AUDIO INTERFACE UNIT FOR SUPPORTING NETWORK SERVICES

• US 20110054907A1
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Gartrell, Andrew Julian, James, Simon David, Arbisi, Thomas Ernst, Wever, Pascal, Newman, John-Rhys, Bestle, Nikolaj, Chipchase, Jan, Thimaporn, Pawena
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means

Abstract

Techniques for providing network services at an audio interface unit include determining, based on spoken sounds of a user of an apparatus received at a microphone of the apparatus, whether to present audio data received from a different apparatus. If it is determined to present the received audio data, then presentation of the received audio data at a speaker of the apparatus is initiated. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a data communications bus; and logic encoded in one or more tangible media configured to performs the above steps. In some embodiments, the apparatus does not include a visual display and does not include a keypad of multiple buttons.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a data communications bus; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media configured to;

determine, based on spoken sounds of a user of the apparatus received at a microphone in communication with the tangible media through the data communications bus, whether to present audio data received from a different apparatus; and

if it is determined to present the received audio data, then initiate presentation of the received audio data at a speaker in communication with the tangible media through the data communications bus.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the apparatus does not include a visual display and does not include a plurality of buttons.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

the microphone configured to be worn by the user of the apparatus;

the speaker configured to be worn in an ear of the user; and

a wireless receiver for receiving over a wireless communication link the audio data from the different apparatus.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a memory in communication with the data communications bus and including computer instructions, the memory and the computer instructions configured to, with the logic, cause the apparatus to at least determine whether to present the audio data and, if it is determined to present the audio data, then to initiate the presentation of the received audio data.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the tangible media is further configured to at least:

determine, based on data received from an in-ear detector in communication with the data communications bus, whether the speaker is in place in an ear of the user; and

if the speaker is determined not in place in the ear of the user, then terminate presentation of the received audio data at the speaker.

6. An apparatus as in claim 5, the apparatus further comprising:

the speaker configured to be worn in the ear of the user; and

the in-ear detector configured to determine when the speaker is disposed in the ear of the user.

7. An apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising a wireless transmitter that combines with the wireless receiver to form a wireless transceiver.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the wireless transceiver is at least one of:

a cellular telephone transceiver;

a wireless network interface following the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless local area network (WLAN);

or

a wireless network interface following the IEEE 802.15 standard wireless personal area network (WPAN).

9. An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the determination whether to present the audio data further comprises sending data indicating the spoken word to a remote service and receiving, from the remote service, data indicating whether to initiate presentation of the audio data.

10. An apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the data indicating whether to initiate presentation of the audio data is the audio data to be presented.

11. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein.

the tangible media is further configured as a speech to text module;

and

the determination whether to present the audio data further comprises converting the spoken word to text in the speech to text module and determining whether to initiate presentation of the audio data based on the text.

12. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:

the tangible media is further configured as a text to speech module; and

the initiation of the presentation of the received audio data at the speaker further comprises converting audio data received as text from the different apparatus to speech in the text to speech module.

13. An apparatus as in claim 11, further comprising a memory in communication with the data communications bus and including data indicating a limited vocabulary of text for the speech to text module, wherein the limited vocabulary represents a limited set of verbal commands to which the apparatus responds.

14. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is small enough to be hidden in an article of clothing worn by the user.

15. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a single button to indicate a context sensitive user response to the presentation of the received audio data at the speaker.

16. A method comprising:

determining, based on spoken sounds of a user of an apparatus received at a microphone of the apparatus, whether to present audio data received from a different apparatus; and

if it is determined to present the received audio data, then initiating presentation of the received audio data at a speaker of the apparatus.

17. A method as in claim 16, further comprising:

determining, based on data received from an in-ear detector in communication with the data communications bus, whether the speaker is in place in an ear of the user; and

if the speaker is determined not in place in the ear of the user, then terminating presentation of the received audio data at the speaker.

18. A method as in claim 16, wherein the determination whether to present the audio data further comprises sending data indicating the spoken word to a remote service and receiving, from the remote service, data indicating whether to initiate presentation of the audio data.

19. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform at least the following:

determining, based on spoken sounds of a user of an apparatus received at a microphone of the apparatus, whether to present audio data received from a different apparatus; and

if it is determined to present the received audio data, then initiating presentation of the received audio data at a speaker of the apparatus.

20. A computer-readable storage medium as in claim 19, wherein the one or more sequences of one or more instructions when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to perform at least:

determining, based on data received from an in-ear detector in communication with the data communications bus, whether the speaker is in place in an ear of the user; and

if the speaker is determined not in place in the ear of the user, then terminating presentation of the received audio data at the speaker.