Ambient telephone communication system, a movement member, method, and computer readable medium therefor

• US 8,787,543 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2010
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Peregrin Emparanza, Jorge, Harma, Aki Sakari, Dadlani Mahtani, Pavankumar Murli
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US13/264,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20120033795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/219, 455/461, 455/414.1, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/00 Toy figures with self-moving parts, with or without movement of the toy as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/00 Musical or noise- producing devices for additional toy effects other than acoustical musical tops A63H1/28; sound-producing dolls A63H3/28; musical toy vehicles A63H17/268; acoustical vehicle-signalling devices A63H17/32; whistling toy locomotive arrangements A63H19/14; music, sound or noise production in general G10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08

Abstract

An ambient telecommunication system includes at least one transmitter and a corresponding receiver for transmitting and receiving an electronically or digitally encoded information signal between two or more conversing parties. The system further includes a movement member configured to perform a movement or assume a certain physical posture, based on the result of content analysis of the information signal.

Claims

1. An ambient telecommunication system comprising:

a plurality of transmitters; and

a plurality of receivers corresponding to the plurality of transmitters, the plurality of transmitters and the plurality of receivers being configured for transmitting and receiving an electronically or digitally encoded information signal between two or more conversing parties;

at least one movement member being configured to perform a movement or assume a certain physical posture, based on content of the information signal; and

a controlling unit configured to select a transmitter and a corresponding receiver from among the plurality of transmitters and the plurality of receivers for communication with a user,

wherein the selected transmitter and the selected corresponding receiver are closest to the user.

2. The ambient telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit is further configured to:

perform content analysis on the information signal; and

activate the movement member to perform the movement or assume the certain physical posture based on result of the content analysis.

3. The ambient telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein the movement member is configured to perform the movement or assume the certain physical posture when a corresponding transmitter or receiver is in an active mode.

4. The ambient telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein a transmitter, a receiver, and a movement member are integrated in a transmission/reception unit.

5. The ambient telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit is further configured to activate movement of the movement member corresponding to an active transmitter.

6. The ambient telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein the movement member comprises a movement stick and a motor for moving the movement stick.

7. The ambient telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a loudspeaker and the receiver is a microphone.

8. The ambient telecommunication system according to claim 1, wherein the certain posture of the movement member is preset to correspond to a specific remote caller.

9. The ambient telecommunication system according to claim 2, wherein the information signal comprises speech information, and the content analysis performed on the information signal is configured to detect:

mood and/or frame of mind of by at least one of the user and a remote caller;

an identity of the remote caller;

a distance from a transmitter or a receiver or movement member to the user based upon detection of volume of the speech information;

changes in volume of speech of the at least one of the user and the remote caller;

activity or passivity of the at least one of the user and the remote caller;

physical movement of the at least one of the user and the remote caller;

long pauses in conversation between the at least one of the user and the remote caller;

activity of the at least one of the user and the remote caller;

incidence of filler words in the conversation, or

incidence of positive or negative words in the conversation.

10. The ambient telecommunication system according to claim 1, further comprising a light emitting unit configured to emit light having different colors and/or intensities based on the content of the information signal.

11. The ambient telecommunication system of claim 1, wherein the controlling unit is further configured to:

perform content analysis on the information signal, wherein the content analysis performed on the information signal is configured to detect pauses in a conversation between the user and a caller; and

activate the at least one movement member to perform the movement or assume the certain physical posture based on the detected pauses.

12. The ambient telecommunication system of claim 1, the controlling unit is further configured to detect that the user is near a screen, turn on the screen and display a representation of a remote caller on the screen.

13. A movement member comprising;

a transmitter and a corresponding receiver for transmitting and receiving an electronically or digitally encoded information signal between two or more conversing parties;

a processor configured to perform content analysis of the information signal; and

a light emitting unit configured to emit light having different colors and/or intensities based on the content analysis of the information signal,

wherein the processor is further configured to control the movement member to perform a movement or assuming a posture, based on the content analysis of the information signal.

14. The movement member of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect pauses in a conversation between the two or more conversing parties from the content analysis; and

activate the movement member to perform the movement or assume the posture based on the detected pauses.

15. The movement member of claim 13, the processor is further configured to detect that a user is near a screen, turn on the screen and display a representation of a remote caller on the screen.

16. A method for operating an ambient telecommunication system for transmitting and receiving an information signal between a user and a caller, the method comprising the acts of:

selecting by a processor a transmitter and a corresponding receiver, among a plurality of transmitters and corresponding plurality of receivers;

transmitting and receiving an electronically or digitally encoded information signal from the transmitter and the receiver;

performing content analysis of the information signal; and

activating a movement member to assume a certain physical posture based on the content analysis of the information signal,

wherein the selecting act selects a transmitter and a corresponding receiver that are closest to the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the performing act comprises the act of detecting by the processor pauses in a conversation between the user and the caller, and wherein the activating act activates the movement member to assume the certain physical posture based on the detected pauses.

18. The n method of claim 16, further comprising the acts of:

detecting that the user is near a screen;

turning on the screen; and

displaying a representation of the remote caller on the screen.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for processing by a computer, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for selecting a transmitter and a corresponding receiver, among a plurality of transmitters and corresponding plurality of receivers;

a code segment for transmitting and receiving an electronically or digitally encoded information signal from the transmitter and the receiver;

a code segment for performing content analysis of the information signal; and

a code segment for activating a movement member to assume a certain physical posture based on the content of the information signal,

wherein the selecting act selects a transmitter and a corresponding receiver that are closest to a user.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computer program further comprises:

a code segment for detecting that the user is near a screen;

a code segment for turning on the screen; and

a code segment for displaying a representation of a remote caller on the screen.