Audible Patents (Class 340/7.62)
  • Patent number: 11900825
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods pertain to providing a session of music learning to a user, comprising: setting a sound capturing configuration relating to at least one microphone of a computerized device; providing the user with musical notations to be executed through the user for generating user-generated sound; capturing, through the at least one microphone, sound which includes user-generated sound produced by the user to produce user-generated sound data; processing the user-generated sound data; and determining, based on the processing of the user-generated sound data, whether a sound capturing configuration is to be adapted or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Joytunes Ltd.
    Inventors: Eran Aharonson, Yuval Kaminka, Saggi David Messer, Or Yotvat Gafni, Anatoli Tsinovoy
  • Patent number: 10290202
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed that allow an electronic device to autonomously adapt one or more user alerts to the current operating environment of the electronic device. For example, some embodiments may include a method comprising providing a plurality of alert devices in an electronic device, determining an operating environment of the electronic device using a sensor of the electronic device, and actuating at least one of the plurality of alert devices that corresponds to the determined operating environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dave Pakula, Matthew Hill, Ethan Larry Huwe, Fletcher R. Rothkopf, Richard Hung Minh Dinh
  • Patent number: 9124720
    Abstract: A non-intrusive cellular phone app eliminates a need for the driver to respond to a received text message while driving. The app does not interfere with the normal functioning of the cellular phone. The app sends an immediate response text message to a sender of a received text message that the owner of the cellular phone is driving and can't text. The app notifies the driver of the identity of the sender only by any of a variety of means, most of which do not require the attention or the action of the driver. Action by the driver may be taken later under safe conditions using the normal functioning of the cellular phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Inventor: Lisa Marie West
  • Patent number: 8884767
    Abstract: A method of alerting a person using an EEG assembly (201) comprises the steps of automatically alerting said person of an incidence, manipulating an external device for establishing a wireless connection between the EEG assembly (201) and the external device (202), wirelessly transmitting from the EEG assembly (201) and to the external device (202) a data message holding information identifying the incidence that triggered the alert of the person carrying the EEG assembly, and providing information related to the incidence that triggered the alert of said person using presentation means in the external device (202). The invention also relates to an apparatus operating according to the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Widex A/S
    Inventor: Preben Kidmose
  • Patent number: 8823507
    Abstract: Approaches in accordance with various embodiments attempt to provide a user with less disruptive event notifications by being aware of a user's context. Before a notification is sent to multiple computing devices associated with the notifying account, contextual information for each device is determined. The contextual information can be determined by querying each device for information. The information can include how close each device is relative to other devices associated with the same user, if at least one of the devices is moving, whether the user's attention is focused on a particular device, whether the user is engaging multiple devices simultaneously, and the like. Once contextual information associated with each device is determined, an appropriate type of alert associated with the notification is determined for each device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael P. Touloumtzis
  • Patent number: 8648712
    Abstract: An electronic alert apparatus comprises a radio frequency receiver configured to receive and identify an emergency message preamble that indicates an impending transmission of an emergency message sent at a first data rate and an emergency message addressed to a shared device address sent at a second data rate. The electronic alert apparatus also includes a processor operatively connected to the radio frequency receiver and configured to decode the encoded emergency message. A memory is operatively connected to the processor and configured to store the decoded emergency message. A display is operatively connected to the controller and configured to present the decoded emergency message. A power source is configured to supply electrical power to the processor, and a housing is configured to at least partially enclose the processor, the memory, and the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Inventors: J. Roy Pottle, John F. Nagel, Myron D. Anduri, Dave Anderson, Sangsoo Kim, Jaeyoun Shin, Jinkyu An, You Seung Soh
  • Patent number: 8536975
    Abstract: A control method for a handheld terminal, including the steps of: reproducing and outputting a piece of music in accordance with a reproduction list; detecting motion of the terminal in real space and determining whether or not the detected motion corresponds to a motion situation where the terminal is moving in real space; obtaining, on the basis of motion information derived from the motion of the terminal, the movement distance of the terminal in real space when the terminal is determined to be in a motion situation where the terminal is moving in real space; comparing the movement distance with a predetermined distance determination threshold and determining whether or not the movement distance exceeds the distance determination threshold; and changing the reproduction list of music to be reproduced, when the movement distance is determined to exceed the distance determination threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Yaguchi
  • Patent number: 8368520
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a notification system for timed power supply, which includes a timed power supply device and a wireless notification device. The timed power supply device is able to receive a set time inputted by a user and stores the set time into a memory module, and then starts timing, providing power supply and generating an elapsed time, respectively. When the timed power supply device determines that the difference between the elapsed time and the set time reaches a threshold value, the timed power supply device issues a notification signal through a wireless transmitter module to the wireless notification device carried by the user, so as to ensure that the user will be notified, via an alert signal generated by the wireless notification device according to the notification signal, that the set time is coming to an end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Inventor: Shu-Feng Yu
  • Patent number: 8164421
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for generating a confirmation signal indicating that a vehicle function has been activated. The apparatus comprises an annunciator for generating the confirmation signal. A processor is coupled to the annunciator and is configured to store an annunciation profile that characterizes the confirmation signal as a function of at least one condition, and command the annunciator to generate the confirmation signal in accordance with the profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Clark E. McCall, David T. Proefke, William A. Biondo
  • Patent number: 8145182
    Abstract: A device for identifying an emergency call in a wireless local area network includes an indicator to identify a call as an emergency call. The indicator can be a bit flag or an information element. The information element can include location information regarding the location of the station that placed the emergency call. This information can be used to located the caller. The location information can be transmitted from the station to an access point separately from an emergency call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: InterDigital Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Marian Rudolf, Juan Carlos Zuniga, Shamim Akbar Rahman, Joseph A. Kwak
  • Publication number: 20110102146
    Abstract: A system locating portable devices includes a fob wirelessly matched to a handheld device. The fob includes a transmitter, receiver, controller and memory storing codes/signals matching signals stored at a handheld device. The codes/signals supporting bi-directional communications between the fob and handheld device. The fob and handheld device can discover locations of each other by sending radio frequency signals from memory that are recognizable by each other. Matching and reciprocal discovery of device locations can be supported by Bluetooth communications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventor: Stephen J. Giron
  • Patent number: 7835771
    Abstract: The invention relates to the combining of mobile station properties. In addition the invention relates to the controlling in a desired manner of mobile station properties. The object of the invention is to give a mobile station a more stylish and youthful general appearance by enhancing the chances of the user to personalize his mobile station and by making the methods of communication between mobile stations more versatile. According to the invention it is possible to produce and present to the user various properties perceptible by the different senses, e.g. text, graphics, sound, vibration and/or illumination. These properties can be associated with each other to form effect entities. These effect entities can be transmitted to another mobile station during a conventional connection. In the receiving mobile station the effect entities are presented using different means of expression than the communication data proper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Sanna Jauk, Tommi Lunden, Jari Majaniemi
  • Publication number: 20100219937
    Abstract: Controlling the volume of an audible alert associated with an instant messaging communications session includes rendering, on a first instant messaging user system, an instant messaging application user interface for an instant messaging communications session involving at least a first instant messaging user and a second instant messaging user, receiving notification of an event related to the instant messaging communications session, determining a characteristic of the event, accessing an audible alert to be rendered to signal existence of the event, adjusting based upon the determined characteristic of the event a volume of the audible alert corresponding to the event, and rendering the audible alert to signal existence of the event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: AOL, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian D. Heikes, Xiaoyan Yin, Deborah R. Yurow, Kelly Matthews, Barry Appelman
  • Patent number: 7701333
    Abstract: A mobile terminal including an output unit configured to output an alarm, a memory configured to store an expandable alarm-integrated database, and a controller configured to expand the alarm-integrated database to include alarm information corresponding to an alarm feature of content added after the mobile terminal was manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Byoung-Jae Kang
  • Patent number: 7551060
    Abstract: A feedback device 1 including an interface 2 for receiving a first signal 3 from a point of sale console 4. A processor 5 is responsive to signal 3 for selectively defining a second signal, in the form of an inaudible ultrasonic transmission 6. An output, in the form of an ultrasonic transducer 7, is responsive to processor 5 for propagating transmission 6 to provide only in a predetermined spatially defined transmission zone 8 an audible signal 9 indicative of signal 3. Signal 9 is substantially inaudible outside of zone 8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel B. Seevers
  • Publication number: 20080125140
    Abstract: A method and a system for sending a ring setting reminder to one or more mobile devices within a predetermined area are provided. The ring setting reminder may be a reminder signal sent to cell phones and other mobile devices within a movie theater complex or other predetermined area to remind the users of the mobile devices to silence the ringers of the mobile devices before the start of the movie or other event. The identification of the mobile devices may occur at the predetermined area or through a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network may be configured to identify the predetermined area within the wireless communication network, identify one or more of the mobile devices located within the predetermined area, and send the reminder signal to correspond with the start of an event at the predetermined area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: Verizon Services Corp.
    Inventor: Sanjay Kumar Udani
  • Patent number: 7265655
    Abstract: A handheld computing device includes a notification lamp, a melody circuit coupled to the notification lamp for providing a first type notification, an electronic switch coupled to the notification lamp for providing a second type notification, and a notification controller coupled to the melody circuit and the electronic switch for selecting between the notification types. The power consumption of the second type notification is less than that of the first type notification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Research In Motion Ltd.
    Inventors: Marc A Drader, David James Mak-Fan, Dusan Veselic
  • Patent number: 7250846
    Abstract: Techniques for providing a dynamic alert indication to a user of a signal receiving device. One technique includes the steps of processing a signal transmitted from a signal transmitting device to determine at least one mode to be associated with an alert indication, wherein the processing step includes the step of accessing a look-up table containing information associated with a user of the signal receiving device to determine the at least one mode to be associated with the alert indication; and alerting the user of the signal receiving device via the alert indication that the signal has been received by the signal receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Maria Rene Ebling, Guerney Douglass Holloway Hunt
  • Patent number: 6999731
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for associating a command with an event at a first device, communicating the command to a second device when the event occurs and causing an action at the second device depending on the command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas M. Cronin
  • Patent number: 6864781
    Abstract: A portable paging system for responsive signaling between a first person and a second person. The portable paging system includes a housing. The housing has a top side, a bottom side and peripheral wall integrally coupled to the bottom and top sides and extending therebetween such that the housing is generally hollow. A microprocessor is adapted to receive a transmitted signal and illuminate a light. The microprocessor is securely mounted in the housing. A light is securely mounted to the top side of the housing. The light is electrically coupled to the microprocessor. A receiver receiving a transmitted signal is positioned in the housing and operationally coupled to the microprocessor. A transmitting device selectively transmits a signal to the receiver over a distance of less than one mile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Inventor: Thomas O. Loomis
  • Patent number: 6850151
    Abstract: Devices for enabling a user to locate an object, animal or person or reminding the user of the location of an object, animal or person. In a non-transmitter/receiver embodiment, the device includes at least one alert mechanism which is connected to a digital clock or other timer and microprocessor which times transmission of alert signals emitted from the alert mechanism or mechanisms. The operational components of the device may be contained in a housing which is attached to the object, animal or person to be located. In a remote transmitter/receiver embodiment, the device includes a transmitter which transmits activation signals at preset times to activate an alert feature of a paired remote receiver which is provided on the object, animal or person to be located or tracked. The transmitter may include an on-command button for manual transmission of the activation signals to the receiver. The receiver may have a visible alert mode in combination with a selected audible or vibratory alert mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Inventors: Ricky R. Calhoun, Nathaniel Petterway
  • Publication number: 20040259601
    Abstract: A method is provided for generating synthetic audio signals with a synthesizer by generating a synthesizer output signal with a low sampling rate of the synthesizer. Because of the low sampling rate, missing high-frequency components of the synthesizer output signal are generated by adding a high-frequency signal. An amplitude-modulated high-frequency signal is preferred, and the amplitude-modulated signal S and synthesizer output signal are converted to a higher sampling rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventor: Ihle Marc
  • Patent number: 6653930
    Abstract: A method and device are configured to generate alerts that are varied based upon whether an incoming communication is perceived to be mode (i.e., a non-urgency mode), with different tactile-based patterns being dependent upon the selection of the mode. That is, the patterns of the alerts for providing notification of urgent communications are distinguishable from the patterns of alerts for providing notification of non-urgent communications. In the preferred embodiment, the communications device allows a user to assign particular vibrational patterns to specific sources of incoming communications, so that the vibration pattern identifies the urgency pattern and the original source of the communication. In the pager application, the pager may be configured by a user to uniquely associate a particular callback number with a first alert that is used when the pager is in the urgency mode and a second alert that is used when the pager is in the normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Information & Communication Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Bonomo, William J. Beyda, Shmuel Shaffer
  • Patent number: 6590492
    Abstract: A pager having customized page alert for customizing messages when a page is received. The pager having customized page alert includes a housing having a substantially rectangular configuration. The housing has a top surface and a bottom surface, a peripheral wall extending between a periphery of the top surface and a periphery of the bottom surface. The peripheral wall, the top surface and the bottom surface define an interior space of the housing. A display screen is coupled to the top surface of the housing. The display screen is for displaying a visual representation signal. A speaker and a microphone are mounted within the interior space of the housing. A receiving means is operationally coupled to a processing means. The receiving means is adapted for receiving the signal from the tower. The receiving means and the processing means are mounted within the interior space of the housing. The processing means is operationally coupled to the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Inventor: Edward J. Hum
  • Publication number: 20030122658
    Abstract: In a signal generation circuit for a compound acoustic actuator that generates a sound and a vibration in response to a frequency of a signal input to the compound acoustic actuator, the signal generation circuit comprising a plurality of signal data stored in a memory to generate a plurality of signals having mutually different frequencies, the plurality of signals at least including a signal, a frequency of which is equal to a resonant frequency causing the compound acoustic actuator to generate the vibration, a synthesizing means to synthesize a plurality of drive signals in accordance with the plurality of signal data so as to cause the compound acoustic actuator to generate the vibration, and a sweeping means to sweep the plurality of drive signals, repeatedly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chiemi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6573825
    Abstract: A communication apparatus allowing easy setting operation of alerting mode and a high degree of flexibility in setting an alerting mode. A character-scale table contains scale note data associated with each of numeric characters. One of a first alerting mode and a second alerting mode can be selected by a user. The first alerting mode provides an alerting pattern which is determined by referring to the character-scale table depending on the source identification number. The second alerting mode provides a preset alerting pattern. When the incoming call does not include the source identification number, an alerting device operates in the second alerting mode. When the incoming call includes the source identification number, the alerting device operates in a selected one of the first alerting mode and the second alerting mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichi Okano
  • Patent number: 6574489
    Abstract: A multimode radio has: an antenna that transmits and receives calls via radio signals of a plurality of communication modes; receivers that convert the received radio signals to signals for particular communication modes; an incoming call notifying unit having a speaker, display, or vibrator that respectively output a different sound, display content, or vibration according to the current communication mode; and a control unit that controls operations, detects the receiver that has received a call signal, and controls the incoming call notifying unit according to the communication mode set in a currently active receiver. Different notification methods are preassigned for the different communication modes, and when an incoming call to the address of the multimode radio is detected, the communication mode of the detected call is identified and a user is notified of the call by the notification method that corresponds to the identified communication mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Susumu Uriya
  • Patent number: 6545590
    Abstract: A radio pager receives from a base station a paging signal consisting of an address code group and a message code group including musical note data. The receiver separates the received paging signal into the address code group and message code group. Further, the receiver separates the message code group into message data and musical note data by using a melody start symbol and a melody end symbol. Then, the receiver generates melody frequencies corresponding to the consecutive musical note data, modulates the melody frequencies to output a melody, and drives a speaker therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Hideyuki Katayama
  • Patent number: 6433670
    Abstract: The accounting management of a user of a pager receiving a service in which the user is charged for the number of calls is desired to be facilitated by displaying an illustrated image representing the number of received messages within a fixed period of time. In a pager and a method of displaying the number of signals received by the pager including a controller for counting the number of radio signals received and identifying time of the signal reception, a storage for storing therein the counted number of received radio signals, a display having an area for displaying in an illustrated image representing the stored number of received signals, a changing unit for changing the illustrated image in accordance with the number of received signals, and a count period setting unit for setting a fixed period for the counting of the number of received signals. The pager displays an accumulated number of radio signals received during a particular count period set by the count period setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Miyashita
  • Patent number: 6404349
    Abstract: A remocon locator signal transmitting circuit is provided in an apparatus having a television tuner. When a power for the apparatus is turned on, a micro-computer in the apparatus sets a local oscillation frequency of the television tuner at a predetermined frequency (390 MHz). A 390-MHz local oscillation signal is supplied from the television tuner through an input terminal to the remocon locator transmitting circuit. In the remocon locator transmitting circuit, the local oscillation signal is amplitude-modulated by a code signal applied from the input terminal so that a locator signal is transmitted from a loop antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Kaminosono
  • Publication number: 20020057190
    Abstract: A first pager is disclosed, which comprises: a paging signal receiving circuit; a display for displaying the data in the paging signal; and a sound generation circuit for successively generating one of a predetermined number of different tones in accordance with each of codes in the data. The frequency is controlled to provide at least a portion of a chromatic scale in accordance with each of codes or the sound generation circuit generates one of the voice tones selected in accordance with the each of the codes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 1998
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Inventors: YOJI FUJIWARA, NORIYOSHI KATO
  • Publication number: 20010033224
    Abstract: An electromagnetic sound generator has a case provided with a yoke, a magnet, a vibrating plate and a coil, and a pair of leads. An end of the coil and the other end of the leads is secured to the case so as to be connected to an outside terminal. A terminal connecting device is provided for connecting the end of the lead to the outside terminal. The terminal connecting device comprises a cylindrical case secured to the case, a connecting rod slidably mounted in the cylindrical case, and a coil spring provided in the cylindrical case to outwardly urge the connecting rod so as to be contacted with the outside terminal at an end of the rod. A top end of the cylindrical case is contacted with the end of the lead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Publication date: October 25, 2001
    Applicant: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Togawa, Masato Asahina, Yoshizumi Ohta