Local Voice Input Pipeline for Offline Assistant Setup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voice-assisted media playback systems face limitations in offline functionality, requiring cloud-based voice assistant services for setup and operation, which can be unreliable and raise privacy concerns.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a local voice input pipeline in networked microphone devices that enables offline voice control and setup, allowing voice commands to be processed locally without internet connectivity, facilitating device configuration and troubleshooting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If cloud-based voice assistant services are used for setup and operation, then voice control functionality is enabled, but system reliability deteriorates due to internet dependency and privacy concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments voice processing into two distinct components: cloud-based processing for complex tasks and local processing for basic setup and operation. This allows the system to maintain voice control functionality while reducing dependency on cloud services, thereby improving reliability during internet outages and addressing privacy concerns by keeping sensitive data local.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a local voice processing intermediary that sits between the user and the cloud service. This local component can independently handle setup and basic operations, acting as a mediator that reduces direct reliance on cloud services while maintaining overall system functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If cloud-based voice assistant services are used, then comprehensive voice processing capability is achieved, but privacy concerns worsen due to data transmission to external servers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides data processing responsibilities between local and cloud components. Sensitive setup information and personal data are processed locally and never transmitted to cloud servers, while less sensitive queries can be handled by the cloud service. This segmentation preserves privacy while maintaining comprehensive voice processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and retains essential voice processing functionality locally on the device, removing the need to transmit all voice data to external servers. This extraction of critical functions to the local environment eliminates privacy risks associated with data transmission while preserving comprehensive voice processing capabilities.
3Reliability
If local voice input pipeline is implemented, then offline functionality and privacy are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing voice processing capabilities directly on the device rather than relying solely on external cloud services. This local implementation enables offline functionality and improves reliability, while the modular architecture ensures that the added complexity is managed efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the local voice processing pipeline to handle multiple functions including setup, basic commands, and troubleshooting, making it a universal component that reduces overall system complexity by consolidating functions that would otherwise require separate cloud-based solutions.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
As noted above, example techniques relate to offline voice control. A local voice input engine may process voice inputs locally when processing voice inputs via a cloud-based voice assistant service is not possible. Some techniques involve local (on-device) voice-assisted set-up of a cloud-based voice assistant service. Further example techniques involve local voice-assisted troubleshooting the cloud-based voice assistant service. Other techniques relate to interactions between local and cloud-based processing of voice inputs on a device that supports both local and cloud-based processing.