US Patent 9324322 Automatic volume attenuation for speech enabled devices

A speech recognition system that also automatically recognizes and acts in response to significant audio interruptions. Received audio is compared with stored acoustic signatures of noises which may trigger a change in device operation, such as pausing, loudening or attenuating of content playback after hearing a certain audio interruption, such as a doorbell, etc. If the received audio matches a stored acoustic model, the system alters an operational state of one or more devices, which may or may not include itself.