Automatic rotation through play out of audio-clips in repsonse to detected alert events

• US 7,904,119 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Biere, Devon L., Gailloux, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US12/623,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20100069105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/3.03, 455/3.06, 455/414.1, 455/412.2, 340/384.1, 340/692, 386/52, 386/96
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q

Abstract

A method and device for detecting alert events and responsively playing out audio-clips. The audio-clips may comprise data representing a sound recording. Playing out the audio-clips occurs in an order defined by a sequence. The audio-clips and the sequence are maintained in data storage. A processor executes program logic to detect a first alert event and responsively play out at least a first audio-clip of the sequence, and to detect a next alert event and responsively play out at least a next alert event of the sequence. After playing out all audio-clips in the sequence, play out of the audio-clips may then continue with the first audio-clip of the sequence.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining, in a computer-readable data storage device, a plurality of audio-clips and a first set of audio-clip data, wherein the first set of audio-clip data defines a first set of audio-clips of the plurality of audio-clips and a sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips;

executing, via a processor, computer-readable program instructions that cause the processor to detect occurrence of a first type of alert event and to responsively play out one or more audio-clips of the first set of audio-clips, wherein, when two or more audio-clips of the first set of audio-clips are played out, the two or more audio-clips are played out in the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips; and

executing, via the processor, computer-readable program instructions that cause the processor to detect a next occurrence of the first type of alert event and to responsively play out one or more audio-clips of the first set of audio-clips, wherein a first audio-clip, played out in response to detection of the next occurrence of the first type of alert event, comprises an audio-clip that follows, in the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips, an audio-clip that was most-recently played out in response to detection of an occurrence of the first type of alert event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining, in the computer-readable data storage device, a second set of audio-clip data, wherein the second set of audio-clip data defines a second set of audio-clips of the plurality of audio-clips and a sequence for playing the second set of audio-clips;

executing, via the processor, computer-readable program instructions that cause the processor to detect occurrence of a second type of alert event and to responsively play out one or more audio-clips of the second set of audio-clips, wherein, when two or more audio-clips of the second set of audio-clips are played out, the two or more audio-clips are played out in the sequence for playing the second set of audio-clips; and

executing, via the processor, computer-readable program instructions that cause the processor to detect a next occurrence of the second type of alert event and to responsively play out one or more audio-clips of the second set of audio-clips, wherein a first audio-clip, played out in response to detection of the next occurrence of the second type of alert event, comprises an audio-clip that follows, in the sequence for playing the second set of audio-clips, an audio-clip that was most-recently played out in response to detection of an occurrence of the second type of alert event.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information for modifying the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips; and

modifying the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips according to the information for modifying the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving information for removing one or more audio-clips from the first set of audio-clips and from the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving information for adding one or more additional audio-clips to the first set of audio-clips, wherein modifying the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips further comprises adding the one or more additional audio-clips to the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting visually, via a user interface when a given audio-clip of the first set of audio clips is being played out, lyrics associated with the given audio-clip of the first set of audio clips.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting visually, via a user interface when a given audio-clip of the first set of audio clips is being played out, a song title associated with the given audio-clip of the first set of audio clips.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of alert event comprises receiving a data communication from a base transceiver station of a cellular phone system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after playing the most-recently played audio-clip of the first set of audio-clips, storing, in the computer-readable data storage device, data that points to the next audio clip in the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein playing out one or more audio-clips of the first set of audio-clips comprises playing all audio-clips of the first set of audio-clips and continuing to play at least one audio-clip of the first set of audio-clips from a beginning of the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips defines playing out at least one audio-clip multiple times.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of audio-clip data defines each audio-clip of the first set of audio-clips as a pointer to a start-point of the audio-clip and a pointer to an end-point of the audio-clip.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to maintaining the first set of audio-clip data, executing, via the processor, computer-readable program instructions to prompt a user to approve storing the first set of audio-clip data in the computer-readable data storage device.

14. A computer-readable data storage device comprising:

a plurality of audio-clips and a first set of audio-clip data, wherein the first set of audio-clip data defines a first set of audio-clips of the plurality of audio-clips and a sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips;

computer-readable program instructions executable by a processor to detect occurrence of a first type of alert event and to responsively play out one or more audio-clips of the first set of audio-clips, wherein, when two or more audio-clips of the first set of audio-clips are played out, the two or more audio-clips are played out in the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips; and

computer-readable program instructions executable by the processor to detect a next occurrence of the first type of alert event and to responsively play out one or more audio-clips of the first set of audio-clips, wherein a first audio-clip, played out in response to detection of the next occurrence of the first type of alert event, comprises an audio-clip that follows, in the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips, an audio-clip that was most-recently played out in response to detection of an occurrence of the first type of alert event.

15. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 14, further comprising:

a second set of audio-clip data, wherein the second set of audio-clip data defines a second set of audio-clips of the plurality of audio-clips and a sequence for playing the second set of audio-clips;

computer-readable program instructions executable by the processor to detect occurrence of a second type of alert event and to responsively play out one or more audio-clips of the second set of audio-clips, wherein, when two or more audio-clips of the second set of audio-clips are played out, the two or more audio-clips are played out in the sequence for playing the second set of audio-clips; and

computer-readable program instructions executable by the processor to detect a next occurrence of the second type of alert event and to responsively play out one or more audio-clips of the second set of audio-clips, wherein a first audio-clip, played out in response to detection of the next occurrence of the second type of alert event, comprises an audio-clip that follows, in the sequence for playing the second set of audio-clips, an audio-clip that was most-recently played out in response to detection of an occurrence of the second type of alert event.

16. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 15,

wherein the first type of alert event comprises receiving a first type of message from a base transceiver station of a cellular phone system, and

wherein the second type of alert event comprises receiving a second type of message from a base transceiver station of a cellular phone system.

17. The computer-readable data storage device of claim 14, wherein the computer-readable data storage device is located within a wireless phone.

18. A device comprising:

means for maintaining a plurality of audio-clips and a first set of audio-clip data, wherein the first set of audio-clip data defines a first set of audio-clips of the plurality of audio-clips and a sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips;

means for detecting occurrence of a first type of alert event and responsively playing out one or more audio-clips of the first set of audio-clips, wherein, when two or more audio-clips of the first set of audio-clips are played out, the two or more audio-clips are played out in the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips; and

means for detecting a next occurrence of the first type of alert event and responsively playing out one or more audio-clips of the first set of audio-clips, wherein a first audio-clip, played out in response to detection of the next occurrence of the first type of alert event, comprises an audio-clip that follows, in the sequence for playing the first set of audio-clips, an audio-clip that was most-recently played out in response to detection of an occurrence of the first type of alert event.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

means for maintaining a second set of audio-clip data, wherein the second set of audio-clip data defines a second set of audio-clips of the plurality of audio-clips and a sequence for playing the second set of audio-clips;

means for detecting occurrence of a second type of alert event and responsively playing out one or more audio-clips of the second set of audio-clips, wherein, when two or more audio-clips of the second set of audio-clips are played out, the two or more audio-clips are played out in the sequence for playing the second set of audio-clips; and

means for detecting a next occurrence of the second type of alert event and responsively playing out one or more audio-clips of the second set of audio-clips, wherein a first audio-clip, played out in response to detection of the next occurrence of the second type of alert event, comprises an audio-clip that follows, in the sequence for playing the second set of audio-clips, an audio-clip that was most-recently played out in response to detection of an occurrence of the second type of alert event.

20. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

means for carrying out communications that are detectable as an occurrence of the first type of alert event.