Personal audio assistant device and method

• US 10,297,265 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staton Techiya, LLC
• Original Assignee: Staton Techiya, LLC
• Inventors: Goldstein, Steven Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Hien L
• Application Number:
  US14/148,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20140123010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,960 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• 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
• 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: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2471 Configurable and interactive telephone terminals with subscriber controlled features modifications, e.g. with ADSI capability [Analog Display Services Interface] systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers H04M3/42; administration or customization of services H04M3/42136; by downloading data to substation equipment H04M3/42178
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A personal audio assistant includes a first microphone for capturing audio, a communication module communicatively coupled to the first microphone and for accessing information from a network, a memory storage unit communicatively coupled to the first microphone, and a voice controlled interface coupled to the microphone. The voice controlled interface is configured to access the network in response to detection of at least one or more voice commands from the captured audio and present results in response to accessing the network to a speaker via a text-to-speech synthesizer. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A personal audio assistant, comprising:

a first microphone for capturing audio;

a communication module communicatively coupled to the first microphone and for accessing information from a network;

a memory storage unit communicatively coupled to the first microphone, wherein the memory storage unit is controlled, in part, by a server remote and separate from the personal audio assistant, wherein a user of the personal audio assistant is prevented by the server from loading unauthorized content into the memory storage unit, and wherein contents of the memory storage unit are encrypted by the server remote from the personal audio assistant; and

a voice controlled interface coupled to the first microphone, the voice controlled interface being configured to;

access the network in response to detection of a voice command from the captured audio, wherein the voice command is a request for the personal audio assistant to perform a personal audio assistant action specified in the request;

receive, from the voice controlled interface or personal audio assistant and the network, results in response to a distributed analysis of the captured audio,

present the results to a speaker via a text-to-speech synthesizer; and

wherein the personal audio assistant performs the action specified in the request.

2. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, wherein the communication module provides media content recommendations in response to the analysis from the network, wherein media content selected from the media content recommendations are presented via the speaker in response to a selection via the voice controlled interface or a tactile interface.

3. The personal audio assistant of claim 2, wherein the action specified in the request is to initiate and wherein the communication module tracks a purchase history and relates the purchase history to media content preferences.

4. The personal audio assistant of claim 2, wherein the communication module searches and shares the media content recommendations and common interests with other devices having a matching profile.

5. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, wherein the action specified in the request comprises a changing a sonification preference that changes the auditory display of audio content.

6. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, wherein the communication module requests specific media content to be transferred temporarily or permanently to the memory storage unit.

7. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, wherein the communication module stores a listening history to the memory storage unit.

8. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, wherein the communication module shares information with earpiece devices within range based on global positioning sensor location and identity.

9. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, further comprising:

a speech recognition system for processing speech from the captured audio and converting the speech to text using a voice browser, whereby an internet is made accessible;

wherein the communication module accesses the internet to provide searching of particular attributes or common user interests from the processing of the speech of the captured audio and voice browser.

10. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, further comprising a text-to-speech processor to interface with personal scheduling software to provide auditory schedule reminders to the user of the personal audio assistant.

11. The personal audio assistant of claim 10, further comprising a digital timer that triggers a presentation of auditory schedule reminders.

12. The personal audio assistant of claim 11, wherein the text-to-speech processor generates speech-signal reminders corresponding to information from the personal scheduling software.

13. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, further comprising a touch sensitive screen communicatively coupled to the first microphone to complement detected voice commands.

14. A method for providing a personal audio assistant, comprising:

capturing audio from a first microphone;

accessing information from a network in response to distributed analysis of the captured audio from the network and from the personal audio assistant using a voice controlled interface, wherein the captured audio includes a request for the personal audio assistant to perform a personal audio assistant action specified in the request;

storing information related to accessing the network onto a memory storage unit controlled, in part, by a server remote and separate from the personal audio assistant, wherein a user of the personal audio assistant is prevented by the server from loading unauthorized content into the memory storage unit, and wherein the information related to accessing the network and other contents of the memory storage unit are encrypted by the server remote from the personal audio assistant; and

presenting results received from the network in response to the analysis of the captured audio;

performing, by the personal audio assistant, the action specified in the request.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising presenting the results audibly using a text-to-speech synthesizer for output to a speaker.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising presenting the results on a presentation device comprising a display, a touch sensitive screen, a speaker, or a combination thereof, to complement results from detected voice commands by presenting text, images, webpages, audible outputs, or a combination thereof, at the presentation device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the action specified in the request is to perform a search of the network in response to the detected voice command.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting inputs to a touch sensitive screen to complement detected voice commands.

19. A personal audio assistant suitable for use in eyewear, comprising:

a first microphone and a second microphone for stereo acoustic input and capturing audio;

a communication module for accessing information from a network in response to a distributed analysis of the captured audio including remote analysis of the captured audio from the network and from analysis using a voice controlled interface communicatively coupled to the first microphone and second microphone, wherein the captured audio includes a request for the personal audio assistant to perform a personal audio assistant action specified in the request, wherein the personal audio assistant performs the action specified in the request;

a memory storage unit for storing information related to accessing the network, wherein the memory storage unit is controlled, in part, by a server remote and separate from the personal audio assistant, wherein a user of the personal audio assistant is prevented by the server from loading unauthorized content into the memory storage unit, and wherein contents of the memory storage unit are encrypted by the server remote from the personal audio assistant; and

a speaker to present results received in response to accessing the network and the remote analysis of the captured audio via a text-to-speech synthesizer.

20. The personal audio assistant of claim 19, wherein the speaker is a portion of an earphone and the personal audio assistant further comprises a processor for detecting a voice command from the captured audio and performing a search of an internet in response to the detected voice command.