Patent ID: 11954405
Assignee: APPLE INC.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G

Claim 26:
27. An electronic device, comprising:
a microphone;
one or more processors;
a memory; and
one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
while a main processor is in a low-power mode:
capturing audio input from the microphone;
writing, using a low-power processor, the captured audio input to a memory buffer; and
determining, using the low-power processor, whether the buffered audio input satisfies a set of criteria, wherein determining whether the buffered audio input satisfies the set of criteria includes:
determining whether a first portion of the buffered audio input includes a trigger phrase, wherein a first criterion of the set of criteria is satisfied when the first portion of the buffered audio input includes the trigger phrase; and
determining, by comparing speech characteristics of the buffered audio input to a set of known characteristics for an authorized user, whether the trigger phrase was spoken by the authorized user, wherein a second criterion of the set of criteria is satisfied when the first portion of the buffered audio input is spoken by the authorized user; and

in accordance with a determination the buffered audio input satisfied the set of criteria:
causing the main processor to exit the low-power mode; and
after causing the main processor to exit the low-power mode:
identifying, using the main processor, a computing task based on a second portion of the buffered audio input; and
executing, using the main processor, the identified computing task; and

in accordance with a determination that the buffered audio input does not satisfy the set of criteria, forgoing causing the main processor to exit the low-power mode, identifying the computing task, and executing the computing task.