US 10134398

US Patent 10,134,398, titled "Hotword detection on multiple devices," is assigned to Google LLC. The patent lists Matthew Sharifi as the inventor. The filing date for this patent was November 9, 2016, and it was issued on November 20, 2018.

Abstract:
The patent describes methods, systems, and apparatus for hotword detection on multiple devices. It details a process where a first computing device receives audio data corresponding to an utterance, determines a first likelihood value that the utterance includes a hotword, and receives a second likelihood value from a second computing device. By comparing these two values, the first computing device decides whether to initiate speech recognition processing on the audio data.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (Method): This claim describes a method where a first computing device:

  1. Receives audio data from a user's speech.
  2. Calculates a "first value" representing how likely it is that the speech contains a predefined "hotword" (like "OK computer").
  3. Receives a "second value" from a second computing device, which also calculated a likelihood that the same hotword was spoken.
  4. Compares its "first value" to the "second value" from the other device.
  5. Based on this comparison, the first device decides whether to start full speech recognition on the audio data.

• Independent Claim 11 (System): This claim describes a system that performs the actions of claim 1. Specifically, it includes:

  1. A first computing device configured to receive audio data corresponding to an utterance.
  2. The first computing device determines a first value indicating the likelihood of a hotword in the utterance.
  3. The first computing device is configured to receive a second value from a second computing device, representing the second device's hotword likelihood.
  4. The first computing device then compares these values and initiates speech recognition processing on the audio data based on the comparison.

• Independent Claim 18 (Computer-Readable Storage Medium): This claim covers a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., memory) that stores instructions. When these instructions are executed by a processor, they cause a computing device to perform the method steps outlined in claim 1.

Litigation Status:
As of June 9, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) reversed and remanded two Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) decisions that had found Google's patents for hotword detection, including US10134398, unpatentable. The CAFC found that the PTAB erred in its interpretation of prior art, specifically in concluding that it disclosed devices exchanging weighted signals while in a low power mode. The court stated that the prior art "cannot anticipate the claims because 'it fails to disclose the limitations directed to exchanging messages while in a low power mode.'"