Method and apparatus for customizing an audio file in a mobile device

• US 20070116205A1
• Filed: 10/17/2005
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miller, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,738,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.160
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for customizing an audio file, such as a ring tone stored in a mobile device is described herein. In particular, a mobile device according to the present invention includes an audio utility and an audio processor. The audio utility stores one or more pointers associated with a stored audio file. Each pointer identifies a specific user-selected start position for the audio file. Whenever the audio processor plays the audio file, the audio processor plays the audio file from the start position identified by one of the user-selected pointers.

Claims

1. A method of customizing an audio file for a mobile device, the method comprising:

storing a set of one or more pointers corresponding to one or more user-selected start positions for the audio file; and

playing the audio file from a start position identified by one of the stored pointers each time the mobile device plays the audio file.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting one of the pointers from the set of pointers as a current pointer, wherein playing the audio file comprises playing the audio file from the start position identified by the current pointer.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein selecting one of the pointers as the current pointer comprises randomly selecting a pointer from the set of pointers as the current pointer each time the mobile device plays the audio file.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising organizing the one or more pointers in the set of pointers according to user-defined order, wherein selecting one of the pointers as the current pointer comprises selecting a different pointer as the current pointer based on the user-defined order each time the mobile device plays the audio file.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein selecting one or the pointers as the current pointer comprises selecting the current pointer from the set of pointers responsive to user input.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein selecting the current pointer responsive to user input comprises assigning one of the pointers in the set of pointers to a contact stored in memory of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein each pointer in the set of pointers corresponds to a mobile device operating mode, and wherein selecting one of the pointers as the current pointer comprises selecting the current pointer from the set of pointers based on a current mobile device operating mode.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the mobile device operating mode comprises one of a call mode, an email mode, a voice mail mode, an alarm mode, and a text messaging mode.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

entering a pointer-selection mode;

playing a substantial portion of the audio file during the pointer identification mode;

generating one or more time markers responsive to user input received while playing of the audio file during the pointer identification mode; and

generating the set of pointers based on the one or more time markers.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein storing a set of one or more pointers comprises storing a set of one or more pointers for each of one or more audio files.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio file comprises an MP3 file.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio file comprises a ring tone.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device comprises a wireless communication device.

14. A mobile device comprising:

a memory configured to store an audio file; and

a multi-media processor comprising;

an audio utility configured to store a set of one or more pointers corresponding to one or more user-selected start positions for the audio file; and

an audio processor configured to play the audio file from a start position identified by one of the stored pointers each time the mobile device plays the audio file.

15. The mobile device of claim 14 wherein the audio utility is further configured to select a current pointer from the set of pointers, and wherein the audio processor is configured to play the audio file form the start position identified by the current pointer.

16. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the audio utility is configured to select the current pointer by randomly selecting a pointer from the set of pointers as the current pointer each time the audio processor plays the audio file.

17. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the audio utility is configured to organize the one or more pointers in the set of pointers according to a user-defined order, and wherein the audio utility is configured to select the current pointer based on the user-defined order each time the audio processor plays the audio file.

18. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the audio utility is configured to select the current pointer from the set of pointers based on user input.

19. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein each pointer in the set of pointers corresponds to a mobile device operating mode, and wherein the audio utility is configured to select the current pointer from the set of pointers based on the current mobile device operating mode.

20. The mobile device of claim 19 wherein the mobile device operating mode comprises one of a call mode, an email mode, a voice mail mode, an alarm mode and a text messaging mode.

21. The mobile device of claim 14 wherein the audio processor is configured to play a substantial portion of the audio file during a pointer identification mode, and wherein the audio utility is further configured to:

generate one or more time markers responsive to user input received while the audio processor plays the audio file during the pointer identification mode; and

generate the set of pointers based on the one or more time markers.

22. The mobile device of claim 14 wherein the memory is configured to store a plurality of audio files, and wherein the audio utility is configured to store a set of one or more pointers for each stored audio file.

23. The mobile device of claim 14 wherein the audio file comprises an MP3 file.

24. The mobile device of claim 14 wherein the audio file comprises a ring tone.

25. The mobile device of claim 14 wherein the mobile device comprises a wireless communication device.

26. A method of customizing an audio file for a mobile device, the method comprising:

during a pointer identification mode, playing a substantial portion of the audio file;

generating one or more time markers responsive to user input received while playing the audio file during the pointer identification mode, wherein each time marker corresponds to a different start position for the audio file; and

generating a set of one or more pointers based on the one or more time markers.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

exiting the pointer identification mode; and

playing the audio file from a start position identified by one of the pointers from the set of pointers each time the audio processor plays the audio file.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising selecting one of the pointers from the set of pointers as a current pointer, wherein playing the audio file comprises playing the audio file from the start position identified by the current pointer.

29. The method of claim 26 further comprising editing the generated set of pointers responsive to user input.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the audio file comprises a ring tone.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein the mobile device comprises a wireless communication device.

32. A mobile device comprising:

a memory configured to store an audio file; and

a multi-media processor comprising;

an audio processor configured to play a substantial portion of the audio file during a pointer identification mode; and

an audio utility configured to generate one or more time markers responsive to user input received while the audio processor plays the audio file during the pointer identification mode, wherein each time marker corresponds to a different start position for the audio file, and to generate a set of one or more pointers based on the one or more time markers.

33. The mobile device of claim 32 wherein after exiting the pointer identification mode, the audio processor is further configured to play the audio file from a start position identified by one of the pointers from the set of pointers each time the audio processor plays the audio file.

34. The mobile device of claim 33 wherein the audio utility is further configured to select one of the pointers from the set of pointers as a current pointer, and wherein the audio processor is configured to play the audio file from the start position identified by the current pointer.

35. The mobile device of claim 32 wherein the audio utility is further configured to edit the generated set of pointers responsive to user input.

36. The mobile device of claim 32 wherein the audio file comprises a ring tone.

37. The mobile device of claim 32 wherein the mobile device comprises a wireless communication device.

38. A wireless communication device comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive wireless communication signals;

a memory configured to store a ring tone; and

a multi-media processor comprising;

an audio utility configured to store a set of one or more pointers corresponding to one or more user-selected start positions for the ring tone; and

an audio processor configured to play the ring tone from a start position identified by one of the stored pointers responsive to a call notification signal received at the transceiver.

39. The wireless communication device of claim 38 wherein the audio processor is configured to play a substantial portion of the ring tone during a pointer identification mode, and wherein the audio utility is further configured to:

generate one or more time markers responsive to user input received while the audio processor plays the ring tone during the pointer identification mode; and

generate the set of pointers based on the one or more time markers.