AMBIENT TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, A MOVEMENT MEMBER, METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM THEREFOR

• US 20120033795A1
• Filed: 04/12/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Harma, Aki Sakari, Dadlani Mahtani, Pavankumar Murli, Peregrin Emparanza, Jorge
• Granted Patent: US 8,787,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/00 Toy figures with self-moving parts, with or without movement of the toy as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/00 Musical or noise- producing devices for additional toy effects other than acoustical musical tops A63H1/28; sound-producing dolls A63H3/28; musical toy vehicles A63H17/268; acoustical vehicle-signalling devices A63H17/32; whistling toy locomotive arrangements A63H19/14; music, sound or noise production in general G10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08

Abstract

An ambient telecommunication system (10) is provided. The system (10) comprises at least one transmitter (11) and a corresponding receiver (12) for transmitting and receiving an electronically or digitally encoded information signal between two or more conversing parties. The system further comprises a movement member (14) being configured to perform a movement or assume a certain physical posture, based on the result of content analysis of the information signal.

Claims

1. An ambient telecommunication system (10), comprising at least one transmitter (11) and a corresponding receiver (12) for transmitting and receiving an electronically or digitally encoded information signal between two or more conversing parties, the ambient telecommunication system further comprising at least one movement member (14) being configured to perform a movement or assume a certain physical posture, based on the content of the information signal.

2. The ambient telecommunication system (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a controlling unit (13) configured to

perform content analysis on the information signal, and

activate the movement member (14) to perform a movement or assume a certain physical posture based on the result of the content analysis.

3. The ambient telecommunication system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the movement member (14) is configured to perform a movement or assume a certain physical posture when the corresponding transmitter (11) or receiver (12) is in an active mode.

4. The ambient telecommunication system (10) according to claim 1, wherein a transmitter (11), a receiver (12), and a movement member (14) are integrated in a transmission/reception unit.

5. The ambient telecommunication system (10) according to claim 1, comprising a controlling unit (13) configured to activate movement of the movement member (14) corresponding to the active transmitter (11).

6. The ambient telecommunication system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the movement member (14) comprises a movement stick and a motor for moving the movement stick.

7. The ambient telecommunication system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter (11) is a loudspeaker and the receiver (12) is a microphone.

8. The ambient telecommunication system (10) according to claim 1, wherein a certain posture of the movement member (14) is preset to correspond to a specific remote caller.

9. The ambient telecommunication system (10) according to claim 2, wherein the information signal comprises speech information, and the content analysis performed on the information signal is configured to detect:

the mood and/or frame of mind of by the user or other conversation party or parties;

the identity of the remote caller;

the distance from the transmitter (11) or receiver (12) or movement member (14) to the other conversation party or parties based upon detection of volume of the speech information;

changes in volume of a conversation party'"'"'s speech;

activity or passivity of a conversation party or parties;

physical movement of the other conversation party or parties;

long pauses in the conversation;

activity from the other conversation party or parties;

the incidence of filler words, or

the incidence of positive or negative words.

10. The ambient telecommunication system (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a light emitting unit (15) configured to emit light having certain light properties based on the content of the information signal.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of selecting (61) a transmitter (11) and a corresponding receiver (12), among a set of transmitters (11) and corresponding receivers (12), comprises selecting the transmitter (11) and a corresponding receiver (12) being closest to the user.

11. A movement member (14) comprising a transmitter (11) and a corresponding receiver (12) for transmitting and receiving an electronically or digitally encoded information signal between two or more conversing parties, the movement member (14) being configured to perform a movement or assuming a posture, based on the result of content analysis of the information signal.

12. The movement member (14) according to claim 11, further comprising a light emitting unit (15) configured to emit light having certain light properties based on the content analysis of the information signal.

13. A method for operating an ambient telecommunication system (10) for transmitting and receiving an information signal between two or more conversing parties, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting (61) a transmitter (11) and a corresponding receiver (12), among a set of transmitters (11) and corresponding receivers (12),

transmitting (62) and receiving an electronically or digitally encoded information signal from the transmitter (11) and the receiver (12), and

activating (63) a movement member (14) to assume a certain physical posture based on the result of content analysis of the information signal.

15. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for processing by a computer, the computer program comprising

a code segment (71) for selecting a transmitter (11) and a corresponding receiver (12), among a set of transmitters (11) and corresponding receivers (12),

a code segment (72) for transmitting and receiving an electronically or digitally encoded information signal from the transmitter (11) and the receiver (12), and

a code segment (73) for activating a movement member (14) to assume a certain physical posture based on the content of the information signal.