Techniques for presenting sound effects on a portable media player

• US 10,750,284 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2017
• Issued: 08/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lindahl, Aram, Williams, Joseph Mark, Girish, Muthya K
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sellers, Daniel R
• Application Number:
  US15/433,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20170251306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10555 wherein the frequency, the amplitude, or other characteristics of the audio signal is taken into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

Improved techniques for presenting sound effects at a portable media device are disclosed. The sound effects can be output as audio sounds to an internal speaker, an external speaker, or both. In addition, the audio sounds for the sound effects can be output together with other audio sounds pertaining to media assets (e.g., audio tracks being played). In one embodiment, the sound effects can serve to provide auditory feedback to a user of the portable media device. A user interface can facilitate a user'"'"'s selection of sound effect usages, types or characteristics.

Claims

1. A method for a computing device comprising:

determining a desired sound effect to output for the computing device if a sound effect event is detected;

retrieving sound effect data for the desired sound effect;

determining if audio data is to be output for the computing device with the desired sound effect;

obtaining characteristics of the audio data if determined to be output;

modifying the sound effect data based on the obtained characteristics of the audio data prior to mixing with the audio data such that the sound effect data have similar characteristics as the audio data;

mixing the modified sound effect data and the audio data, wherein the audio data has a longer audio playback duration than the modified sound effect data and the modified sound effect data serves to inform a user of the computing device of a condition being triggered by the computing device; and

informing the user of the triggered condition by outputting the mixed modified sound effect data and audio data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting the mixed modified sound effect data and audio data to an audio output device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if audio data is not determined to be output for the computing device, the sound effect data for the desired sound effect is output for the computing device without any audio data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the audio data include meta data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the sound effect data includes modifying the sound effect data based on audio resolution, sample rate, or stereo characteristics of the audio data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition is triggered in response to a system action or a user action.

7. A portable computing device comprising:

a memory storing audio data and sound effect data; and

a processor running an application to

determine a desired sound effect to output for the portable computing device if a sound effect event is detected,

retrieve sound effect data for the desired sound effect,

determine if audio data is to be output for the portable computing device with the desired sound effect;

obtain characteristics of the audio data if determined to be output,

modify the sound effect data based on the obtained characteristics of the audio data prior to mixing with the audio data such that the sound effect data have similar characteristics as the audio data,

mix the modified sound effect data and the audio data, wherein the audio data has a longer audio playback duration than the modified sound effect data and the modified sound effect data serves to inform a user of the computing device of a condition being triggered by the computing device, and

inform the user of the triggered condition by outputting the mixed modified sound effect data and audio data.

8. The portable computing device of claim 7, further comprising an audio output device to output the sound effect data for the desired sound effect without audio data.

9. The portable computing device of claim 8, wherein the audio device is to output the mixed modified sound effect data and audio data.

10. The portable computing device of claim 8, wherein the application produces an audio channel and a mixer channel.

11. The portable computing device of claim 10, wherein the application is to send audio data on the audio channel to the audio output device and mixed modified sound effect data and audio data on the mixer channel to the audio output device.

12. The portable computing device of claim 7, wherein the characteristics of the audio data include resolution, sample rate, or stereo characteristics.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising instructions, which executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

determining a desired sound effect to output for the computing device if a sound effect event is detected;

retrieving sound effect data for the desired sound effect;

determining if audio data is to be output for the computing device with the desired sound effect;

obtaining characteristics of the audio data if determined to be output;

modifying the sound effect data based on the obtained characteristics of the audio data prior to mixing with the audio data such that the sound effect data have similar characteristics as the audio data;

mixing the modified sound effect data and the audio data, wherein the audio data has a longer audio playback duration than the modified sound effect data and the modified sound effect data serves to inform a user of the computing device of a condition being triggered by the computing device; and

informing the user of the triggered condition by outputting the mixed modified sound effect data and audio data.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, comprising instructions, which executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising outputting sound effect data for the desired sound effect without any audio data if audio data is not determined to be output for the computing device.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, comprising instructions, which executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising outputting the mixed modified sound effect data and audio data to the audio output device.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, comprising instructions, which executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising modifying the sound effect data based on audio resolution, sample rate, or stereo characteristics of the audio data.

17. A computing device comprising:

means for determining a desired sound effect to output for the computing device if a sound effect event is detected;

means for retrieving sound effect data for the desired sound effect;

means for determining if audio data is to be output for the computing device with the desired sound effect;

means for obtaining characteristics of the audio data if determined to be output;

means for modifying the sound effect data based on the obtained characteristics of the audio data prior to mixing with the audio data such that the sound effect data have similar characteristics as the audio data;

means for mixing the modified sound effect data and the audio data, wherein the audio data has a longer audio playback duration than the modified sound effect data and the modified sound effect data serves to inform a user of the computing device of a condition being triggered by the computing device; and

means for outputting the mixed modified sound effect data and audio data to inform the user of the triggered condition.

18. The computing device of claim 17, further comprising means for outputting the sound effect data for the desired sound effect without any audio data if audio data is not determined to be output for the computing device.

19. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the characteristics of the audio data include meta data.

20. The computing device of claim 17, further comprising means for modifying the sound effect data based on audio resolution, sample rate, or stereo characteristics of the audio data.