METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EVENT REMINDER USING AN EARPIECE

• US 20090238386A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staton Techiya, LLC
• Original Assignee: Personics Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Usher, John, Goldstein, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/405 by combining a plurality of transducers

Abstract

A method for administering an audio message to a user of an earpiece can include receiving event information from a paired communication device, updating a personal event calendar by ordering event information to generate a first event list, generating a modified event list by grouping events in the first event list according to acceptance criteria based on event priority of event types, and generating an audio token for collective events in the modified event list for audible delivery to the ear canal. Events can be ordered by event name, event location, event data, event importance, event invitees, or event category. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

14. A method for administering an audio message to a user of an earpiece, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving event information from a paired communication device;

screening the event information according to acceptance criteria;

producing a modified event list in response to the screening, and

audibly informing the user of the modified event information.

1. An earpiece, comprising:

an Ambient Sound Microphone (ASM) to capture ambient sound;

an Ear Canal Receiver (ECR) to deliver audio to an ear canal;

an Ear Canal Microphone (ECM) configured to monitor a sound pressure level (SPL) within the ear canal;

a transceiver to receive and transmit event information from a paired communication device; and

a processor operatively coupled to the transceiver, ASM, the ECR, transceiver and the ECM to

screen the event information according to acceptance criteria,

produce a modified event list in response to the screening, and

audibly inform a user wearing the earpiece of the modified event information.

2. The earpiece of claim 1, wherein the processor responsive to the screening updates a personal event calendar and generates a first event list from the event information received from paired communication device.

3. The earpiece of claim 1, wherein the event information comprises a data field that is at least one among an event name, an event location, an event importance, an event invitation list, and an event category.

4. The earpiece of claim 2, wherein the processor converts the first event list to the modified event list by ordering events in order of importance.

5. The earpiece of claim 4, wherein the processor converts the first event list to the modified event list by removing less important events until a total number of remaining events is equal to a predetermined threshold.

6. The earpiece of claim 2, wherein the processor converts the first event list to the modified event list by ordering the events by a time at which the event is planned to occur.

7. The earpiece of claim 2, wherein the processor converts the first event list to the modified event list by grouping events according to a geographic location at which the event is planned.

8. The earpiece of claim 2, wherein the processor converts the first event list to the modified event list by grouping events according to an event category.

9. The earpiece of claim 2, wherein the processor removes events which have incomplete data fields or an unacceptable language description.

10. The earpiece of claim 1, wherein the processor generates an audio token for events in the modified event list for audible delivery to the ear canal.

11. The earpiece of claim 10, wherein the processor delays notifying the user of the audio token until a background noise level monitored by the ASM falls below a predetermined threshold.

12. The earpiece of claim 10, wherein the processor reduces a volume of audio content generated by the ECR to a predetermined level for allowing the audio token to be heard clearly.

13. The earpiece of claim 10, wherein the processor monitors the ASM and ECM, and adjusts a sealing section of the earpiece to attenuate background noise levels passing from the ambient environment to the ear canal.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

updating a personal event calendar to generate a first event list from received events; and

generating a modified event list according to acceptance criteria based on event priority of event types.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of updating comprises:

ordering events in order of importance, by a time at which the event is planned to occur, or according to an event category.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of updating comprises:

ordering events by event name, event location, or event invites.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of generating comprises:

removing events which have an event importance lower than a predetermined criteria threshold until a total number of remaining events is equal to a predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of generating comprises:

grouping events by an event category.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of generating comprises:

removing events which have incomplete data fields.

18-1. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of generating comprises:

grouping events by the location at which the event is planned.

21. A method for administering an audio message to a user of an earpiece, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving event information from a paired communication device;

updating a personal event calendar by ordering event information to generate a first event list;

generating a modified event list by grouping events in the first event list according to acceptance criteria based on event priority of event types; and

generating an audio token for collective events in the modified event list for audible delivery to the ear canal.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising:

reducing a volume of audio content generated by the ECR to a predetermined level for allowing the audio token to be heard clearly; and

increasing a volume of the audio token in accordance with an importance or priority level of the event information associated with the audio token.

23. The method of claim 21, comprising:

monitoring an ambient background noise level and an internal ear canal noise level, and adjusts a sealing section of the earpiece to attenuate background noise levels passing from the ambient environment to the ear canal to permit clear reproduction of the audio token.

24. The method of claim 21, comprising:

ordering events by event name, event location, event data, event importance, event invitees, or event category; and

grouping the events according to the ordering and audibly delivering the audio token corresponding to the collective event.

25. The method of claim 21, comprising

converting at least one text data field in the event information into a corresponding speech audio message by way of a text to speech converter, and

associating at least one data field in the event information with a non-speech audio signal, such as a tone of different pitch for different event categories, and reproducing the non-speech audio signal after the speech message.