Voice menu system

• US 7,757,173 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2003
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Beaman, Alexander B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault; Steven B
• Application Number:
  US10/623,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,552 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 715727-728, 345/173
• US Class Current: 715/727
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

A voice menu system is disclosed. The present invention generally allows for updateable audio menus. Although a device might have some pre-packaged menu components, other menu components can be received from a server. Each menu component, regardless of whether it is original or received from the server, has an associated voiced name. When a user highlights a menu choice, the voiced name can be played. The user then has the option of selecting the menu choice or scrolling to a new menu choice. In this way, a user could navigate the menu without having to actually see a visual display of the menu, which may be especially useful for users unable to see the visual display or users with visual disabilities.

Claims

1. A method for providing an audible menu in a portable media device, comprising:

receiving customization settings from a user, wherein the customization settings include an indication of a type of media file to navigate;

presenting a navigable menu on a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes navigation menu icons presented on a visual display;

receiving user input indicating movement to a particular navigation menu icon;

outputting an audible output corresponding to the particular navigation menu icon, wherein content of the audible output is customized based upon the customization settings, such that different indicated types of media files to navigate result in different audible output content corresponding to the same particular navigation menu icon, wherein the outputting only occurs after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed without receipt of user input indicating movement to a different navigation menu icon and without receipt of user input indicating selection of the particular navigation menu icon;

receiving user input indicating selection of the particular navigation menu icon; and

executing a specific navigation corresponding to the particular navigation menu icon in response to the receiving of the user input indicating selection of the particular navigation menu icon, wherein the specific navigation command does not include playing a media item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of media file to navigate is selected from the group consisting of song files, audio book files, podcast files, image files, and video files.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized audible output corresponding to the particular navigation menu icon when a song file is the indicated type of media file to navigate is a different audible output than would be output for the particular navigation menu icon when a video file is the indicated type of media file to navigate.

4. A portable media device lacking a display, the portable media device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to store a plurality of media items operably connected with the processor;

wherein the processor is operable to assist a user in selecting at least one of the plurality of stored media items by;

playing a media file from the media database;

providing a navigable hierarchical menu, wherein the hierarchical menu includes a hierarchical level including only navigation items, the navigation items corresponding to drill-down or drill-up commands to different levels of the hierarchical menu;

receiving user input navigating to a first of the navigation items;

while the media file is playing, outputting an audible output corresponding to the first of the navigation items only after the first of the navigation items has been navigated to, without being selected or without another navigation item being navigated to, for a period of time greater than a predetermined amount of time wherein content of the audible output is customized based upon the customization settings, such that different types of media files to navigate result in different audible output content corresponding to the same particular navigation menu icon;

receiving user input selecting the first of the navigation items; and

executing a navigation command corresponding to the selected first of the navigation items.

5. The portable media device of claim 4, wherein the hierarchical menu includes another hierarchical level including one or more media items.

6. The portable media device of claim 4, wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive user input selecting a particular one of the stored plurality of media items, the selection not associated with one of the navigation items; and

play the particular one of the stored plurality of media items in response to the receipt of the selection.

7. The portable media device of claim 4, further comprising:

a media management system comprising;

a media database that stores media files;

media collection records that include data relating to groupings of the media files;

media records that include metadata relating to the media files;

a voiced name database that stores audio files; and

association records that associate the audio files with data from the media collection records and metadata from the media records.

8. The portable media device of claim 4, wherein the media file is played through a left channel while the audible output corresponding to the first of the navigation items is played through a right channel.

9. The portable media device of claim 4, wherein the media file is merged with the audible output corresponding to the first of the navigation items so that both can be played through a single channel simultaneously.

10. The portable media device of claim 4, wherein the client device is in communication with the host device comprising:

a processor; and

memory, operably connected with the processor;

wherein the processor is operable to perform instructions including;

providing a text string that represents the first of the navigation items;

generating the audio file from the text string; and

delivering the audio file to the portable media device.

11. The portable media device of claim 10, wherein the delivering the audio file to the portable media device occurs when media files are synchronized between the portable media device and the host device.

12. The portable media device of claim 10, wherein the delivering the audio file to the portable media device occurs independently of media files being synchronized between the portable media device and the host device.

13. A method for providing an audible menu, comprising:

presenting a navigable menu on a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes navigation menu icons presented on a visual display, the navigation menu icons each audibly represented by a voiced name to allow a user to navigate the menu when unable to view the visual display, wherein each navigation menu icon corresponds to a specific navigation through the menu and not to the playing of a media item;

receiving user input indicating movement to a particular navigation menu icon;

outputting the voiced name representing the particular navigation menu icon only after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed without receipt of user input indicating movement to a different navigation menu icon and without receipt of user input indicating selection of the particular navigation menu icon, wherein content of the voiced name is customized based upon the customization settings, such that different types of media files to navigate result in different audible output content corresponding to the same particular navigation menu icon;

;

receiving user input indicating selection of the particular navigation menu icon; and

executing the specific navigation corresponding to the particular navigation menu icon in response to the receiving of the user input indicating selection of the particular navigation menu icon.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a particular one of the stored plurality of media items, the selection not associated with one of the navigation icons; and

playing the particular one of the stored plurality of media items in response to the receipt of the selection.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the user is unable to view the visual display because of a medical imparity.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the user is unable to view the visual display because the user is driving.

17. A method for providing an audible menu, comprising:

receiving customization settings from a user, wherein the customization settings include an indication of a preferred language;

presenting a navigable menu on a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes navigation menu icons presented on a visual display;

receiving user input indicating movement to a particular navigation menu icon;

outputting an audible output corresponding to the particular navigation menu icon, wherein content of the audible output is customized based upon the customization settings, such that different types of media files to navigate result in different audible output content corresponding to the same particular navigation menu icon, wherein the outputting only occurs after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed without receipt of user input indicating movement to a different navigation menu icon and without receipt of user input indicating selection of the particular navigation menu icon;

receiving user input indicating selection of the particular navigation menu icon; and

executing a specific navigation corresponding to the particular navigation menu icon in response to the receiving of the user input indicating selection of the particular navigation menu icon, wherein the specific navigation command does not include playing a media item.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the audible output corresponding to the particular navigation menu icon when a first language is indicated as the preferred language is a different audible output than would be output for the particular navigation menu icon when a second language is indicated as the preferred language.

19. A method for creating audible menu components at a host device, wherein the audible menu navigation components represent navigational components directed to navigation commands, comprising:

providing a text string that represents a vocalization used to audibly describe a menu navigation component, wherein the text string is independent of text of the menu navigation component itself;

generating an audio file from the text string, wherein the audio file includes an indication of a dwell time corresponding to the audio file; and

delivering the audio file to a client device, wherein the vocalization is provided only after the menu navigation component has been navigated to but not selected for an amount of time more than the dwell time indicated in the audio file.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

playing the audio file; and

requesting approval of the played audio file prior to delivering the audio file to a client device.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the period of time is user selectable.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

if approval is not given, providing an opportunity to modify the text string; and

if the text string is modified;

replacing the audio file with a previously presented audio file generated from the modified text string;

playing the audio file; and

requesting approval of the played audio file.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

if the text string is not modified, providing an opportunity to replace the audio file with a previously presented audio file generated from an audio recording.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the indication of the period of time is embedded in the audio files in metadata.