Portable electronic device comprising an environment-adaptable interface

• US 20060016896A1
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Swatch Group Research And Development Ltd (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Asulab SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Grupp, Joachim
• Granted Patent: US 7,448,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/06 using voice
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/20 Speech recognition techniques specially adapted for robustness in adverse environments, e.g. in noise, of stress induced speech G10L21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/044 according to the level of ambient noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable electronic object (1) consisting of a “voice” user interface (2) containing sound signal-reception means (3) and a management unit (8) comprising sound signal-processing means (9a). The invention is characterised in that it also comprises an ambient noise sensor (10) which can be used to measure the level of ambient noise (Bm), said sensor being connected to the aformementioned control unit. The invention is further characterised in that the control unit also comprises comparison means (12a) which are used to compare the measured ambient noise level with a pre-defined noise level (Bo), and control means (13) which are arranged such as to deactivate the sound signal-processing means when the ambient noise level exceeds the pre-defined noise level (Bm>Bo).

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A portable electronic object including

(a) a first user interface;

(b) at least one second user interface;

(c) a management unit for said user interfaces including first and at least second processing means respectively associated with said first and at least second user interfaces;

(d) means for measuring at least one external parameter linked to at least one of said user interfaces, said measuring means being connected to said management unit;

(e) comparison means for comparing a level of said measured external parameter to a predefined level of said external parameter; and

(f) control means arranged for activating or deactivating said processing means associated with said user interface linked to the measured external parameter as a function of the result of the comparison,

wherein the portable electronic object further comprises;

(g) means for selecting a user interface from among said user interfaces whose associated processing means are not deactivated, in accordance with a determined criterion.

25. The portable electronic object according to claim 24, wherein

said first user interface includes sound signal reception means, said first associated processing means being sound signal processing means,

said second user interface includes control members and display means, said second associated processing means being control member processing means, said measuring means include

i. an ambient noise sensor for measuring an ambient noise level, said management unit also including first comparison means for comparing said ambient noise level to a predefined noise level, said control means being arranged for deactivating the sound signal processing means when the ambient noise level exceeds the predefined noise level,

wherein the measuring means further comprise

a light sensor for measuring a received light level, said management unit also including second comparison means for comparing said received light level to a predefined light level, said control means also being arranged for deactivating said control member processing means when the received light level passes below the predefined light level.

26. The portable electronic object according to claim 25, wherein said control members are a tactile crystal including at least two electrodes,

wherein said portable object also includes

(h) means for detecting activation of each of said at least two electrodes, said detection means being connected to said management unit;

and wherein said control means are also arranged for deactivating said control member processing means when simultaneous activation of said at least two electrodes is detected.

27. The portable electronic object according to claim 25, further including (h) a third user interface including radio-frequency signal reception means and said display means,

said management unit also including radio-frequency signal processing means and wherein said control means are also arranged for deactivating said radio-frequency signal processing means when the received light level passes below the predefined light level.

28. The portable electronic object according to claim 25, further including (h) an unwanted frequency sensor for measuring an unwanted frequency level, said control unit including third comparison means for comparing said measured unwanted frequency level to a predefined frequency level, said control means also being arranged for deactivating the radio-frequency signal processing means when the unwanted frequency level exceeds the predefined frequency level.

29. The electronic object according to claim 28, further including

(i) means for measuring an acceleration level of said portable object;

and

(j) fourth comparison means for comparing the measured acceleration level to a predefined acceleration level, said management unit control means being capable of deactivating the various user interface processing means when the measured level exceeds the predefined level.

30. The portable electronic object according to claim 27, further including

(i) warning means activated to warn the user in the event of deactivation of said sound signal, control member or radio-frequency signal processing means.

31. The portable electronic object according to claim 25, wherein said display means in association with a diode are used as the light sensor, wherein said sound signal reception means are also used as the ambient noise sensor and wherein the radio-frequency signal reception means are also used as the unwanted frequency sensor.

32. The portable electronic object according to claim 24 wherein the application predetermined criterion is selected in accordance with the following criterions:

the energy consumption level of each of the user interfaces that can be used, that having the lowest consumption being selected;

the estimated data introduction mean speed, that offering the highest speed being selected.

33. The Portable electronic object according to claim 30, wherein said warning means include

i. first warning means of the acoustic alarm type;

ii. second warning means of the vibrating alarm type; and

iii. third warning means of the flashing alarm type;

and wherein said management unit further includes

means for selecting between said first, second and third warning means as a function of at least one predetermined criterion.

34. The portable electronic object according to claim 24, wherein the portable object is a diary watch.

35. The portable electronic object according to claim 24, wherein the management unit also includes means for determining an interface based on a fuzzy logic method when no interface can a priori be used.

36. The method of determining a user interface of a portable electronic object including a first user interface, at least a second user interface, a management unit for said user interfaces including first and at least second processing means respectively associated to said first and at least second user interfaces, the method including the following operations:

(a) carrying out the measurement of at least one external parameter linked to at least one of said user interfaces by means of a sensor for sensing the level of the external parameter, the sensor being connected to the management unit;

(b) comparing the measured external parameter level to a predefined external parameter level;

(c) deactivating said processing means associated to the user interface linked to the measured external parameter in accordance to the result of the comparison;

wherein the method includes the following additional operation;

(d) selecting a user interface among the user interfaces whose associated processing means are not activated in accordance with a predetermined criterion.

43. A method of determining a user interface of a portable object according to claim 36, wherein if none of the interfaces can a priori be used, the management unit determines an interface on the basis of a fuzzy logic method.

37. The method of determining a user interface of a portable electronic object including a first user interface, at least a second user interface, a management unit for said user interfaces including first and at least second processing means respectively associated to said first and at least second user interfaces, the method including the following operations:

(a) carrying out the measurement of at least one external parameter linked to at least one of said user interfaces by means of a sensor for sensing the level of the external parameter, the sensor being connected to the management unit;

(b) comparing the measured external parameter level to a predefined external parameter level;

(c) deactivating said processing means associated to the user interface linked to the measured external parameter in accordance to the result of the comparison;

wherein the method includes the following additional operation;

(d) selecting a user interface among the user interfaces whose associated processing means are not activated in accordance with a predetermined criterion;

wherein

the portable electronic object includes

i. a first user interface;

ii. at least one second user interface;

iii. a management unit for said user interfaces including first and at least second processing means respectively associated with said first and at least second user interfaces;

iv. means for measuring at least one external parameter linked to at least one of said user interfaces, said measuring means being connected to said management unit;

v. comparison means for comparing a level of said measured external parameter to a predefined level of said external parameter; and

vi. control means arranged for activating or deactivating said processing means associated with said user interface linked to the measured external parameter as a function of the result of the comparison;

wherein the portable electronic object further comprises

v. means for selecting a user interface from among said user interfaces whose associated processing means are not deactivated, in accordance with a determined criterion, wherein

said first user interface includes sound signal reception means, said first associated processing means being sound signal processing means;

said second user interface includes control members and display means, said second associated processing means being control member processing means; and

said measuring means include

an ambient noise sensor for measuring an ambient noise level, said management unit also including first comparison means for comparing said ambient noise level to a predefined noise level, said control means being arranged for deactivating the sound signal processing means when the ambient noise level exceeds the predefined noise level,

wherein the measuring means further comprise

a light sensor for measuring a received light level, said management unit also including second comparison means for comparing said received light level to a predefined light level, said control means also being arranged for deactivating said control member processing means when the received light level passes below the predefined light level;

wherein

for the first user interface the following operations are carried out;

(e) carrying out a measurement of the ambient noise level by means of an ambient noise sensor connected to the management unit;

(f) comparing the measured ambient noise level to a predefined noise level; and

(g) deactivating said first processing means when the measured ambient noise level exceeds the predefined noise level; and

wherein the following operations are carried out for the second user interface;

(h) carrying out a measurement of the received light level by means of a light sensor connected to said management unit;

(i) comparing the measured received light level to a predefined light level; and

(j) deactivating said second and third processing means when the measured received light level passes below the predefined light level.

38. A method of determining a user interface of a portable object according to claim 37, said portable object wherein said second user interface includes a tactile crystal including at least two electrodes and display means and wherein a third user interface is provided, said third user interface including radio-frequency signal reception means and said display means, said management unit also comprising second tactile crystal processing means and third radiofrequency signal processing means, wherein the method also includes the following operations when the measured received light level exceeds the predefined light level:

(k) detecting the activation of each of said at least two electrodes by means of a detector connected to said management unit;

(l) deactivating said second processing means when simultaneous activation of said at least two electrodes is detected;

(m) carrying out a measurement of the unwanted frequencies by means of an unwanted frequency sensor connected to the management unit;

(n) comparing the measured unwanted frequency level to a predefined unwanted frequency level; and

(o) deactivating said third processing means when the measured unwanted frequency level exceeds the predefined unwanted frequency level.

39. A method of determining a user interface of a portable object according to claim 38, wherein it includes a preliminary operation consisting for the user in:

(p) defining pre-settings for indicating the processing means to be automatically deactivated;

and wherein the measuring or detection operations relating to the user interfaces whose processing means are deactivated, are not carried.

40. A method of determining a user interface of a portable object according to claim 38, wherein it includes the following subsequent operations of:

(q) calculating an interpretation rate of said processing means associated with the selected user interface;

(r) comparing the calculated interpretation rate with a predefined minimum interpretation rate; and

(s) deactivating the processing means of the selected user interface if the calculated interpretation rate is less than the minimum interpretation rate,

and wherein the measuring or detection operations relating to the user interfaces whose processing means are not deactivated, are carried out again.

41. A method of determining a user interface of a portable object according to claim 40, further including, if no user interface can be used, an operation consisting in:

(t) warning the user that none of the user interfaces are usable via warning means.

42. A method of determining a user interface of a portable object according to claim 40, wherein periodically the measuring or detection operations relating to the user interfaces whose processing means are not automatically deactivated, are carried out again.