Patent Publication Number: US-2016240182-A1

Title: Automatic white noise generation for device e-reading mode

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Examples described herein relate to a system and method for operating a computing device for generation of noise cancelling audio output. 
     BACKGROUND 
     An electronic personal display is a mobile computing device that displays information to a user. While an electronic personal display may be capable of many of the functions of a personal computer, a user can typically interact directly with an electronic personal display without the use of a keyboard that is separate from, or coupled to, but distinct from the electronic personal display itself. Some examples of electronic personal displays include mobile digital devices/tablet computers and electronic readers (e-readers) such (e.g.. Apple iPad®, Microsoft® Surface™, Samsung Galaxy Tab® and the like), handheld multimedia smartphones (e.g., Apple iPhone®, Samsung Galaxy S®, and the like), and handheld electronic readers (e.g., Amazon Kindle®, Barnes and Noble Nook®, Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo GLO and the like). 
     Some electronic personal display devices are purpose built devices designed to perform especially well at displaying digitally stored content for reading or viewing thereon. For example, a purpose build device may include a display that reduces glare, performs well in high lighting conditions, and/or mimics the look of text as presented via actual discrete pages of paper. While such purpose built devices may excel at displaying content for a user to read, they may also perform other functions, such as displaying images, emitting audio, recording audio, and web surfing, among others. 
     Electronic personal display devices s are among numerous kinds of consumer devices that can receive services and utilize resources across a network service. Such devices can operate applications or provide other functionality that links a device to a particular account of a specific service. For example, the electronic reader (e-reader) devices typically link to an online bookstore, and media playback devices often include applications that enable the user to access an online media electronic library (or e-library). In this context, the user accounts can enable the receive the full benefit and functionality of the device. 
     Yet further, such devices may incorporate a touch screen display having integrated touch sensors and touch sensing functionality, whereby user input commands via touch-based gestures are received thereon. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate various embodiments and, together with the Description of Embodiments, serve to explain principles discussed below. The drawings referred to in this brief description of the drawings should not be understood as being drawn to scale unless specifically noted. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a computing device configured for operation in generation of ambient noise cancelling audio output. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a schematic architecture of a computing device configured for operation in generation of ambient noise cancelling audio output, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an example embodiment in a view of a computing device for operation in generating ambient noise cancelling audio output. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a method for operating a computing device in generation of ambient noise cancelling audio output, according to an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     “E-books” are a form of electronic publication content stored in digital format in a computer non-transitory memory, viewable on a computing device having display functionality. An e-book can correspond to, or mimic, the paginated format of a printed publication for viewing, such as provided by printed literary works (e.g., novels) and periodicals (e.g., magazines, comic books, journals, etc.). Optionally, some e-books may have chapter designations, as well as content that corresponds to graphics or images (e.g., such as in the case of magazines or comic books). Multi-function devices, such as cellular-telephony or messaging devices, can utilize specialized applications (e.g., specialized e-reading application software) to view e-books in a format that mimics the paginated printed publication. Still further, some devices (sometimes labeled as “e-readers”) can display digitally-stored content in a more reading-centric manner, while also providing, via a user input interface, the ability to manipulate that content for viewing, such as via discrete pages arranged sequentially (that is, pagination) corresponding to an intended or natural reading progression, or flow, of the content therein. 
     An “e-reading device”, variously referred to herein as an electronic personal display or mobile computing device, can refer to any computing device that can display or otherwise render an e-book. By way of example, an e-reading device can include a mobile computing device on which an e-reading application can be executed to render content that includes e-books (e.g., comic books, magazines, etc.). Such mobile computing devices can include, for example, a multi-functional computing device for cellular telephony/messaging (e.g., feature phone or smart phone), a tablet computer device, an ultra-mobile computing device, or a wearable computing device with a form factor of a wearable accessory device (e.g., smart watch or bracelet, glass-wear integrated with a computing device, etc.). As another example, an e-reading device can include an e-reader device, such as a purpose-built device that is optimized for an e-reading experience (e.g., with e-Ink displays). 
     While engaged in an immersive e-reading experience, a combination of factors such as ambient lighting brightness, reflection and glare from the display screen while viewing displayed content may significantly affect reading comfort and enjoyment of the user&#39;s reading experience. A user should ideally be able to read comfortably for extended periods of time on the device display screen, to provide a digital reading experience that is comparable to the natural convenience of reading a physical paper book. It would be further preferable that a display screen consume relatively minimal device battery power, to enable reading for lengthy, immersive periods without having to recharge the device battery. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a computing mobile device  110 , in one embodiment configured for operation in generating cancelling sound waves relative to detected ambient noise, thereby to create an atmosphere more conducive to a lengthy, immersive e-reading session of e-book content upon display screen  116 . In the example of  FIG. 1 , computing device  110  comprises an electronic personal display device, shown by way of example as e-reading device  110 . The terms e-reading device, computing device and electronic personal display device are used interchangeably herein. 
     The e-reading device  110  can correspond to any electronic personal display device on which applications and application resources (e.g., e-books, media files, documents) can be rendered and consumed. For example, the e-reading device  110  can correspond to a tablet or a telephony/messaging device (e.g., smart phone). In one implementation, for example, e-reading device  110  can run an e-reader application that links the device to a network service and enables e-books provided through the service to be downloaded and stored, for consumption by way of e-reading. In another implementation, the e-reading device  110  can run a media playback or streaming application that receives files or streaming data from the network service. By way of example, the e-reading device  110  can be equipped with hardware and software to optimize certain application activities, such as reading electronic content (e.g., e-books). For example, the e-reading device  110  can have a tablet-like form factor, although variations are possible. In some cases, display screen  116  of e-reading device  110  may be a liquid crystal display and display screen  117  may be an e-ink display or bi-stable display. 
     In additional detail, such a network service can include a content store server and a user account electronic library (e-library) storing e-books or digital content items. In some embodiments, the content store server and user account e-library may be implemented via server computing devices, as well as a server cloud computing system. The content store server may be an online store for purchasing of digital content items for download therefrom onto a resident memory of e-reading device  110  and/or the user account e-library which associates the e-reading device  110  with a user having a account. The user account can also be associated with ownership of, and/or accessibility to, one or more e-books and digital content items stored in content store server. 
     Yet further, the content store server and user account e-library can retain metadata associated with e-books or other digital content items that have been purchased or made available for consumption via a user&#39;s e-library. Thus, information relating to each of the e-books within a user account e-library can include a metadata set in addition to substantive digital text and image content portions. The metadata set can include, for example, information such as the graphic representation of the e-book, such as including artwork- or image-based representation of a counterpart physical paper book cover, as well as summary information, author information, title, short synopsis or book review, publication date and language of the e-book, and book or volume series information. 
     Additionally, information typically rendered within precursor pages of paper books, such as an epigraph, a biographical page of the author, a table of contents, a book review, a book dedication, a foreword, author acknowledgements, an introduction, and a copyright notice may correspondingly be provided by, and accessible from, the metadata record unique to an e-book as electronically published. As used herein, the term precursor pages refers to the clustered pages of an e-book interposed between a displayed cover of the e-book and the actual substantive reading content within the e-book, providing information such as any or all of an epigraph, a biographical page of the author, a table of contents, a book review, a book dedication, a foreword, author acknowledgements, an introduction, and a copyright notice, and the like. The average e-book can typically feature a cluster of pages ranging from 3-15 precursor pages. 
     Further with reference to an example depiction of  FIG. 1 , the display screen  116  may be touch-sensitive, to process touch inputs including gestures, e.g., a swipe gesture comprising a sustained touch while moving along a particular direction upon the touchscreen surface). For example, the display screen  116  may be integrated with one or more touch sensors to provide a touch-sensing region on their respective display surfaces. For some embodiments, the one or more touch sensors may include capacitive sensors that can sense or detect a human body&#39;s capacitance as input. In the example of  FIG. 1 , the touch-sensing region coincides with a substantial surface area, if not all, of the display screen  116  respectively. 
     According to some embodiments, the e-reading device  110  includes display sensor logic to detect and interpret user input or user input commands made through interaction with the touch sensors of display screen  116 . By way of example, display sensor logic can detect a user making contact with the touch-sensing region of the display screen  116 , otherwise referred to herein as a touch event. More specifically, display sensor logic can detect a touch event also referred to herein as a tap, an initial tap held in contact at display screen  116  for longer than some pre-defined threshold duration of time (otherwise known as a “long press” or a “tong touch”), multiple taps performed either sequentially or generally simultaneously, swiping gesture actions made through user interaction with the touch sensing region of the display screen  116  or any combination of these gesture actions. Although referred to herein as a “touch” or a tap, it should be appreciated that in some design implementations, sufficient proximity to the screen surface, just short of actual physical contact, may register a “contact” or a “touch event”. Furthermore, display sensor logic can interpret such interactions in a variety of ways. For example, each such interaction may be interpreted as a particular type of user input associated with a respective input command, execution of which may trigger a change in state at touchscreen display  116 . 
     The touch screen display sensor capability may be applied by the user to transition through paginated content of an e-book. The e-reading device  110  can display pages from e-books, and enable the user to transition from one page state to another, including advancing forward or backward within the pages of e-book content. In particular, an e-book can provide content that is rendered according to a sequence of digitally constructed pages, and the e-book can display page states in the form of single pages, multiple pages or portions thereof. In alternate embodiments, the e-book may be an e-magazine or an e-comic book, wherein each of the digitally constructed pages includes several distinctive panels or frames of text and/or images, and reading progression within a page may include navigating in sequential steps from one such panel or frame to another within a same page. Accordingly, a given page state can coincide with, for example, a single page, or two or more pages displayed at once, and in some implementations, the page transitioning feature may include single page transitions, chapter transitions, or cluster transitions (multiple pages at one time) within the sequence of digitally constructed pages comprising the e-book. 
     The e-reading device  110  may include e-book invocation logic  115  for identifying e-books based on identifying a unique e-book signature from metadata associated with a given e-book. The term signature as used herein means any unique, distinguishing aspect, feature, or mark; and the term e-book signature refers to any unique, distinguishing aspect, feature, or mark which identifies a digital content item stored or storable in a memory of e-reading device  110  as an e-book. The term e-book as used herein is also intended to encompass an e-magazine or an e-comic book, wherein each of the digitally constructed pages includes several distinctive panels or frames of text and/or images, and reading progression within a page may include navigating in sequential steps from one such panel or frame to another within a same page. Upon invocation of a digital content item at display screen  116 , such as a double-click-to-open action performed upon an icon representative of the digital content item, or a touch gesture action performed upon that representative icon in the case of a touchscreen display  116  at computing device  110 , if e-book metadata is present, then e-book invocation logic  115  infers that an e-book is being opened for e-reading at display screen  116 . 
     Ambient noise cancellation logic module  120  provides, in an embodiment, for detecting ambient noise characteristics such as sound wave amplitude and frequency. Yet further, if as determined by e-book invocation logic  115  that an e-book is being opened or invoked for e-reading, then noise cancellation logic module  120  further provides logic for activating generation of appropriate sound output in cancellation of the detected ambient noise characteristics. 
     Ambient noise cancellation logic module  120  and e-book invocation logic module  115  can be implemented as software modules comprising instructions stored in a memory of a computing device such as the content store server and/or display device  110 . One or more embodiments of ambient noise cancellation logic module  120  and/or e-book invocation logic module  115  described herein may be implemented using programmatic modules or components. A programmatic module or component may include a program, a subroutine, a portion of a program, or a software or a hardware component capable of performing one or more stated asks or functions in conjunction with one or more processors. As used herein, a module or component can exist on a hardware component independently of other modules or components. Alternatively, a module or component can be a shared element or process of other modules, programs and hardware components. 
     Furthermore, the one or more embodiments of ambient noise cancellation logic module  120  and e-book invocation logic module  115  described herein may be implemented through instructions that are executable by one or more processors. These instructions may be stored on a computer-readable non-transitory medium. In particular, the numerous computing and communication devices shown with embodiments of the invention include processor(s) and various forms of computer memory, including volatile and non-volatile forms, storing data and instructions. Examples of computer-readable mediums include permanent memory storage devices, such as hard drives on personal computers or servers. Other examples of computer storage mediums include portable storage units, flash or solid-state memory (such as included on many cell phones and consumer electronic devices) and magnetic memory. Computers, terminals, network enabled devices (e.g., mobile devices such as cell phones and wearable computers) are all examples of machines and devices that utilize processors, memory, and instructions stored on computer-readable mediums. Additionally, embodiments may be implemented in the form of computer-programs, or a computer usable storage medium capable of storing such a program. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 2 , illustrated is a schematic architecture of a mobile computing device  110 , such as a tablet or e-reader, configured for operation in generating cancelling sound waves in response to detecting certain ambient noise characteristics, such as amplitude or a frequency, at the mobile computing device, according to an embodiment. 
     E-reading device  110  further includes processor  210 , a memory  250  storing instructions and logic pertaining at least to display sensor logic, ambient noise cancellation logic module  120  and e-book invocation logic module  115 . 
     Processor  210  can implement functionality using the logic and instructions stored in memory  250 . Additionally, in some implementations, processor  210  communicates with the network service. More specifically, the e-reading device  110  can access the network service to receive various kinds of resources, e.g., digital content items including e-books, digital videos, as well as configuration files and account information, as well as to provide information (e.g., user account information, service requests etc.). For example, e-reading device  110  can receive application resources, including digital content items such as e-books or media files that the user elects to purchase or otherwise download via the network service. The application resources, including e-books having content organized as a series of digitally constructed pages, that are downloaded onto the e-reading device  110  can be stored in memory  250 . 
     In some implementations, primary display screen  116  can correspond to, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or light emitting diode (LED) display that illuminates in order to provide content generated from processor  210 . In some implementations, display  116  can be touch-sensitive. For example, in some embodiments, one or more of the touch sensor components may be integrated with display  116 . In other embodiments, the touch sensor components may be provided (e.g., as a layer) above or below display  116  such that individual touch sensor components track different regions of display  116 . Display screen  116  can correspond to an electronic paper type display, such as an e-ink or bi-stable display that mimic conventional paper in the manner in which content is displayed. Examples of such electronic paper display technologies include electrophoretic displays, electro-wetting displays, and electro-fluidic displays. 
     Processor  210  can receive input from various sources, including touch sensor components at display  116 , keystroke input  209  such as from a virtual or rendered keyboard, microphone  290 , one or more audio output speakers  291  and other input mechanisms  299  (e.g., buttons, mouse, earphone plug-in jack, wirelessly coupled speakers, etc.). With reference to examples described herein, processor  210  can respond to input detected at the touch sensor components. In some embodiments, processor  210  responds to inputs from the touch sensor components in order to facilitate or enhance e-book activities such as generating e-book content on display  116 , performing page transitions of the displayed e-book content, powering off the device  110  and/or display  116 , activating a screen saver, launching or closing an application, and/or otherwise altering a state of display  116 . 
     In some embodiments, memory  250  may store display sensor logic that monitors for user interactions detected through the touch sensor components, and further processes the user interactions as a particular input or type of input. In an alternative embodiment, display sensor logic module may be integrated with the touch sensor components. For example, the touch sensor components can be provided as a modular component that includes integrated circuits or other hardware logic, and such resources can provide some or all of display sensor logic. In variations, some or all of display sensor logic may be implemented with processor  210  (which utilizes instructions stored in memory  250 ), or with an alternative processing resource. 
     Memory  250  also stores digital content items including e-books having respectively associated metadata records, each e-book having its unique metadata record in addition to the substantive content of the e-book, i.e., the digitally constructed paginated content for e-reading via the display screen of the e-reading device. 
     E-reading device  110  further includes wireless connectivity subsystem  213 , comprising a wireless communication receiver, a transmitter, and associated components, such as one or more embedded or internal antenna elements, local oscillators, and a processing module such as a digital signal processor (DSP) (not shown). As will be apparent to those skilled in the field of communications, the particular design of wireless connectivity subsystem  213  depends on the communication network in which display device  110  is intended to operate, such as in accordance with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC) communication protocols, and the like. In an embodiment, audio output speaker(s)  291  may be wirelessly removably coupled, such as via a Bluetooth connection, with computing device  110 . 
     Ambient noise cancellation logic module  120  can be implemented as a software module, comprising instructions stored in memory  250 , on mobile display device  110 . In one implementation, the local memory  250  can include records for each e-book in the user&#39;s e-library account. The user may have the content portion of select e-books archived remotely at a computer server cloud system, so as not to reside in the local memory  250 , but be provided by the network service upon request or as needed. 
     E-book invocation logic module  115  operates in conjunction with ambient noise cancellation logic module  120  to activate generation of ambient noise cancelling sound waves upon an inference that a digital content item being accessed is an e-book, whereupon the cancelling sound waves are emitted, such as via one or more speakers or removable earphone jack connector, from computing device  110 . 
     Next, in reference to  FIG. 3 , depicted is an example embodiment in view  310  of an of computing device  110  configured for generating white noise in cancellation of detected ambient noise, such as background crowd noise, traffic noise, radios, and children, and the like. 
     In this case depicted, front-facing output speakers  291   a  and  291   b  are disposed on a front housing face of computing device  110  also having display screen  116  thereon. Microphone  290  for receiving and detecting ambient noise may also be disposed at the front housing face of computing device  110 . In an embodiment, an earphone speaker jack input  298  may be housed on the front surface, or also upon a rear of edge housing surface of computing device  110 . Upon detecting an e-book metadata record associated with an accessed or invoked digital content item, such as the graphic representation of the e-book, such as including artwork- or image-based representation of a counterpart physical paper book cover, as well as summary information, author information, title, short synopsis or book review, publication date and language of the e-book, and book or volume series information of an e-book, ambient noise cancelling features may be automatically activated via processor  210  to create an atmosphere more conducive to extended, immersive e-reading of the e-book content via display screen  116 . 
     In variations, information typically rendered within precursor pages of paper books, such as an epigraph, a biographical page of the author, a table of contents, a book review, a book dedication, a foreword, author acknowledgements, an introduction, and a copyright notice may correspondingly be provided by, and accessible from, the metadata record unique to e-books as electronically published. 
     Ambient noise cancellation logic module  120 , in one embodiment, generates noise cancelling sound waves at the electronic personal display  110  for reducing ambient noise distraction. In general, and with reference to electronic personal display  110  for purposes of example only, upon receiving the ambient noise via the microphone  290 , ambient noise cancellation logic module  120  determines the frequency and amplitude characteristics of the ambient noise sound waves, and then generates a signal causing the speakers  291   a ,  291   b  to emit a sound wave with the same amplitude but inverted in phase to the ambient sound waves. The two sets of waves combine to form a new wave, in a process called interference, effectively cancelling each other out. In embodiments, speaker  291  may connected with electronic personal display  110  wired or wirelessly. For example, speaker  291  may be connected via headphone jack port  298  in electronic personal display  110 , or may be wirelessly coupled therewith via Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, or other short-range wireless radio communication protocol. In other embodiments, noise cancelling sound waves are output from some combination of speakers that are fixedly coupled with the electronic personal display and speakers that are removably coupled to the electronic personal display  110 . 
     Next with reference to  FIG. 4 , illustrated is a method for operation in generating and deploying white noise sound waves in cancellation of detected ambient noise, depending on detecting that an e-book has been accessed for e-reading at computing device  110 . In describing the example of  FIG. 4 , reference will be made to components such as described with regard to  FIGS. 1 through 3  for purposes of illustrating components for performing a step or sub-step as described. 
     At step  401 , receiving an invocation of the digital content item stored in memory  250  of computing device  110 . The invocation may received by such as a double-click to open action performed upon an icon representative of the digital content item, or a touch gesture action performed upon that representative icon in the case of a touchscreen display  116  at computing device  110 . 
     At step  402 , inferring that the digital content item is an e-book based on a metadata record of the e-book, the e-book having content displayable according to an ordered sequence of digitally constructed pages. 
     At step  403 , detecting at least one ambient noise characteristic at the computing device  110 . 
     At step  404 , generating sound waves in cancellation of the at least one ambient noise characteristic. 
     At step  405 , outputting, from the computing device  110 , the sound waves. 
     Although illustrative embodiments have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, variations to specific embodiments and details are contemplated and encompassed by this disclosure. It is intended that the scope of embodiments described herein be defined by claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, it is contemplated that a particular feature described, either individually or as part of an embodiment, can be combined with other individually described features, or parts of other embodiments. Thus, absence of describing combinations should not preclude the inventor(s) from claiming rights to such combinations.