Earpiece with voice menu

• US 8,798,693 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: K/S HIMPP
• Original Assignee: Sound Id
• Inventors: Jones, Michael R., Pavlovic, Caslav V., Michael, Nicholas R., Cohen, Ephram
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Huy C
• Application Number:
  US12/716,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20110217967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.2
• US Class Current: 455/575.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/60 including speech amplifiers
• 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 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

An ear-level device which can be operable in multiple modes supports a voice menu by which more complex functions executable by the ear-level device or by a companion module can be selected using input at the ear-level device. By pushing a button on an earpiece for example, a voice menu is activated announcing a set of functions such as voice dial, last number redial and so on. When the function that the user wants is announced, the user presses the same button which activates the execution of the function.

Claims

1. A method for operating an ear-level device including an audio transducer, a user input, a radio and control circuitry which transmits and receives communication signals encoding audio data using the radio to and from a companion module;

comprising;

storing, on the ear-level device, an ordered list of functions, including functions executable using the ear-level device or the companion module;

in response to a signal from a push button user input at the ear-level device, executing a sequence including;

playing an audible identifier of a function selected from the ordered list on the ear-level device, wherein a function selectable from the ordered list includes a function having first and second states; and

determining on the ear-level device, whether a second signal from the push button user input at the ear-level device is received within a waiting interval, and if the second user input is received within the waiting interval, generating a signal indicating selection of the selected function, wherein the signal indicating selection of said function toggles the state of the function, and if the second signal from the push button user input is not received within the waiting interval, then automatically repeating the playing and the determining for another function in the ordered list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ordered list of functions include functions executable by the companion module, and including sending the signal indicating selection of the selected function to the companion module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the companion module comprises a mobile phone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the companion module comprises a mobile phone, and the ordered list of functions includes one or more functions selected from a group including last number redial, favorite number dial, voice mail dial and voice dial.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the ordered list of functions includes one or more functions selected from a group of configuration functions for the ear-level device.

6. The method of claim 1, including accepting configuration data specifying the functions in the ordered list and their order, by communication from the companion module.

7. The method of claim 1, including modifying configuration data specifying the functions in the ordered list and their order, in response to statistics related to use of the voice menu.

8. The method of claim 1, including playing an audio introduction at the ear-level device before executing the sequence.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a function selectable from the ordered list includes execution of a second voice menu.

10. The method of claim 1, including after playing an audible identifier of a last function in the ordered list, generating a signal indicating selection of the last function independent of the second signal.

11. A method for operating an ear-level device including an audio transducer, a user input, a radio and control circuitry which transmits and receives communication signals encoding audio data using the radio to and from a companion module;

comprising;

storing, on the ear-level device, an ordered list of functions and audible identifiers linked to each function, the functions including functions executable using the ear-level device or the companion module;

in response to a signal from a user input at the ear-level device, executing a sequence that traverses the ordered list, including;

playing the audible identifier linked to a current function, starting with a first function in the ordered list, on the ear-level device; and

determining on the ear-level device, whether a second signal from the user input at the ear-level device is received within a waiting interval, and if the second signal is received within the waiting interval, generating a signal indicating selection of the current function, and if the second user input is not received within the waiting interval, then automatically repeating the playing and the determining for a next function in the ordered list;

wherein a particular function in the ordered list has first and second states, and wherein the signal indicating selection of said particular function toggles the state of the particular function; and

including changing the audible identifier linked to the function in the ordered list from a first audible identifier of the function in the first state to a second audible identifier of the function in the second state to be played when subsequently executing said sequence that traverses the ordered list.

12. A personal communication device comprising:

an ear-level device including a radio including a transmitter and a receiver which transmits and receives communication signals encoding audio data, an audio transducer;

one or more microphones, a user input and control circuitry;

wherein the control circuitry includes

logic for communication using the radio with a companion module including a source of audio data;

logic operable to execute a voice menu function and memory storing an ordered list of functions executable using the ear-level device or the companion module;

the voice menu function including executing a sequence in response to a signal from a push button user input at the ear-level device, the sequence including;

playing an audible identifier of a function selected from the ordered list on the ear-level device, wherein a function selectable from the ordered list includes a function having first and second states; and

determining whether a second signal from the push button user input at the ear-level device is received within a waiting interval, and if the second signal from the push button user input is received within the waiting interval, generating a signal indicating selection of the selected function including logic to toggle the state of the function in response to the signal indicating selection of said function, and if the second signal from the push button user input is not received within the waiting interval, then automatically repeating the playing and the determining for another function in the ordered list.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the ordered list of functions includes functions executable by the companion module, including logic to send the signal to the companion module.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the companion module comprises a mobile phone.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the companion module comprises a mobile phone, and the ordered list of functions includes one or more functions selected from a group including last number redial, favorite number dial, voice mail dial and voice dial.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the ordered list of functions includes one or more functions selected from a group of configuration functions for the ear-level device.

17. The device of claim 12, including logic to accept configuration data specifying the functions in the ordered list and their order by communication from the companion module.

18. The device of claim 12, including logic to modify configuration data specifying the functions in the ordered list and their order in response to statistics related to use of the voice menu.

19. The device of claim 12, including logic to play an audio introduction at the ear-level device before executing the sequence.

20. The device of claim 12, wherein a function selectable from the ordered list includes execution of a second voice menu.

21. The device of claim 12, including logic which after playing an audible identifier of a last function in the ordered list, generates a signal indicating selection of the last function independent of the second signal.

22. A personal communication device comprising:

an ear-level device including a radio including a transmitter and a receiver which transmits and receives communication signals encoding audio data, an audio transducer;

one or more microphones, a user input and control circuitry;

wherein the control circuitry includes

logic for communication using the radio with a companion module including a source of audio data;

logic operable to execute a voice menu function and memory storing an ordered list of functions executable using the ear-level device or the companion module;

the voice menu function including executing a sequence that traverses the ordered list in response to a signal from a user input at the ear-level device, the sequence including;

playing an audible identifier of a current function, beginning with a first function in the ordered list on the ear-level device; and

determining whether a second signal from the user input at the ear-level device is received within a waiting interval, and if the second user input is received within the waiting interval, generating a signal indicating selection of the current function, and if the second signal is not received within the waiting interval, then automatically repeating the playing and the determining for a next function in the ordered list;

wherein a particular function in the ordered list has first and second states first and second states, including logic to toggle the state of the particular function in response to the signal indicating selection of said particular function, to change the audible identifier linked to the function in the ordered list from a first audible identifier of the function in the first state to a second audible identifier of the function in the second state to be played when the logic subsequently executes said sequence that traverses the ordered list.