Personal audio assistant device and method

• US 10,885,927 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2021
• 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): Sax, Steven P
• Application Number:
  US14/148,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20140123009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,555 Days
• Field of Search: 455344, 4551861, 4551881, 455410, 4554141, 4554143, 4555561, 455557, 4555752, 707999107, 707E17009, 707E17101, 707E17102, 707E17108, 707999001, 345 8, 715716, 725 45, 725 60
• 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 logic circuit coupled to the first microphone, a communication module coupled to the logic circuit, a memory storage unit communicatively coupled to the logic circuit, and a user interaction element. The interaction element is configured to perform at least one among accessing selection of audio content via an audio input received at the first microphone or determining a user preference of audio content by tracking genre of content selected, artist of content selected, and at least one among the day of the week or time of day. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A personal audio assistant, comprising:

a microphone for capturing first audio;

a logic circuit coupled to the microphone;

a communication module coupled to the logic circuit;

a memory storage unit communicatively coupled to the logic circuit; and

a user interaction element comprising a button, a slide control, a voice-controlled user interface, or a combination thereof, wherein the interaction element is configured to perform operations comprising;

selecting audio content via an audio input received at the microphone;

determining a user preference of audio content by tracking a genre of the audio content selected or by tracking an artist of the audio content selected;

providing, after determining the user preference of audio content, a temporary audio content corresponding to the user preference, wherein the memory storage unit is closed when providing the temporary audio content, wherein the memory storage unit of the personal audio assistant is closed and controlled by a server remote from the personal audio assistant, wherein the server remote from the personal audio assistant prevents the temporary audio content from being loaded into the memory storage unit of the personal audio assistant, and wherein an option to select a best listening experience from a number of candidate listening experiences for listening to the temporary audio content is provided based on a spatial quality perceived in an auditory test signal generated by the personal audio assistant and is provided during a registration process associated with acquiring the user preference of the audio content; and

replacing the temporary audio content with new audio content after a predetermined amount of time or a predetermined number of playback counts associated with the temporary audio content has occurred.

2. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining the user preference of audio content by accessing user demographics.

3. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining the user preference of audio content by tracking a user purchase history or by tracking a listening history envelope.

4. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining the user preference of audio content by tracking a user deletion history or by tracking a listening habit of a user with respect to a day of the week or a time of day.

5. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise enabling user deletion of the audio content.

6. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, wherein the personal audio assistant further comprises an additional microphone.

7. The personal audio assistant of claim 6, wherein the additional microphone picks up second audio in an ear region.

8. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, wherein the personal audio assistant further comprises a speaker.

9. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, further comprising a presentation device including a display, a touch sensitive screen, a speaker, or a combination thereof, communicatively coupled to the microphone to complement detected voice commands by presenting text, images, webpages, audible outputs, or a combination thereof, at the presentation device.

10. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, wherein the user interaction element performs a commercial transaction in response to a detected voice command.

11. The personal audio assistant of claim 1, wherein the button of the user interaction element comprises multiple contacts coupled to the logic circuit.

12. A wearable device, comprising:

a housing;

a first microphone within the housing, the first microphone for capturing first audio;

a communication module within the housing;

a processor communicatively coupled to the first microphone and the communication module; and

a computer readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor and containing instructions which, when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

providing access to audio content via an audio input received at the first microphone;

determining a user preference of audio content by tracking a genre of the audio content selected or by tracking an artist of the audio content selected;

providing, after determining the user preference of audio content, a temporary audio content corresponding to the user preference, wherein a memory storage unit of the wearable device is closed when providing the temporary audio content, wherein the memory storage unit of the wearable device is closed and controlled by a server remote from the wearable device, wherein the server remote from the wearable device prevents the temporary audio content from being loaded into the memory storage unit of the wearable device, and wherein an option to select a best listening experience from a number of candidate listening experiences for listening to the temporary audio content is provided based on a spatial quality perceived in an auditory test signal generated by the wearable device and is provided during a registration process associated with acquiring the user preference of the audio content; and

replacing the temporary audio content with new audio content after a predetermined amount of time or a predetermined number of playback counts associated with the temporary audio content has occurred.

13. The wearable device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise initiating control of the audio content or initiating control of operations of the wearable device in response to a voice command.

14. The wearable device of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise initiating control of the audio content or initiates control of operations of the wearable device in response to a voice command received by a voice controlled user interface.

15. The wearable device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise determining the user preference of audio content by tracking a listening history envelope.

16. The wearable device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise determining the user preference of audio content by tracking the user purchase history.

17. The wearable device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise enabling user deletion of the audio content.

18. The wearable device of claim 12, wherein a second microphone picks up second audio in an ear region.

19. The wearable device of claim 12, wherein the wearable device further comprises a speaker in a form of an ear canal receiver.

20. A system, comprising:

a microphone for capturing audio;

a logic circuit coupled to the microphone;

a communication module coupled to the logic circuit; and

a user interaction element comprising a button, a slide control, a voice-controlled user interface, or a combination thereof, wherein the interaction element is configured to perform operations comprising;

selecting audio content via an audio input received at the microphone;

determining a user preference of audio content by tracking a genre of the audio content selected or an artist of the audio content selected; and

providing, after determining the user preference of audio content, a temporary audio content corresponding to the user preference, wherein a memory storage unit of the system is closed when providing the temporary audio content, wherein the memory storage unit of the system is closed and controlled by a server remote from the system, wherein the server remote from the system prevents the temporary audio content from being loaded into the memory storage unit of the system, and wherein an option to select a best listening experience from a number of candidate listening experiences for listening to the temporary audio content is provided based on a spatial quality perceived in an auditory test signal generated by the system and is provided during a registration process associated with acquiring the user preference of the audio content; and

replacing the temporary audio content with new audio content after a predetermined amount of time or a predetermined number of playback counts associated with the temporary audio content has occurred.