Low power audio trigger via intermittent sampling

Abstract

Systems and methods may provide for using an audio front end of a mobile device to sampled audio from an audio signal during a first portion of a periodic detection window, and reducing a power consumption of one or more components of the audio front end during a second portion of the periodic detection window. Additionally, a determination may be made as to whether voice activity is present in the audio signal based at least in part on the sampled audio. In one example, the length of the first portion and the length of the second portion are defined by a duty cycle of the periodic detection window.

We claim: 
     
       1. A mobile device comprising:
 a battery to power the mobile device; 
 an audio front end; and 
 logic to,
 use the audio front end to obtain sampled audio from an audio signal during a first portion of a window; 
 reduce a power consumption of one or more components of the audio front end during a second portion of the window; and 
 determine whether voice activity is present in the audio signal based at least in part on the sampled audio, wherein a length of the first portion and a length of the second portion are to be defined by a duty cycle of the window. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion is to be greater than a first overhead duration associated with one or more power up operations of the audio front end and the second portion is to be greater than a second overhead duration associated with one or more power down operations of the audio front end. 
     
     
       3. The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the logic is to sample the audio signal at a sample rate to obtain the sampled audio. 
     
     
       4. The mobile device of  claim 1 , further including a power management module that at least partially includes the logic. 
     
     
       5. The mobile device of  claim 1 , wherein the audio front end includes one or more of a microphone, a voice activity detector, an analog to digital converter, a memory and a phrase recognizer. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus comprising:
 logic at least partially comprising hardware logic to,
 use an audio front end of a mobile device to obtain sampled audio from an audio signal during a first portion of a window; 
 reduce a power consumption of one or more components of the audio front end during a second portion of the window; and 
 determine whether voice activity is present in the audio signal based at least in part on the sampled audio, wherein a length of the first portion and a length of the second portion are to be defined by a duty cycle of the window. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first portion is to be greater than a first overhead duration associated with one or more power up operations of the audio front end and the second portion is to be greater than a second overhead duration associated with one or more power down operations of the audio front end. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the logic is to sample the audio signal at a sample rate to obtain the sampled audio. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the logic is to store the sampled audio to a memory of the audio front end. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the logic is to sample the audio signal continually if voice activity is present in the audio signal. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the power consumption of one or more of a microphone, a voice activity detector, an analog to digital converter, a memory and a phrase recognizer is to be reduced during the second portion of the window. 
     
     
       12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions which, if executed by a processor, cause a mobile device to:
 use an audio front end of the mobile device to obtain sampled audio from an audio signal during a first portion of a window; 
 reduce a power consumption of one or more components of the audio front end during a second portion of the window; and 
 determine whether voice activity is present in the audio signal based at least in part on the sampled audio, wherein a length of the first portion and a length of the second portion are to be defined by a duty cycle of the window. 
 
     
     
       13. The medium of  claim 12 , wherein the first portion is to be greater than a first overhead duration associated with one or more power up operations of the audio front end and the second portion is to be greater than a second overhead duration associated with one or more power down operations of the audio front end. 
     
     
       14. The medium of  claim 12 , the instructions, if executed, cause the mobile device to sample the audio signal at a sample rate to obtain the sampled audio. 
     
     
       15. The medium of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions, if executed, cause the mobile device to store the sampled audio to a memory of the audio front end. 
     
     
       16. The medium of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions, if executed, cause the mobile device to sample the audio signal continually if voice activity is present in the audio signal. 
     
     
       17. The medium of  claim 12 , wherein the power consumption of one or more of a microphone, a voice activity detector, an analog to digital converter, a memory and a phrase recognizer is to be reduced during the second portion of the window. 
     
     
       18. A computer implemented method comprising:
 using an audio front end of a mobile device to sampled audio from an audio signal during a first portion of a window; 
 reducing a power consumption of one or more components of the audio front end during a second portion of the window; and 
 determining whether voice activity is present in the audio signal based at least in part on the sampled audio, wherein a length of the first portion and a length of the second portion are defined by a duty cycle of the window. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first portion is greater than a first overhead duration associated with one or more power up operations of the audio front end and the second portion is greater than a second overhead duration associated with one or more power down operations of the audio front end. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , further including sampling the audio signal at a sample rate to obtain the sampled audio. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the power consumption of one or more of a microphone, a voice activity detector, an analog to digital converter, a memory and a phrase recognizer is reduced during the second portion of the window.