Audio alert system and method

• US 7,623,668 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tischer, Steven N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Briney, III; Walter F
• Application Number:
  US11/682,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20070147601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 381/77
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/578 associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

An audio alert system, device, and method include an audio alert created by a user and programmed into a device, such as a wireless telephone. A user programs and stores in the device a data structure relating an audio alert triggering event to the audio alert. When the device detects an occurrence of the particular audio alert triggering event, the device emits the audio alert related to the triggering event. As such, users are able to customize audio alerts that are easily recognizable and that are associated with a particular event, or signal. Audio alerts can be programmed using different devices and in various formats and can be transmitted to other devices. An audio alert triggering event can modulate an audio alert according to an external variable.

Claims

1. An audio alert system, comprising:

a customizable audio alert;

a device configured to detect an occurrence of an audio alert triggering event, the device comprising an emitter for emitting one or more iterations of the audio alert; and

the device further comprising a data structure for relating the audio alert triggering event to the audio alert;

wherein the device modulates the audio alert according to retail information associated with the audio alert triggering event in order to generate the iterations, the audio alert triggering event comprising at least one of;

the device being within a predetermined proximity of a selected type of retail store;

an availability of a selected retail item at a predetermined price range;

or

an availability of relative price data about the selected retail item;

wherein the device is activated to receive the retail information for a product from a particular retail store by pointing the device toward the particular retail store; and

wherein when the audio alert triggering event occurs, the data structure causes the device to emit the modulated audio alert associated with the audio alert triggering event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the retail information comprises at least one of product information or price information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the device further comprises:

a receiver for receiving incoming transmissions carrying the retail information; and

storage having the audio alert and the data structure stored therein;

wherein the data structure relates detection of the audio alert triggering event to the audio alert; and

wherein the modulated audio alert comprises a first iteration of the audio alert.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the retail information comprises product information;

wherein the audio alert triggering event includes an audio alert triggering signal comprising a price for a selected product.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the retail information comprises price information.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the audio alert includes at least one member of a group comprising brand information and advertising information.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the retail information comprises product information;

wherein the audio alert triggering event includes an audio alert triggering signal comprising a price for a selected product;

wherein when the device is activated to receive the price information for the selected product from a retail store, the audio alert triggering signal carrying the price is transmitted from the retail store for the product to the device; and

wherein upon receiving the audio alert triggering signal, the device detects the audio alert triggering signal and the data structure causes the emitter to emit the first iteration of the audio alert to indicate the price.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the device is activated to receive a second price for the product from a second retail store;

wherein the audio alert triggering signal carrying the second price for the product is transmitted from a second retail store to the device;

wherein upon receiving the audio alert triggering signal and the second price from the second retail store, the device detects the audio alert triggering signal and the data structure causes the emitter to emit a second iteration of the audio alert to indicate the second price relative to the price; and

wherein the second iteration is a modulated variation in pitch or frequency of the first iteration thereby indicating a relative price difference between the second price at the second retail store and the price for the product at the retail store.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the retail information comprises price information;

and

wherein the audio alert is modulated upon receipt of the price information from a retail store relative to a predetermined price to indicate prices higher or lower than the predetermined price thereby enabling comparison of prices for a product in different retail stores.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the audio alert triggering event comprises an audio alert triggering signal including a price for a selected product;

wherein the data structure is further operable to detect whether the price for the selected product carried on the audio alert triggering signal falls within a pre-determined price range;

wherein when the device is activated to receive the price for the selected product from a retail store, the audio alert triggering signal carrying the price for the selected product is transmitted from the retail store for the selected product to the device;

wherein when the price of the selected product in the retail store falls within the pre-determined price range in the data structure, the data structure causes the emitter to emit an iteration of the audio alert to indicate that the price falls within the predetermined price range; and

wherein when the price does not fall within the pre-determined price range, no audio alert is emitted.

11. An audio alert system, comprising:

a plurality of audio alerts;

a plurality of data structures, each data structure for relating one of a plurality of audio alert triggering events to one of the plurality of audio alerts;

a device configured to detect an occurrence of one of the plurality of audio alert triggering events, the device comprising storage for storing data, the plurality of data structures stored in the device; and

the device further comprising an emitter for emitting one or more iterations of the plurality of audio alerts as a morphed audio alert;

wherein the device modulates the morphed audio alert according to retail information associated with the one of a plurality of audio alert triggering events in order to generate the iterations, wherein the one of a plurality of audio alert triggering events comprises at least one of;

the device being within a predetermined proximity of a selected type of retail store;

an availability of a selected retail item at a predetermined price range;

or

an availability of relative price data about the selected retail item;

wherein the device is activated to receive the retail information for a product from a particular retail store by pointing the device toward the particular retail store;

wherein when a particular one of the plurality of audio alert triggering events occurs, a particular one of the plurality of data structures causes the device to emit the morphed audio alert related to the particular audio alert triggering event; and

wherein the morphed audio alert comprises a combination of at least two of;

a first audio alert of the plurality of audio alerts;

a second audio alert of the plurality of audio alerts;

an original audio alert tone sequence;

a commonly available audio alert tune;

or

at least one notification feature selected from a group including a digital voice recording.

12. The system of claim 11, the device further comprising a bar code scanner;

wherein each of the plurality of audio alerts is associated with a respective check-out register or a respective check-out clerk;

wherein the combination is determined in accordance with a personal identifier entered into the device, the personal identifier associated with the respective check-out clerk; and

wherein the one of a plurality of audio alert triggering events further comprises a retail item being scanned by the device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the combination is further determined in accordance with at least one of:

a price of the retail item scanned;

a product type of the retail item scanned; and

a brand of the retail item scanned; and

wherein the personal identifier comprises at least one of the following;

a name of the respective check-out clerk;

or

an employee identification number of the respective check-out clerk.

14. A user programmable device for emitting an audio alert, comprising:

storage for storing data;

a customizable audio alert stored in the device;

a modulating mechanism for modulating the audio alert in accordance with retail information received in response to an orientation of the device with respect to a retail location;

a data structure programmed to detect an occurrence of an audio alert triggering event and relate the audio alert triggering event to the audio alert, the data structure stored in the device; and

an emitter for emitting the audio alert, wherein when the audio alert triggering event occurs, the data structure detects the occurrence of the audio alert triggering event and causes the device to emit the audio alert related to the audio alert triggering event.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the retail information comprises at least one of product information or price information.

16. A method of customizing audio alerts in a device, the method comprising:

storing a customizable audio alert in the device;

programming in the device a data structure to detect an occurrence of an audio alert triggering event and relate the audio alert triggering event to the audio alert; and

modulating the audio alert in accordance with retail information received in response to an orientation of the device with respect to a retail location;

wherein the data structure detects the occurrence of the audio alert triggering event and causes the device to emit the modulated audio alert related to the audio alert triggering event.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the retail information comprises one of product information or price information.