Wearable computer system and modes of operating the system

• US 7,966,189 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Richter, Owen E., Le, Dana, Hughes, Lucian P.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US12/482,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20090252345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 704/257
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone

Abstract

A wearable computer system has a user interface with at least an audio-only mode of operating, and that is natural in appearance and facilitates natural interactions with the system and the user'"'"'s surroundings. The wearable computer system may retrieve information from the user'"'"'s voice or surroundings using a passive user interface. The audio-only user interface for the wearable computer system may include two audio receivers and a single output device, such as a speaker, that provides audio data directly to the user. The two audio receivers may be miniature microphones that collaborate to input audio signals from the user'"'"'s surroundings while also accurately inputting voice commands from the user. Additionally, the user may enter natural voice commands to the wearable computer system in a manner that blends in with the natural phrases and terminology spoken by the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

selecting a predetermined voice command which, when spoken by a user during a conversation with another person, informs a wearable computer device that an event is occurring, and that prompts the wearable computer device to store an audio clip surrounding the event in a memory for later retrieval;

using audio signals received through an environmental microphone of an audio-only user interface of the wearable computer device to generate digital audio data;

buffering the digital audio data in a scrolling audio buffer of the wearable computer device for a predetermined period of time;

using audio signals received through a personal microphone of the audio-only user interface of the wearable computer device to determine that the user has spoken the predetermined voice command; and

responsive to determining that the user has spoken the predetermined voice command, storing the audio clip in the memory for later retrieval, the audio clip including at least a portion of the digital audio data buffered in the scrolling audio buffer before the predetermined voice command was spoken, and at least a portion of the digital audio data buffered in the scrolling audio buffer after the predetermined voice command was spoken.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining timing information associated with the predetermined voice command, the timing information specifying an amount of the digital audio data buffered in the scrolling audio buffer before the predetermined voice command was spoken to store in the memory for later retrieval, and an amount of the digital audio data buffered in the scrolling audio buffer after the predetermined voice command was spoken to store in the memory for later retrieval.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the event comprises an introduction event or a greeting event, in which the user is being introduced to or is greeting the other person, respectively.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the event comprises a product recommendation event, in which the user is recommending a product to, or is receiving a recommendation of the product from, the other person.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying a retail location where the product is sold;

determining that the user of the wearable computer device is located at the retail location; and

outputting the audio clip to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein further comprising:

responsive to determining that the user has spoken the predetermined voice command;

capturing an image, by a camera of the wearable computer device, and

storing the image, and time, location and date information in association with the audio clip in the memory.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital audio data is generated without using the audio signals received through the personal microphone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein buffering the digital audio data for a predetermined period of time further comprises discarding the digital audio data when the user has not spoken the predetermined voice command after the predetermined period of time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined voice command comprises a standard phrase commonly spoken during a conversation between two people while the event is occurring.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising uploading the audio clip to a remote computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the predetermined voice command further comprises:

prompting the user to specify, via spoken input;

a phrase that will serve as the predetermined voice command,

an amount of digital audio data buffered in the scrolling audio buffer before the predetermined voice command is spoken to store in the memory for later retrieval, and

an amount of the digital audio data buffered in the scrolling audio buffer after the predetermined voice command is spoken to store in the memory for later retrieval.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically outputting the audio clip based on determining that the user has arrived at a specified location.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the digital audio data based on applying the audio signals received through an environmental microphone to an analog-to-digital converter.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the later time, determining that the user has already been introduced to the other person; and

responsive to determining that the user has already been introduced to the other person, outputting the audio clip to the user through an earpiece speaker of the audio-only user interface of the wearable computer device.

15. A wearable computer device comprising:

a scrolling audio buffer configured to buffer digital audio data for a predetermined period of time;

a memory configured to, responsive to determining that a user has spoken a predetermined voice command, store an audio clip for later retrieval, the audio clip including at least a portion of the digital audio data buffered in the scrolling audio buffer before the predetermined voice command was spoken, and at least a portion of the digital audio data buffered in the scrolling audio buffer after the predetermined voice command was spoken;

an audio-only user interface comprising;

an environmental microphone, and

a personal microphone; and

one or more processors configured to;

select the predetermined voice command which, when spoken by the user during a conversation with another person, informs the wearable computer device that an event is occurring, and that prompts the wearable computer device to store the audio clip surrounding the event in the memory for later retrieval,

use audio signals received through the environmental microphone to generate the digital audio data, and

use audio signals received through the personal microphone to determine that the user has spoken the predetermined voice command.

16. The wearable computer device of claim 15, wherein the audio-only user interface does not include a body-mounted display.

17. The wearable computer device of claim 15, wherein the audio-only user interface further comprises a speaker configured to output the audio clip to the user.

18. The wearable computer device of claim 17, further comprising an earpiece housing the speaker and the personal microphone.

19. A wearable computer system comprising:

one or more computers; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more computers having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

selecting a predetermined voice command which, when spoken by a user during a conversation with another person, informs a wearable computer system that an event is occurring, and that prompts the wearable computer system to store an audio clip surrounding the event in the computer-readable medium for later retrieval,

using audio signals received through an environmental microphone of an audio-only user interface of the wearable computer system to generate digital audio data,

buffering the digital audio data in a scrolling audio buffer of the wearable computer system for a predetermined period of time,

using audio signals received through a personal microphone of the audio-only user interface of the wearable computer system to determine that the user has spoken the predetermined voice command, and

responsive to determining that the user has spoken the predetermined voice command, storing the audio clip in the computer-readable medium for later retrieval, the audio clip including at least a portion of the digital audio data buffered in the scrolling audio buffer before the predetermined voice command was spoken, and at least a portion of the digital audio data buffered in the scrolling audio buffer after the predetermined voice command was spoken.

20. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

selecting a predetermined voice command which, when spoken by a user during a conversation with another person, informs a wearable computer device that an event is occurring, and that prompts the wearable computer device to store an audio clip surrounding the event in the computer storage medium for later retrieval;

using audio signals received through an environmental microphone of an audio-only user interface of the wearable computer device to generate digital audio data;

buffering the digital audio data in a scrolling audio buffer of the wearable computer device for a predetermined period of time;

using audio signals received through a personal microphone of the audio-only user interface of the wearable computer device to determine that the user has spoken the predetermined voice command; and

responsive to determining that the user has spoken the predetermined voice command, storing the audio clip in the computer storage medium for later retrieval, the audio clip including at least a portion of the digital audio data buffered in the scrolling audio buffer before the predetermined voice command was spoken, and at least a portion of the digital audio data buffered in the scrolling audio buffer after the predetermined voice command was spoken.