Abstract:
The present invention discloses a solution for automated playback control for portable audio devices using environmental cues as indicators for interrupting playback. In the solution, an event handler can be responsive to environmental cues around the user of the portable audio device to determine if playback should be interrupted. Triggering events can be speech emanating from the user or another proximate entity, proximity detection of a person or device, user behavior changes/transitions, and the like. Device configuration can allow for user interaction to permit or deny playback interruption. User interactions can range from a “yes/no” speech response to motion sensitive headphones detecting a head “nod” or “shake” gesture to indicate approval or refusal.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of audio devices and, more particularly, to automated playback control for audio devices using environmental cues as indicators for automatically pausing audio playback. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    The presence of portable audio devices has grown considerably in the recent past resulting in widespread usage. Users of portable audio devices frequently enter and exit conversations while wearing these devices. In these situations, the user must manually stop/pause playback on the device to pay attention and participate in these conversations. Once the conversation is finished, the wearer will have to manually restart playback on the device. Portable devices are often small enough to fit into the wearer&#39;s pocket or attached to the arm with an armband. These locations, while convenient for carrying a device, do not allow quick and easy access to the playback controls. In crowded areas, where the user is likely to enter and leave conversations frequently, this manual control of playback can become a major inconvenience and rapidly become tedious. 
         [0005]    Additionally, users may frequently interact with other devices such as answering phone calls on a mobile phone. When attempting to answer an incoming phone call, pausing/stopping playback is typically not a priority as the focus is answering the call. Thus manually controlling playback can become an unwanted hassle to the user. If the user chooses not to pause/stop playback, playback can quickly become a distraction during the phone conversation. What is needed is a means to provide users with an unencumbered approach to controlling playback. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention discloses a solution for automated playback control for portable audio devices using environmental cues as indicators for interrupting playback. In the solution, an event handler can be responsive to environmental cues around the user of the portable audio device to determine if playback should be interrupted. Triggering events can be speech emanating from the user or another proximate entity, proximity detection of a person or device, user behavior changes/transitions, and the like. Device configuration can allow for user interaction to permit or deny playback interruption. User interactions can range from a “yes/no” speech response to motion sensitive headphones detecting a head “nod” or “shake” gesture to indicate approval or refusal. 
         [0007]    The present invention can be implemented in accordance with numerous aspects consistent with the materials presented herein. One aspect of the present invention can include a method for playing audio that includes automatically detecting an occurrence of an environmental event external to an audio playing device while the audio playing device is playing audio. The audio playback can be automatically paused responsive to the detected occurrence. A different occurrence of another environmental event can be detected. Audio playback can be automatically resumed responsive to the detected different occurrence. 
         [0008]    Another aspect of the present invention can include a method for controlling playback in a portable multimedia device. In the method, a pausing event can be triggered in response to at least one pause cue. The pause cue can result from a condition automatically detected by a sensor of the portable multimedia device. At least one of a set of defined actions can be performed based upon the determining step. The defined set of actions can include an action that pauses audio playback. A resuming event can be fired in response to at least one resume cue. The resume cue can result from a condition automatically detected by a sensor of the portable media device. Playback of the paused audio can be resumed in response to an occurrence of the resuming event. 
         [0009]    Still another aspect of the present invention can include an audio playing device that includes a playback controller, at least one environment sensor, and an event handler. The playback controller can control a playback of audio from the audio playing device. The playback control can include a pause and a resume capability. The environment sensor(s) can each detect a condition of an external environment about the audio playing device. The event handler can selectively activate/deactivate the pause and the resume capabilities of the playback controller based upon conditions detected by the at least one environment sensor. 
         [0010]    It should be noted that various aspects of the invention can be implemented as a program for controlling computing equipment to implement the functions described herein, or as a program for enabling computing equipment to perform processes corresponding to the steps disclosed herein. This program may be provided by storing the program in a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a semiconductor memory or any other recording medium. The program can also be provided as a digitally encoded signal conveyed via a carrier wave. The described program can be a single program or can be implemented as multiple subprograms, each of which interact within a single computing device or interact in a distributed fashion across a network space. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    There are shown in the drawings, embodiments which are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating a set of scenarios for interacting with a portable audio device able to automatically control playback in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system for a portable audio device capable of interrupting playback based on an occurrence of a detectable event in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for automatically pausing playback in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating a set of scenarios  105 ,  150  for interacting with a portable audio device able to automatically control playback in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. In scenarios  105 ,  150 , a portable audio device can interrupt and resume playback based on detected events. Portable audio device  120 ,  180  can be an MP3 player or similar portable multimedia device. For example, a user listening to music on an audio player can enter and leave conversations without manually pausing/resuming audio playback. 
         [0016]    In scenario  105 , a portable audio device  120  used by a user  122  can detect a friend&#39;s  110  presence, which triggers a pausing event, which can result in interrupting of audio playback. User approaches  140  event can trigger a proximity detection  130  event in audio device  120 , which can be determined as a pausing event. In one embodiment, a proximity sensor in device  120  can be used to detect a friend  110  in proximity of user  122 . Based on configuration settings of device  120 , portable audio device  120  can trigger event prompt user  142 . In another embodiment, a “heartbeat sensor” can be utilized to detect the presence of another person in proximity of the user  122 . The strength of the heartbeat signal can be used to determine proximity and trigger a prompt user  142  event. Device  120  can present user  122  with an audio cue to indicate an automated pausing event has been triggered. Audio cue can be a voice prompt, user selected sound, audio recording, and the like. For instance, device  120  can play a pre-recorded voice prompt which can ask a question such as “Would you like to pause playback?” Event  142  can cause device  120  to wait for user input to confirm/reject pausing of audio playback before taking action. 
         [0017]    User confirmation in event  144  can trigger pause  132  event, causing playback to pause. User confirm  144  event can be detected in a variety of ways. For instance, speech recognition can be used to allow a user  122  to approve/reject playback interruption by replying “yes” or “no”. Alternatively, motion sensitive headphones could be coupled with audio device  120  which can detect head movement. For example, a head “nod” movement can indicate consent where as a head “shake” motion can indicate refusal. Once pause  132  event has occurred, user  122  and friend  110  can participate in conversation  146 . At the end of the conversation  146 , friend  110  can leave the proximity of user  122 . User leaves  148  event can trigger resume  134  event which can automatically continue playback. Distance proximity thresholds for resuming playback can be established by user  122  or automatically determined by device  120 . Automatic determination can be based on historical patterns of proximity and/or threshold settings. Additionally, timeout settings can be used to delay resume  134  temporarily under conditions where friend  110  and user  122  proximity can vary briefly. 
         [0018]    In scenario  150 , portable audio device  180  can automatically interrupt playback when a user  160  uses mobile phone  170 . User  160  listening to audio  182  can use mobile phone  170  without manually pausing playback. Device  180  can detect the pausing event of call  172  based on the ring tone emitted by mobile phone  170 . Alternatively, answer call  174  event, in addition to placing a call, can also trigger a pausing event. For example, when user  160  picks up call  172 , audio device  180  can detect user&#39;s  160  speech. Once the pausing event is detected, device  180  can automatically pause playback. In the event audio  182  is non-interruptible (e.g. broadcast radio, streaming audio, etc), device  180  can be configured to mute or stop playback. During conversation  176 , device  180  can maintain paused audio  184  state until a resuming event is detected (e.g. end call  174 ). When end of call  174  occurs, device  180  can detect speech silence and act appropriately. Depending on user configuration of device  180 , the user  160  can be prompted by device  180  to determine if playback should resume. User confirm/reject mechanisms can be similar to the methods used in user confirm  144  event in scenario  105 . In one embodiment, user  160  can use pre-defined cues that can trigger playback continuation. Cues can include spoken keywords, motion gestures, sounds, and the like. These cues can be configured in device  180  to be recognized and be responded to accordingly. 
         [0019]    Scenarios  105  and  150  are intended to be illustrative in nature and not comprehensive. Accordingly, the automatic pausing of audio can be applied in numerous other situations. For example, the audio pausing technique can be applied to a driving context to pause audio, whenever a significant change in acceleration occurs that may indicate a dangerous situation in which audio playback can be distracting. In another situation, help related audio played from a self-service checkout kiosk can be automatically paused whenever a human assistant approaches the kiosk. Generally, audio playback can be automatically paused in any situation, where continued audio playback can be distracting and be considered within the scope of the disclosed invention. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating a system for an audio device capable of interrupting playback based on an occurrence of a detectable event in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. In system  200 , a playback controller  212  of an audio device  210  can be used to automatically control playback in response to situations the user  220  experiences. For example, an MP3 player (e.g., device  210 ) can be configured to pause playback when a user  220  begins a conversation with another person. Playback pausing settings  218  and criteria can be configured for the user  220 . 
         [0021]    The audio device  210  can be a device capable of generating audio. The device  210  can include an audio transducer (e.g., a speaker) capable of playing audio and/or an audio port/interface through which audio from the device  210  can be conveyed to an external speaker or audio system (e.g., headphones, computer speakers, car or home stereo system, etc.) for playback. For example, the audio device  210  can be implemented as a portal music player (e.g., MP3 player), a mobile phone with music playback capabilities, an electronic gaming system, a portable DVD player, a radio, a receiver of a home stereo system, an in-vehicle music system, a personal navigation device, and the like. 
         [0022]    Audio device  210  can include a playback controller  212 , one or more environment sensors  213 , one or more input mechanisms  214 , an event handler  215 , a user interface  216 , and the like. The playback controller  212  can be utilized to control audio playback in response to conditions/events detected by event handler  215 . Playback controller  212  can be configured through settings  218  to behave differently based on criteria of conditions or events detected. The settings  218  can be adjusted by using user interface  216 . In one embodiment, when playback is paused for an extended period of time, the playback controller  212  can be configured to stop playback entirely and/or to shift device  210  to a power saving state, such as an off state. This can be a setting useful in conserving battery life of device  210 . In one embodiment, playback controller  212  can be capable of audio and/or video playback. When audio/video playback is present, controller  212  can be configured to pause audio/video playback. During playback pauses, a screensaver can optionally be presented in video enabled embodiments of device  210 . 
         [0023]    The environment sensor  213  can detect one or more conditions, which can fire events related to playback (handled by event handler  215 . For example, one environment sensor  213  can be a proximity detector configured to detect a presence of a nearby individual. Another sensor  213  can be an accelerometer, which is able to detect a change in motion of the device  210 , which can signify the user  220  has paused to talk with a nearby individual or that another situation exists (e.g., a sudden stop while driving) that can selectively trigger playback to be paused. Another sensor  213  can be an audio microphone and related processing mechanism, which detects ambient sounds and/or sound pressure levels. Specific sounds, such as a police siren or an alarm, can be distinguished from other sounds for playback pausing purposes. Sensors  213  for detecting ambient audio can be particularly valuable when the device  210  is used in conjunction with noise cancellation headphones, which can cause user  220  to be ignorant of important environmental conditions. 
         [0024]    The input mechanism  214  can be any type of mechanism through which a user  220  can direct actions of the audio device. Input from mechanism  214  can be used to direct the device  210  to resume paused playback, to accept an automatic pause, and to perform other user controllable actions. In one embodiment, input mechanism  214  can include a microphone and a speech recognition component capable of accepting and responding to speech input from user  220 . In another embodiment, the input mechanism  214  can be a conveniently placed tactile switch or button that responds to pressure. For example, a palm squeeze actuator or a bump to talk actuator, can be attached to the strap worn about a hand of the user  220  to convey device controlling input to device  210  in an unencumbered (e.g., hands free) fashion. The input mechanism  214  can also include an electromyographic sensor that utilizes skin electrodes to detect specific muscle patterns that user  220  can voluntarily control. For example, an electromyographic sensor can be triggered by user  120  touching a thumb and little finger. The input mechanism is not to be limited to any particular technology and any of a variety of other sensor and switching technologies are contemplated herein. For example, pneumatic, hydraulic, temperature, audio, eye tracking, motion detecting, and combinations thereof are contemplated. 
         [0025]    Event handler  215  can be responsible for detecting and performing one or more actions based on a determined event. In one embodiment, event handler  214  can receive input from sensor  213  which can cause events to fire. A manner in which playback controller  212  responds to these events, can depend upon settings  218  and additional user input received through mechanism  214 . 
         [0026]    Settings  218 , configured through user interface  216 , can allow a user to select predefined pausing events for event handler  214  to react upon. In one embodiment, different profiles can be established, which have different settings. For example, a gym profile can be associated with one set of playback pause settings, a jogging profile can be associated with another set, a work profile with a third set, and so forth. The settings  218  can vary in complexity and configurability based upon implementation instances, but an arbitrary complexity is contemplated so long as deterministic programmatic decisions are able to be made by device  210  based upon the settings  218 . For example, in one implementation, settings  218  can be configured for automatically adapting speech decibel threshold (or general ambient sound pressure level adjustment) values to environments based on ambient noise. Threshold values compared against settings  218  and/or the settings  218  themselves can include fixed and/or dynamically adjusting values. 
         [0027]    User interface  216  can include a user input region and an output region. Input region receptive to user input can include tactile buttons, force sensing resistor (FSR), microphone, and the like. These input mechanisms can supplement mechanism  214  and/or be additional mechanisms for interacting with device  210 , which would be generally inconvenient for a user  220  to quickly manipulate in a playback pause situation. Output regions can include liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED), touch-screen display, and the like. User interface  216  can include a “lock” feature which can disable accidental user input. In one embodiment, a lock feature can be enabled or disabled via a slider switch configurable via interface  216 . Event handler  216  can be configured to ignore pausing/resuming events when the lock feature is enabled. 
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating a method  300  for automatically pausing playback in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. Method  300  can be performed in the context of system  200 . In method  300 , an audio device being used by a user can automatically pause playback upon determining a pausing event. In step  305 , an audio device in playback mode can be responsive to pausing events. In step  310 , the event handler can detect a pausing event has occurred. Pausing events can include user speech, speech detected in proximity of the user, presence detection of a person or entity, and the like. Additional conditions for determining a pausing event can be contemplated based on the functionality present in the audio device. In step  315 , if the device is configured to require user permissions to pause, the method can continue to step  320 , else proceed to step  330 . In step  320 , the audio device can prompt for user approval to pause playback. Timeout threshold settings for user responses can be established which can allow the user to disregard prompts to ignore the pausing event. When a user ignores user prompts, event handler can abandon the pausing event and playback can continue without interruption. 
         [0029]    In step  325 , if the user confirms the pausing request, the method can continue to step  330 , else return to step  305 . In step  330 , playback on the audio device is paused. Playback can resume based on user interaction or be automated by the event handler. In step  335 , if the event handler detects an end of pausing event, the method can return to step  305 , else return to step  330 . 
         [0030]    The present invention may be realized in hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software. The present invention may be realized in a centralized fashion in one computer system or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system or other apparatus adapted for a carrying out methods described herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware and software may be a general purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein. 
         [0031]    The present invention also may be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods. Computer program in the present context means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following: a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different material form.