Audio user interface

• US 8,898,568 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rottler, Ben, Bull, William, Schiller, Jonathan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): RIEGLER, PATRICK F
• Application Number:
  US12/207,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,268 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/727, 704/200, 381/61
• US Class Current: 715/727
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• 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 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72481 for visually impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00

Abstract

An audio user interface that provides audio prompts that help a user interact with a user interface of an electronic device is disclosed. The audio prompts can provide audio indicators that allow a user to focus his or her visual attention upon other tasks such as driving an automobile, exercising, or crossing a street, yet still enable the user to interact with the user interface. An intelligent path can provide access to different types of audio prompts from a variety of different sources. The different types of audio prompts may be presented based on availability of a particular type of audio prompt. As examples, the audio prompts may include pre-recorded voice audio, such as celebrity voices or cartoon characters, obtained from a dedicate voice server. Absent availability of pre-recorded or synthesized audio data, non-voice audio prompts may be provided.

Claims

1. A method performed by a media player for providing an audio user interface to a user of the media player, the method comprising:

receiving input indicative of an interaction of the user with a user interface associated with the media player;

determining that an audio prompt is to be outputted;

determining whether a communication channel to a voice prompt server remote from the media player is available to the media player;

if the communication channel to the voice prompt server is available, receiving a prepared audio prompt from the voice prompt server;

if the communication channel to the voice prompt server is not available, synthesizing a new audio prompt; and

outputting at least a portion of one of the prepared audio prompt or the new audio prompt at the media player.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein synthesizing the new audio prompt includes using a voice synthesis module configured to generate audio using one or more voice synthesis techniques.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the voice synthesis module is local to the media player.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the interaction of the user with the user interface associated with the media player comprises a play selection, a next selection, a previous selection, or a stop selection.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the interaction of the user with the user interface associated with the media player comprises selection of a menu item from a menu displayed on the media player.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

pausing playback of a media file in response to the output of the portion of the prepared audio prompt or the new audio prompt.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

reducing a playback volume of a media file in response to the output of the portion of the prepared audio prompt or the new audio prompt.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the media player comprises a hand-held or wearable device.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more voice synthesis techniques is a text-to-speech technique.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of prepared audio prompts are voice recordings.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the voice recordings are of higher quality than generated audio prompts.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a streaming input from the voice prompt server, the streaming input including the prepared audio prompt.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second input indicative of a second interaction of the user with the user interface;

if the communication channel to the voice prompt server is available, receiving a second prepared audio prompt from the voice prompt server;

if the communication channel to the voice prompt server is not available, selecting a non-voice audio prompt from a plurality of non-voice audio prompts stored at the media player; and

outputting at least a portion of one of the second prepared audio prompt or the non-voice audio prompt at the media player.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a communication channel to a voice prompt server remote from the media player is available to the media player includes determining whether a broadband communication channel to the voice prompt server exists.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a communication channel to a voice prompt server remote from the media player is available to the media player includes determining whether a communication channel to the voice prompt server exists that uses one or more of the set consisting of HTTP, TCP/IP, and RTP/RTSP protocols.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store a set of code modules which when executed by a processor of a media playback device become operational for providing an audio user interface at the media playback device, the computer-readable medium comprising:

code for receiving input indicative of an interaction of the user with a user interface associated with the media playback device;

code for determining that an audio prompt is to be outputted;

code for determining whether a communication channel to a voice prompt server remote from the media playback device is available to the media playback device;

code for, if the communication channel to the voice prompt server is available, receiving a prepared audio prompt from the voice prompt server;

code for, if the communication channel to the voice prompt server is not available, synthesizing a new audio prompt; and

code for outputting at least a portion of one of the prepared audio prompt or the new audio prompt.

10. A portable media playback device comprising:

a media playback system;

a user interface; and

a processor configured to;

receive user input indicative of an interaction of the user with the user interface;

determine that an audio is to be outputted;

determine whether a communication channel to a voice prompt server remote from the media playback device is available to the media playback device;

if the communication channel to the voice prompt server is available, receive a prepared audio prompt from the voice prompt server;

if the communication channel to the voice prompt server is not available, synthesize a new audio prompt; and

initiate playback of at least a portion of one of the prepared audio prompt or the new audio prompt using the media playback system.

11. The portable media playback device of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to synthesize the new audio prompt using a voice synthesis module.

19. The portable media playback device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to synthesize the new audio prompt using a text-to-speech technique.

20. The portable media playback device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of prepared audio prompts are voice recordings.

21. The portable media playback device of claim 20, wherein the voice recordings are of higher quality than generated audio prompts.

22. The portable media playback device of claim 10, the processor further configured to receive a streaming input from the voice prompt server, the streaming input including the prepared audio prompt.

23. The portable media playback device of claim 10, the processor further configured to:

receive a second input indicative of a second interaction of the user with the user interface;

if the communication channel to the voice prompt server is available, receive a second prepared audio prompt from the voice prompt server;

if the communication channel to the voice prompt server is not available, select a non-voice audio prompt from a plurality of non-voice audio prompts stored at the media player; and

initiate playback of at least a portion of one of the second prepared audio prompt or the non-voice audio prompt using the media playback system.

12. A media player comprising:

a user interface;

a storage device;

a media playback subsystem;

a voice synthesis module; and

a processor configured to;

receive input indicative of an interaction of a user with the user interface;

determine that an audio prompt is to be outputted;

determine whether a communication channel connection to a voice prompt server remote from the media player is available to the media player;

if the communication channel to the voice prompt server is available, receive a prepared audio prompt from the voice prompt server;

if the communication channel to the voice prompt server is not available, synthesize a new audio prompt; and

instruct the media playback subsystem to output at least a portion of one of the prepared audio prompt or the new audio prompt.

13. The media player of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to instruct the voice synthesis module to synthesize the new audio prompt.