Android Speech Recognition Continuous Service

Class members in MainActivity

private int mBindFlag;
private Messenger mServiceMessenger;

Start service in onCreate()

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
{
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

    Intent service = new Intent(activityContext, VoiceCommandService.class);
    activityContext.startService(service);
    mBindFlag = Build.VERSION.SDK_INT < Build.VERSION_CODES.ICE_CREAM_SANDWICH ? 0 : Context.BIND_ABOVE_CLIENT;

}

Bind service in onStart()

@Override
protected void onStart()
{
    super.onStart();

    bindService(new Intent(this, VoiceCommandService.class), mServiceConnection, mBindFlag);
}

@Override
protected void onStop()
{
    super.onStop();

    if (mServiceMessenger != null)
    {
        unbindService(mServiceConnection);
        mServiceMessenger = null;
    }
}

mServiceConnection member

private final ServiceConnection mServiceConnection = new ServiceConnection()
{
    @Override
    public void onServiceConnected(ComponentName name, IBinder service)
    {
        if (DEBUG) {Log.d(TAG, "onServiceConnected");} //$NON-NLS-1$

        mServiceMessenger = new Messenger(service);
        Message msg = new Message();
        msg.what = VoiceCommandService.MSG_RECOGNIZER_START_LISTENING; 

        try
        {
            mServiceMessenger.send(msg);
        } 
        catch (RemoteException e)
        {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onServiceDisconnected(ComponentName name)
    {
        if (DEBUG) {Log.d(TAG, "onServiceDisconnected");} //$NON-NLS-1$
        mServiceMessenger = null;
    }

}; // mServiceConnection

In the service

@Override
public IBinder onBind(Intent intent)
{
    Log.d(TAG, "onBind");  //$NON-NLS-1$

    return mServerMessenger.getBinder();
}