Voice control system and image forming apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of voice control, and particularly provides a voice control system and an image forming device. The system comprises a voice module control circuit, a switching circuit, and an online voice module. The voice module control circuit is configured to wake up the online voice module in a first sleep mode. The switching circuit comprises a first switch tube and a second switch tube. An input end of the first switch tube is configured to be connected to a power supply, an output end of the first switch tube is connected to a wake-up end of the online voice module, and a control end of the first switch tube is connected to an output end of the second switch tube. A control end of the second switch tube is connected to the voice module control circuit, and a ground end of the second switch tube is configured to be grounded. The voice module control circuit is configured to output a wake-up signal to turn on the second switch tube based on a collected voice signal, so that the first switch tube is turned on to supply power to the online voice module, and the online voice module is woken up from the first sleep mode after being powered. The present disclosure reduces the power consumption of the voice control system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of voice control technology, and more particularly to a voice control system and an image forming apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] As electronic devices become increasingly feature-rich, voice-command-based device control technology is being widely applied to various electronic devices, such as smart speakers, printing equipment, smart home devices, and / or wearable devices. This allows users to conveniently control devices via voice commands.

[0003] In related technologies, in the working mode, the online voice module in the voice control system can control the electronic device to perform related operations based on the voice control commands in the received voice signals; after the control commands are executed, the electronic device can switch to sleep mode to reduce the power consumption of the electronic device.

[0004] However, even when electronic devices are in sleep mode, the online voice module remains powered on, causing the voice control system to still consume a significant amount of power, thus increasing the overall power consumption of the electronic device. In other words, current technologies for low-power control of voice module sleep / wake-up mechanisms still have shortcomings. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a voice control system and an image forming apparatus, which help improve the sleep / wake-up function of the voice control system and enhance the intelligence level of the device.

[0006] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a voice control system is provided, the voice control system including a voice module control circuit, a switching circuit, and an online voice module, the voice module control circuit being used to wake up the online voice module in a first sleep mode; the switching circuit including: a first switching transistor and a second switching transistor;

[0007] The input terminal of the first switching transistor is used to connect to the power supply, the output terminal of the first switching transistor is connected to the wake-up terminal of the online voice module, and the control terminal of the first switching transistor is connected to the output terminal of the second switching transistor. The control terminal of the second switch is connected to the voice module control circuit, and the ground terminal of the second switch is used for grounding; The voice module control circuit is used to output a wake-up signal to the second switch based on the acquired voice signal, so that the second switch is turned on and the first switch is turned on. The turned-on first switch supplies power to the online voice module, and the online voice module is woken up from the first sleep mode after being powered on.

[0008] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, an image forming apparatus is provided, including the voice control system described in the first aspect.

[0009] The voice control system and image forming apparatus provided in this disclosure can wake up the online voice module in the first sleep mode by controlling the switching circuit connected to the voice module control circuit through the voice module control circuit. This not only enables the online voice control module in the voice control system to sleep in non-working mode, reducing the power consumption of the voice control system, but also ensures that the online voice module can smoothly switch to working mode to execute voice control commands when needed. This reduces the power consumption of the voice control system while ensuring the voice processing sensitivity and reliability of the device.

[0010] It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further illustration of the claimed technology. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of this disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this disclosure to explain the disclosure and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first voice control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second voice control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3 This is an architecture diagram of a third voice control system according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fourth voice control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fifth voice control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sixth voice control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the wake-up control process of an online voice module according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 8This is an architecture diagram of the seventh voice control system according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 9 This is an architecture diagram of the eighth voice control system according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a voice processing module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 11 This is an architecture diagram of the ninth voice control system according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 12 This is an architecture diagram of the tenth voice control system according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 13 This is an architecture diagram of the eleventh voice control system according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 14 This is an architecture diagram of the twelfth voice control system according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 15 This is a hardware block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure more apparent, exemplary embodiments according to this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments of this disclosure. It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0028] In electronic devices capable of responding to voice commands (such as mobile phones, computers, tablets, smart home appliances, wearable devices, or image forming devices), the voice control system typically includes a sound sensor and an online voice module connected to the sound sensor. The online voice module usually includes multiple functional modules to support the normal operation of the online voice module, such as a network communication module and an instruction processing module. The network communication module is used to establish a connection between the online voice module and the network, providing network support for voice interaction between the user and the electronic device. The network communication module can be a wireless (Wi-Fi, WIFI) network communication module or a wired network communication module; the specific choice can be determined based on actual needs, and this disclosure does not limit this. The instruction processing module is used to process the voice control commands in the user's voice signal and execute operations corresponding to the voice control commands, such as printing documents, playing music, or adjusting the temperature.

[0029] In related technologies, when the online voice module is in working mode, after the sound sensor receives the user's voice signal and sends it to the instruction processing module, the instruction processing module can execute the corresponding operation based on the voice control command in the voice signal. When the sound sensor does not receive a voice signal for a long time, the online voice module is in sleep mode. However, in sleep mode, each functional unit in the online voice module is still powered on, resulting in the electronic device still consuming a large amount of power in sleep mode.

[0030] To address the aforementioned problems, this disclosure provides a voice control system that is integrated into an electronic device. Figure 1 An architecture diagram of a first voice control system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the voice control system includes a voice module control circuit, a switch circuit, and an online voice module. The voice module control circuit and the switch circuit are connected, and the online voice module OLM is connected to the switch circuit. The voice module control circuit is used to wake up the online voice module OLM in the first sleep mode.

[0031] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, to ensure the normal implementation of the voice processing capability of the voice control system and to reduce the power consumption of the voice control system, the online voice module (OLM) in the voice control system typically has three modes: a working mode, a first sleep mode, and a second sleep mode. In the working mode, multiple functional modules in the online voice module (OLM) are powered on and can process voice control commands normally through the voice acquisition circuit in the voice control system. In the first sleep mode, the online voice module (OLM) cannot process voice control commands normally. It can be switched back to the working mode by waking up multiple functional modules in the online voice module (OLM) through the switching circuit and the voice module control circuit. In the second sleep mode, only the constantly powered module in the online voice module (OLM) is powered on, while the switching circuit and the voice module control circuit are not powered on, and other functional modules in the online voice module are in a sleep or non-working state. It can be switched back to the working mode by waking up other functional modules through the constantly powered module. It is understood that the power consumption of the online voice module (OLM) in the second sleep mode is lower than that in the first sleep mode.

[0032] The Online Voice Module (OLM) includes multiple functional modules such as a wireless network communication module and a constant power supply module. The constant power supply module is the only functional module in the online voice module that remains powered on in the second sleep mode, and is used to continuously monitor ambient sound and control the wake-up of other functional modules. It is understood that the multiple functional modules in the Online Voice Module (OLM) may also include a storage module and / or an intelligent analysis module, etc. The specific modules can be determined based on actual needs, and this disclosure does not limit them.

[0033] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1 The switching circuit includes: a first switching transistor Q1 and a second switching transistor Q2; the input terminal of the first switching transistor Q1 is connected to the power supply VCC, the output terminal of the first switching transistor Q1 is connected to the wake-up terminal of the online voice module, the control terminal of the first switching transistor Q1 is connected to the output terminal of the second switching transistor Q2; and the control terminal of the second switching transistor Q2 is connected to the voice module control circuit, and the ground terminal of the second switching transistor Q2 is used for grounding.

[0034] The output of the first switch Q1 is connected to the wake-up terminal of the online voice module OLM via a switch signal line (SS-ON / OFF); and the control terminal of the second switch Q2 is connected to the voice module control circuit via a voice control signal line (YY_Power_ON / OFF).

[0035] It should be noted that, in cases such as Figure 1 In the voice control system shown, the voice module control circuit outputs a wake-up signal to the second switch Q2 based on the acquired voice signal, causing the second switch Q2 to conduct and thus turn on the first switch Q1. The conducting first switch Q1 supplies power to the online voice module, which wakes up from the first sleep mode to process voice control information or voice control commands. The power consumption of the voice module control circuit is lower than that of the online voice module.

[0036] That is, after the voice module control circuit acquires the voice signal, it outputs a corresponding level signal (wake-up signal) through the voice control signal line (YY_Power_ON / OFF). The control terminal of the second switch Q2 responds to the received level signal and turns on, and outputs a conduction level signal to the control terminal of the first switch Q1 through the output terminal of the second switch Q2. In addition, the control terminal of the first switch Q1 responds to the received conduction level signal and turns on, and outputs a voltage signal from the input terminal of the first switch Q1 through the output terminal of the first switch Q1 to the online voice module OLM in the first sleep mode, so as to wake up the online voice module in the first sleep mode.

[0037] In summary, the voice control system provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure, through a voice module control circuit, controls a switching circuit connected to the voice module control circuit to wake up the online voice module in the first sleep mode. This not only enables the online voice control module in the voice control system to sleep in non-working mode, reducing the power consumption of the voice control system, but also ensures that the online voice module can smoothly switch to working mode to execute voice control commands when needed. This reduces the power consumption of the voice control system while ensuring the voice processing sensitivity and reliability of the device.

[0038] In one alternative implementation, such as Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 An architecture diagram of a second voice control system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, wherein the switching circuit further includes a third switching transistor Q3.

[0039] The switching terminal of the online voice module (OLM) is connected to the control terminal of the third switch Q3, the output terminal of the second switch Q2, and the control terminal of the first switch Q1 via the online voice switching signal line (Online Voice_Switch); the output terminal of the third switch Q3 is connected to the control terminal of the second switch Q2, and the ground terminal of the third switch Q3 is used for grounding.

[0040] It should be noted that, in cases such as Figure 2 In the voice control system shown, after the online voice module is woken up, it outputs a first switching signal to control the second switch Q2 to be in the off state via the third switch Q3, so that the voice module control circuit does not work, and keeps the first switch Q1 in the on state. When the online voice module is powered down or enters a first sleep state from the wake-up state, the online voice module outputs a second switching signal to control the second switch Q2 to exit the off state via the third switch Q3, so that the voice module control circuit resumes the acquisition of voice signals, and stops the power supply to the first switch Q1. This achieves the goal of shutting down the voice module control circuit in scenarios requiring voice control command processing, preventing interference from the voice module control circuit to the voice signal recognition of the online voice module in working mode, improving the reliability of the online voice module's voice control command response. After the voice signal recognition is completed, the online voice module switches to sleep state or is powered down, and the voice module control circuit resumes the acquisition of voice signals, ensuring the reliability of voice control while reducing power consumption.

[0041] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this disclosure, the first switching transistor, the second switching transistor, or the third switching transistor can be a transistor, which can be an NPN transistor or a PNP transistor. The first switching transistor, the second switching transistor, or the third switching transistor can also be a MOSFET, which can be an N-type MOSFET or a P-type MOSFET. Specifically, it can be determined based on actual needs, and the embodiments of this disclosure do not limit it in this way.

[0042] In one alternative implementation, the first switching transistor is a first PNP transistor; the second switching transistor is a first NPN transistor.

[0043] In this configuration, the base of the first PNP transistor serves as the control terminal of the first switch, the emitter of the first PNP transistor serves as the first input terminal of the first switch, and the collector of the first PNP transistor serves as the output terminal of the first switch; simultaneously, the base of the first NPN transistor serves as the control terminal of the second switch, the collector of the first NPN transistor serves as the output terminal of the second switch, and the emitter of the first NPN transistor serves as the ground terminal of the second switch. By setting the first switching transistor as a first PNP transistor and the second switching transistor as a first NPN transistor, and correspondingly using the base, emitter, and collector of the PNP transistor as the control terminal, input terminal, and output terminal of the first switching transistor, and the base, collector, and emitter of the NPN transistor as the control terminal, output terminal, and ground terminal of the second switching transistor, the complementary conduction level logic of the PNP and NPN transistors is utilized to adapt to the wake-up signal level output characteristics of the voice module control circuit and the power supply logic, thereby achieving precise and rapid on / off control of the switching circuit. This ensures effective triggering of the wake-up signal for the online voice module power supply and improves the conduction and cutoff response efficiency of the switching circuit. At the same time, the device characteristics of the transistors also give the switching circuit the advantages of low power consumption and small size, which can further reduce the power consumption of the voice control system.

[0044] It should be noted that, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, when the first switching transistor is a first PNP transistor and the second switching transistor is a first NPN transistor, after the voice module control circuit acquires the voice signal, it outputs a corresponding high-level signal through the voice control signal line (YY_Power_ON / OFF). The base of the first NPN transistor Q2 turns on in response to the received high-level signal. Since the emitter of the first NPN transistor Q2 is grounded, after the first NPN transistor Q2 turns on, it outputs a low-level signal to the base of the first PNP transistor Q1 through the collector of the first NPN transistor Q2. In addition, the base of the first PNP transistor Q1 turns on in response to the received low-level signal, and the emitter of the first PNP transistor Q1 outputs a voltage signal to the online voice module OLM in the first sleep mode through the collector of the first switching transistor Q1, so as to power the online voice module OLM in the first sleep mode and wake up the online voice module in the first sleep mode.

[0045] In one optional embodiment, the third switching transistor is a second NPN transistor; wherein the base of the second NPN transistor serves as the control terminal of the third switching transistor, the collector of the second NPN transistor serves as the output terminal of the third switching transistor, and the emitter of the second NPN transistor serves as the ground terminal of the third switching transistor. By configuring the third switch as a second NPN transistor, and using its base, collector, and emitter as the control terminal, output terminal, and ground terminal respectively, the on / off control can be achieved with relatively accurate response to the first or second switching signal output by the online voice module. Combined with the switching logic of the first and second switches, the control loop of the second switch can be quickly cut off after the online voice module is woken up, causing the voice module control circuit to stop working while keeping the first switch continuously conducting to power the module. Conversely, it can be promptly cut off when the online voice module is in sleep or powered down, restoring the working state of the second switch and the signal acquisition function of the voice module control circuit. This achieves linked control and adaptive state switching of the switching circuit. Furthermore, the characteristics of the NPN transistor give the third switch the advantages of fast on-response and low leakage current, further improving the stability, accuracy, and efficiency of the voice control system's wake-up and sleep switching.

[0046] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this disclosure, when the switching circuit includes a third switching transistor, and the third switching transistor is a second NPN transistor, after the online voice module is woken up by the first and second switching transistors, the online voice module outputs a first switching signal to the base of the second NPN transistor Q3 through the online voice switching signal line (Online Voice_Switch). The first switching signal is a high-level signal, and the base of the second NPN transistor Q3 can be turned on in response to the first switching signal to control the second switching transistor Q2 to be in the off state so that the voice module control circuit does not work, and keeps the first switching transistor Q1 in the on state to supply power to the online voice module.

[0047] When the online voice module is powered down or enters the first sleep state from the wake-up state, the online voice module outputs a second switching signal through the online voice switching signal line (Online Voice_Switch). The second switching signal is a low-level signal. The base of the second NPN transistor Q3 can be cut off in response to the second switching signal, thereby controlling the second switch Q2 to exit the cut-off state, so that the voice module control circuit can resume the acquisition of voice signals and stop the power supply to the first switch Q1.

[0048] In one alternative implementation, such as Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 An architecture diagram of a third voice control system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, wherein the voice module control circuit includes: a first sound sensor AS1 and a comparator COM.

[0049] The comparator COM's detection terminal is connected to the first sound sensor AS1, its reference terminal is connected to a reference voltage, and its output terminal is connected to the control terminal of the second switch Q2. Based on the voice signal collected by the first sound sensor and the reference voltage, the comparator outputs a wake-up signal. The voice module control circuit, which includes the comparator and the first sensor, compares the voice signal collected by the first sound sensor with the reference voltage. This allows the online voice module to maintain a first sleep state to prevent false wake-ups when no ambient sound meeting the sound intensity threshold is detected, and to exit the first sleep state and enter the working mode when an ambient sound meeting the sound intensity threshold is detected. This reduces energy consumption and improves the reliability of the online voice module's voice processing.

[0050] It should be noted that, in cases such as Figure 3In the voice control system shown, the first sound sensor AS1 is used to collect ambient sound and convert the ambient sound into a voice signal, and send the voice signal to the detection terminal of the comparator; the comparator compares the voltage value of the voice signal with the reference voltage collected through the reference terminal; wherein, based on the comparison result of the voice signal collected by the first sound sensor and the reference voltage, the comparator outputs a wake-up signal to the voice control signal line YY_Power_ON / OFF through the output terminal of the comparator.

[0051] Optionally, when the comparator's detection terminal is the positive input terminal and the comparator's reference terminal is the inverting input terminal, the comparator can determine that the voice signal collected by the first sound sensor AS1 is the device wake-up voice when it determines that the voltage value of the voice signal is greater than the reference voltage value of the reference terminal. The comparator then outputs a wake-up signal to the voice control signal line YY_Power_ON / OFF through the comparator's output terminal. This is so that the online voice module OLM can be woken up after the device wake-up voice is detected in the first sleep mode, so that the online voice module OLM can be smoothly switched to the working mode.

[0052] In one alternative implementation, the voice module control circuit further includes a state locking circuit.

[0053] The state-locking circuit is connected between the comparator's reference terminal and the online voice module. When the online voice module detects an audio signal higher than a preset audio threshold, it outputs a self-locking signal to activate the state-locking circuit. This allows the state-locking circuit to maintain a fixed preset voltage value, thereby increasing the reference voltage at the comparator's reference terminal. The preset audio threshold is the noise threshold. This allows the state-locking circuit to increase the reference voltage used to wake up the online voice module from its first sleep mode when the online voice module determines that the current environment is noisy. This prevents the online voice module in its first sleep mode from being mistakenly woken up in noisy environments, improving the control accuracy of the online voice module while reducing the energy consumption of the voice control system in noisy environments.

[0054] Optionally, when the online voice module detects that the sound signal is lower than or equal to a preset sound threshold, it outputs a release signal to close the state lock circuit and restore the initial reference voltage of the comparator's reference terminal. This allows the online voice module to restore the reference voltage used to wake up the online voice module in the first sleep mode through the state lock circuit when it determines that the current environment is a non-noise environment, preventing missed wake-up of the online voice module in the first sleep mode in a non-noise environment and improving the control accuracy and reliability of the voice control system.

[0055] In one alternative implementation, such as Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4The diagram shows the architecture of a fourth voice control system provided in this embodiment. The state locking circuit includes a first transistor Q4, a second transistor Q5, a first diode D1, a second diode D2, and a power switch unit.

[0056] The anode of the first diode D1 is connected to the detection output terminal of the online voice module, and the cathode of the first diode D1 is connected to the base of the first transistor Q4. The collector of the first transistor Q4 is connected to the base of the second transistor Q5, and the emitter of the first transistor Q4 is grounded. The emitter of the second transistor Q5 is connected to the output terminal of the power switch unit, and the collector of the second transistor Q5 is connected to the anode of the second diode D2. The cathode of the second diode D2 is connected to the reference terminal of the comparator; The input terminal of the power switch unit is connected to the power control terminal of the online voice module.

[0057] The anode of the first diode D1 is connected to the detection output terminal of the online voice module OLM via the noise lock signal line (ZS_CTL); the input terminal of the power switch unit is connected to the power control terminal of the online voice module via the noise control signal line (ZS_ON / OFF).

[0058] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the first transistor or the second transistor can be an NPN transistor or a PNP transistor. Specifically, it can be determined based on actual needs, and this embodiment does not limit it. After the online voice module OLM switches from the first sleep mode to the working mode, the online voice module OLM is also used to analyze the voice signal collected by the second sound sensor AS2 based on the noise type recognition model to obtain the environmental sound type analysis result. The noise type recognition model is pre-trained and configured in the online voice module OLM.

[0059] Optionally, if the environmental sound type analysis result indicates that the sound signal is higher than the preset sound threshold, the current voice environment is determined to be a noisy environment. The online voice module OLM can output a high-level signal to the first diode D1 through the noise lock signal line ZS_CTL, and output a conduction level signal to the power switch unit through the noise control signal line ZS_ON / OFF.

[0060] In this circuit, the power switch unit turns on in response to receiving a high-level signal and provides operating voltage to the collector of the first transistor Q4 and the emitter of the second transistor Q5. Next, the first diode D1 turns on in response to receiving a high-level signal and transmits an on-state signal to the base of the first transistor Q4. Further, the base of the first transistor Q4 turns on in response to receiving the on-state signal and the operating voltage provided by the power switch unit, and transmits an on-state signal to the base of the second transistor Q5 through its collector. Simultaneously, the base of the second transistor Q5 turns on in response to receiving the on-state signal and the operating voltage provided by the power switch unit, and transmits a high-level signal to the input of the second diode D2. Finally, the input of the second diode D2 turns on in response to receiving the on-state signal, establishing a connection with the reference terminal of the comparator. After the second diode D2 is turned on, the reference voltage at the comparator's reference terminal is greater than the reference voltage before the second diode D2 is turned on.

[0061] Optionally, if the environmental sound type analysis result indicates that the sound signal is lower than or equal to the preset sound threshold, and the current voice environment is determined to be a non-noise environment, then there is no need to turn on the noise control unit; after the reference voltage value is increased, the first sound sensor AS1 in the voice module control circuit will collect a louder environmental sound and then output a conduction level signal through the voice control signal line YY_Power_ON / OFF.

[0062] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, after the reference voltage at the comparator's reference terminal is increased, the online voice module OLM can switch to the first sleep mode and periodically switch to the working mode to continue recognizing the voice signal collected by the first sound sensor AS1 through the noise type recognition model. When it is determined that the voice environment is a non-noise environment, the noise control unit is turned off by transmitting a shutdown level signal through the noise control signal line ZS_ON / OFF of the online voice module OLM. This controls the second diode D2 connected to the reference terminal of the comparator in the voice module control circuit to disconnect, so that the reference voltage connected to the reference terminal of the comparator is restored to the initial reference voltage, and the first sleep mode is maintained. The period during which the online voice module OLM switches from the first sleep mode to the working mode can be determined based on actual needs. This embodiment does not limit this. For example, the online voice module OLM can switch from the first sleep mode to the working mode every 10 minutes.

[0063] Optionally, in embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 An architecture diagram of a fifth voice control system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, wherein the power switching unit includes a third transistor Q6.

[0064] Specifically, the collector of the first transistor Q4 is connected to the collector of the third transistor Q6, the emitter of the second transistor Q5 is connected to the collector of the third transistor Q6, and the base of the third transistor Q6 is connected to the power control terminal of the online voice module through the noise control signal line (ZS_ON / OFF). The base of the third transistor Q6 is also connected to the power supply voltage of the third transistor Q6, and the emitter of the third transistor Q6 is also connected to the power supply voltage of the third transistor Q6.

[0065] It is understandable that the online voice module OLM outputs a turn-on or turn-off signal to the third transistor Q6 based on the type of the third transistor Q6. For example, if the third transistor Q6 is an NPN transistor, the turn-on signal output by the online voice module OLM to the third transistor Q6 is a high-level signal, or the turn-off signal output by the online voice module OLM to the third transistor Q6 is a low-level signal.

[0066] Alternatively, if the third transistor Q6 is a PNP transistor, the on-state signal output by the online voice module OLM to the third transistor Q6 is a low-level signal, or the off-state signal output by the online voice module OLM to the third transistor Q6 is a high-level signal.

[0067] It should be noted that, in the embodiments disclosed herein, as... Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 An architecture diagram of a sixth voice control system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. The voice control system further includes a second sound sensor AS2; wherein the second sound sensor AS2 is connected to an online voice module OLM.

[0068] In this embodiment, after the online voice module switches to the working mode, the second sound sensor AS2 is used to collect the user's ambient sound and send the ambient sound to the constant power supply module of the online voice module OLM. The constant power supply module is used to identify device control keywords in the ambient sound, generate voice control commands based on the device control keywords, and control the voice control system to perform operations corresponding to the voice control, so as to ensure the normal functioning of the online voice module. The device control keywords can be determined based on the actual device type and / or application scenario, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0069] Optionally, in the voice control system, after determining that the ambient sound detected within a first preset time period does not contain device control keywords in the working mode, the online voice module (OLM) can usually switch from the working mode to the second sleep mode. This allows the online voice module (OLM) to quickly respond to voice control commands when the user issues them again within a short interval, and reduces the power consumption of the online voice module (OLM). The first preset time period can be determined based on actual needs, and this embodiment does not limit it.

[0070] In one optional implementation, the constant power supply module in the online voice module (OLM) is used to wake up the online voice module in the second sleep mode when the ambient sound collected by the second sound sensor AS2 is greater than or equal to an initial decibel threshold. The initial decibel threshold is the threshold for distinguishing between human voice and ambient noise, and can be determined based on actual needs; this embodiment does not limit this. Since the constant power supply module in the online voice module is powered on in the second sleep mode, it can control the wake-up of other functional modules in the online voice module after collecting ambient sound that matches the volume of human voice from the second sound sensor. This allows the online voice module to quickly switch to the working mode to process voice control commands in scenarios where multiple voice control commands are required within a short period, reducing the power consumption of the voice control system while improving the response efficiency to voice control commands.

[0071] The phrase "wake up the online voice module in the second sleep mode through the constant power supply module" refers to controlling at least one functional module other than the constant power supply module in the online voice module to power on, so that the online voice module switches to the working mode. It can be understood that when the constant power supply module determines that the ambient sound is less than the initial decibel threshold, the ambient sound is discarded.

[0072] It should be noted that after the online voice module in the second sleep mode is woken up by the constant power supply module, the online voice module can receive the user's ambient sound sent by the second sound sensor, and if the ambient sound contains device control keywords, it can generate voice control commands based on the device control keywords and control the electronic device to perform operations corresponding to the voice control.

[0073] In one optional implementation, when the ambient sound does not contain device control keywords, the constant power supply module updates the initial decibel threshold to obtain the updated decibel threshold. Further, the constant power supply module continues to receive ambient sound collected by the second sound sensor. If the constant power supply module determines that the ambient sound is greater than or equal to the updated decibel threshold and contains device control keywords in the ambient sound with a duration greater than a second preset duration, then a voice control command is generated based on the device control keywords, and the voice control system is controlled to execute the operation corresponding to the voice control command. The updated decibel threshold is greater than the initial decibel threshold before the update, and the second preset duration can be determined based on actual needs; this embodiment does not limit this. Even when the ambient sound does not contain device control keywords, the current environment can be determined to be noisy, and the sound intensity threshold can be changed. Furthermore, ambient sound can continue to be detected for a certain duration. If the detected ambient sound, which meets the increased sound intensity requirement, contains device control keywords, then a voice control command for the voice control system is executed to prevent missed detection of voice control commands in noisy environments and improve the response reliability of the voice control system's voice control commands.

[0074] Optionally, if the constant power supply module determines that the ambient sound is less than the updated decibel threshold and the ambient sound duration is longer than the second preset duration, there is no device control keyword in the ambient sound. The constant power supply module then controls at least one functional module in the online voice module (excluding the constant power supply module) to power off, so that the online voice module switches from the working mode to the second sleep mode. Next, the constant power supply module periodically wakes up the online voice module in the second sleep mode within a third preset duration and continues to receive ambient sound collected by the second sound sensor. If the constant power supply module determines that the ambient sound contains a device control keyword, it generates a voice control command based on the device control keyword and controls the voice control system to perform the corresponding operation. In noisy environments, if the sound intensity threshold is changed and the ambient sound is detected for a certain duration without a device control keyword, to further prevent missed detection of voice control commands in noisy environments, the online voice module can be periodically activated to detect device control keywords in noisy environments. This allows for more reliable acquisition of voice control commands in noisy environments, further improving the response reliability of the voice control system's voice control commands.

[0075] Optionally, if the constant power supply module determines that the online voice module is periodically woken up within a third preset duration, and the ambient sound collected by the second sound sensor does not contain device control keywords, the constant power supply module is used to control the online voice module to maintain the second sleep mode. Then, the constant power supply module is also used to continue receiving the ambient sound collected by the second sound sensor. If the duration of the ambient sound collected by the second sound sensor exceeds a fourth preset duration, and the ambient sound is less than the initial decibel threshold before the update, the updated decibel threshold is updated in reverse to the initial decibel threshold before the update. When it is determined that the current noisy environment has ended, the initial decibel threshold of the ambient sound used to wake up the online voice module can be reduced to the initial decibel threshold to prevent missed wake-up of the online voice module in a non-noisy environment and improve the wake-up reliability of the online voice module in the second sleep mode.

[0076] It is understood that in the embodiments of this disclosure, the second preset duration, the third preset duration, and the fourth preset duration can be determined based on actual needs, and the embodiments of this disclosure do not limit this; and the initial decibel threshold before the update and the decibel threshold after the update can be determined based on the type of electronic device and / or the actual application scenario, and the embodiments of this disclosure do not limit this; for example, the initial decibel threshold before the update can be 40 dB, and the decibel threshold after the update can be 60 dB.

[0077] For example, such as Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the wake-up control flow of the online voice module of the constant power supply module in an embodiment of this disclosure, including: Step S701: Receive ambient sound collected by the second sound sensor; Step S702: Determine whether the ambient sound level is greater than or equal to the initial decibel threshold; Step S703: If the ambient sound is less than the initial decibel threshold, discard the ambient sound. Step S704: If the ambient sound is greater than or equal to the initial decibel threshold, wake up the online voice module in the second sleep mode through the constant power supply module; Step S705: Receive the ambient sound of the user sent by the second sound sensor; Step S706: Determine whether the ambient sound contains device control keywords; Step S707: If the ambient sound contains device control keywords, then generate voice control commands based on the device control keywords, and control the voice control system to perform operations corresponding to the voice control. Step S708: If the ambient sound does not contain device control keywords, then update the initial decibel threshold. Step S709: Receive ambient sound with a duration greater than the second duration threshold collected by the second sound sensor; Step S710: Determine whether there are device control keywords in the ambient sound that is greater than or equal to the updated decibel threshold and has a duration greater than the second duration threshold. Step S711: If yes, then generate voice control commands based on device control keywords, and control the voice control system to perform operations corresponding to the voice control commands; Step S712: If not, control the online voice module to switch to the second sleep mode, and periodically wake up the online voice module in the second sleep mode through the constant power supply module within the third preset time period; Step S713: Continue to receive ambient sound collected by the second sound sensor; Step S714: Determine whether the ambient sound contains device control keywords; Step S715: If the ambient sound contains device control keywords, then generate voice control commands based on the device control keywords and control the electronic device to perform operations corresponding to the voice control. Step S716: If the ambient sound does not contain device control keywords, control the online voice module to maintain the second sleep mode; Step S717: Receive ambient sound collected by the second sound sensor; Step S718: Determine whether the ambient sound duration exceeding the fourth preset duration is less than the initial decibel threshold before the update; Step S719: If the ambient sound duration exceeds the fourth preset duration and is less than the initial decibel threshold before the update, then the updated decibel threshold is updated in reverse to the initial decibel threshold before the update.

[0078] Step S720: If the ambient sound duration exceeds the fourth preset duration and is greater than the initial decibel threshold before the update, then maintain the updated decibel threshold and continue to receive the ambient sound collected by the second sound sensor until the ambient sound duration exceeds the fourth preset duration and is less than the initial decibel threshold before the update, then return to step S719.

[0079] Optionally, in the second sleep mode, if the ambient sound level exceeding the fifth preset duration is less than the initial decibel threshold, or if the ambient sound level exceeding the fifth preset duration does not contain device control keywords, the online voice module (OLM) in the voice control system switches from the second sleep mode to the first sleep mode. The fifth preset duration is longer than the fourth, third, and second preset durations.

[0080] In one alternative implementation, the voice control system allows the online voice module (OLM) in its first sleep mode to be woken up via a device wake-up keyword, such as... Figure 8As shown, Figure 8 An architecture diagram of a seventh voice control system provided in this disclosure embodiment is shown. The voice module control circuit includes a voice acquisition unit (MIC) and a voice processing module (VPM). The voice processing module (VPM) is connected to the voice control signal line YY_Power_ON / OFF, and the voice acquisition unit (MIC) is connected to the voice processing module (VPM). By sending the sound signal acquired by the offline voice acquisition unit to the voice processing module, the voice processing module can determine that the voice signal contains a device wake-up keyword and then output a conduction level signal to the voice control signal line, thereby waking up the online voice module through a switching circuit. Since the offline voice acquisition unit consumes fewer resources, the power consumption of the voice control system can be further reduced.

[0081] Among them, the voice acquisition device (MIC) can be an offline voice acquisition device, such as a microphone; the voice processing module (VPM) can be a chip or other data processing unit. The voice processing module (VPM) is used to control the voice control signal line YY_Power_ON / OFF to output a conduction level signal when it is determined that the voice signal contains a device wake-up keyword.

[0082] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this disclosure, the connection circuit between the voice acquisition unit (MIC) and the voice processing module (VPM) can be determined based on the actual device model used, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0083] In one alternative implementation, such as Figure 9 As shown, Figure 9 The diagram illustrates the architecture of an eighth voice control system provided in this embodiment. The voice acquisition unit (MIC) and the voice processing module (VPM) are further connected by a fourteenth resistor R14, a fifteenth resistor R15, a sixteenth resistor R16, a third capacitor C3, a fourth capacitor C4, a fifth capacitor C5, and a third diode D3. The voice processing module (VPM) is connected to the voice control signal line YY_Power_ON / OFF. The voltage interface 2 of the voice acquisition unit (MIC) is connected to the first terminal of the fourteenth resistor R14. The second terminal of the fourteenth resistor R14 is connected to the first terminal of the fifteenth resistor R15 and the first terminal of the third capacitor C3. The second terminal of the third capacitor C3 is grounded. The second port of the fifteenth resistor R15 is connected to the voice processing module (VPM).

[0084] The power supply interface 1 of the voice acquisition unit MIC is also connected to the first end of the sixteenth resistor R16 and the output end of the third diode D3. The second end of the sixteenth resistor R16 is connected to the first end of the fourth capacitor C4 and the first end of the fifth capacitor C5. The second end of the fourth capacitor C4 and the input end of the third diode D3 are connected to the signal interface of the voice acquisition unit MIC and grounded. The second end of the fifth capacitor C5 is connected to the voice processing module VPM.

[0085] For example, the voice processing module (VPM) can be a chip containing 16 pins, such as... Figure 10 As shown, assuming the electronic device is a printing device, in Figure 7 In the voice module control circuit shown, the voice acquisition pin of the voice processing module VPM is connected to the voice control signal line YY_Power_ON / OFF, the voltage interface of the voice acquisition unit MIC is connected to the first end of the fourteenth resistor R14, the second end of the fourteenth resistor R14 is connected to the first end of the fifteenth resistor R15 and the first end of the third capacitor C3, the second end of the third capacitor C3 is grounded, and the second port of the fifteenth resistor R15 is connected to the bias voltage signal pin MIC_BIAS of the voice processing module VPM. The power supply interface of the voice acquisition unit MIC is also connected to the first end of the sixteenth resistor R16 and the output end of the third diode D3. The second end of the sixteenth resistor R16 is connected to the first end of the fourth capacitor C4 and the first end of the fifth capacitor C5. The second end of the fourth capacitor C4 and the input end of the third diode D3 are connected to the signal interface of the voice acquisition unit MIC and grounded. The second end of the fifth capacitor C5 is connected to the voice signal input pin MIC_IN of the voice processing module VPM.

[0086] It should be noted that, in Figure 10In the illustrated voice processing module VPM, pin 1 PA5 / DACR is the chip's general purpose input / output port pin, which is in the off state; pin 2 PB5 is also a general purpose input / output port, serving as the voice acquisition pin and connected to the voice control signal line YY_Power_ON / OFF; pin 3 VBAT is the battery power supply pin, used to power the chip through the power supply circuit composed of diode D5 (fifth diode) and capacitor C7 (seventh capacitor); pin 4 VDDIO is the power supply pin for powering the chip's input / output (I / O) interface section; pin 5 VSS is the ground pin for the power supply circuit; pin 6 BT_RF is connected to resistor R17 (seventeenth resistor), serving as the chip's ground protection pin; pins 7 XTAL_IN and 8 XTAL_OUT are pins connected to an external crystal oscillator (crystal oscillator), used to provide a stable clock signal to the chip; pin 9 USB... Pin DF and pin 10 USBDM are USB data negative lines and are in the off state; pin 11 PA1 is a general purpose input / output port connected to the printer switch signal line SM_PRINTER_ON / OFF, used to control the printer switch; pin 12 PA0 is a general purpose input / output port and is in the off state; pin 13 is a general purpose input pin and is the bias voltage signal pin; pin 14 is a general purpose input pin and is the voice signal input pin MIC_IN; pin 15 is the analog power supply negative pin; and pin 16 is the digital-to-analog converter pin.

[0087] In an optional implementation, the voice control system may further include circuit protection devices to further improve the reliability and security of the voice control system.

[0088] like Figure 11 As shown, Figure 11The diagram illustrates the architecture of a ninth voice control system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The second switch Q2 is a stop-type switch, and a first resistor R1 is connected between the control terminal and the input terminal of the first switch Q1. A second resistor R2 is connected between the control terminal of the first switch Q1 and the output terminal of the second switch Q2. The switching circuit also includes a sixth capacitor C6 and a fourth diode D4. The first terminal of the sixth capacitor C6 and the output terminal of the fourth diode D4 are simultaneously connected to the SS-ON / OFF switch signal line of the online voice module OLM. The second terminal of the sixth capacitor C6 and the input terminal of the fourth diode D4 are grounded. By setting the second switch as a stop-type switch and adding resistors between the control terminal and the input terminal of the first switch, and between the control terminal and the output terminal of the second switch, and by configuring a grounded capacitor and diode for the switch signal line, overcurrent, overvoltage, and surge protection of the switching circuit are achieved. This effectively stabilizes the switching signal levels during switch on / off, suppresses circuit interference, prevents voltage spikes from damaging the online voice module, and improves the operational stability, anti-interference capabilities, and device lifespan of the voice control system's switching circuit.

[0089] Optional, such as Figure 12 As shown, Figure 12 The diagram illustrates the architecture of the tenth voice control system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The third switch Q3 is also a stop-type switch, which protects its operational safety. By configuring the third switch Q3 as a stop-type switch, current limiting protection is achieved using the inherent resistance characteristics of the stop-type switch, preventing damage due to overcurrent. Simultaneously, it stabilizes the on / off level signals, reducing the impact of circuit interference on the switch control logic. This ensures the stability of the linkage control between the third switch, the first switch, and the second switch, further improving the overall reliability, anti-interference capabilities, and device lifespan of the switch circuit. It also makes the switching control between wake-up and sleep modes of the online voice module more precise.

[0090] Optional, such as Figure 13 As shown, Figure 13An architecture diagram of an eleventh voice control system according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown, wherein the detection terminal of the comparator is connected to the first sound sensor AS1 through the third resistor R3, the reference terminal of the comparator is connected to the reference voltage through the fourth resistor R4, the reference terminal of the comparator is also connected to the ground through the fifth resistor R5, the positive power supply terminal of the comparator is connected to the comparator voltage and grounded through the first capacitor C1, the negative power supply terminal of the comparator is grounded, the output terminal of the comparator is connected to the power supply voltage of the voice module control circuit through the sixth resistor R6, the output terminal of the comparator is also connected to the voice control signal line YY_Power_ON / OFF through the seventh resistor R7, the first terminal of the second capacitor C2 is grounded, and the second terminal of the second capacitor C2 is connected to the output terminal of the comparator. By configuring the comparator with a peripheral circuit consisting of multiple sets of resistors and capacitors, a third resistor is connected in series at the detection end to achieve current limiting protection. The reference voltage is stabilized by a voltage divider between the fourth and fifth resistors at the reference end. The positive power supply is grounded through the first capacitor to achieve power filtering, and the negative power supply is directly grounded to ensure stable power supply. The output end is pulled up by the sixth resistor, and the seventh resistor is connected to the voice control signal line and filtered in conjunction with the grounded second capacitor. This effectively stabilizes the input and output level signals of the comparator, filters out noise and interference in the circuit, avoids false wake-up judgments caused by signal fluctuations, and achieves current limiting and voltage dividing protection for the comparator. This improves the stability, anti-interference and signal recognition accuracy of the comparator, ensures the reliable output of the wake-up signal by the voice module control circuit, and further improves the accuracy of the wake-up logic and the overall operational stability of the voice control system.

[0091] Optional, such as Figure 14 As shown, Figure 14The diagram shows the architecture of the twelfth voice control system in this embodiment of the present disclosure. In this system, the cathode of the first diode D1 is connected to the base of the first transistor Q4 through the eighth resistor R8. The base of the first transistor Q4 is also grounded through the ninth resistor R9. The collector of the first transistor Q4 is connected to the collector of the third transistor Q6 through the tenth resistor R10. The collector of the first transistor Q4 is connected to the base of the second transistor Q5 through the eleventh resistor R11. The base of the third transistor Q6 is connected to the noise control signal line (ZS_ON / OFF) of the power control terminal of the online voice module through the twelfth resistor R12. The base of the third transistor Q6 is also connected to the power supply voltage of the third transistor Q6 through the thirteenth resistor R13. By configuring multiple sets of current-limiting, pull-down, and pull-up resistors for the state lock circuit, the eighth resistor limits the base current of the first transistor, the ninth resistor stabilizes the base level by pulling down, the tenth and eleventh resistors limit the current at the collector of the first transistor and the connection point of the third and second transistors, respectively, and the twelfth and thirteenth resistors limit the current and stabilize the level at the base of the third transistor. This effectively limits the operating current of each transistor when it is turned on, preventing overcurrent damage to the devices. At the same time, it stabilizes the level signals of the base and collector of each transistor, suppresses the interference of circuit noise and signal fluctuations on the on / off logic of the state lock circuit, prevents comparator reference voltage adjustment errors caused by abnormal transmission of self-locking and release signals, improves the working stability, anti-interference and device lifespan of the state lock circuit, ensures the accuracy of reference voltage adjustment in noisy environments, and further avoids false wake-up and missed wake-up of online voice modules.

[0092] This disclosure provides an image forming apparatus, which includes any of the voice control systems described in the above embodiments. The image forming apparatus can be a flatbed scanner, a high-speed document scanner, a film scanner, a 3D scanner, a laser printer, an inkjet printer, a dot matrix printer, a thermal printer, a 3D printer, or a multifunction printer, etc.

[0093] refer to Figure 15 The following is a structural block diagram of an electronic device 1500 that can be used as a representation of the present disclosure. The electronic device includes a voice control system provided in embodiments of the present disclosure, which is an example of a hardware device applicable to various aspects of the present disclosure. The electronic device is intended to represent various forms of voice control devices, such as smart home appliances, in-vehicle devices, workbenches, personal digital assistants, printing devices, blade servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The electronic device can also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital processors, cellular phones, smartphones, wearable devices, and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are merely examples and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present disclosure described and / or claimed herein.

[0094] like Figure 15 As shown, the electronic device 1500 includes a computing unit 1501, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a computer program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 1502 or a computer program loaded from a storage unit 1508 into a random access memory (RAM) 1503. The RAM 1503 may also store various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 1500. The computing unit 1501, ROM 1502, and RAM 1503 are interconnected via a bus 1504. An input / output (I / O) interface 1505 is also connected to the bus 1504.

[0095] Multiple components in electronic device 1500 are connected to I / O interface 1505, including: input unit 1506, output unit 1507, storage unit 1508, and communication unit 1509. Input unit 1506 can be any type of device capable of inputting information to electronic device 1500. Input unit 1506 can receive input digital or character information and generate key signal inputs related to user settings and / or function control of electronic device. Output unit 1507 can be any type of device capable of presenting information and may include, but is not limited to, a display, speaker, video / audio output terminal, vibrator, and / or printer. Storage unit 1508 may include, but is not limited to, disk and optical disk. Communication unit 1509 allows electronic device 1500 to exchange information / data with other devices through computer networks such as the Internet and / or various telecommunications networks, and may include, but is not limited to, modems, network cards, infrared communication devices, wireless communication transceivers, and / or chipsets, such as Bluetooth™ devices, WiFi devices, WiMax devices, cellular communication devices, and / or the like.

[0096] The computing unit 1501 can be a variety of general-purpose and / or special-purpose processing components with processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of the computing unit 1501 include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), various special-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips, various computing units running machine learning model algorithms, a digital signal processor (DSP), and any suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. The computing unit 1501 performs the various methods and processes described above. For example, in some embodiments, the methods of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented as a computer software program tangibly contained in a machine-readable medium, such as storage unit 1508. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program can be loaded and / or installed on the electronic device 1500 via ROM 1502 and / or communication unit 1509. In some embodiments, the computing unit 1501 can be configured to perform the methods of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure by any other suitable means (e.g., by means of firmware).

[0097] The program code used to implement the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a standalone software package partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0098] In the context of this disclosure, a machine-readable medium can be a tangible medium that may contain or store a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A machine-readable medium can be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. A machine-readable medium can be, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include electrical connections based on one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0099] As used in this disclosure, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any computer program product, device, and / or apparatus (e.g., disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)) for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including machine-readable media that receive machine instructions as machine-readable signals. The term "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0100] To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on a computer having: a display device for displaying information to the user (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor); and a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user provides input to the computer. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form (including sound input, voice input, or tactile input).

[0101] The systems and technologies described herein can be implemented in computing systems that include backend components (e.g., as a data server), or computing systems that include middleware components (e.g., an application server), or computing systems that include frontend components (e.g., a user computer with a graphical user interface or web browser through which a user can interact with implementations of the systems and technologies described herein), or any combination of such backend, middleware, or frontend components. The components of the system can be interconnected via digital data communication of any form or medium (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and the Internet.

[0102] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this disclosure are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a terminal, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video disc (DVD); or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive (SSD).

[0103] Although this disclosure has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications and combinations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and are to be considered as covering any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this disclosure. It is obvious that those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this disclosure without departing from its spirit and scope. Thus, this disclosure is also intended to include any such modifications and modifications that fall within the scope of the claims of this disclosure and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A voice control system, characterized in that, The system includes a voice module control circuit, a switching circuit, and an online voice module. The voice module control circuit is used to wake up the online voice module in a first sleep mode. The switching circuit includes a first switching transistor and a second switching transistor. The input terminal of the first switching transistor is used to connect to the power supply, the output terminal of the first switching transistor is connected to the wake-up terminal of the online voice module, and the control terminal of the first switching transistor is connected to the output terminal of the second switching transistor. The control terminal of the second switch is connected to the voice module control circuit, and the ground terminal of the second switch is used for grounding; The voice module control circuit is used to output a wake-up signal to the second switch based on the acquired voice signal, so that the second switch is turned on and the first switch is turned on. The turned-on first switch supplies power to the online voice module, and the online voice module is woken up from the first sleep mode after being powered on.

2. The voice control system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The switching circuit also includes a third switching transistor; The switching terminal of the online voice module is respectively connected to the control terminal of the third switching transistor, the output terminal of the second switching transistor, and the control terminal of the first switching transistor. The output terminal of the third switch is connected to the control terminal of the second switch, and the ground terminal of the third switch is used for grounding. After the online voice module is woken up, it outputs a first switching signal to control the second switching transistor to be in the off state through the third switching transistor so that the voice module control circuit does not work, and to keep the first switching transistor in the on state. When the online voice module is powered off or enters the first sleep state from the wake-up state, the online voice module outputs a second switching signal to control the second switching transistor to exit the cut-off state through the third switching transistor, so that the voice module control circuit resumes the acquisition of the voice signal and stops the first switching transistor from supplying power.

3. The voice control system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The voice module control circuit includes: a first sound sensor and a comparator; The comparator's detection terminal is connected to the first sound sensor, the comparator's reference terminal is used to connect to a reference voltage, and the comparator's output terminal is connected to the control terminal of the second switching transistor. The comparator outputs the wake-up signal based on the voice signal collected by the first sound sensor and the reference voltage.

4. The voice control system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The voice module control circuit also includes a state locking circuit. The state locking circuit is connected between the reference terminal of the comparator and the online voice module; When the online voice module detects that the sound signal is higher than a preset sound threshold, it outputs a self-locking signal to activate the state locking circuit, so that the state locking circuit maintains a fixed preset voltage value to increase the reference voltage of the comparator's reference terminal.

5. The voice control system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: When the online voice module detects that the sound signal is lower than or equal to the preset sound threshold, it outputs a release signal to close the state lock circuit and restore the initial reference voltage of the comparator's reference terminal.

6. The voice control system as described in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The state locking circuit includes: a first transistor, a second transistor, a first diode, a second diode, and a power switch unit; The anode of the first diode is connected to the detection output terminal of the online voice module, and the cathode of the first diode is connected to the base of the first transistor. The collector of the first transistor is connected to the base of the second transistor, and the emitter of the first transistor is grounded. The emitter of the second transistor is connected to the output terminal of the power switch unit, and the collector of the second transistor is connected to the anode of the second diode; The cathode of the second diode is connected to the reference terminal of the comparator; The input terminal of the power switch unit is connected to the power control terminal of the online voice module.

7. The voice control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The voice control system also includes a second sound sensor; The second sound sensor is connected to the online voice module. The constant power supply module in the online voice module is used to wake up the online voice module in the second sleep mode when the ambient sound collected by the second sound sensor is greater than or equal to the initial decibel threshold.

8. The voice control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first switching transistor is a first PNP transistor; the second switching transistor is a first NPN transistor; The base of the first PNP transistor serves as the control terminal of the first switch, the emitter of the first PNP transistor serves as the first input terminal of the first switch, and the collector of the first PNP transistor serves as the output terminal of the first switch. The base of the first NPN transistor serves as the control terminal of the second switch, the collector of the first NPN transistor serves as the output terminal of the second switch, and the emitter of the first NPN transistor serves as the ground terminal of the second switch.

9. The voice control system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The third switching transistor is a second NPN transistor; The base of the second NPN transistor serves as the control terminal of the third switch, the collector of the second NPN transistor serves as the output terminal of the third switch, and the emitter of the second NPN transistor serves as the ground terminal of the third switch.

10. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that, The voice control system includes any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images