Automated earpiece cache management

• US 9,806,795 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2013
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Christina Summer
• Primary Examiner(s): Saunders, Jr., Joseph
• Application Number:
  US13/959,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20150039369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/06 Transformation of speech into a non-audible representation, e.g. speech visualisation or speech processing for tactile aids G10L15/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection

Abstract

Many types of earpiece include a memory to which media items stored on a second device, such as music, audiobooks, and podcasts, may be transferred as requested by a user. However, it may be advantageous to configure the earpiece and/or the to fill the memory automatically with media items of predicted interest to the user in the manner of a cache. In such earpieces, interruption of the connection between the earpiece and the second device does not interrupt a currently streaming media item, and the earpiece is capable of playing additional media items of predicted interest to the user even if the user has not requested transfer to the earpiece. Other uses of the cache include adding appointments from a calendar of the second device for presentation by the earpiece as reminders during disconnection, and storing notes on the earpiece that are automatically transferred back to the second device.

Claims

1. A method of configuring an earpiece, worn by a user and having a communication session with a second device of the user, to manage a cache of the earpiece, the method comprising:

identifying, among at least two media items on the second device, at least one selected media item of predicted interest to the user;

transferring the at least one selected media item from the second device to the cache of the earpiece;

presenting to the user, through the earpiece, the at least one selected media item from the cache of the earpiece during an interruption of the communication session with the second device;

presenting the at least one selected media item to the user comprising;

upon receiving from the user a request to present a first selected media item from the selected media items stored in the cache of the earpiece, presenting the first selected media item to the user,

respective selected media items being associated with a keyword,

receiving the request from the user comprising;

monitoring a voice of the user; and

detecting the keyword of a selected media item within the voice of the user,

upon the earpiece detecting in the voice of the user a first keyword associated with a first command within an earpiece command set, performing the first command on the earpiece; and

upon the earpiece detecting in the voice of the user a second keyword associated with a second command within a second device command set;

if the second command is received during the communication session of the earpiece with the second device, executing the second command on the second device; and

if the second command is received during the interruption of the communication session of the earpiece with the second device, presenting to the user a disconnection cue through the earpiece.

2. The method of claim 1:

at least one selected media item comprising an audio stream;

identifying the selected media item comprising;

receiving from the user a request to play the audio stream through the earpiece during the communication session with the second device; and

presenting the selected media item to the user comprising;

playing the audio stream from the cache of the earpiece during the interruption of the communication session with the second device.

3. The method of claim 1, identifying the selected media items comprising:

monitoring interactions of the user with the media items of the second device; and

identifying the selected media items having a highest access frequency among the media item set.

4. The method of claim 1, identifying the selected media items comprising:

monitoring interactions of the user with the media items of the second device; and

identifying the selected media items that have not yet been accessed by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, identifying the selected media items further comprising:

predicting a predicted interruption period of the interruption of the communication session between the earpiece and the second device; and

identifying selected media items together having a selected media item set duration filling the predicted interruption period.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon detecting an interruption of the communication session of the earpiece with the second device, present a disconnection cue to the user through the earpiece; and

upon detecting a reconnection of the communication session of the earpiece with the second device, present a reconnection cue to the user through the earpiece.

7. The method of claim 6:

detecting the interruption of the communication session further comprising;

detecting an interruption of the communication session exceeding a first connection threshold; and

detecting the reconnection of the communication session further comprising;

detecting the reconnection of the communication session exceeding a second connection threshold that is greater than the first connection threshold.

8. The method of claim 6:

presenting the disconnection cue to the user further comprising;

presenting the disconnection cue to the user through the earpiece within a disconnection cue frequency threshold; and

presenting the reconnection cue to the user further comprising;

presenting the reconnection cue to the user through the earpiece within a reconnection cue frequency threshold.

9. The method of claim 6:

presenting the disconnection cue to the user further comprising;

upon detecting, within a time block, a first interruption of the communication session with the second device, present to the user a full disconnection cue through the earpiece; and

upon detecting a second interruption of the communication session with the second device within the time block following the first interruption, present to the user an abbreviated disconnection cue through the earpiece.

10. A method of configuring an earpiece, worn by a user and having a communication session with a second device of the user, to manage a cache of the earpiece, the method comprising:

identifying, among at least two media items on the second device, at least one selected media item of predicted interest to the user;

transferring the at least one selected media item from the second device to the cache of the earpiece;

presenting to the user, through the earpiece, the at least one selected media item from the cache of the earpiece during an interruption of the communication session with the second device;

upon receiving from the user a reminder for presentation upon reconnection of the communication with the second device, storing the reminder; and

upon detecting a reconnection of the communication session with the second device, presenting the reminder to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

upon detecting a reconnection with the second device, reload the cache of the earpiece from the media items of the second device.

12. A method of configuring an earpiece, worn by a user and having a communication session with a second device of the user, to manage a cache of the earpiece, the method comprising:

identifying, among at least two media items on the second device, at least one selected media item of predicted interest to the user;

transferring the at least one selected media item from the second device to the cache of the earpiece; and

presenting to the user, through the earpiece, the at least one selected media item from the cache of the earpiece during an interruption of the communication session with the second device,

the second device storing an appointment set comprising at least one appointment of the user at an appointment time,

among the appointment set, identifying at least one selected appointment arising within a time period of a current time;

transferring the at least one selected appointment from the appointment set to the cache of the earpiece; and

presenting to the user through the earpiece an appointment reminder cue no later than the appointment time of the appointment.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

upon receiving from the user a request to present a second selected media item presented to the user, navigate within the selected media items stored in the cache to present the second selected media item to the user through the earpiece.

14. A computer-readable medium having contents configured to cause a computing system to perform a method of configuring an earpiece, worn by a user and having a communication session with a second device of the user, to manage a cache of the earpiece, the method comprising:

identifying, among at least two media items on the second device, at least one selected media item of predicted interest to the user;

transferring the at least one selected media item from the second device to the cache of the earpiece;

presenting to the user, through the earpiece, the at least one selected media item from the cache of the earpiece during an interruption of the communication session with the second device;

presenting the at least one selected media item to the user comprising;

upon receiving from the user a request to present a first selected media item from the selected media items stored in the cache of the earpiece, present the first selected media item to the user,

respective selected media items being associated with a keyword,

receiving the request from the user comprising;

monitoring a voice of the user; and

detecting the keyword of a selected media item within the voice of the user,

upon the earpiece detecting in the voice of the user a first keyword associated with a first command within an earpiece command set, perform the first command on the earpiece; and

upon the earpiece detecting in the voice of the user a second keyword associated with a second command within a second device command set;

if the second command is received during the communication session of the earpiece with the second device, executing the second command on the second device; and

if the second command is received during the interruption of the communication session of the earpiece with the second device, presenting to the user a disconnection cue through the earpiece.

15. An earpiece, suitable to be worn by a user and conduct a communication session with a second device of the user, the earpiece comprising:

a cache;

a speaker;

a microphone;

an earpiece manager configured to;

identify, among at least two media items on the second device, at least one selected media item of predicted interest to the user;

transfer the at least one selected media item from the second device to the cache of the earpiece;

present to the user, through the speaker, the at least one selected media item from the cache of the earpiece during an interruption of the communication session with the second device;

upon receiving from the user a reminder for presentation upon reconnection of the communication with the second device, store the reminder; and

upon detecting a reconnection of the communication session with the second device, present the reminder to the user.

16. A computer-readable medium having contents configured to cause a computing system to perform a method of configuring an earpiece, worn by a user and having a communication session with a second device of the user, to manage a cache of the earpiece, the method comprising:

identifying, among at least two media items on the second device, at least one selected media item of predicted interest to the user;

transferring the at least one selected media item from the second device to the cache of the earpiece; and

presenting to the user, through the earpiece, the at least one selected media item from the cache of the earpiece during an interruption of the communication session with the second device,

the second device storing an appointment set comprising at least one appointment of the user at an appointment time,

among the appointment set, identifying at least one selected appointment arising within a time period of a current time;

transferring the at least one selected appointment from the appointment set to the cache of the earpiece; and

presenting to the user through the earpiece an appointment reminder cue no later than the appointment time of the appointment.