Apple patent involves voice activation for iPod, iPhone
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Oct 9, 2008 at 1:17pm
An Apple patent (number 20080248797) for a method and system for operating a multi-function portable electronic device using voice activation has appeared at the US Patent & Trademark Office. It’s for voice activation technology that’s apparently being developed for the iPod, iPhone and Apple TV.
Methods and systems in which a portable electronic device can be voice activated are disclosed. The portable electronic device can be a multi-function electronic device. The voice activation can be robust and context sensitive. The voice activation can also be utilized without any preparatory user action with respect to the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device can also interact with a media system.
Here’s Apple’s summary of the invention: “The invention pertains to voice activation for a portable electronic device. The portable electronic device can be a multi-function electronic device. The voice activation can be robust and context sensitive. The voice activation can also be utilized without any preparatory user action with respect to the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device can also interact with a media system.
“According to one embodiment, one function that can be supported by the portable electronic device is voice communications. When a voice call is incoming to the portable electronic device, the portable electronic device can automatically control itself or the media system to pause, stop and/or lower its volume so that media playback need not disturb a user while participating in the voice call. After the voice call ends, the portable electronic device can automatically control itself or the media system to resume, start and/or raise its volume so that the user can again participate in media playback.
“The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a method, system, device, apparatus (including graphical user interface), or computer readable medium. Several embodiments of the invention are discussed below.
“As a method for operating a portable electronic device using voice-activated input, one embodiment of the invention can, for example, include at least: operating the portable electric device to listen for a user voice command; monitoring an operational state of the portable electronic device; receiving an audio input; determining a set of commands that are authorized for usage with the portable electronic while in the operational state; determining whether the audio input pertains to at least one of the commands within the set of commands; and executing the at least one of the commands within the set of commands that is determined to pertain to the audio input.
“As a portable electronic device, one embodiment of the invention can, for example, include at least: a microphone capable of picking up a voice input from a user; a voice analyzer operatively connected to the microphone; and a processor for controlling operation of the portable electronic device. The voice analyzer can be configured to analyze the voice input to determine if one or more predetermined commands are to be performed. The processor can operate to perform the one or more predetermined commands when the voice analyzer determines that the voice input substantially matches characteristics of the one or more predetermined commands.
“As a method for operating an electronic device supporting or coupling to a plurality of functions, where one of the functions can be wireless voice communications and another of the functions can be media playback, one embodiment of the invention can, for example, include at least: determining whether a voice call is incoming; determining when media playback is active; outputting a ringtone if a voice call is incoming and media playback is not active; outputting the ringtone mixed with media output if a voice call is incoming and media playback is active; activating a microphone if the microphone is not already active; determining whether a voice command is received while the call is incoming; answering the call when the voice command received requests that the call be answered; pausing or stopping the media playback if media playback is still active when the call is answered; determining whether the call has ended; and resuming or restarting the media playback after the call has ended.
“As a computer readable medium including at least computer program code stored thereon for operating a portable electronic device using voice-activated input, one embodiment of the invention can, for example, include at least: computer program code for operating the portable electric device to listen for a user voice command; computer program code for monitoring an operational state of the portable electronic device; computer program code for determining a set of commands that are authorized for usage with the portable electronic while in the operational state; computer program code for determining whether an audio input pertains to at least one of the commands within the set of commands; and computer program code for executing the at least one of the commands within the set of commands that is determined to pertain to the audio input.
“As a computer readable medium including at least computer program code stored thereon for operating an electronic device supporting or coupling to a plurality of functions, where one of the functions is wireless voice communications and another of the functions is media playback, another embodiment of the invention can, for example, include at least: computer program code for determining whether a voice call is incoming; computer program code for determining when media playback is active; computer program code for outputting a ringtone if a voice call is incoming and media playback is not active; computer program code for outputting the ringtone mixed with media output if a voice call is incoming and media playback is active; computer program code for determining whether a voice command is received while the call is incoming; computer program code for answering the call when the voice command received requests that the call be answered; computer program code for pausing or stopping the media playback if media playback is still active when the call is answered; computer program code for determining whether the call has ended; and computer program code for resuming or restarting the media playback after the call has ended.
“Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.”
The inventors are Daniel Freeman and Derek B. Barrentine. The graphic below is a block diagram of a portable electronic device according to one embodiment of the invention.
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Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
