Dynamic routing of audio among multiple audio devices

• US 8,958,896 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McKillop, Christopher, Christie, Gregory, Borghei, Hooman, Santamaria, Justin Edward, Ryan, Chris, Ganatra, Nitin
• Primary Examiner(s): Saunders, Jr., Joseph
• Application Number:
  US13/291,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20120053715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• 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: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A routing screen is presented on an electronic device by a user interface application in response to receiving a notification that an external audio device is connected to the electronic device. The routing screen displays representations of an internal audio device and the external audio device. In one aspect, the representations are buttons. In another aspect, the representations are entries in a list. If a user selects one of representations, the user interface application causes the audio signals to be routed to the audio device represented by the selection. An application control screen having a set of objects that represent functions for an audio application may also be displayed. One of the objects on the application control screen is modified in response status changes in the external audio device. A user may select this object to access the routing screen when the external audio device is connected.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

presenting a plurality of application control options on an electronic device as a set of objects that represent functions for an audio application executing on the electronic device;

modifying one of the objects in response to connecting an external audio device; and

presenting a routing menu in response to receiving a selection of the modified object, the routing menu displaying representations of an internal audio device and the external audio device.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a selection of one of the representations in the routing menu; and

causing audio signals from the audio application to be routed to one of the internal audio device and the external audio device represented by the selection.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

replacing the application control options with the routing menu in response to connecting the external audio device.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

modifying the one of the objects in response to disconnecting all external audio devices.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the plurality of application control options on the electronic device in response to an audio device initiating the audio application.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the objects comprise buttons.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the representations comprise buttons.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the routing menu in response to initiation of the audio application if any external audio devices are connected to the electronic device.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a communications device.

10. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the system to perform a method comprising:

presenting a plurality of application control options on an electronic device as a set of objects that represent functions for an audio application executing on the electronic device;

modifying one of the objects in response to connecting an external audio device; and

presenting a routing menu in response to receiving a selection of the modified object, the routing menu displaying representations of an internal audio device and the external audio device.

11. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the system to receive a selection of one of the representations in the routing menu, and cause audio signals from the audio application to be routed to one of the internal audio device and the external audio device represented by the selection.

12. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the system to replacing the application control with the routing menu in response to connecting the external audio device.

13. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the system to modify the one of the in response to disconnecting all external audio devices.

14. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the system to present the plurality of application control options on the electronic device in response to an audio device initiating the audio application.

15. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the objects comprise buttons.

16. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the representations comprise buttons.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a display;

a memory storing instructions for an audio application and a user interface (UI) application; and

a processing system coupled to the display and the memory, the processing system executing the instructions for the UI application to cause the processing system to

present, on the display, a plurality of application control options that represent functions for the audio application,

modify, on the display, one of the objects in response to connecting an external audio device, and

present, on the display, a routing menu in response to receiving a selection of the modified object from the display, the routing menu displaying representations of an internal audio device and the external audio device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions for the UI application further cause the processing system to receive, from the display, a selection of one of the representations in the routing menu, and wherein the memory further comprises instructions for an audio routing module to cause the processing system to route audio signals from the audio application to one of the internal audio device and the external audio device represented by the selection.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions for the UI application further cause the processing system to replace, on the display, the application control options with the routing screen menu in response to connecting the external audio device.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions for the UI application further cause the processing system to modify, on the display, the one of the objects in response to disconnecting all external audio devices.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions for the UI application further cause the processing system to present, on the display, the plurality of application control objects in response to an audio device initiating the audio application.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the object comprise buttons.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the representations comprise buttons.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions for the UI application further cause the processing system to present, on the display, the routing menu in response to initiation of the audio application if any external audio devices are connected.