Abstract:
Methods, devices, and systems for processing audio information are disclosed. An exemplary method includes receiving an audio stream. The audio stream may be monitored by a low power integrated circuit. The audio stream may be digitized by the low power integrated circuit. The digitized audio stream may be stored in a memory, wherein storing the digitized audio stream comprises replacing a prior digitized audio stream stored in the memory with the digitized audio stream. The low power integrated circuit may analyze the stored digitized audio stream for recognition of a keyword. The low power integrated circuit may induce a processor to enter an increased power usage state upon recognition of the keyword within the stored digitized audio stream. The stored digitized audio stream may be transmitted to a server for processing. A response received from the server based on the processed audio stream may be rendered.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/363,783, filed on Oct. 21, 2014, entitled “LOW POWER INTEGRATED CIRCUIT TO ANALYZE A DIGITIZED AUDIO STREAM”, which is a U.S. National Phase Application of PCT/US2011/063804, filed Dec. 7, 2011, entitled “LOW POWER INTEGRATED CIRCUIT TO ANALYZE A DIGITIZED AUDIO STREAM”, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Computing devices have gained in sophistication to users by processing audio instructions and providing responses. Users can recite audio instructions which may be used to control these computing devices. For example, users can speak to the computing devices to provide information, such as instructions to provide directions to a particular location. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]    In the accompanying drawings, like numerals refer to like components or blocks. The following detailed description references the drawings, wherein: 
           [0004]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example computing device including a low power integrated circuit to analyze an audio stream and a processor to analyze a digitized audio stream in response to detection of a keyword by the integrated circuit; 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an example low power integrated circuit for analyzing an audio stream and transmitting a signal to a processor to increase power when a keyword is detected in the audio stream; 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an example computing device to analyze a digitized audio stream and a server in communication with the computing device to analyze a text stream generated from the digitized audio stream; 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of an example method performed on a computing device for receiving an audio stream and determining a response; and 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of an example method performed on a computing device to compress a digitized audio stream and render a response. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In audio information processing, a user typically activates the application to process audio by pressing a button and/or reciting instructions. Once launching the audio processing application, the user additionally needs to recite explicit instructions they would desire a computing device to perform. Thus, processing speech instructions from a user can be time consuming and repetitive. In addition, continuously monitoring for instructions from the user consumes much power, draining the battery. 
         [0010]    To address these issues, example embodiments disclosed herein use a low power integrated circuit to continuously monitor for occurrence of a keyword in an audio stream (e.g., the user&#39;s speech), while relying on a processor for more thorough analysis of the user&#39;s speech. 
         [0011]    For example, various examples disclosed herein provide for receiving an audio stream in a low power integrated circuit, digitizing the audio stream, and analyzing the digitized audio stream to recognize a keyword. Once recognizing the keyword within the digitized audio stream, the integrated circuit sends a signal to the processor to increase power. Once increasing power to the processor, the digitized audio stream is retrieved to determine a response. This decreases the amount of time consumed for the user to launch the specific audio processing application and prevents repetition of the user&#39;s speech. Determining the response from the retrieved audio stream prevents the user from providing additional explicit instructions for the computing device to perform the speech analysis. 
         [0012]    Additionally, in the various examples disclosed herein, once increasing power to the processor, the processor retrieves the digitized audio stream from a memory and converts the digitized audio stream to a text stream. After converting to the text stream, the processor determines a response based on text within the text stream. Determining the response from the text stream reduces the time for the user of the computing device to instruct the computing device. Additionally still, the processor may determine the appropriate response, based on the context of the audio stream. Further, the computing device determines which application needs to execute in order to fulfill the response to the user. Further still, by increasing power to the processor once recognizing the keyword within the digitized audio stream, the computing device consumes less power while listening for the user&#39;s speech. 
         [0013]    In one embodiment, the computing device may also determine the response by receiving the response from a server or from the processor. In a further embodiment, the memory maintains the stored digitized audio stream for a predetermined period of time. In this embodiment, the processor can retrieve the digitized audio stream in time increments. For example, the processor may retrieve the complete digitized audio stream or may retrieve a shorter time interval of the digitized audio stream. The retrieval of the digitized audio stream allows the processor to analyze the context of the audio stream to determine the appropriate response. 
         [0014]    In this manner, example embodiments disclosed herein save a user time by preventing repetitive audio instructions to a computing device since the computing device determines an appropriate response based on the context of the audio stream. Further, the computing device consumes less power while receiving and processing audio streams. 
         [0015]    Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example computing device  100  including a low power integrated circuit  104  for receiving an audio stream  102  and a digitize module  106  to digitize the audio stream to provide the digitized audio stream  114  to a memory  112 . Further, the low power integrated circuit  104  includes a compare to keyword module  108  to compare the digitized audio stream  114  to a keyword and, based on the recognition of the keyword, transmit a signal  116  to a processor  118  to increase power  122 . Further, still, the processor includes an analyze module  120  to analyze the digitized audio stream  114 . Embodiments of the computing device  100  include a client device, personal computer, desktop computer, laptop, a mobile device, or other computing device suitable to include components  04 ,  112 , and  118 . 
         [0016]    The audio stream  102  is received by the computing device  100 , specifically, the low power integrated circuit  104 . The audio stream  102  is an input analog signal that is digitized  106  to provide the digitized audio stream  114 . Embodiments of the audio stream  102  include speech from a user or audio from another computing device. For example, there may be several computing devices  300  receiving audio streams  102 , which may be confusing. Thus, the computing devices may designate one device as a central point to receive the audio stream  102 . In this embodiment, the low power integrated circuit  104  operates as part of an ad-hoc network that may be a central unit of one or more computing devices. 
         [0017]    For example, the user may discuss with another person the shortest route from New York to Los Angeles, Calif. In this example, the audio stream would be the discussion of the shortest route from New York to Los Angeles. In a further embodiment, the audio stream  102  may include audio for a predetermined period of time. For example, the audio stream  102  may include a few seconds or minutes when received by the low power integrated circuit  104 . In this example, the low power integrated circuit  104  may distinguish the audio stream  102  from other audio streams  102 . 
         [0018]    The low power integrated circuit  104  includes the module  106  to digitize the audio stream  102  and module  108  to compare the digitized audio stream  114  to the keyword. The low power integrated circuit  104  is an electronic circuit with patterned trace elements on the surface of a material that form interconnections between other electronic components. For example, the low power integrated circuit  104  forms connections between the processor  118  and the memory  112 . Embodiments of the low power integrated circuit  104  include a microchip, chipset, electronic circuit, chip, microprocessor, semiconductor, microcontroller, or other electronic circuit capable of receiving audio stream  102  and transmitting signal  116 . The low power integrated circuit  104  may continuously monitor the audio stream  102 , utilize digitize module  106  to digitize the audio stream, and store the digitized audio stream at the memory  112 . As such, further embodiments of the low power integrated circuit  104  include a transmitter, receiver, microphone, or other suitable component to receive the audio stream  102 . 
         [0019]    The audio stream is digitized at module  106  to provide the digitized audio stream  114 . The digitize module  106  converts the audio stream to a discrete time signal representation. Embodiments of the digitize module  106  include an analog to digital converter (ADC), digital conversion device, instruction, firmware and/or software operating in conjunction with low power integrated circuit  104 . For example, the digitize module  106  may include an electronic device to convert an input analog voltage to a digital number proportional to the magnitude of the analog signal. 
         [0020]    Once the audio stream  102  is digitized at module  106 , it is compared to the keyword at module  108 . The audio stream  102  and at module  108 , it is compared against the keyword which operates as an indication to signal  116  the processor  118  to increase power  122  and obtain the digitized audio stream  114  to analyze at module  120 . Embodiments of  108  include an instruction, process, operation, logic, algorithm, technique, logical function, firmware and/or software. Once the keyword is recognized, the low power integrated circuit  104  transmits the signal  116  to increase power  122  to the processor  118 . 
         [0021]    Embodiments of the keyword include a digital signal, analog signal, pattern, database, commands, directions, instructions, or other representation to compare at module  108 . For example, the user of a computing device may discuss the difference between a shrimp and prawn with a friend and subsequently desire to perform a web search to identify the answer. As such, the user may state the predetermined keyword to trigger recognition of the keyword by compare to keyword module  108  and subsequent analysis of the previous discussion by analyze module  120 . 
         [0022]    The keyword may include, for example, a phrase, a single keyword, or a single keyword that is private to the user of the computing device. In keeping with the previous example, the keyword may be the phrase, “Computer, what do you think?”. In this example, the phrase causes the low power integrated circuit  104  to send the signal  116  to the processor  118  to obtain the digitized audio stream  114  which may include the audio before or after the phrase. Thus, the user does not need to repeat the instructions since the processor  118  analyzes the digitized audio stream  114  to determine the context of the audio stream  102  for an appropriate response. Yet, in a further example, the single keyword, may include “Shazam.” Thus, as a specific example, when the user speaks the word “Shazam,” circuit  104  may detect the keyword and transmit the signal  116  to instruct the processor  118  to obtain the digitized audio stream  114  and convert the stream to a text stream. Supposing the text stream is an instruction to compose a text message to the user&#39;s mother, the appropriate response would be to compose the text message. Thus, as described above, using the predetermined keyword(s), the low power integrated circuit  104  recognizes when the user of the computing device needs to complete a further response, such as directions or perform a web search. 
         [0023]    In a further embodiment of module  108 , when no keyword is recognized within the digitized audio stream  114 , the low power integrated circuit  104  continues monitoring for another audio stream  102  which is digitized at module  106  and stored in the memory  112 . In yet a further embodiment, the low power integrated circuit  104  compresses the digitized audio stream  114  and this compressed digitized audio stream is used to recognize the keyword by comparing it to the keyword at module  108 . 
         [0024]    The memory  112  stores and/or maintains the digitized audio stream  114 . Embodiments of the memory  112  may include a memory buffer, cache, non-volatile memory, volatile memory, random access memory (RAM), an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), storage drive, a Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CDDROM), or other memory capable of storing and/or maintaining the digitized audio stream  114 . 
         [0025]    The digitized audio stream  114  is stored in the memory  112 . Embodiments may include the low power integrated circuit  104  compressing the audio stream  102  after the digitization module  106  to obtain a compressed digitized audio stream prior to placement in the memory  112 . Although  FIG. 1  depicts the digitized audio stream  114  stored in the memory  112 , the digitized audio stream may also be stored in a memory on the low power integrated circuit  104 . In a further embodiment, digitized audio stream  114  includes a predetermined amount of time of an audio stream  102 . In this embodiment, once the audio stream  102  is received for a predetermined period of time, such as a few seconds or minutes, this predetermined period of time of the audio stream  102  is digitized and stored in the memory  112  for the processor  118  to obtain and/or retrieve. Further in this embodiment, when another audio stream  102  is received by the low power integrated circuit  104  and digitized, the prior digitized audio stream in the memory is replaced with the more current digitized audio stream  114 . Thus, the processor  118  obtains and/or retrieves the most current audio stream  102 . In this embodiment, the memory operates as a first-in-first-out buffer to provide the most current audio stream  102 . 
         [0026]    The signal  116  is transmitted from the low power integrated circuit  104  to the processor  118  upon recognition of the keyword within the digitized audio stream  114 . The signal  116  instructs the processor  118  to increase power  122  and analyze the digitized audio stream  114  from the memory  12 . Embodiments of the signal  116  include a communication, transmission, electrical signal, instruction, digital signal, analog signal, or other type of communication to increase power  122  to the processor  118 . A further embodiment of the signal  116  includes an interrupt transmitted to the processor  118  upon recognition of the keyword within the digitized audio stream  114 . 
         [0027]    The processor  118  receives the signal  116  to increase power  122  and obtains the digitized audio stream  114  to analyze at module  120 . Embodiments of the processor  118  may include a central processing unit (CPU), visual processing unit (VPU), microprocessor, graphics processing unit (GPU), or other programmable device suitable to analyze  120  the digitized audio stream  14 . 
         [0028]    Once the processor  118  obtains the digitized audio stream  114  from the memory  112 , the processor analyzes the digitized audio stream  114  at module  120 . Embodiments of the analyze module  120  include an instruction, process, operation, logic, algorithm, technique, logical function, firmware and/or software the processor  18  may fetch, decode, and/or execute. Additional embodiments of module  120  include converting the digitized audio stream  114  to a text stream to determine an appropriate response based on the context of the audio stream  102 . Further embodiments of module  120  include determining a response to render to the user of the computing device  100  as will be seen in later figures. 
         [0029]    The power  122  supplies electrical energy in the form of electrical potential to the processor  118 . Specifically, the power  122  increases electrical energy to the processor  118  once receiving the signal  116  from the low power integrated circuit  104 . Increasing the power  122  to the processor  118  wakes or triggers the processor  118  to obtain the digitized audio stream  114 . Embodiments of the power  122  include a power supply, power management device, battery, energy storage, electromechanical system, solar power, power plug, or other device capable of delivering power  122  to the processor  118 . In a further embodiment, power  122  supplies the electrical energy to the computing device  100 . 
         [0030]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , is a block diagram of an example low power integrated circuit  204  for analyzing an audio stream  202  and transmitting a signal  216  to a processor to increase power when a keyword is detected in the audio stream  202 . The low power integrated circuit  204  includes circuitry  210  to produce a digitized audio stream  214  using a digitize circuitry  206  and detects the keyword by a compare circuitry  208 , and upon recognition of the keyword in the digitized audio stream  214 , transmits a signal  216 . 
         [0031]    The audio stream  202  is received by the low power integrated circuit  204 . The audio stream  202  may be similar in structure to audio stream  102  of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0032]    The low power integrated circuit  204  includes the circuitry  210  to digitize the audio stream  202  and compare the digitized audio stream  214  to a keyword. The low power integrated circuit  204  may be similar in functionality and structure of the low power integrated circuit  104  as above in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0033]    The circuitry  210  includes digitize circuitry  206  and compare circuitry  208 . Embodiments of the circuitry  210  include logic, analog circuitry, electronic circuitry, digital circuitry, or other circuitry capable of digitizing the audio stream  102  and comparing the digitized audio stream  214  to the keyword. In further embodiments, the circuitry includes an application and/or firmware which may be utilized independently and/or in conjunction with the low power integrated circuit  204  to fetch, decode, and or execute circuitry  206  and  208 . 
         [0034]    The audio stream  202  is received and digitized by circuitry  206  to produce the digitized audio stream  214 . The digitize circuitry  206  is a type of conversion for the audio stream  202 . Further, the digitize circuitry  206  may be similar in functionality of the digitize module  106  as described in connection with  FIG. 1 . 
         [0035]    The low power integrated circuit  204  receives the audio stream  202  to digitize at circuitry  206  and produces the digitized audio stream  214 . The digitized audio stream  214  may be similar in structure to the digitized audio stream  114  as described in connection with  FIG. 1 . Further, although  FIG. 2  depicts the digitized audio stream  214  outside of the low power integrated circuit  204 , the digitized audio stream  214  may also be located within the low power integrated circuit  204 . The digitized audio stream  214  located within the low power integrated circuit  204  is used at circuitry  208  to compare to a keyword. In another embodiment, the digitized audio stream  214  is stored and/or maintained in a memory. 
         [0036]    The circuitry  208  included in the circuitry  210  of the low power integrated circuit  204 , compares the digitized audio stream  214  to the keyword. Further,  208  is used to recognize the keyword within the digitized audio stream  214  to transmit the signal  216  to increase power to the processor. The compare circuitry  208  may be similar in functionality to the module  108  as described in connection with  FIG. 1 . 
         [0037]    The signal  216  instructs a device to increase power upon recognition of the keyword within the digitized audio stream  214  by compare circuitry  208 . The signal  216  may be similar in structure and functionality to signal  116  of  FIG. 1 . An embodiment of the signal  216  includes instructing a processor to increase power and analyze the digitized audio stream  214  from the memory. In this embodiment, the signal  216  instructs the processor to obtain the digitized audio stream  214  to analyze and determine a response based on the keyword recognition at circuitry  208 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an example computing device  300  to analyze a digitized audio stream  314  and a server  326  in communication with the computing device  300  to analyze a text stream  324  generated from the digitized audio stream  314 . The computing device  300  includes a low power integrated circuit  304 , a memory  312 , a processor  318 , an output device  328 , and the server  326 . Specifically,  FIG. 3  depicts the text stream  324  processed by the server  326  or the processor  318  to render a response to a user of the computing device on the output device  324 . The computing device  300  may be similar in structure and functionality of the computing device  100  as described in connection with  FIG. 1 . 
         [0039]    The audio stream  302  is received by the computing device  300 , specifically, the low power integrated circuit  304 . The audio stream  302  may be similar in structure to the audio stream  102  and  202  in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , respectively. 
         [0040]    The low power integrated circuit  304  includes a digitize module  306  and an analyze module  308 . In one embodiment, the low power integrated circuit  304  includes circuitry to comprise modules  306  and  308 . The low power integrated circuit  304  may be similar in structure and functionality of the low power integrated circuit  104  and  204  described in connection with  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , respectively. 
         [0041]    The audio stream  302  once received by the computing device  300  is digitized  306  to produce a digitized audio stream  314 . The digitize module  306  may be similar in structure and functionality to the digitize module  106  and digitize circuitry  206  in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , respectively. In a further embodiment, once the audio stream  302  is digitized at module  306 , the low power integrated circuit  304  transmits the digitized audio stream  314  to the memory  312  to store and/or maintain. 
         [0042]    Once the audio stream  314  is digitized, the low power integrated circuit analyzes the digitized audio stream  314  at module  308 . In one embodiment, module  308  compares a keyword to the digitized audio stream  114 . In this embodiment,  308  includes the functionality of the compare module  108  as above in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0043]    The memory  312  stores the digitized audio stream  314  from the low power integrated circuit  304 . In one embodiment, the memory  312  maintains the digitized audio stream  314  received during a predetermined period of time. For example, the audio stream  302  may be monitored for the predetermined time of a few seconds and as such, this few seconds of the audio stream  302  is digitized at module  306  and sent to the memory  312 . In this example, the memory  312  stores the digitized audio stream  314  of the few seconds to be retrieved and/or obtained by the processor  318  to analyze once receiving the signal  316 . Also, in this example, when another audio stream  302  of a few seconds is received and digitized, this other digitized audio stream  314  replaces the prior digitized audio stream  314 . This allows the memory  312  to maintain the most recent audio stream  302  for the processor  318  to obtain and/or retrieve. The memory  312  may be similar in structure and functionality of the memory  112  as described in connection with  FIG. 1 . 
         [0044]    The audio stream  302  is digitized  306  to produce the digitized audio stream  314 . The digitized audio stream  314  is stored and/or maintained in the memory  312 . In an embodiment, the processor  318  obtains the digitized audio stream  314  to analyze at module  320  once receiving the signal  316 . The digitized audio stream  314  may be similar in structure and functionality of digitized audio stream  114  and  214  as described, in connection with  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , respectively. 
         [0045]    The signal  316  is a transmission from the low power integrated circuit  304  to the processor  316  to increase power  322 . In an embodiment of the signal  316 , additionally instructs the processor  316  to obtain the digitized audio stream  314  to analyze at module  320 . The signal  316  may be similar in structure and functionality of the signal  116  and  216  as described in connection with  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , respectively. 
         [0046]    The power  322  supplies electrical energy to the processor  318  and/or computing device  300 . The power  322  may be similar in structure and functionality of the power  122  as described in connection with  FIG. 1 . 
         [0047]    The processor  318  includes the analyze module  320  and text stream  324 . Specifically, the processor  318  receives the signal  316  to increase power  322 . Once receiving this signal  316 , the processor  318  obtains the digitized audio stream  314  to analyze at module  320 . In a further embodiment, the processor  318  converts the digitized audio stream  314  to the text stream  324 . In this embodiment, the text within the text stream  324  dictates a response for the computing device  300 . The text stream is a string of finite sequence of symbols or representations from an alphabet, numbered set, or alphanumeric set. For example, the digitized audio stream  314  may be in a binary language, thus the processor translates bytes of the binary representation to a word. In a further example, the digitized audio stream  314  may be in a language representative of words and/or numbers, thus the processor  318  translates this language into text the processor  318  comprehends. Embodiments of the response include performing a web search, dialing a phone number, opening an application, recording text, streaming media, composing a text message, listing direction, or speaking directions. In a further embodiment, the processor  318  determines the response to render to a user of the computing device  300 . The processor  318  may be similar in structure and functionality of the processor  118  as described in connection with  FIG. 1 . 
         [0048]    The processor  318  analyzes the stored digitized audio stream  314  at module  320 . Embodiments of the analyze module  320  include transmitting the digitized audio stream  314  obtained from the memory  314  to the server  326 . Other embodiments of module  320  include converting the digitized audio stream  314  obtained from the memory  312  to the text stream  324  and transmitting the text stream  324  to the server  326 . Other embodiments of module  320  include converting the digitized audio stream  314  to the text stream  324  to determine the appropriate response by analyzing the context of the audio stream  302 . For example, the digitized audio stream  314  may be converted to the text stream  324  at module  320  and the processor  318  may utilize a natural language processing to analyze the text within the text stream  324  to determine the appropriate response based on the context of the audio stream  302 . 
         [0049]    The text stream  324  includes text to determine the appropriate response for the computing device  300 . In one embodiment, the text stream  324  is processed by the processor to determine the appropriate response to render to the user of the computing device  300  on the output device  328 . In another embodiment, the text stream  324  is processed by the server  326  to determine the appropriate response which is transmitted to the computing device  300 . In this embodiment, the response is sent from the server  326  to the computing device  300 . In a further embodiment, the computing device  300  renders the response to the user of the computing device  300 . For example, the text stream  324  may include text that discusses sending a text message to mom. Thus, the text within the text stream  324  dictates for the computing device  300  to respond by composing a text message to mom. 
         [0050]    The server  326  provides services across a network and may include, for example, a web server, a network server, a Local Area Network (LAN) server, a file server, or any other computing device suitable to process the text stream  324  to transmit the response to the computing device  300 . 
         [0051]    The output device  328  renders the response as determined from the text within the text stream  324  to the user of the computing device  300 . Embodiments of the output device  328  include a display device, a screen, or a speaker to render the response to a user of the computing device  300 . In keeping with the text message to mom example, the user of the computing device  300  may have a display that shows the text message being composed to mom and/or speaker to communicate to the user the text message. 
         [0052]    Turning now to  FIG. 4 , a flowchart of an example method performed on a computing device to receive an audio stream and determine a response. Although  FIG. 4  is described as being performed on computing device  100  as in  FIG. 1 , it may also be executed on other suitable components as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example,  FIG. 4  may be implemented in the form of executable instructions on a machine readable storage medium such as memory  112 . 
         [0053]    At operation  402 , the computing device operating in conjunction with a low power integrated circuit receives an audio stream. In one embodiment, the audio stream is of a predetermined amount of time. For example, the audio stream may be a few seconds or milliseconds. In this embodiment, the computing device may continuously monitor audio. In further embodiments, the audio stream includes at least one of a speech from a user or audio from the other computing device. 
         [0054]    At operation  404 , the low power integrated circuit operating in conjunction with the computing device digitizes the audio stream received at operation  402  to produce a digitized audio stream. Embodiments of operation  404  include the use of an analog to digital converter (ADC), digital conversion device, instruction, firmware, and/or software operating in conjunction with the low power integrated circuit. Embodiments of operation  404  include transmitting the digitized audio stream to a memory. Further embodiments of  404  include compressing the audio stream received at operation  402 , while another embodiment of  404  includes compressing the digitized audio stream. 
         [0055]    At operation  406 , the digitized audio stream produced at operation  404  is stored in the memory. Embodiments of operation  406  include the memory storing and/or maintaining the digitized audio stream. In another embodiment of operation  406 , the audio stream received during the predetermined amount of time at operation  402  is digitized at operation  404 , thus when another audio stream is received at operation  402  and digitized at operation  404 , this current digitized audio stream replaces the prior digitized audio stream. In this embodiment, the memory maintains the stored digitized audio stream received during the predetermined period of time prior to the current time. 
         [0056]    At operation  408 , the low power integrated circuit analyzes the digitized audio stream produced at operation  404 . Embodiments of operation  408  include processing the digitized audio stream while other embodiments include comparing the digitized audio stream to a keyword. In these embodiments of operation  408 , the low power integrated circuit processes the digitized audio stream for the keyword. Upon recognition of the keyword within the digitized audio stream, the method moves to operation  410  to transmit a signal. In a further embodiment, if the low power integrated circuit does not recognize the keyword within the digitized audio stream, the method returns to operation  402 . Yet, in a further embodiment includes comparing the digitized audio stream to an analog or digital representation that indicates the user of the computing device desires a response by the computing device. In yet a further embodiment, operations  402 ,  404 ,  406 , and  408  occur in parallel. For example, if the computing device analyzes the digitized audio stream at  408 , the integrated circuit continues receiving audio streams at operation  402 , digitizing, and storing the audio stream at operations  404  and  406 . 
         [0057]    At operation  410 , the low power integrated circuit transmits the signal to the processor to increase power. Specifically, upon recognition of the keyword within the digitized audio stream, the low power integrated circuit transmits a signal to the processor to increase power. In an embodiment of operation  410 , the processor increases power or electrical energy delivered to the processor and/or the computing device. 
         [0058]    At operation  412 , the processor obtains the stored digitized audio stream from the memory at operation  406 . In one embodiment of operation  412 , the memory transmits the digitized audio stream to the processor, while in another embodiment of operation  412 , the processor retrieves the digitized audio stream from the memory. 
         [0059]    At operation  414 , the processor converts the digitized audio stream obtained at operation  412  to a text stream. After converting the digitized audio stream to the text stream, the processor analyzes the text within the text stream to determine the appropriate response. Embodiments of operation  414  include using speech to text (STT), voice to text, digital to text, or other type of text conversion. A further embodiment of operation  414  includes using a natural language processing after conversion to the text stream. In this embodiment, the computing device processes the text within the text stream to determine an appropriate response based on the context of the audio stream received at operation  402 . For example, once detecting the keyword within the digitized audio stream at  408 , the processor obtains at operation  412 , and the digitized audio stream is converted to the text stream at operation  414 . In a further example, the audio stream may include a conversation regarding directions between two locations, thus once this digitized audio stream is converted at operation  412  to the text stream,—the processor can determine the appropriate response by analyzing the text within the text stream. 
         [0060]    At operation  416 , the processor determines the response based on the text stream produced at operation  414 . Embodiments of the response include performing a web search, dialing a phone number, opening an application, recording text, streaming media, composing a text message, listing directions, or speaking directions. In one embodiment, the text within the text stream dictates the appropriate response for the processor. In a further embodiment, the response is rendered to a user of the computing device. For example, the text stream may include speech inquiring how to reach China and as such directions to China would be the appropriate response. Additionally, in this example, a map display listing and/or speaking directions to China may be included. 
         [0061]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a flowchart of an example method performed on a computing device to compress a digitized audio stream and render a response to a user of the computing device. Although  FIG. 5  is described as being performed on computing device  300  as above in  FIG. 3 , it may also be executed on other suitable components as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example,  FIG. 5  may be implemented in the form of executable instructions on a machine readable storage medium such as memory  312 . 
         [0062]    At operation  502 , the computing device compresses a digitized audio stream. In one embodiment, operation  502  is performed in conjunction with operation  404  prior to operation  406  in  FIG. 4 . For example, once having digitized the received audio stream, a low power integrated circuit operation in conjunction with the computing device may compress the digitized audio stream to reduce the data byte size of the stream. In this example, the compression of the digitized audio stream occurs prior to being stored in a memory at operation  406 . In a further embodiment, operation  502  is performed prior to receiving the digitized audio stream at operation  412  in  FIG. 4 . For example, the processor may perform operation  502  to compress the digitized audio stream from the memory while in another example, the memory may compress the digitized audio stream prior to the processor obtaining the digitized audio stream. In yet a further embodiment of operation  502 , the compressed digitized audio stream is analyzed to recognize a keyword such as at step  408  in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0063]    At operation  504 , the computing device renders a response to the user of the computing device. Embodiments of operation  504  include occurring during or after operation  416  in  FIG. 4 . For example, once the processor determines the appropriate response, this response may be rendered to the user of the computing device. In a further embodiment, the response may be rendered to the user on an output device, such as a display screen or speaker, operating in conjunction with the computing device. For example, when the user discusses the difference between a shrimp and prawn, the processor may launch a web search application, thus performing the web search of difference between the shrimp and prawn. The performed web search may be rendered on the display device of the computing device to the user. In a further example, the computing device audibly recites the differences between the shrimp and prawn through a speaker to the user. In these embodiments, the computing device operates with an audio stream to determine a response rather than the user instructing the computing device. 
         [0064]    The embodiments described in detail herein relate to digitizing an audio stream to detect a keyword and based upon recognition of the keyword within the digitized audio stream, transmitting a signal to a processor to increase power and further analyze the digitized audio stream to determine a response. In this manner, example embodiments save a user time by preventing repetitive audio instructions to a computing device, while reducing power consumption of the computing device.