How Smart Speakers Know You're Talking to Them After a Command
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.
Original patent title: “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. Granted to Amazon Technologies in 2022 with 21 claims and 64 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2037.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent details a method for a system, like a smart speaker, to identify if incoming speech is directed at it, especially after an initial interaction. First, the system receives an first command, processes it, and responds. Crucially, it then instructs the device to send subsequent audio without requiring a wake word (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). When this second audio arrives, the system first checks for voice activity. Then, it performs automatic speech recognition (ASR) on the audio. While ASR is running, it simultaneously creates a "feature vector" from the early parts of the ASR results and feeds this into a deep neural network (DNN). This DNN calculates a score indicating how likely the speech is intended for the system. If the score passes a certain level, the system proceeds to understand the full speech and act on it. For example, after you say "Alexa, set a timer for 10 minutes," the system might then listen for a follow-up like "and add a reminder for my meeting" without needing you to say "Alexa" again.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover systems that always require a wake word for every interaction.
- Does not cover systems that rely solely on voice activity detection to determine system-directed speech.
- Does not cover determining system-directed speech without using a deep neural network on a feature vector derived from partial ASR results.
- Does not cover systems where the device itself determines the presence of a wake word in the second input audio data (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1 explicitly states "without the device determining a presence of a wakeword").
- Does not cover systems that only use full ASR results, rather than partial ASR results, to create the feature vector for the DNN.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation lies in using partial ASR results, combined with other audio characteristics, to predict if speech is system-directed in parallel with the main ASR process. This allows the system to quickly decide whether to fully process the speech or discard it, saving computational resources and improving responsiveness for follow-up commands.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Amazon Alexa's "Follow-Up Mode"
Google Assistant's "Continued Conversation"
Most modern smart speaker follow-up interactions
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology is fundamental for creating more natural and conversational interactions with voice assistants. It allows users to have follow-up conversations without repeatedly saying the wake word, making the experience smoother and less clunky. This capability is key to the user experience of modern smart speakers and virtual assistants, enabling multi-turn dialogues.
Filed
September 1, 2017
Granted
June 14, 2022
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Amazon, as the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, continues to develop and integrate this type of technology into its Alexa ecosystem. Google and Apple also implement similar "continued conversation" or "follow-up" features in their respective voice assistants, Google Assistant and Siri, to enhance user experience.
Market impact
This patent's technology has significantly improved the naturalness of interactions with voice assistants. It moved the industry beyond rigid "wake word for every command" models, enabling more fluid, conversational experiences. This capability is now a standard expectation for premium voice assistant products, fostering greater user engagement and wider adoption of smart devices.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent details a method for a system, like a smart speaker, to identify if incoming speech is directed at it, especially after an initial interaction. First, the system receives an first command, processes it, and responds. Crucially, it then instructs the device to send subsequent audio without requiring a wake word (Claim 1). When this second audio arrives, the system first checks for voice activity. Then, it performs automatic speech recognition (ASR) on the audio. While ASR is running, it simultaneously creates a "feature vector" from the early parts of the ASR results and feeds this into a deep neural network (DNN). This DNN calculates a score indicating how likely the speech is intended for the system. If the score passes a certain level, the system proceeds to understand the full speech and act on it. For example, after you say "Alexa, set a timer for 10 minutes," the system might then listen for a follow-up like "and add a reminder for my meeting" without needing you to say "Alexa" again.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in using partial ASR results, combined with other audio characteristics, to predict if speech is system-directed in parallel with the main ASR process. This allows the system to quickly decide whether to fully process the speech or discard it, saving computational resources and improving responsiveness for follow-up commands.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover systems that always require a wake word for every interaction.
- Does not cover systems that rely solely on voice activity detection to determine system-directed speech.
- Does not cover determining system-directed speech without using a deep neural network on a feature vector derived from partial ASR results.
- Does not cover systems where the device itself determines the presence of a wake word in the second input audio data (Claim 1 explicitly states "without the device determining a presence of a wakeword").
- Does not cover systems that only use full ASR results, rather than partial ASR results, to create the feature vector for the DNN.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
High impact
Citation count
36/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
14/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$293K – $936K
Midpoint $585K · 11.2 yr remaining · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
21 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Matsoukas, S., Mallidi, S. H. R., Hoffmeister, B., & Maas, R. M. R. (2022). How Smart Speakers Know You're Talking to Them After a Command (U.S. Patent No. 11,361,763). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11361763/detecting-system-directed-speech
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Smart Speakers Know You're Talking to Them After a Command cover?
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.
Who owns patent US 11361763?
Amazon Technologies owns this patent, granted in 2022.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 1, 2037, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 11361763 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 64 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology is fundamental for creating more natural and conversational interactions with voice assistants. It allows users to have follow-up conversations without repeatedly saying the wake word, making the experience smoother and less clunky. This capability is key to the user experience of modern smart speakers and virtual assistants, enabling multi-turn dialogues.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover systems that always require a wake word for every interaction.
Same assignee
More from Amazon Technologies
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