Transferring data via audio link

• US 8,996,370 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ansell, Peter John
• Primary Examiner(s): Abebe, Daniel D
• Application Number:
  US13/362,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20130197918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/235
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/00 Details of, or accessories for, apparatus for measuring steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluent medium insofar as such details or accessories are not special to particular types of pressure gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/24 Speech recognition using non-acoustical features
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/00 Speech or audio signals analysis-synthesis techniques for redundancy reduction, e.g. in vocoders; Coding or decoding of speech or audio signals, using source filter models or psychoacoustic analysis in musical instruments G10H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves

Abstract

Transferring data via audio link is described. In an example a short sequence of data can be transferred between two devices by encoding the sequence of data as an audio sequence. For example, the audio sequence may be a sequence of tones which vary in dependence on the encoded data. The sequence of data may be encoded by a first device and transmitted using a loudspeaker associated with the first device. At least one mobile communications device can be used to capture the audio sequence, for example using a microphone, and to decode the sequence, retrieving the data encoded therein. In some examples the encoded data may comprise a shortened URL or other information which can be used to control one or more aspects of the capture device.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting a data item to a mobile communications device comprising;

receiving a data item for transmission at a processor;

transmitting the data item to a remote device;

receiving from the remote device a data token which is associated with the data item;

encoding the data token as an audio sequence, the audio sequence being an ultrasound signal or an infrasound signal; and

playing the audio sequence through loudspeaker for capture by a microphone at the mobile communications device.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the data item is one of;

a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), email address, phone number or business card, voucher, GPS information, timing information, song lyrics.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the data token received from the remote device is a uniquely generated sequence associated with the data item transmitted to the remote device by the mobile communication device.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the uniquely generated sequence is a globally unique identifier.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the data token is of reduced size relative to the data item.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein playing the audio sequence comprising looping the audio sequence a plurality of times.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the audio sequence is encoded as a dual tone multi-frequency signal.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the audio sequence additionally comprises a wrapper arranged to identify the start and/or the end of the data token.

9. A mobile communications device comprising;

an audio capture device arranged to capture an audio sequence played through a loudspeaker at a transmitting device;

a processor arranged to decode the audio sequence and extract a data token encoded therein;

a storage device arranged to store the received data token;

the processor being arranged to control a display in dependence on the received data token; and

at least one of;

the mobile communication device further comprising a communication interface arranged to transmit the data token to a remote device and to receive a data item corresponding to the data token;

or

wherein controlling the display in dependence on the received data token further comprising arranging the display to display a website.

10. A mobile communications device according to claim 9 further comprising a communication interface arranged to transmit the data token to a remote device.

11. A mobile communications device according to claim 10 wherein the communication interface is further arranged to receive a data item corresponding to the data token.

12. A mobile communications device according to claim 9 wherein the data token comprises an integer and a unique link.

13. A mobile communications device according to claim 11 wherein the data item can only be retrieved within a specified time limit.

14. A mobile communications device according to claim 9 wherein controlling the display in dependence on the received data token comprises arranging the display to display a website.

15. A mobile communications device according to claim 11 wherein the data token is a URL and controlling the display comprises redirecting a displayed web-browser to a URL associated with the data item.

16. A mobile communications device according to claim 9 further comprising a light;

wherein the processor is arranged to control the light in dependence on the received data token.

17. A mobile communications device according to claim 9 wherein the processor is further arranged to implement error correction methods when decoding the audio sequence.

18. A method of transmitting a data item to a mobile communications device comprising;

receiving a data item for transmission at a processor of a transmitting device;

selecting a secure mode of transmission;

transmitting the data item and a secure transmission flag to a remote device;

receiving from the remote device a data token which is associated with the data item;

encoding the data token as an audio sequence; and

playing the audio sequence through loudspeaker for capture by a microphone at the mobile communications device.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein encoding the audio sequence comprises;

using the data token as a seed value;

pseudo-randomly selecting musical phrases based on the seed-value; and

combining the selected musical phrases to generate a musical composition.

20. A method according to claim 18 wherein the remote device generates a retrieval index which identifies at least the number of requests received for the data item.