Abstract:
A cell phone based sound producing device is a sound producing device that takes advantage of the likelihood that a user is already carrying a cell phone and does not need to also carry an electronic sound producing device. Another advantage is that cell phones are designed to communicate across a communications network. As such, the cell phone based sound producing device can download sounds from a server, store them, and play them. Electronic payment systems for ring tones that are played on a cell phone already exist. These electronic payment systems can be adapted to payment for sound producing device modules and for sounds. Recovery information can be used to restore modules and sounds that are lost due to cell phone breakage or upgrades.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/622,370 filed on Jan. 11, 2007 entitled “Cell Phone Based Animal Sound Imitation” and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    Embodiments relate to sound producing devices, digital audio devices, remote controls, cellular telephones, communications networks, and data servers. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    People have made and used sound producing devices to produce sounds since prehistoric times and continue to make and use them. Sounds are produced for a variety of reasons. Call sounds are sounds whose purpose is to imitate an animal. Certain sounds can entice an animal to respond and sometimes to come closer. Other sounds are enjoyable to humans and can invoke a human response. Over time, sound production technology has changed while the purposes have largely remained the same. 
         [0004]    A person uses a sound producing device to produce a sound. In general, the sound is an attractive sound such as an imitation of an animal vocalization. Different sounds are appropriate for enticing different responses. For example, elk can respond to any of a variety of elk vocalizations or other attractive sounds such as antlers thrashing in brush. Similarly, turkey can respond to any of a variety of turkey vocalizations or other attractive sounds such as beating wings. Predators, such as coyotes, often respond to prey animal vocalizations such as those of a distressed rabbit. 
         [0005]    Electronic sound producing devices are devices that are readily available from a variety of manufacturers. These devices can store digitized game animal vocalizations and other sounds. Electronic sound producing devices, however, are additional pieces of equipment that must be carried or bought. Furthermore, current electronic sound producing devices have cumbersome methods at best for obtaining and storing new sounds. A need therefore exists for an easily loaded and carried electronic sound producing device. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the embodiments and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the embodiments can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole. 
         [0007]    It is therefore an aspect of the embodiments to provide an electronic sound producing device comprising a display and a human input device (HID) such as a keypad. A non-volatile memory stores at least one stored sound such that the electronic device can access and play the stored sound. 
         [0008]    It is also an aspect of the embodiments to present a user interface to a user. The display and the HID are used for the user interface. A presentation of available sounds can be presented on the display. Each available sound corresponds to a playable sound. The user can use the HID to select one of the available sounds to thereby produce a sound selection corresponding to a selected sound. The stored sounds can be available as can some served sounds provided by a server. 
         [0009]    It is another aspect of the embodiments that a sound retrieval module can obtain served sounds from the server and can store them in the non-volatile memory. Storing a served sound in the non-volatile memory produces a stored call sound. 
         [0010]    It is also another aspect of the embodiments that a sound producing module accesses the stored call sounds and plays them on a speaker. The speaker can be an internal speaker that is part of the electronic device or can be an external speaker that is not. External speakers receive signals from the electronic device and use them to produce sound. Signals can be transmitted using wires, wirelessly using electromagnetic radiation, or in some other way. 
         [0011]    It is yet another aspect of the embodiments that recovery information can be generated such that lost sounds can be recovered. Lost sounds are sounds that were stored in the non-volatile memory but have become lost due to malfunction, error, or some other event. 
         [0012]    It is a further aspect of the embodiments that the electronic device can be a cell phone. A cell phone can be adapted for use as an electronic sound producing device by adding the appropriate modules, such as the sound retrieval module and the sound producing module. Some embodiments can also include a cell phone control module that can turn off the cell phone&#39;s cellular radio and thereby conserve energy. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, further illustrate aspects of the embodiments and, together with the background, brief summary, and detailed description serve to explain the principles of the embodiments. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates a cell phone adapted for use as a sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  illustrates a high level block diagram of a cell phone adapted for use as a sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  illustrates a high level block diagram of an electronic sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  illustrates available sounds in accordance with aspects of the embodiments; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  illustrates a high level block diagram of obtaining and playing a sound in accordance with aspects of the embodiments; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  illustrates a high level block diagram of using an inactivated cell phone as an electronic sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  illustrates shifting a sound in pitch and tempo in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    The particular values and configurations discussed in these non-limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate at least one embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope thereof. In general, the figures are not to scale. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  illustrates a cell phone  103  adapted for use as a sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. The cell phone  103  is illustrated as having an internal speaker  104 , display  105 , and keypad  112 . The display  105  is illustrated as showing a presentation  108  of available sounds such as “Turkey Cluck”  106  and “Turkey Purr”  109 . “Turkey Cluck”  106  is also the selected sound as indicated by the heavy outline. The keypad  112  is a human input device (HID) having keys  107  that a user  111  can press. Many cell phones have other HIDs such as joy sticks or touch sensitive displays. Regardless of the HID, the user  111  can manipulate the HID to navigate the user interface and to select available call sounds. 
         [0023]    The cell phone  103  can use a communications network  110  to send and receive data from a server  101 . The cell phone  103  can download a served sound, such as “Crow Caw”  102  from the server and store it in non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory is memory that persists after a device is turned off. Storing “Crow Caw” in non-volatile memory creates the “Crow Caw” stored sound. 
         [0024]    Non-volatile memory can fail for a number of reasons. For example, the cell phone can catch fire destroying all stored data. A backup server  113  can be used to recover the stored data. The backup server  113  can contain recovery information  114  or the recovery information  114  can be held elsewhere, perhaps in removable storage. The recovery information  114  can be used to recover all the sounds that the user  111  had stored in the cell phone  103 . 
         [0025]    Sounds can be free or can be paid for. When they are paid for, the user  111  can provide information to a payment processor  115  who uses a payment processing module  116  to obtain payment. The information often includes an account number, user identifier, and the sound, or sounds, which the user  111  wants. The payment processor  115  can then inform a fulfillment module  117  that the user  111  is allowed to access the sounds. The user  111  can then obtain the sounds from the server  101 . 
         [0026]    Permission information can be used to prevent or allow the playing of sounds. The permission information can be used to restrict the playable sounds to those obtained from a specific server or provider. For example, a provider can encrypt a sound so that a decryption key is required for playing it. The permission information can restrict playing to a specific device. For example, every cell phone has a unique identifier that can be used to verify that a particular cell phone is allowed to play a particular sound. Another possibility is that a password can be required to unlock a sound. Those familiar with the digital rights management are familiar with permission information. 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  illustrates a high level block diagram of a cell phone  103  adapted for use as a sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. The cell phone  103  has a non-volatile memory  205  for storing stored sounds  206 . The keypad  112 , display  105 , and any other HIDs are part of the user interface  207 . The cell phone uses a cellular radio  204  to communicate with the communications network. The user interface  207  is used to select available sounds and the sound retrieval module  201  can use the cellular radio  204  to help obtain served sounds from a server. A sound producing module  207  can access the stored sounds  206  and play them on a speaker  207 . 
         [0028]    The sound producing module  207  can play a sound when a key is pressed, upon receiving a timed actuation signal  208 , or upon some other event. A timing module  203  can produce the timed actuation signal  208 . A timed actuation signal can be periodic or can occur once after a time period elapses. 
         [0029]    The cell phone  103  can also contain a payment module  209  and a cell phone control module  202 . The payment module  209  interacts with the payment processing module of  FIG. 1  to facilitate payment. The cell phone control module  202  can shut down and restart the cellular radio  204 . Shutting down the cellular radio  204  conserves energy while using the cell phone  103  as a sound producing device. The reason is that being outside the range of the communications network makes the cellular radio  204  useless. Furthermore, many cell phones go into a power consumptive mode when searching for a communications network or when barely in range of a communications network. 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  illustrates a high level block diagram of an electronic sound producing device  304  in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. The electronic sound producing device  304  has many of the same components as the cell phone of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . However, a communications module  301  takes the place of the cellular radio. A remote actuator  303  is illustrated sending a remote actuation signal  305  that can trigger the sound producing module  207  to play the selected call sound. The sound producing module  207  can play the call sound on an external speaker  302 . The external speaker can have a wired or wireless connection to the electronic sound producing device  304 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 4  illustrates available sounds  401  in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. Stored sound 1  402  and stored sound 2  403  are in the non-volatile memory while served sound 1  404  and served sound 2  405  are on a server. All four sounds are available because the sound retrieval module can obtain the served sounds and store them. A presentation  406  presents a user with available sounds. Available sound 1  407  corresponds to stored sound 1  402 . Available sound 2  408  corresponds to stored sound 2  403 . Available sound 3  409  corresponds to served sound 1  404 . Available sound 4  410  corresponds to served sound 2  405 . 
         [0032]    The user selects one of the available sounds as the sound selection  411 . The sound selection  411  corresponds to the selected sound  412  that is also one of the available sounds  401 . The sound selection is communicated to the sound producing module  207 . If the selected sound  412  is not among the stored sounds  303 , then the sound retrieval module  201  can obtain it from the server  101  and store it. The sound producing module  207  can play the selected sound  412 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 5  illustrates a high level block diagram of obtaining and playing a sound in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. After the start  501 , a cell phone accesses a server  503  and downloads sounds for storage on the cell phone  504 . The user is presented with the available sounds  505  and makes a sound selection  506 . If the selected sound is not stored  507  on the cell phone, then it must be obtained  508  from the server. Once the selected is stored, an actuation signal can be waited for  509 . On receiving the actuation signal, the selected sound is played  510  and the process is done  511 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 6  illustrates a high level block diagram of using an inactivated cell phone  601  as an electronic sound producing device in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. A cell phone, such as that illustrated in  FIG. 2 , can be inactivated by removing its association with a cellular network. For example, people often upgrade their cell phones and end up with an old cell phone that is inactivated. They cannot use the old cell phone to make calls or to access the cellular network because it is inactivated. An Inactivated cell phone  601  can have a functioning cellular radio, but the cellular network ignores it. As such, the cellular radio merely wastes power. 
         [0035]    The inactivated cell phone  601  can function as an electronic sound producing device similar to the cell phone  103  of  FIG. 2  with a few exceptions. The inactivated cell phone cannot use the cellular radio to connect to a server and obtain additional sounds. Call sounds can, however, be obtained from a computer  602  with access to sounds  603 . Most cell phones, inactivated or not, can be connected to a computer by a link  605 . Some links are wired and others, such as Bluetooth links, are wireless. Most computers require a cell phone access module  604  in order to access the data and modules within a cell phone. Regardless, the computer  602  can place stored sounds  206  into a cell phone. In fact, a computer  602  can configure an inactivated cell phone  601  as an electronic sound producing device by downloading all the required sounds and modules. As such, a useless inactivated cell phone can be recycled to produce an electronic sound producing device. 
         [0036]      FIG. 7  illustrates shifting a sound  701  in pitch and tempo in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. A sound  701  passing through a pitch shifting module  702  results in a pitch shifted sound  703 . Passing a sound  701  through a tempo shifting module  704  results in a tempo shifted call sound  705 . Those practiced in the art of signal processing are familiar with techniques for shifting a signal&#39;s pitch or tempo. 
         [0037]    Pitch can be shifted by modulation or by using a Fourier transform algorithm to obtain the signals spectrum. The spectrum can then simply be moved in the frequency domain and then converted back into a temporal signal. Tempo can be altered by adding or deleting sample points in the signal&#39;s digital waveform. Resampling can also be used for changing tempo. Sound engineers in the music industry often use signal processing packages to manipulate music. Pitch shifting modules, tempo shifting, and resampling modules are among the most basic modules within a modern signal processing package. 
         [0038]    As anyone who has played a phonographic record or an analog magnetic tape at the wrong speed knows, shifting tempo can cause an induced pitch change. As such, pitch shifting modules are often used to correct for the induced pitch change. 
         [0039]    It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.