hild, II ,  Ramya Gopalan ,  Kavitha Velusamy ,  Amit Singh Chhetri

IPC: H04R3/00 ,  G01S3/808 ,  G01S3/86 ,  G01S3/805 ,  G01S5/22 ,  H04B3/20 ,  H04R25/00

Abstract: The systems, devices, and processes described herein may identify a beam of a voice-controlled device that is directed toward a reflective surface, such as a wall. The beams may be created by a beamformer. An acoustic echo canceller (AEC) may create filter coefficients for a reference sound. The filter coefficients may be analyzed to identify beams that include multiple peaks. The multiple peaks may indicate presence of one or more reflective surfaces. Using the amplitude and the time delay between the peaks, the device may determine that it is close to a reflective surface in a direction of the beam.

公开(公告)号：US10586534B1

公开(公告)日：2020-03-10

申请号：US15717503

申请日：2017-09-27

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Paraskevas Argyropoulos ,  Carlo Murgia ,  Ramya Gopalan

IPC: G10L21/02 ,  G10L15/20 ,  G10L15/22 ,  G10L25/84 ,  G10L21/0232 ,  G10L15/30 ,  G10L15/08 ,  G10L21/0208

Abstract: Devices and techniques are generally described for control of a voice-controlled device using acoustic echo cancellation statistics. A reference signal representing the audio stream may be sent to an acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) unit. A microphone may receive an input audio signal and send the input audio signal to the AEC unit. The AEC unit may attenuate at least a part of the input audio signal. AEC statistics related to the attenuation of at least the part of the input audio signal may be determined over a first period of time. A wake-word in the input audio signal may be detected during the first period of time. A determination may be made that the wake-word is part of the playback of the audio stream based at least in part on the AEC statistics.

公开(公告)号：US09734845B1

公开(公告)日：2017-08-15

申请号：US14752400

申请日：2015-06-26

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Yue Liu ,  Praveen Jayakumar ,  Amit Singh Chhetri ,  Ramya Gopalan

IPC: G10L25/78 ,  G10L15/00 ,  H04R3/00 ,  H04R1/40

CPC classification number: G10L25/78 ,  G10L15/00 ,  G10L15/22 ,  G10L2015/088 ,  H04R1/406 ,  H04R3/005 ,  H04R2420/07 ,  H04R2420/09

Abstract: In a speech-based system, a wake word or other trigger expression is used to preface user speech that is intended as a command. The system receives multiple directional audio signals, each of which emphasizes sound from a different direction. The signals are monitored and analyzed to detect the directions of interfering audio sources such as televisions or other types of electronic audio players. One of the directional signals having the strongest presence of speech is selected to be monitored for the trigger expression. If the directional signal corresponds to the direction of an interfering audio source, a more strict standard is used to detect the trigger expression. In addition, the directional audio signal having the second strongest presence of speech may also be monitored to detect the trigger expression.

公开(公告)号：US09432769B1

公开(公告)日：2016-08-30

申请号：US14447498

申请日：2014-07-30

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Shiva Sundaram ,  Amit Singh Chhetri ,  Ramya Gopalan ,  Philip Ryan Hilmes

IPC: H04R3/00

CPC classification number: G10L21/028 ,  G10L25/72 ,  G10L25/84 ,  G10L2021/02166 ,  H04R1/406 ,  H04R3/005 ,  H04R25/405 ,  H04R25/407 ,  H04R2430/23

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods are described for determining which of a plurality of beamformed audio signals to select for signal processing. In some embodiments, a plurality of audio input signals are received from a microphone array comprising a plurality of microphones. A plurality of beamformed audio signals are determined based on the plurality of input audio signals, the beamformed audio signals comprising a direction. A plurality of signal features may be determined for each beamformed audio signal. Smoothed features may be determined for each beamformed audio signal based on at least a portion of the plurality of signal features. The beamformed audio signal corresponding to the maximum smoothed feature may be selected for further processing.

Abstract translation: 描述了系统和方法的实施例，用于确定多个波束形成的音频信号中的哪一个被选择用于信号处理。 在一些实施例中，从包括多个麦克风的麦克风阵列接收多个音频输入信号。 基于多个输入音频信号来确定多个波束形成的音频信号，波束形成的音频信号包括方向。 可以为每个波束形成的音频信号确定多个信号特征。 基于多个信号特征的至少一部分，可以为每个波束形成的音频信号确定平滑特征。 可以选择对应于最大平滑特征的波束形成的音频信号用于进一步处理。