{
  "patent_number": "US 12626703",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How Smart Speakers Recognize Who Is Talking",
  "original_title": "User recognition for speech processing systems",
  "summary": "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.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes a system where a device, like a smart speaker, captures spoken audio (Claim 1). A server then analyzes this audio to figure out who spoke it, matching the voice to a \"user identifier\" (Claim 1). Once the speaker is identified, the system processes their request and provides \"first content\" that is \"customized based at least in part on the user identifier\" (Claim 1). For example, if a child asks for music, the system might recognize their voice and play music from their specific playlist. The patent also covers scenarios where a \"user recognition condition\" must be met (Claim 2). If the system can't confidently identify the user for a sensitive request, it might \"decline to execute the second request\" (Claim 3) or provide generic content instead of customized content (Claim 4). It can even use face recognition alongside voice for stronger identification (Claim 10).",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover speech processing systems that do not attempt to identify the specific user speaking.",
    "Does not cover systems that customize content without using the user's voice for identification.",
    "Does not cover systems that identify users solely through non-biometric means, like a login or explicit command.",
    "Does not cover systems that only use image data for user recognition without also processing audio data (Claim 10 requires both for enhanced recognition).",
    "Does not cover systems that always provide customized content regardless of user recognition confidence."
  ],
  "filed": "2024-05-14",
  "granted": "2026-05-12",
  "expires": "2044-05-14",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Amazon Technologies",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/amazon-technologies",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Naomi Bancroft",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/naomi-bancroft"
    },
    {
      "name": "Natalia Vladimirovna Mamkina",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/natalia-vladimirovna-mamkina"
    },
    {
      "name": "Shamitha Somashekar",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/shamitha-somashekar"
    },
    {
      "name": "Nishant Kumar",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/nishant-kumar"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 0,
  "tags": [
    "consumer_electronics",
    "software",
    "telecommunications",
    "ai_ml"
  ],
  "abstract": "Systems, methods, and devices for recognizing a user are disclosed. A speech-controlled device captures a spoken utterance, and sends audio data corresponding thereto to a server. The server determines content sources storing or having access to content responsive to the spoken utterance. The server also determines multiple users associated with a profile of the speech-controlled device. Using the audio data, the server may determine user recognition data with respect to each user indicated in the speech-controlled device's profile. The server may also receive user recognition confidence threshold data from each of the content sources. The server may determine user recognition data associated that satisfies (i.e., meets or exceeds) a most stringent (i.e., highest) of the user recognition confidence threshold data. Thereafter, the server may send data indicating a user associated with the user recognition data to all of the content sources.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12626703/user-recognition-for-speech-processing-systems",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12626703/user-recognition-for-speech-processing-systems/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12626703",
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      "countryCode": "US",
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}