SMART DOCK FOR ACTIVATING A VOICE RECOGNITION MODE OF A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20130325479A1
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Krueger, Scott, Dorogusker, Jesse, Wang, Erik
• Granted Patent: US 9,711,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A dock for a portable electronic device including a housing, a connector extending from the housing to connect the portable electronic device to the dock, a microphone integrated within the housing, and a processor. The processor is operatively coupled to receive audio input from the microphone, and in response to the audio input, transmit a message to the portable electronic device via the connector to activate a voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A dock for a portable electronic device, the dock comprising:

a housing;

a connector extending from the housing to connect the portable electronic device to the dock;

a microphone integrated within the housing; and

a processor operatively coupled to receive audio input from the microphone and configured to, in response to the audio input, transmit a message to the portable electronic device via the connector to activate a voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

2. The dock of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit an authentication message to the portable electronic device via the connector.

3. The dock of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to activate a listening mode of the dock.

4. The dock of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to deactivate the listening mode of the dock in response to the audio input.

5. The dock of claim 4, wherein the processor is operatively coupled to receive a message from the portable electronic device via the connector, the message indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

6. The dock of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to reactivate the listening mode of the dock in response to the message indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

7. The dock of claim 1, wherein the processor is operatively coupled to receive voice input from the microphone and transmit the voice input to the portable electronic device in the voice recognition mode via the connector.

8. The dock of claim 7 further comprising a speaker integrated within the housing and operatively coupled to the processor, the processor further configured to:

receive audio output from the portable electronic device in the voice recognition mode via the connector; and

transmit the audio output to the speaker

9. The dock of claim 8, wherein the voice input includes a user request, and wherein the received audio output includes a response to the user request generated by the portable electronic device.

10. A method performed by a dock, the method comprising:

receiving, by the dock, audio input from a user; and

in response to the audio input, transmitting a message by the dock to a portable electronic device operatively coupled to the dock, the message activating a voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising transmitting, by the dock, an authentication message to the portable electronic device.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising activating, by the dock, a listening mode of the dock.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising deactivating, by the dock, the listening mode of the dock in response to the audio input.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving, by the dock, a message from the portable electronic device indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising reactivating, by the dock, the listening mode of the dock in response to the message indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving, by the dock, voice input from the user; and

transmitting, by the dock, the voice input to the portable electronic device in the voice recognition mode.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving, by the dock, audio output from the portable electronic device in the voice recognition mode; and

presenting, by the dock, the audio output to the user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the voice input includes a user request, and wherein the received audio input includes a response to the user request generated by the portable electronic device.

19. A portable electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a receptacle connector within the housing to connect the portable electronic device to a dock; and

a processor operatively coupled to receive a message from the dock via the receptacle connector and configured to, in response to the message, activate a voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the processor is operatively coupled to receive an authentication message from the dock via the receptacle connector.

21. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a message to the dock via the receptacle connector, the message indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 19 further comprising a microphone and a speaker integrated within this housing, wherein when the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device is activated, the processor is further configured to:

receive voice input from the microphone, the voice input including a user request;

process the user request;

generate audio output including a response to the user request; and

transmit the audio output to the speaker.

23. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein, when voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device is activated, the processor is further configured to:

receive voice input from the dock via the receptacle connector, the voice input including a user request;

process the user request;

generate audio output including a response to the user request; and

transmit the audio output to the dock via the receptacle connector.

24. The portable electronic device of claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to deactivate the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device in response to the expiration of a predetermined period of time during which no voice input is received from the microphone.

25. A computer-readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, the program code including instructions that, when executed by a processor in a dock, cause the processor to execute a method comprising:

receiving audio input from a user; and

in response to the audio input, transmitting a message to a portable electronic device coupled to the dock, the message activating a voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform a method further comprising transmitting an authentication message to the portable electronic device.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform a method further comprising activating a listening mode of the dock.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform a method further comprising deactivating the listening mode of the dock in response to the audio input.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform a method further comprising receiving a message from the portable electronic device indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform a method further comprising reactivating the listening mode of the dock in response to the message indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.