# How Voice Assistants Distinguish Speakers After a Wakeword > This patent describes a method for voice assistants to better understand who is speaking after a 'wakeword' by comparing voice characteristics to improve speech recognition accuracy, especially in multi-speaker environments. - **Patent:** US 10923111 - **Original title:** Speech detection and speech recognition - **Owner:** Amazon Technologies - **Granted:** 2021 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 35 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, software, telecommunications, ai_ml ## What it does This patent outlines a computer-implemented method for automatic speech recognition that focuses on distinguishing between speakers after a 'wakeword' is detected. First, the system receives audio data and processes it to identify a 'wakeword' spoken by a 'first speaker' (Claim 1). It then takes subsequent portions of audio and compares their characteristics to those of the original wakeword. For example, if a second person speaks, the system determines a 'first similarity data' between the wakeword and that second person's speech (Claim 1). It then calculates a 'first weight' based on this similarity. If the original speaker continues, the system determines 'second similarity data' between the wakeword and the original speaker's continued speech, calculating a 'second weight' that is greater than the first (Claim 1). By comparing these weighted similarity measures, the system determines that the speech from the original speaker is 'more likely' to have come from the person who spoke the wakeword. Finally, it processes the speech from the original speaker to convert it into text and execute a command (Claim 1). ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover speech recognition systems that do not rely on a 'wakeword' to initiate the process. - Does not cover general speaker identification or diarization that is not specifically tied to processing subsequent speech after a wakeword. - Does not cover methods that do not use similarity data and calculated weights to distinguish between speakers after the wakeword. - Does not cover systems where the 'second weight' is not determined to be greater than the 'first weight' when comparing the original speaker's subsequent speech to another speaker's speech. ## The clever bit The novelty lies in using the initial 'wakeword' spoken by a specific person as a reference point. The system then generates 'similarity data' and 'weights' by comparing subsequent speech segments to the wakeword's unique audio characteristics. These weights help the system prioritize and accurately process commands from the intended speaker, even when other voices are present. ## Real-world examples 1. Amazon Echo devices 2. Google Nest Hub 3. Smart speakers with voice assistants 4. Voice-controlled smart home devices ## Why it matters This technology is crucial for improving the accuracy and user experience of voice-controlled devices, especially in homes with multiple people. By precisely distinguishing who is speaking after a command, it helps voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant respond correctly to the intended user. This reduces errors and makes smart speakers more reliable and useful in everyday life. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How Voice Assistants Distinguish Speakers After a Wakeword cover? This patent describes a method for voice assistants to better understand who is speaking after a 'wakeword' by comparing voice characteristics to improve speech recognition accuracy, especially in multi-speaker environments. ### Who owns patent US 10923111? Amazon Technologies owns this patent, granted in 2021. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on March 28, 2039, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US 10923111 cited by? This patent has been cited by 35 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? This technology is crucial for improving the accuracy and user experience of voice-controlled devices, especially in homes with multiple people. By precisely distinguishing who is speaking after a command, it helps voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant respond correctly to the intended user. This reduces errors and makes smart speakers more reliable and useful in everyday life. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover speech recognition systems that do not rely on a 'wakeword' to initiate the process. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10923111/speech-detection-and-speech-recognition **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US10923111 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Voice Assistants Recognize Who is Talking](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11514901/anchored-speech-detection-and-speech-recognition) — This patent describes a system that uses a recorded voice sample to identify if new speech comes from the same person, allowing voice assistants to only respond to specific users. - [How Smart Speakers Recognize Who Is Talking](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12626703/user-recognition-for-speech-processing-systems) — This patent describes how a speech-controlled device identifies a specific user from their voice to deliver personalized content or deny requests based on recognition confidence. - [How Smart Speakers Know You're Talking to Them After a Command](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11361763/detecting-system-directed-speech) — This patent describes how a smart speaker system can tell if follow-up speech is meant for it, even without a "wake word," by analyzing voice activity and partial speech recognition results using an AI model. - [How Voice Assistants Know When You've Finished Talking](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10121471/language-model-speech-endpointing) — This patent describes a method for speech recognition systems to accurately detect the end of a spoken phrase by considering multiple interpretations of the audio and how much silence each interpretation suggests. - [How Voice Assistants Listen for More Commands Without a Wake Word](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10847149/speech-based-attention-span-for-voice-user-interface) — This patent describes how a voice assistant can keep listening for follow-up commands after an initial request, without needing you to say its wake word again, based on the type of command you just gave.