Master Control Device Arbitrates Smart Speaker Wake-Up

The patent introduces a master control device as an intermediary between the smart devices and the user's voice command. When a wake-up word is detected, the master control device receives wake-up messages from multiple smart devices, determines the target device based on sound characteristics (such as volume intensity indicating distance), and sends a wake-up instruction only to that target device. This mediator approach resolves the conflict by allowing multiple devices to share the same wake-up word while preventing simultaneous responses through centralized arbitration.

The patent implements universality by allowing multiple smart devices to share the same wake-up word. Instead of requiring unique wake-up words for each device, the system enables a universal wake-up word to be used across all devices. The master control device then handles the differentiation by selecting the appropriate target device based on sound characteristics, thus providing multi-functionality where one wake-up word serves multiple devices without causing interference.

The patent applies preliminary action by having the master control device determine the target smart device before actually waking it up. The system receives wake-up messages from multiple devices, uses sound characteristics to identify the closest device (the target), and then sends the wake-up instruction only to that determined target. This preliminary determination step prevents simultaneous responses while maintaining fast overall response time, as the selection process occurs in parallel with the wake-up preparation.