Ambient sound responsive media player

• US 9,509,269 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Disler
• Application Number:
  US13/615,873
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 381 56- 57, 381/104, 381/107
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10574 volume or amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/20 Automatic control H03G3/005 takes precedence; combined with volume compression or expansion H03G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a method of adjusting an output of a media player comprising capturing an ambient audio signal; processing the ambient audio signal to determine whether one or more characteristic forms are present within the ambient audio signal; and reducing an output of a media player from a first volume to a second volume if the one or more characteristic forms are present within the ambient audio signal. The characteristic forms may be, for example, a name or personal identifier of a user of the media player, the voice of a user of the media player, or an alarm or siren.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

capturing an ambient audio signal;

processing the ambient audio signal to determine whether one or more characteristic forms are present within the ambient audio signal;

automatically reducing an output of a media player from a first volume to a second volume gradually over a period of time if the one or more characteristic forms are present within the ambient audio signal; and

maintaining the output of the media player at the second volume for a predetermined time before returning the output from the media player to the first volume, wherein the length of the predetermined time is based on the one or more characteristic forms, and wherein a first characteristic form is associated with a first length of predetermined time and a second characteristic form is associated with a second length of predetermined time different from the first length of predetermined time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein reducing the output further comprises reducing the output when one or more characteristic forms exceeds a volume threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the volume threshold is predetermined.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the volume threshold is determined based on at least one of the group consisting of:

the first volume and the second volume of the output of the media player.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the volume threshold is determined based on the volume of the ambient audio signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second volume is a fixed percentage of the first volume.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second volume is based at least in part upon a volume level of the one or more characteristic forms.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

resuming the output of the media player in a manner that is performed gradually over a period of time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristic forms are selected from the group consisting of a name or personal identifier of a user of the media player, the voice of a user of the media player, and an alarm or siren.

10. A method of adjusting an output of a media player comprising:

capturing an ambient audio signal;

processing the ambient audio signal to determine whether one or more characteristic forms are present within the ambient audio signal;

mixing at least a portion of the ambient audio signal with a first output of a media player to generate a second output of the media player, if the one or more characteristic forms are present within the ambient audio signal, wherein the mixing to generate a second output is conducted in a manner that is performed gradually over time; and

maintaining the output of the media player at the second volume for a predetermined time before returning the output from the media player to the first volume, wherein the length of the predetermined time is based on the one or more characteristic forms, and wherein a first characteristic form is associated with a first length of predetermined time and a second characteristic form is associated with a second length of predetermined time different from the first length of predetermined time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein mixing at least a portion of the ambient audio signal with a first output further comprises mixing when one or more characteristic forms exceeds a volume threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the volume threshold is determined based on at least one of group consisting of:

the first output and the second output of the output of the media player.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the volume threshold is determined based on the volume of the ambient audio signal.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein a first volume of the at least a portion of the ambient audio signal is substantially relative to a second volume of the first output of the media player, such that the at least a portion of the ambient audio signal is clearly audible.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

resuming the first output of the media player in a manner that is performed gradually over a period of time.

16. An apparatus for use in a media player comprising:

a microphone; and

one or more processors adapted to;

process an ambient audio signal received by the microphone to determine whether one or more characteristic forms are present within the ambient audio signal,

gradually adjust an output of a media player, if the one or more characteristic forms are present within the ambient audio signal, and

maintaining the adjusted output of the media player for a predetermined time before returning the output from the media player to a pre-adjusted volume, wherein the length of the predetermined time is based on the one or more characteristic forms, and wherein a first characteristic form is associated with a first length of predetermined time and a second characteristic form is associated with a second length of predetermined time different from the first length of predetermined time.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more characteristic forms are selected from the group consisting of a name or personal identifier of a user of the media player, the voice of a user of the media player, and an alarm or siren.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are adapted to reduce the output of the media player from a first volume to a second volume.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the one or more processors are adapted to mix at least a portion of the ambient audio signal with a first output of the media player to generate a second output of the media player.