Voice controlled multimedia and communications device

• US 7,072,686 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2002
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avon Associates, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Avon Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Schrager, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Escalante, Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US10/215,872
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.03, 379/88.04, 379/102.01, 379/102.02, 379/102.03, 455/420, 455/563, 455/41.1, 455/418, 455/419, 455/556.1, 704/246, 704/270.1, 704/275
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A portable multimedia and communications device can include a transducive element for receiving sound. The device also can include a base unit having a plurality of multimedia units and a processor executing a speech recognition engine for recognizing user speech. Each of the plurality of multimedia units can be selectively enabled and operated responsive to user voice commands received via the transducive element and communicated to the base unit via a communication link.

Claims

1. A portable multimedia and communications device comprising:

a transducive element for receiving sound; and

a base unit comprising a plurality of multimedia units and a processor executing a speech recognition engine for recognizing user speech, wherein each of said plurality of multimedia units can be selectively enabled and operated responsive to user voice commands received via said transducive element and communicated to said base unit via a communication link, wherein the base unit is a portable electronic device, wherein said plurality of multimedia units comprise at least one multimedia unit selected from the group consisting of an AM/FM radio, a cassette player, a compact disk player, and a digital software-based media player, and wherein said speech recognition engine is switched between a speaker-independent operational mode and a speaker-dependent operational mode responsive to a user spoken utterance.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said transducive element is disposed in a first headset, said first headset unit further comprising a sound generation source and a short range wireless transceiver, said base unit comprising a second short range wireless transceiver for communicating with said short range wireless transceiver of said headset unit, and wherein said communication link is a wireless communication link.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is voice activated, and wherein said plurality of multimedia units comprise a voice memo pad.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein responsive to activating one of said plurality of multimedia units, said processor disables another active one of said plurality of multimedia units.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said processor disables said another active one of said plurality of multimedia units by lowering an audio volume of said another active multimedia unit.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein said processor disables said another active one of said plurality of multimedia units by pausing operation of said another active multimedia unit.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein responsive to terminating use of said activated multimedia unit, said processor re-enables said another active one of said plurality of multimedia units.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein one of said multimedia units is a wireless telephone.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein responsive to said wireless telephone receiving a telephone call, said processor disables an active one of said plurality of multimedia units.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said processor disables an active one of said plurality of multimedia units by lowering an audio volume of said active multimedia unit.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein said processor disables an active one of said plurality of multimedia units by pausing operation of said active multimedia unit.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein responsive to terminating said telephone call, said processor re-enables said active one of said plurality of multimedia units.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein a second one of said multimedia units is a short distance radio, and wherein plurality of multimedia units comprise an AM/FM radio interface.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein responsive to said short distance radio receiving a wireless communication, said processor disables an active one of said plurality of multimedia units.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said processor disables an active one of said plurality of multimedia units by lowering an audio volume of said active multimedia unit.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein said processor disables an active one of said plurality of multimedia units by pausing operation of said active multimedia unit.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein responsive to terminating said wireless communication, said processor re-enables said active one of said plurality of multimedia units.

18. The device of claim 8, wherein a second one of said multimedia units is a global positioning (GPS) receiver.

19. The device of claim 8, wherein a second one of said multimedia units is an AM/FM radio tuner, and wherein a third one of said multimedia units is a digital software based media player.

20. The device of claim 8, wherein a second one of said multimedia units is an audio player.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein said audio player is selected from the group consisting of a compact disc player, a digital software-based media player, and a cassette player.

22. The device of claim 8, wherein a second one of said multimedia units is a voice recorder memo pad.

23. The device of claim 2, further comprising:

at least a second headset unit configured similarly to said first headset unit, wherein said first headset unit and said second headset unit communicate with one another through said base unit via wireless communication links.

24. The device of claim 1, said base unit further comprising:

an AM/FM radio interface for providing audio from said base unit to a radio.

25. The device of claim 1, said base unit further comprising:

a transponder for locating said device.

26. A method of operating a voice activated, portable multimedia and communications device comprising:

receiving a user spoken utterance in a transducive element;

transmitting said user spoken utterance to a base unit via a communication link;

speech recognizing said user spoken utterance as a valid voice command;

selectively enabling one of a plurality of multimedia units disposed in said base unit responsive to identifying said user spoken utterance as said valid voice command, wherein the base unit is a portable electronic device, and wherein said plurality of multimedia units comprise at least one multimedia units selected from the group consisting of an AM/FM radio, a cassette player, a compact disk player, and a digital software-based media player; and

switching a selectively-enabled multimedia unit between a speaker-independent operational mode and a speaker-dependent operational mode in response to a user spoken utterance identified as a valid voice command.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said transducive element is disposed in a headset unit.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said user spoken utterance is transmitted to a base unit via a short distance wireless communications link.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

activating one of said plurality of multimedia units;

responsive to said activating steps disabling another active one of said plurality of multimedia units.

30. The method of claim 29, said disabling step comprising:

lowering an audio volume of said another active multimedia unit.

31. The method of claim 29, said disabling step comprising:

pausing operation of said another active multimedia unit.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

responsive to terminating use of said activated one of said plurality of multimedia units, re-enabling said another active one of said plurality of multimedia units.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein said voice command activates an intercom operational mode, said method further comprising:

receiving a subsequent user spoken utterance in said base unit from said headset unit via a wireless communication link; and

forwarding said user spoken utterance to a second headset unit via a second wireless communication link.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein one of said plurality of multimedia units is a wireless telephone, said method further comprising:

receiving a telephone call in said wireless telephone; and

playing an audio notification through said headset unit indicating that said call has been received.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said audio notification plays a name associated with said received telephone call.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said audio notification plays a calling telephone number of said received call.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein another one of said plurality of multimedia units is active when said telephone call is received, said method further comprising:

responsive to receiving said telephone call, disabling said active one of said plurality of multimedia units.

38. The method of claim 37, said disabling step comprising:

lowering an audio volume of said active multimedia unit.

39. The method of claim 37, said disabling step comprising:

pausing operation of said active multimedia unit.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

responsive to terminating said telephone call, re-enabling said active one of said plurality of multimedia units.

41. The method of claim 34, wherein said audio notification queries a user whether to answer said received telephone call.

42. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

determining that a calling number for said received telephone call is not included in a contact list; and

querying a user whether to save said received call information.

43. The method of claim 26, wherein one of said plurality of multimedia units is a short distance radio, said method further comprising:

receiving a short distance radio communication in said short distance radio; and

providing an audio notification to said headset unit indicating that said short distance radio communication has been received.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein another one of said plurality of multimedia units is active when said short distance radio communication is received, said method further comprising:

responsive to receiving said short distance radio communication, disabling said active one of said plurality of multimedia units.

45. The method of claim 44, said disabling step comprising:

lowering an audio volume of said active multimedia unit.

46. The method of claim 44, said disabling step comprising:

pausing operation of said active multimedia unit.

47. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

responsive to terminating said short distance radio communication, re-enabling said active one of said plurality of multimedia units.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein said audio notification queries a user whether to answer said received short distance radio communication.

49. The method of claim 26, wherein one of said plurality of multimedia units is a wireless telephone and another one of said plurality of multimedia units is a short distance radio, said method further comprising:

exchanging audio between said wireless telephone and said short distance radio.

50. A portable multimedia and communications device comprising:

a transducive element for receiving sound; and

a base unit comprising a plurality of multimedia units and a processor executing a speech recognition engine for recognizing user speech, wherein each of said plurality of multimedia units can be selectively enabled and operated responsive to user voice commands received via said transducive element and communicated to said base unit via a communication link, wherein the base unit is a portable electronic device, wherein said plurality of multimedia units comprise at least one multimedia unit selected from the group consisting of an AM/FM radio, a cassette player, a compact disk player, and a digital software-based media player, and wherein each multimedia unit operates in a speaker-dependent operational mode until being switched to a speaker-independent operational mode in response to a user spoken utterance.

51. A method of operating a voice activated, portable multimedia and communications device comprising:

receiving a user spoken utterance in a transducive element;

transmitting said user spoken utterance to a base unit via a communication link;

speech recognizing said user spoken utterance as a valid voice command;

selectively enabling one of a plurality of multimedia units disposed in said base unit responsive to identifying said user spoken utterance as said valid voice command, wherein the base unit is a portable electronic device, and wherein said plurality of multimedia units comprise at least one multimedia units selected from the group consisting of an AM/FM radio, a cassette player, a compact disk player, and a digital software-based media player; and

operating a selectively-enabled multimedia unit in a speaker-dependent operational mode until causing the selectively-enable multimedia unit to operate in a speaker-independent mode in response to a user spoken utterance identified as a valid voice command.