Smart dock for activating a voice recognition mode of a portable electronic device

• US 9,711,160 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Krueger, Scott, Dorogusker, Jesse, Wang, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrou, Abdelali
• Application Number:
  US13/482,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20130325479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• Field of Search: 704231, 704251, 704275, 704270, 704258
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A dock for a portable electronic device including a housing, a connector extending from the housing to connect the portable electronic device to the dock, a microphone integrated within the housing, and a processor. The processor is operatively coupled to receive audio input from the microphone, and in response to the audio input, transmit a message to the portable electronic device via the connector to activate a voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for processing input at dock for a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

activating a continuous listening mode on the dock;

detecting audio input at a microphone integrated within a housing of the dock;

comparing the audio input to a stored audio file, wherein comparing is done at the dock, wherein the continuous listening mode on the dock is deactivated while the audio input is being compared to the stored audio file, and wherein comparing includes determining whether the audio input matches the stored audio file;

reactivating the continuous listening, mode at the dock when it is determined that the audio input does not match the stored audio file;

transmitting a message requesting activation of a voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device when it is determined that the audio input matches the stored audio file, wherein the message is transmitted using a communication interface of the dock, and wherein when the message is received at the portable electronic device, the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device is activated; and

deactivating the continuous listening mode of the dock when the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device is activated.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting additional audio input at the microphone integrated within the housing of the dock.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting the additional audio input using the communication interface of the dock.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an indication that the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device has been activated.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing an initial setup process before activating the continuous listening mode on the dock.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, transmitting, by the dock, an authentication message to the portable electronic device via the communication interface of the dock.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the dock receives a message from the portable electronic device via the communication interface, the message indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

8. A dock, comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

activating a continuous listening mode on the dock for a portable electronic device;

detecting audio input at a microphone integrated within a housing of the dock;

comparing the audio input to a stored audio file, wherein comparing is done at the dock, wherein the continuous listening mode on the dock is deactivated while the audio input is being compared to the stored audio file, and wherein comparing includes determining whether the audio input matches the stored audio file;

reactivating the continuous listening mode at the dock when it is determined that the audio input does not match the stored audio file;

transmitting a message requesting activation of a voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device when it is determined that the audio input matches the stored audio file, wherein the message is transmitted using a communication interface of the dock, and wherein when the message is received at the portable electronic device, the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device is activated; and

deactivating the continuous listening mode of the dock when the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device is activated.

9. The dock of claim 8, wherein the operations further include detecting additional audio input at the microphone integrated within the housing of the dock.

10. The dock of claim 9, wherein the operations further include transmitting the additional audio input using the communication interface of the dock.

11. The dock of claim 8, wherein the operations further include providing an indication that the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device has been activated.

12. The dock of claim 8, wherein the operations further include performing an initial setup process before activating the continuous listening mode on the dock.

13. The dock of claim 8, wherein the operations further include, transmitting, by the dock, an authentication message to the portable electronic device via the communication interface of the dock.

14. The dock of claim 8, wherein the operations further include the dock receiving a message from the portable electronic device via the communication interface, the message indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

15. A system comprising:

a portable electronic device including;

a portable electronic device processor; and

a portable electronic device electrical connector coupled to the portable electronic device processor;

a dock including;

a dock connector configured to mate with the portable electronic device connector;

one or more dock processors coupled to the dock connector; and

a dock memory containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more dock processors cause the one or more dock processors to perform operations including;

activating a continuous listening mode on the dock;

detecting audio input at a microphone integrated within a housing of the dock;

comparing the audio input to a stored audio file, wherein comparing is done at the dock, wherein the continuous listening mode on the dock is deactivated while the audio input is being compared to the stored audio file, and wherein comparing includes determining whether the audio input matches the stored audio file;

reactivating the continuous listening mode at the dock when it is determined that the audio input does not match the stored audio file;

transmitting a message requesting activation of a voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device when it is determined that the audio input matches the stored audio file, wherein the message is transmitted using a communication interface of the dock, and wherein when the message is received at the portable electronic device, the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device is activated; and

deactivating the continuous listening mode of the dock when the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device is activated.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further include detecting additional audio input at the microphone integrated within the housing of the dock.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further include transmitting the additional audio input using the communication interface of the dock.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further include providing an indication that the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device has been activated.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further include performing an initial setup process before activating the continuous listening mode on the dock.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further include the dock receiving a message from the portable electronic device via the communication interface, the message indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.