Distinguishing audio alerts

• US 7,792,279 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US11/669,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20070121918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.12, 379/252, 379/352, 379/372, 379/373, 379/374, 379/418, 455/412.2, 455/567, 340/691, 340/692
• US Class Current: 379/373.02
• 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

Methods, systems, computer program products, and devices distinguish audio alerts emitted from a device. A method involves relating an audio alert and distinctive data associated with an audio alert triggering event to the audio alert triggering event, detecting an occurrence of the audio alert triggering event, altering the audio alert with the distinctive data to generate an altered audio alert associated with the audio alert triggering event, and emitting the altered audio alert from the device in response to detecting the occurrence. The altered audio alert includes a unique instantiation aurally recognizable by a human as having a unique aural fingerprint. Relating the distinctive data may include relating a personal identifier of a person associated with the audio alert triggering event wherein the personal identifier can be, for example, a social security number, an employee identification number, an address, or a birth date. For instance, the ASCII string of a personal identifier can modulate an audio alert.

Claims

1. A method for distinguishing audio alerts emitted from a device, the method comprising:

in the device, detecting receipt of an audio alert triggering event signal comprising an indication of a source of the signal;

responsive to the detecting, identifying a predetermined relationship between distinctive data, an audio alert, and the source of the signal;

storing the audio alert and the distinctive data in the device before the relationship is determined;

in the device, altering the audio alert with the distinctive data to generate an altered audio alert; and

emitting the altered audio alert from the device,

wherein the altered audio alert comprises a unique instantiation of the audio alert, and

wherein the distinctive data includes at least a personal identifier associated with the source of the signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the audio alert at a source external to the device before the relationship is determined, wherein the audio alert includes at least one member selected from a group comprising a melody, a performance, a ring tone, a song excerpt, and a digital recording.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the distinctive data at a source external to the device before the relationship is determined.

4. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

accessing the audio alert at a source external to the device before the relationship is determined;

wherein accessing the audio alert comprises accessing at least one electronic file interpretable as audio;

wherein accessing the distinctive data comprises accessing at least one electronic file containing data usable as the distinctive data; and

wherein altering the audio alert with the distinctive data comprises generating an altered electronic file containing the distinctive data.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting the altered electronic file to a second device for use at a distance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the distinctive data further includes at least one of the following:

a digital voice recording of a person associated with the source of the signal; and

a digital recording associated with the audio alert triggering event signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein altering the audio alert with the distinctive data comprises at least one of the following:

modulating the audio alert with an ASCII string of the personal identifier;

morphing the audio alert with the digital voice recording of the person;

combining the audio alert with a second audio alert;

recombining the altered audio alert with the distinctive data; and

modulating the audio alert with a digital recording.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein modulating the audio alert with an ASCII string of the personal identifier comprises at least one of the following:

adding two or more digits of the ASCII string and using the sum to modulate the audio alert;

subtracting two or more digits of the ASCII string and using the difference to modulate the audio alert;

dividing two or more digits of the ASCII string and using the result to modulate the audio alert; and

multiplying two or more digits of the ASCII string and using the product to modulate the audio alert.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the digital voice recording comprises a voice recording of a caller to the device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the digital recording comprises a siren associated with an audio alert triggering event signal involving an emergency.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising auditioning the altered audio alert.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal identifier comprises at least one of the following:

a social security number;

a zip code;

an address;

an employee identification number;

a phone number;

a birth year; and

a birth date.

13. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer-readable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a processor to distinguish audio alerts, the control logic comprising computer-readable program code for causing the processor to:

in a device, detect receipt of an audio alert triggering event signal comprising an indication of a source of the signal;

responsive to the detecting, identify a predetermined relationship between distinctive data, an audio alert, and the source of the signal;

store the audio alert and the distinctive data in the device before the relationship is determined;

in the device, alter the audio alert with the distinctive data to generate an altered audio alert; and

emit the altered audio alert,

wherein the distinctive data includes at least a personal identifier associated with the source of the signal.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer-readable program code for causing the processor to access the audio alert at a source external to a device comprising the processor before the relationship is determined, wherein the audio alert includes at least one member selected from a group comprising a melody, a performance, a ring tone, a song excerpt, and a digital recording.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the distinctive data further includes at least one of the following:

a digital voice recording of the person; and

a digital recording associated with the audio alert triggering event signal;

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

a social security number;

a zip code;

an address;

an employee identification number;

a phone number;

a birth year; and

a birth date.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable program code for causing the processor to alter the audio alert with the distinctive data comprises at least one of the following computer-readable program codes for causing the processor to:

modulate the audio alert with an ASCII string of the personal identifier;

morph the audio alert with the digital voice recording of the person;

combine the audio alert with a second audio alert;

recombine the altered audio alert with the distinctive data; and

modulate the audio alert with a digital recording.

17. A system for distinguishing an audio alert, comprising:

an audio source file for representing an audio alert;

a device having an emitter for emitting the audio alert and a modulated audio alert; and

a data structure operable to;

detect receipt of an audio alert triggering event signal comprising an indication of a source of the signal;

responsive to the detecting, identify a predetermined relationship between the audio source file, modulation data, and the source of the signal; and

cause the device to emit an altered audio source file;

a processor operable to calculate a modulation key based on the modulation data; and

a distinguisher operable to alter the audio source file with the modulation data in accordance with the modulation key.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the device comprises storage for storing data and wherein the data structure comprises a data structure stored in the device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the audio source file comprises a sequence of numbers;

wherein each number of the sequence of numbers comprises a distinct musical tone; and

wherein an ASCII string of the modulation data comprises a second sequence of numbers modulating the sequence of numbers.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the device comprises at least one of the following:

a wireless telephone, a barcode scanner, a personal digital assistant, a global positioning system device, and an electronic mail messaging device.