Abstract:
Sleep sound audio (natural or soothing sounds such as fan, airplane, ocean waves, birds, rainforest, etc.) are streamed over the Internet from an audio server to enabled products for the purpose of helping people fall asleep or for other aural therapy.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present application relates generally to Internet-sourced bedtime audio. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Some people cannot fall asleep easily when distracted by ambient noises and may fall asleep easier/quicker when noises are masked by employing auxiliary sound. Stand-alone “white noise” products attempt to solve this issue but such products usually contain only a limited number of audio tracks from which to choose, e.g., “surf”, “forest”, “white noise”, etc. Furthermore, modem digital TVs typically mute the audio along with deenergizing the video display when entering a power save mode, so that the old tactic of leaving the TV on and tuned to an off-air channel to listen to the “white noise” on the channel can no longer be practiced. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    As understood herein, multiple products can leverage Internet streaming audio to increase the variety and size of content available for users to listen to without requiring large amounts of local storage in the products&#39; hardware. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, a device includes a housing, a display on the housing, and at least one speaker. A network interface is provided. A processor controls the display and speaker and communicates with the Internet through the network interface to execute logic. 
         [0005]    As set forth further below, the logic includes presenting, on the display, a user interface (UI) from which a user can select an “on” time. The logic also includes presenting a UI from which a user can select a sleep sound. The sleep sound is an audio program that is a non-voice audio track. At the on time, the selected sleep sound is automatically played on the speaker from an Internet server. Responsive to a determination that a power conservation criterion is present in the device, the display is deenergized and audio muting of the speaker programmed as part of power conservation logic to be muted in the presence of the power conservation criterion is overridden, to continue playing the sleep sound on the speaker. 
         [0006]    The sleep sound can be played on the speaker until a user-selected “off” time is reached, at which time the logic ceases playing of the sleep sound on the speaker. The sleep sound may not include voice or instrumental music but only sounds occurring naturally in nature, and/or white noise. 
         [0007]    In some embodiments, at the “on” time streaming of the sleep sound from the Internet server is commenced. The device can be an Internet-enabled TV, a digital clock radio, a digital baby monitor including a video camera, or other consumer electronics (CE) device. 
         [0008]    In another aspect, a method includes establishing communication between an audio player and an Internet server, and downloading, from the Internet, sleep sound audio from the server to the player for playing the sleep sound audio to help people fall asleep or for aural therapy. 
         [0009]    In another aspect, a device includes a housing, a display on the housing, and at least one speaker. A network interface is provided. A processor controls the display and speaker and communicates with the Internet through the network interface to execute logic. 
         [0010]    As set- forth further below, the logic includes presenting a user interface on the display listing genres of audio video content sources and, for each source in sub-menu style, genre of programming provided by that source. One of the sources is the Internet and one of the respective genres of programming is “sleep sounds”. Responsive to a user selection of “sleep sounds” a UI is presented on the display from which a user may select a particular audio including white noise sounds and naturally occurring sounds: The logic includes presenting on the display a UI permitting a user to input an on time of day, at which time of day selected audio is automatically streamed from the server and played on the speaker. 
         [0011]    The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example system in accordance with present principles; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is screen shot of an example user interface (UI) for selecting sleep sound streaming on a TV; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is screen shot of an example user interface (UI) for selecting a particular sleep sound from a list; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is screen shot of an example UI for selecting sleep sound channel, on, and off times; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart of example logic in accordance with present principles, it being understood that present logic may be expressed in state logic. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]    Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a TV  12  includes a portable lightweight plastic housing  14  bearing a digital processor  16 . The processor  16  can control a visual display  18  and an audible display  20  such as one or more speakers. 
         [0018]    To undertake present principles, the processor  16  may access one or more computer readable storage media such as but not limited to RAM-based storage  22  (e.g., a chip implementing dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or a disk drive) or flash memory  24 . Software code implementing present logic executable by the TV  12  may also be stored on one of the memories shown to undertake present principles. 
         [0019]    The processor  16  can receive user input signals from various input devices  26 , including a remote control device  27 , a point and click device such as a mouse, a keypad, etc. A TV tuner  28  is typically provided in the housing  14  and may be provided in a set-top box communicating with the TV processor  16  to receive TV signals from a source such as a set-top box, satellite receiver, cable head end, terrestrial TV signal antenna, etc. Signals from the tuner  28  are sent to the processor  16  for presentation on the display  18  and speakers  20 . 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a network interface  30  such as a wired or wireless modem or wireless telephony transceiver communicates with the processor  16  to provide connectivity to one or more audio servers  32  on the Internet. The server  32  has a respective processor and data store for sending multimedia programs including the below-discussed sleep sounds to the TV  12  over the Internet. 
         [0021]    Additionally, a user of the TV  12  may also use further CE devices such as digital clock radio  34  and a digital baby monitor  36 , and the sleep sounds from the server  32  may also or alternatively be played on these devices within the home as well as on the TV  12 . 
         [0022]    Other CE devices that may employ present principles include wireless headphones communicating with the Internet using, e.g., WiFi, a game player, a video disk player, a camera, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, etc. 
         [0023]    In the example shown, the clock radio  34  may include a visual display  38  and one or more audio speakers  40  controlled by a clock processor  42  accessing a tangible non-transitory digital storage medium  44  to undertaken present logic. The processor  42  may receive digital clocking signals from an internal digital clock device  46  and may communicate using a network interface  48  with the audio server  32 . The network interface  48  may be, e.g., a wired or wireless modem. 
         [0024]    The baby monitor  36  may include a visual display  50  and one or more audio speakers  52  controlled by a monitor processor  54  accessing a tangible non-transitory digital storage medium  56  to undertaken present logic. The processor  54  may receive digital video signals from a video camera  58  for display of video therefrom on the display  50  and/or a remote visual display. The processor  54  may communicate using a network interface  60  with the audio server  32 . The network interface  60  may be, e.g., a wired or wireless modem. 
         [0025]    In addition or alternatively to receiving audio from the audio server  32  over the Internet, the TV  12 , clock radio  34 , and baby monitor  36  may receive “sleep” audio from a home media center  62  including a media center processor  64  accessing a tangible non-transitory digital storage medium  66 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  shows that a user interface (UI)  68  may be presented on, e.g., the TV display  18  listing genres of audio video content sources and, for each source in sub-menu style, genre of programming provided by that source. As shown, one of the sources is the Internet or equivalent wide area computer network term and a partial list of example genres of programming may include “video” and “sleep sounds”. If “sleep sounds” is selected another UI  69  ( FIG. 3 ) may be presented from which the user may select a particular audio type, e.g., “white noise”, “forest sounds”, “waves”. In other words, in one embodiment “sleep sounds” are non-instrumental, non-voice audio tracks sounds occurring naturally in nature such as ocean waves, bird sounds, and forest sounds, in some cases along with other non-instrumental non-voice sounds such as white noise sounds, e.g., fan sounds, airplane sounds. In another embodiment, “sleep sounds” are non-voice audio tracks but may include instrumental music, in which case the UI  69  may also include an entry such as the “new wave” music selection as shown. 
         [0027]    Once a desired sleep sound is selected, the UI  70  of  FIG. 4  may be presented, permitting a user, by means of the RC  27  for example, to input an on time, at which time of day the selected audio will automatically start to be streamed/played on the speakers  20 . The user may also select an off time, at which time play of the audio will be terminated. As an alternative to selecting a particular sleep sound from  FIG. 3 , as shown in  FIG. 4  the user may be given the option of selecting a particular audio channel. The channels, although labeled “A”, “B”, and “C” in  FIG. 4  for simplicity, typically may carry labels indicating their genre, e.g. “white noise”, “ocean waves”, etc. 
         [0028]    In some embodiments the user may pre-set a volume level for the sleep sound that is different from whatever the current volume level of the TV is. A UI may be provided to allow volume level selection. The UI may also permit a “fade” selection which would permit the user to select for the volume to be lowered over time, e.g., by one volume setting every five minutes, or slow, continuous fading, etc. Or, a UI may be presented from which the user can select a particular audio variation over time, i.e., a “sound curve”, with different curves being intended to match corresponding sleep patterns. 
         [0029]      FIG. 5  shows example logic for implementing present principles. At block  72 , at the selected “on” time from the UI  70  of  FIG. 4 , the audio server  32 , if not already in communication with the TV  12 , is contacted by the TV  12  over the network interface  30 . The selected audio is downloaded as by, e.g., streaming at block  76  and presented on the speakers  20 . 
         [0030]    Decision diamond  78  indicates that if the TV  12  determines it is time to enter a TV sleep mode after, for instance, a predetermined period of inactivity or other power conservation criterion, the video display  18  is deenergized in accordance with TV power conservation principles at block  80 . However, as indicated at block  80 , any audio muting programmed as part of the power conservation logic of the TV is overridden and the selected sleep sound continues to be played on the speakers  20  until the user-selected “off” time from  FIG. 4  is reached at decision diamond  82 , at which time the logic ends at state  84  by ceasing the playing of the audio on the speakers. Because  FIG. 5  is cast in non-limiting example logic flow format, various loops are shown, e.g., from a negative test at decision diamond  78  to decision diamond  82  and from a negative test at decision diamond  82  to decision diamond  78 , it being understood that present logic may be implemented as state-drive logic. 
         [0031]    In one implementation, the logic may use selection of “sleep sounds” from the UT  68  of  FIG. 2  as an indicator that power savings muting should be overridden at block  80 . In another implementation, “sleep sounds” may not be selected per se but rather mere selection of a sleep sound channel can be used an indicator that power savings muting should be overridden at block  80 . 
         [0032]    It may now be appreciated an audio stream may be received by the TV  12  (or other CE device in accordance with present principles) via the Internet or home media server and then decoded, its duration managed at a user-selected fading/volume level, to aid a user listening to the sleep sound in falling asleep. 
         [0033]    Thus two electronic products, one of them being a bed time sound machine and the other a TV or baby monitor or other CE device, are incorporated into a single product. Also, unique sound profiles may be created and tailored to specific “sleep curves” (studies for better sleep) where sound levels are modulated throughout the night to match a person&#39;s sleep habits (for example). Then, in the morning, a final alarm could used wake up the user. This profile can be used in a TV, alarm clock, or other such device. 
         [0034]    The logic above may be implemented by a “widget” on a user&#39;s desktop or TV or clock or other device making quick user access available. By “widget” is meant a portable module of computer software, or application, that can be installed and executed within, for example, a HTML-based web page by an end user without requiring compilation. Widgets can take the form of on-screen tools. 
         [0035]    While the particular INTERNET-SOURCED BEDTIME AUDIO is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims. For example, while the logic above is divulged using the TV as an example, it can also be implemented on the baby monitor, digital alarm clock, or other CE device.