PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9711160-B2
Application Number: US-201213482726-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Smart dock for activating a voice recognition mode of a portable electronic device

Abstract:
A dock for a portable electronic device including a housing, a connector extending from the housing to connect the portable electronic device to the dock, a microphone integrated within the housing, and a processor. The processor is operatively coupled to receive audio input from the microphone, and in response to the audio input, transmit a message to the portable electronic device via the connector to activate a voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for processing input at dock for a portable electronic device, the method comprising:
 activating a continuous listening mode on the dock; 
 detecting audio input at a microphone integrated within a housing of the dock; 
 comparing the audio input to a stored audio file, wherein comparing is done at the dock, wherein the continuous listening mode on the dock is deactivated while the audio input is being compared to the stored audio file, and wherein comparing includes determining whether the audio input matches the stored audio file; 
 reactivating the continuous listening, mode at the dock when it is determined that the audio input does not match the stored audio file; 
 transmitting a message requesting activation of a voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device when it is determined that the audio input matches the stored audio file, wherein the message is transmitted using a communication interface of the dock, and wherein when the message is received at the portable electronic device, the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device is activated; and 
 deactivating the continuous listening mode of the dock when the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device is activated. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting additional audio input at the microphone integrated within the housing of the dock. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising transmitting the additional audio input using the communication interface of the dock. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing an indication that the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device has been activated. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing an initial setup process before activating the continuous listening mode on the dock. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, transmitting, by the dock, an authentication message to the portable electronic device via the communication interface of the dock. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dock receives a message from the portable electronic device via the communication interface, the message indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device. 
     
     
       8. A dock, comprising:
 one or more processors; 
 a memory coupled to the one or more processors and containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:
 activating a continuous listening mode on the dock for a portable electronic device; 
 detecting audio input at a microphone integrated within a housing of the dock; 
 comparing the audio input to a stored audio file, wherein comparing is done at the dock, wherein the continuous listening mode on the dock is deactivated while the audio input is being compared to the stored audio file, and wherein comparing includes determining whether the audio input matches the stored audio file; 
 reactivating the continuous listening mode at the dock when it is determined that the audio input does not match the stored audio file; 
 transmitting a message requesting activation of a voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device when it is determined that the audio input matches the stored audio file, wherein the message is transmitted using a communication interface of the dock, and wherein when the message is received at the portable electronic device, the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device is activated; and 
 deactivating the continuous listening mode of the dock when the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device is activated. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The dock of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further include detecting additional audio input at the microphone integrated within the housing of the dock. 
     
     
       10. The dock of  claim 9 , wherein the operations further include transmitting the additional audio input using the communication interface of the dock. 
     
     
       11. The dock of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further include providing an indication that the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device has been activated. 
     
     
       12. The dock of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further include performing an initial setup process before activating the continuous listening mode on the dock. 
     
     
       13. The dock of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further include, transmitting, by the dock, an authentication message to the portable electronic device via the communication interface of the dock. 
     
     
       14. The dock of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further include the dock receiving a message from the portable electronic device via the communication interface, the message indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device. 
     
     
       15. A system comprising:
 a portable electronic device including:
 a portable electronic device processor; and 
 a portable electronic device electrical connector coupled to the portable electronic device processor; 
 
 a dock including:
 a dock connector configured to mate with the portable electronic device connector; 
 one or more dock processors coupled to the dock connector; and 
 a dock memory containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more dock processors cause the one or more dock processors to perform operations including:
 activating a continuous listening mode on the dock; 
 detecting audio input at a microphone integrated within a housing of the dock; 
 comparing the audio input to a stored audio file, wherein comparing is done at the dock, wherein the continuous listening mode on the dock is deactivated while the audio input is being compared to the stored audio file, and wherein comparing includes determining whether the audio input matches the stored audio file; 
 reactivating the continuous listening mode at the dock when it is determined that the audio input does not match the stored audio file; 
 transmitting a message requesting activation of a voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device when it is determined that the audio input matches the stored audio file, wherein the message is transmitted using a communication interface of the dock, and wherein when the message is received at the portable electronic device, the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device is activated; and 
 deactivating the continuous listening mode of the dock when the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device is activated. 
 
 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further include detecting additional audio input at the microphone integrated within the housing of the dock. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further include transmitting the additional audio input using the communication interface of the dock. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further include providing an indication that the voice recognition mode on the portable electronic device has been activated. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further include performing an initial setup process before activating the continuous listening mode on the dock. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further include the dock receiving a message from the portable electronic device via the communication interface, the message indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates generally to portable electronic devices, and more particularly to a smart dock for communicating with a portable electronic device to activate a voice recognition mode. 
     Portable electronic devices, such as cellular phones, have become ubiquitous in today&#39;s society, as have the peripheral electronic devices that support their use, such as docking stations and the like. Some portable electronic devices, such as the iPhone™ (made by Apple Inc., assignee of the present application), can provide users with a variety of services in addition to facilitating telephone calls. Such services can include messaging (voice, SMS, e-mail, instant messaging, application messaging, etc.), management and playback of media content (music, videos, audiobooks, photos, documents, etc.), storage of personal data (calendar, contacts, notes, etc.), Internet access, and the ability to execute various applications. 
     In order to utilize the various functionalities provided by a portable electronic device, a user typically must interact with their device using finger controls and/or a graphical user interface (GUI) included on their device. However, such interaction requires that the portable electronic device be in close proximity to the user (e.g., in the user&#39;s hand). If the user is not proximate to their portable electronic device (e.g., if their device is connected to a charging power source on the other side of the room), the user may be unable to utilize the various services provided by their device in a timely and convenient manner. 
     Some existing portable electronic devices include voice recognition capabilities that allow a user to access the various functionalities on their device using audible voice commands. However, the utilization of such voice recognition capabilities in existing devices typically involves an initial activation step requiring the user to interact with the finger controls and/or GUI of their device before voice commands can be processed. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention provide improved apparatus, systems and methods for communicating with a portable electronic device to activate a voice recognition mode. 
     In one particular embodiment, a dock for a portable electronic device comprises a housing, a connector extending from the housing to connect the portable electronic device to the dock, a microphone integrated within the housing, and a processor. The processor is operatively coupled to receive audio input from the microphone and is configured to, in response to the audio input, transmit a message to the portable electronic device via the connector to activate a voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device. 
     In another embodiment, the processor of the dock is operatively coupled to receive voice input from the microphone, transmit the voice input to the portable electronic device in the voice recognition mode via the connector, receive audio output from the portable electronic device in the voice recognition mode via the connector, and transmit the audio output to the speaker. 
     In another embodiment, a portable electronic device comprises a housing, a receptacle connector to connect the portable electronic device to a dock, and a processor. The processor is operatively coupled to receive a message from the dock via the receptacle connector and is configured to, in response to the message, activate a voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device. 
     In another embodiment, the portable electronic device further comprises a microphone and a speaker integrated within the housing. When the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device is activated, the processor of the portable electronic device is further configured to receive and process voice input from the microphone, the voice input including a user request. The processor generates audio output including a response to user request, and transmits the audio output to the speaker. 
     In yet another embodiment, when the voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device is activated, the processor of the portable electronic device is further configured to receive voice input from the dock via the receptacle connector, the voice input including a use request. The processor retrieves the requested information and generates audio output including a response to the user request. The audio output is transmitted by the processor to the dock via the receptacle connector. 
     To better understand the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the following description and the accompanying figures. It is to be understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a simplified perspective view of a dock  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention that activates a voice recognition mode of a portable electronic device  120 ; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a simplified block diagram showing various components of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the system including dock  100  and portable electronic device  120  shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a flow diagram of a process  300  usable by dock  100  to activate a voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120  according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a flow diagram of a process  400  usable by dock  100  to receive voice input from a user and to provide audio output generated by portable electronic device  120  to the user according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention pertain to a smart dock for activating a voice recognition mode of a portable electronic device. In embodiments of the present invention, a smart dock can receive audio input from a user (e.g., a spoken word or phrase, hand clap, etc.) and transmit, in response to the audio input, a message to a portable electronic device to activate a voice recognition mode of the portable electronic device. 
     As used herein, a “portable electronic device” can include any electronic device that can operate in a voice recognition mode. Such devices may include, for example, a laptop computer, a tablet device, a key fob, a car key, an access card, a multi-function device, a mobile phone, a portable gaming device, a portable multimedia player, a portable music player, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a household device, and/or any portable or non-portable electronic or electro-mechanical device and/or the like. For example, a portable electronic device can include an iPod®, iPhone®, iPad®, MacBook® or iMac® device available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a simplified perspective view of a dock  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention that activates a voice recognition mode of a portable electronic device  120 . Dock  100  can include a housing  102  and one or more user interface components integrated within housing  102 . For example, dock  100  can include a microphone  114  configured to receive voice and audio input from a user, and one or more speakers  112  for presenting audio output to a user. Dock  100  can include one or more control buttons  106  for a user to control various functionalities of dock  100  (e.g., volume, tuning, audio source, equalization, etc.) and a display screen  104  which can display the current time and provide visual feedback regarding the operation of dock  100 . Display screen  104  can also include a touch interface for a user to provide touch input to control various functionalities of dock  100 . In embodiments of the present invention, dock  100  can include a remote sensor  110  for communicating with a remote control (not shown). For example, a remote control can communicate with remote sensor  110  using infrared (IR), radio frequency (RF), or any other suitable mode of wireless communication, to communicate user input to dock  100 . 
     Portable electronic device  120  can include a housing  122  and one or more user interface components integrated within housing  122 . For example, portable electronic device  120  can include a microphone  124  for receiving voice input from a user, and one or more speakers  126  for presenting audio output to a user. Portable electronic device  120  can also include other user interface components  128  such as a display screen which can provide visual feedback regarding the operation of portable electronic device  120  and/or act as a touch interface for a user to provide touch input, and one or more control buttons for a user to control the various functionalities of portable electronic device  120 . 
     Portable electronic device  120  and dock  100  can include receptacle connector  130  and connector  116 , respectively, for exchanging electrical signals. Connector  116  of dock  100  and receptacle connector  130  of portable electronic device  120  can include a plurality of contacts or pins (not shown) that can carry electrical signals for data, audio, video, control, and/or power. Connector  116  and receptacle connector  130  can be designed to mate with each other to physically and electrically couple the contacts of connector  116  with the contacts of receptacle connector  130  so that signals can be transmitted between the connectors. Alternatively, in embodiments of the invention, signals can be transmitted between dock  100  and portable electronic device  120  wirelessly. For example, dock  100  and portable electronic device  120  can communicate using Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11 (e.g., WiFi), or any other suitable wireless protocol. 
     Dock  100  and portable electronic device  120  can also include hardware configured to charge a battery (not shown) included in portable electronic device  120 . For example, dock  100  can be coupled to a power source and can deliver power to portable electronic device  120  using any suitable means of power delivery such as conductive charging (e.g., direct coupling utilizing the contacts of connector  116  and receptacle connector  130 ) and/or wireless energy transfer (e.g., inductive coupling, magnetic resonance, etc.). 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a simplified block diagram showing various components of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the system including dock  100  and portable electronic device  120  shown in  FIG. 1 . Dock  100  can include microphone  114  and speaker  112  of  FIG. 1 , in addition to other user interface components  206 , a processor  202 , a device I/O interface  204 , and other dock-specific hardware  208 . 
     Microphone  114  can include one or more acoustic-to-electric transducers or sensors configured to convert sounds into an electrical signal. For example, microphone  114  can include one or more of a condenser microphone, an electret condenser microphone, a dynamic microphone, a ribbon microphone, a carbon microphone, a piezoelectric microphone, a fiber optic microphone, a laser microphone, a liquid microphone, a MEMS microphone, and/or the like. In embodiments of the present invention, microphone  114  can transmit audio or voice input received from a user to processor  202  in the form of an electrical signal. 
     Speaker  112  can include one or more electroacoustic transducers configured to produce sound in response to an electrical audio signal. For example, speaker  112  can include one or more of a full-range driver, a subwoofer, a woofer, a mid-range driver, a tweeter, a coaxial driver, and/or the like. In embodiments of the present invention, processor  202  can transmit audio output to speaker  112  for presentment to a user. 
     Other user interface components  206  can include any other user-operable input devices such as control buttons  106  of  FIG. 1 , a touch pad, touch screen, scroll wheel, click wheel, dial, button, switch, keypad, or the like, as well as output devices such as display screen  104  of  FIG. 1 , indicator lights, headphone jacks, or the like, together with supporting electronics (e.g., digital-to-analog or analog-to-digital converters, signal processors, and/or the like). Depending on the implementation of a particular dock  100 , a user can operate user interface components  206  to invoke the various functionalities of dock  100 . 
     Processor  202  can include, for example, one or more integrated circuits such as single-core or multi-core microprocessors and/or microcontrollers executing program code to perform various functions associated with dock  100 . For example, processor  202  can receive audio input from microphone  114 , and in response to the input, transmit a message to portable electronic device  120  to activate a voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120 . Processor can also transmit authentication messages to portable electronic device  120 , activate a listening mode of dock  100 , receive voice recognition mode activation and deactivation messages from portable electronic device  120 , receive voice input from microphone  114  and transmit the voice input to portable electronic device  120 , receive audio output from portable electronic device  120  and transmit the audio output to speaker  112 , and perform other functions. Where dock  100  incorporates a user-operable control (e.g., control buttons  106  and display screen  104  of  FIG. 1 ), processor  202  can interpret user operation of the control and responsively invoke functionality of dock  100 . 
     Dock-specific hardware  208  can include any other components that may be present in dock  100  to enable its functionality. For example, in embodiments of the present invention, dock-specific hardware  208  can include one or more storage devices using fixed or removable storage media, a GPS receiver, a power supply and/or power management circuitry, environmental sensors (e.g., temperature sensor, pressure sensor, accelerometer, chemical sensor, etc.), and/or the like. It is to be understood that any type of dock functionality can be supported by providing appropriate dock-specific hardware  208 . 
     Device I/O interface  204  can allow dock  100  to communicate with portable electronic device  120 . In embodiments of the present invention, device I/O interface  204  can include a connector (e.g., connector  116  of  FIG. 1 ) that mates directly with a connector (e.g., receptacle connector  130  of  FIG. 1 ) included in portable electronic device  120 . Such a connector can be used to supply power to portable electronic device  120  and/or receive power from portable electronic device  120 , to send and/or receive audio and/or video signals in analog and/or digital formats, and to communicate information using one or more data communication interfaces such as USB, UART, and/or FireWire. Other connectors may also be used; for example, device I/O interface  204  can incorporate a standard USB connector and can connect to dock I/O interface  224  of portable electronic device  120  via an adapter cable. In other embodiments of the present invention, device I/O interface  204  can support wireless communication (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, or other wireless protocols) in addition to or instead of wired communication channels. 
     Dock  100  can be any electronic apparatus that interacts with portable electronic device  120 . In some embodiments, dock  100  can provide remote control over operations and/or services of portable electronic device  120 , or a remote user interface that can include both input and output controls. Dock  100  in various embodiments of the present invention can control any function of portable electronic device  120 . For example, dock  100  can transmit a message to portable electronic device  120  to activate a voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120 . In embodiments of the present invention, portable electronic device  120  can also control operations of dock  100 , such as transmitting audio output to dock  100  for presentment to a user. 
     Portable electronic device  120  can provide computing, communication and/or media playback capability. Portable electronic device  120  can include microphone  124 , speaker  126 , and user interface components  128  of  FIG. 1 , in addition to a processor  222 , a storage device  228 , a network interface  230 , voice recognition circuitry  232 , and a dock input/output (I/O) interface  224 . Portable electronic device  120  can also include other components (not explicitly shown) such as a battery, power controllers, and other components operable to provide various enhanced capabilities. 
     Microphone  124  can include one or more acoustic-to-electric transducers or sensors configured to convert sounds into an electrical signal. For example, microphone  124  can include one or more of a condenser microphone, an electret condenser microphone, a dynamic microphone, a ribbon microphone, a carbon microphone, a piezoelectric microphone, a fiber optic microphone, a laser microphone, a liquid microphone, a MEMS microphone, or the like. In embodiments of the present invention, microphone  124  can transmit voice input received from a user to processor  222  in the form of an electrical signal. 
     Speaker  126  can include one or more electroacoustic transducers configured to produce sound in response to an electrical audio signal. For example, speaker  126  can include one or more of a full-range driver, a subwoofer, a woofer, a mid-range driver, a tweeter, a coaxial driver, and/or the like. In embodiments of the present invention, processor  222  can transmit audio output to speaker  126  for presentment to a user. 
     User interface components  128  can include one or more input devices such as a touch pad, touch screen, scroll wheel, click wheel, dial, button, switch, keypad, or the like, as well as output devices such as a video screen, indicator lights, headphone jacks, or the like, together with supporting electronics (e.g., digital-to-analog or analog-to-digital converters, signal processors, or the like). A user can operate user interface components  128  to invoke the various functionalities of portable electronic device  120  and can view and/or hear output from portable electronic device  120  via output devices of user interface components  128 . 
     Processor  222  can include, for example, one or more integrated circuits such as single-core or multi-core microprocessors and/or microcontrollers executing program code to perform various functions and operations associated with portable electronic device  120 . In various embodiments, processor  222  can execute a variety of programs in response to program code and can maintain multiple concurrently executing programs or processes. At any given time, some or all of the program code to be executed can be resident in processor  222  and/or in storage media such as storage device  228 . 
     Through suitable programming, processor  222  can provide various functionality for portable electronic device  120 . For example, in response to receiving a message from dock  100 , processor  222  can activate a voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120 . Processor can also receive voice input from microphone  124  and/or dock  100 , generate audio output (e.g., a response to a user request) based on the received voice input, and transmit the audio output to speaker  126  and/or dock  100 . Processor  222  can also execute other programs to control other functions of portable electronic device  120 , including application programs that may be stored in storage device  228 . 
     Storage device  228  can be implemented using disk, flash memory, or any other non-transitory storage medium, or a combination of media, and can include volatile and/or non-volatile media. In some embodiments, storage device  228  can store data objects such as audio files, video files, image or artwork files, information about a user&#39;s contacts (names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.), information about a user&#39;s scheduled appointments and events, notes, and/or other types of information. In some embodiments, storage device  228  can also store one or more application programs to be executed by processor  222  (e.g., video game programs, personal information management programs, media playback programs, etc.). 
     Network interface  230  can provide voice and/or data communication capability for portable electronic device  120 . In some embodiments network interface  216  can include radio frequency (RF) transceiver components for accessing wireless voice and/or data networks (e.g., using cellular telephone technology, advanced data network technology such as 3G, EDGE or 4G, WiFi (IEEE 802.11 family standards), or other mobile communication technologies (or any combination thereof), components for short-range wireless networking (e.g., using Bluetooth standards), GPS receiver components, and/or other components. In embodiments of the present invention, network interface  230  can provide wired network connectivity (e.g., Ethernet) in addition to or instead of a wireless interface. Network interface  230  can be implemented using a combination of hardware (e.g., driver circuits, antennas, modulators/demodulators, encoders/decoders, and other analog and/or digital signal processing circuits) and software components. 
     Voice recognition circuitry  232  can include any suitable hardware and/or software for facilitating a voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120 . A voice recognition mode can include any operational mode of portable electronic device  120  wherein voice input (e.g., a word, phrase, or sound spoken by a user), as distinguished from touch or button input, is used to provide a user access to the various services, applications, and/or functionalities of portable electronic device  120 . 
     Dock I/O interface  224  can allow portable electronic device  120  to communicate with dock  100 . In embodiments of the present invention, dock I/O interface  224  can include a connector (e.g., receptacle connector  130  of  FIG. 1 ) that mates directly with a connector (e.g., connector  116  of  FIG. 1 ) included in dock  100 . Such a connector may correspond to the connectors used in various iPod®, iPhone®, and iPad® products, as well as the supporting circuitry. The connector can provide connections for power and ground as well as for one or more data communication interfaces such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire (IEEE 1394 standard), and/or universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART). In embodiments of the present invention, the connector provides dedicated power and ground contacts, as well as some number (e.g., four) of programmable digital data contacts that can be used to implement different communication technologies in parallel. For example, two pins can be assigned as USB data pins (D+ and D−) and two other pins can be assigned as serial transmit/receive pins (e.g., implementing a UART interface). The assignment of pins to particular communication technologies can be negotiated while the connection is being established. In embodiments of the present invention, the connector can also provide connections for audio and/or video signals, which may be transmitted to or from portable electronic device  120  in analog and/or digital formats. Thus, dock I/O interface  224  can support multiple communication channels, and a given dock can use any or all of these channels. In some embodiments of the present invention, dock I/O interface  224  can support wireless communication (e.g., via WiFi, Bluetooth, or other wireless protocols) in addition to or instead of wired communication channels. 
     It will be appreciated that the system configurations and components described herein are illustrative and that variations and modifications are possible. Portable electronic device  120  and/or dock  100  may have other capabilities not specifically described herein. 
     Connectors at the respective I/O interfaces  224 ,  204  of portable electronic device  120  and dock  100  can be complementary or not as desired. Where two connectors are not complementary, an adapter (not shown) can be provided to connect the two devices. While connectors may be described herein as having pins, a term generally associated with conventional electronic devices having wires to connect components, it is to be understood that other signal paths (e.g., optical signaling) can be substituted. Further, in some embodiments, some of the connections can be wireless, and connectors can be omitted where wireless interfaces are provided. 
     Further, while portable electronic device  120  and dock  100  are described herein with reference to particular blocks, it is to be understood that these blocks are defined for convenience of description and are not intended to imply a particular physical arrangement of component parts. Further, the blocks need not correspond to physically distinct components. Blocks can be configured to perform various operations, e.g., by programming a processor or providing appropriate control circuitry, and various blocks might or might not be reconfigurable depending on how the initial configuration is obtained. Embodiments of the present invention can be realized in a variety of apparatus including electronic devices implemented using any combination of circuitry and software. 
     Dock I/O interface  224  of portable electronic device  120  and device I/O interface  204  of dock  100  allow portable electronic device  120  to be connected with dock  100  and subsequently disconnected from dock  100 . As used herein, portable electronic device  120  and dock  100  are “connected” whenever a communication channel is established between their respective interfaces and “disconnected” when the channel is terminated. Such connection can be achieved via direct physical connection (e.g., with mating connectors), indirect physical connection (e.g., via a cable), and/or wireless connection (e.g., via Bluetooth or other suitable wireless protocol). 
     In some embodiments, portable electronic device  120  and dock  100  can communicate while connected by exchanging messages and data according to an “accessory protocol.” The messages and data can be communicated, for example, using any wired or wireless transport medium provided by the relevant interfaces. 
     The accessory protocol can define a “universe” of messages that can be exchanged between portable electronic device  120  and any accessories connected thereto, such as dock  100 . The message format can include, e.g., a start bit or bit sequence to indicate that what follows is a message code, followed by an actual message code that can be interpreted and acted on by the recipient. At least some of the message codes may have one or more associated parameters defined by the protocol, and a message can include values for any such parameters in addition to the message code. In some instances, the protocol can further specify a behavior for a recipient in the event that a particular parameter associated with a message code is not received or in the event that an unexpected parameter is received with a message code. The number of parameters can be different for different messages, and in some instances, a parameter may have variable length. In some embodiments, the message codes can be defined such that a given message code is valid in only one direction. Other message structures can also be used. 
     The accessory protocol can also define a format for the exchange of messages. For instance, the accessory protocol may specify that a message is sent using one or more packets, each of which has a header and a payload. The header provides basic information (e.g., a start indicator; length of the packet; packet sequence number; identifier of a session with which the packet is associated, as described below), while the payload provides all or part of the message data. The packet can also include error-detection or error-correction codes as known in the art. 
     In some embodiments, the messages can be logically grouped into a “general” message set and an “optional” message set. Every accessory and every portable electronic device that use the accessory protocol can be required to support at least the general message set. This message set can include messages enabling portable electronic device  120  and dock  100  to identify and authenticate themselves to each other and to provide information about their respective capabilities, including which (if any) of the messages in the optional set each supports. For example, the general message set can include a message dock  100  can send to portable electronic device  120  to list every message in the optional set that dock  100  is capable of sending and every message in the optional set that dock  100  is capable of receiving and acting on. The general message set can also include authentication messages that portable electronic device  120  can use to verify the purported identity and capabilities of dock  100  (or vice versa), and dock  100  (or portable electronic device  120 ) may be blocked from invoking certain (or all) of the optional messages if the authentication is unsuccessful. 
     The optional message set can include messages related to various functionalities that might or might not be supported in a given accessory. For example, the optional message set can include simple remote messages that allow dock  100  to identify a function of portable electronic device  120  to be invoked (e.g., a voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120 ), messages indication activation (or deactivation) or a voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120 , remote user interface messages that can be used to obtain information related to replicating all or part of a user interface of portable electronic device  120  on dock  100  (thereby supporting a more advanced remote control), messages that allow a user to control a radio tuner in dock  100  by operating portable electronic device  120  and/or to control a radio tuner in portable electronic device  120  by operating dock  100 , messages that facilitate the transfer of voice input and audio output between portable electronic device  120  and dock  100 , and so on. Any combination of optional messages can be defined in an accessory protocol, and there is no requirement that a given accessory or portable electronic device support all (or even any) of the optional messages. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a flow diagram of a process  300  usable by dock  100  to activate a voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120  according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     At block  302 , dock  100  can perform an initial setup process with a user, according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a user is prompted by dock  100  to provide audio input in the form of a spoken word or phrase (or a sound such as a hand clap, finger-snap, etc.) into microphone  114 . In response, microphone  114  can transmit the received audio input to processor  202  of dock  100  as an electrical signal. Processor  202  can digitize the electrical signal using an analog-to-digital converter and store the digitized signal as an audio file in an internal storage device. Dock  100  may also prompt the user to repeat the spoken word, phrase, or sound multiple times so that the stored audio file can reflect a statistical average computed by processor  202  of dock  100 . In embodiments of the present invention, dock  100  may be configured to analyze accents, varying speed of delivery, pitch, volume, inflection, and other aspects of the received audio input during the initial setup process. 
     At block  304 , dock  100  can establish communication with portable electronic device  120 . For example, upon detecting that portable electronic device is connected, dock  100  can communicate with portable electronic device  120  to perform a number of authentication steps by exchanging messages across connector  116  and receptacle connector  130  shown in  FIG. 1 . Dock  100  and portable electronic device  120  can also exchange messages wirelessly. In an embodiment of the present invention, dock  100  can transmit a message to portable electronic device  120  to identify and authenticate dock  100 , and portable electronic device  120  can transmit a message to dock  100  to identify and authenticate portable electronic device  120 . 
     Messages exchanged at block  304  can also relate to the respective capabilities of dock  100  and portable electronic device  120 . For example, portable electronic device  120  can transmit a message to dock  100  indicating that portable electronic device  120  is configured to accept and act on a received message instructing portable electronic device  120  to activate a voice recognition mode. Similarly, dock  100  can transmit a message to portable electronic device  120  indicating that dock  100  is configured to generate and transmit a message instructing portable electronic device  120  to activate the voice recognition mode. In embodiments of the present invention, dock  100  and portable electronic device  120  can exchange messages relating to their respective capabilities for handling messages related to activation and deactivation of the voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120 , and the exchange of voice input and audio output. Upon completion of the exchange of messages relating to capabilities and authentication between portable electronic device  120  and dock  100 , portable electronic device  120  can activate a low power “sleep” mode wherein one or more functionalities of portable electronic device  120  are deactivated to conserve battery power. For example, portable electronic device  120  may deactivate a display screen or other user interface component. 
     At block  306 , after communication between dock  100  and portable electronic device  120  is established, dock  100  can activate a “listening mode.” When in the listening mode, dock  100  can utilize microphone  114  to continuously “listen” for audio input from the user and other sources. Microphone  114  may be configured to detect audio input with a volume level above a specific threshold and may also be sensitive to audio input originating from a distance within a specific threshold (e.g., 20 feet) from microphone  114 . For example, during the initial setup process, dock  100  may prompt the user to select a volume and distance threshold to ensure that sounds originating from another room, for example, are not detected by microphone  114  when dock  100  is in the listening mode. 
     At block  308 , microphone  114  of dock  100  can detect audio input from the user or other source. Microphone  114  can transmit the audio input as an electrical signal to processor  202 . Further, upon receipt of the audio input, processor  202  can deactivate the listening mode of dock  100 , and the process  300  can proceed to decision  310 . 
     At decision  310 , processor  202  of dock  100  can determine whether the received audio input “matches” the stored audio file created during the initial setup procedure of block  302 . To determine a match, processor  202  can compare one or more data points of the received audio input to the stored audio file. 
     If at decision  310 , processor  202  determines that the received audio input does not match the stored audio file, the process  300  can return to block  306  wherein the listening mode of dock  100  is reactivated. For example, if the received audio input corresponds to a different word or phrase spoken by the user than that of the stored audio file, processor  202  can reactivate the listening mode of dock  100  so that microphone  114  can listen for further audio input. Similarly, if the received audio input corresponds to a source other than the user (e.g., another person, sound from a television, music playing nearby, etc.), the listening mode of dock  100  can be reactivated. 
     If at decision  310 , processor  202  determines that the received audio input matches the stored audio file, the process  300  can proceed to block  312 . For example, if processor  202  determines that one or more data points of the received audio input are the same (or substantially the same) as corresponding data points of the stored audio file, the process  300  can proceed to block  312 . 
     At block  312 , processor  202  of dock  100  can transmit a message to portable electronic device  120  to activate a voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120  via connector  116  shown in  FIG. 1 . In response to the received message, portable electronic device  120  can activate the voice recognition mode. In embodiments of the present invention, portable electronic device  120  can deactivate its low power “sleep” mode at the same time or prior to activating its voice recognition mode. 
     Portable electronic device  120  can provide an indication to the user of activation of the voice recognition mode. For example, processor  222  of portable electronic device  120  can transmit audio output to speaker  126 , visual output to a display screen, or utilize one or more of the user interface components  128  to provide an indication to the user that the voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120  is activated. 
     The voice recognition mode can include any operational mode of portable electronic device  120  wherein voice input (e.g., a word, phrase, or sound provided by the user), as distinguished from touch or button input, is used to access various services, applications, and/or functionalities of portable electronic device  120 . Such voice input can be received by portable electronic device  120  even when the user is not in close proximity (e.g., when the user is located several feet away from portable electronic device  120 ). In embodiments of the present invention, the voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120  can include an intelligent automated assistant as described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/987,982, entitled “Intelligent Automated Assistant” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     When the voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120  is activated, processor  222  can interact with voice recognition circuitry  232 , microphone  124 , speaker  126 , storage device  228 , and/or network interface  230  of portable electronic device  120  to process voice input received from the user. For example, the user can provide voice input to microphone  124  including a user request. The user request may be a request to utilize one or more services, applications, and/or functionalities of portable electronic device  120  such as placing a phone call, playing multimedia content (e.g., playing a song from the user&#39;s music library), sending a message (e.g., a voice message, e-mail message, SMS message, video message, instant message, meeting invite, etc.), creating a calendar entry (e.g., creating a meeting, task, reminder, etc.), retrieving driving and/or walking directions, retrieving public transportation information, setting an alarm, checking the weather forecast, locating attractions, creating restaurant reservations, accessing reviews, searching the Internet, and/or the like. The user request may also relate to system notifications of portable electronic device  120  such as missed calls and unread voice messages, e-mail messages, SMS text messages, instant messages, and/or the like. 
     Upon receipt, microphone  124  can transmit the voice input including the user request as an electrical signal to processor  222  which can process the user request. Processing of the voice input can be accomplished in a number of different ways according to embodiments of the present invention. As an initial step, processor  222  can utilize voice recognition circuitry  232  to convert the received voice input into instructions usable by processor  222  for generating a response to the user request. If user request relates all or in part to data stored internally, processor  222  can retrieve such internal data from storage device  228 , for example. If the user request relates all or in part to data stored externally (e.g., on an Internet website), processor  222  can retrieve such external data using network interface  230 . Processor  222  can then generate audio output including a response to the user request, the response including at least a portion of the retrieved data. The generated audio output including the response to the user request can be transmitted by processor  222  to speaker  126  for presentment to the user. 
     The voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120  can be deactivated automatically by processor  222  upon transmission of the audio output to speaker  126 . Processor  222  can also deactivate the voice recognition mode in response to receipt of a predetermined voice input from the user, input received from the user via or more of user interface components  128 , and/or the expiration of a predetermined period of time during which the voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120  is activated but no voice input (or other input) from the user is received. Upon deactivation of the voice recognition mode, processor  222  of portable electronic device  120  can transmit a message to dock  100  indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode. 
     As explained above, at block  308  of process  300 , processor  202  of dock  100  can deactivate the listening mode of dock  100  upon receipt of the audio input from the user or other source. In embodiments of the present invention, processor  202  can alternatively deactivate the listening mode of dock  100  upon transmission of the message to portable electronic device  120  to activate the voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120 . In either case, listening mode of dock  100  can remain deactivated until dock  100  receives the message from portable electronic device  120  indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode. In response to the deactivation message, processor  202  of dock  100  can reactivate the listening mode of dock  100  (i.e. return to block  306  of process  300 ) to listen for further audio input from the user or other source. In an embodiment of the present invention, listening mode of dock  100  can alternatively remain deactivated until the expiration of a predetermined period of time, upon which processor  202  can reactivate the listening mode of dock  100  whether or not a deactivation message is received from portable electronic device  120 . 
     By deactivating the listening mode of dock  100  while the voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120  is activated (and/or for a predetermined period of time), a scenario can be prevented wherein voice input intended by the user to be received and processed by portable electronic device  120  is instead received by dock  100 , causing processor  202  of dock  100  to transmit another message to portable electronic device  120  to reactivate and/or reset the voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120 . This scenario could occur, for example, if the voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120  and the listening mode of dock  100  are activated at the same time, and if all or part of the voice input provided by the user for receipt and processing by portable electronic device  120  is the same (or substantially the same) as the audio input included in the stored audio file as provided by the user to dock  100  during the initial setup process (i.e. at block  302  of process  300 ). However, by deactivating the listening mode of dock  100  while the voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120  is activated (and/or for a predetermined period of time), this scenario can be prevented. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, when the voice recognition mode is activated, portable electronic device  120  can utilize microphone  114  of dock  100  to receive voice input from the user instead of, or in addition to, microphone  124  of portable electronic device  120 . Similarly, portable electronic device  120  can utilize speaker  112  of dock  100  to present audio output to the user instead of, or in addition to, speaker  126  of portable electronic device  120 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a flow diagram of a process  400  usable by dock  100  to receive voice input from a user and to provide audio output generated by portable electronic device  120  to the user according to an embodiment of the present invention. Blocks  402 - 412  of process  400  correspond to blocks  302 - 312  of process  300 , illustrated in  FIG. 3 , and are described in detail above. 
     At block  412  (corresponding to block  312  of process  300 ) processor  202  of dock  100  can transmit the message to portable electronic device  120  to activate the voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120 , and in response to the received message, portable electronic device  120  can activate the voice recognition mode. 
     Portable electronic device  120  can provide an indication to the user of the activation of the voice recognition mode using the functionalities of dock  10 . For example, processor  222  of portable electronic device  120  can transmit audio output to processor  202  of dock  10 , the audio output indicating activation of the voice recognition mode. Processor  202  of dock  10  can transmit the audio output to speaker  112  of dock  100  for presentment to the user. Processor  222  of portable electronic device  120  can also transmit a message to processor  202  of dock  100  to utilize one or more of the user interface components  206  of dock  100  to provide an indication to the user that the voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120  is activated. 
     At block  414 , microphone  114  of dock  100  can receive voice input from the user. As explained above, the voice input can include a user request to utilize one or more services, applications, and/or functionalities of portable electronic device  120 . Microphone  114  can transmit the received voice input including the user request as an electrical signal to processor  202  of dock  100 . 
     At block  416 , processor  202  of dock  100  can transmit the voice input including the user request to processor  222  of portable electronic device  120 . As explained above, processor  222  can process the user request, retrieve internal and/or external data related to the request, and generate audio output including a response to the user request. Processor  222  of portable electronic device  120  can transmit the audio output to processor  202  of dock  100 . 
     At block  418 , processor  202  of dock  100  can receive the audio output including the response to the user request from processor  222  of portable electronic device  120 . 
     At block  420 , processor  202  of dock  100  can transmit the received audio output including the response to the user request to speaker  112  for presentment to the user. 
     As explained above, upon deactivation of the voice recognition mode of portable electronic device  120 , dock  100  can receive a message from processor  222  of portable electronic device  120  indicating deactivation of the voice recognition mode. In response to the deactivation message (and/or the expiration of a predetermined period of time), processor  202  of dock  100  can reactivate the listening mode of dock  100  (i.e. return to block  406  of process  400 ) to listen for further audio input from the user or other source. 
     As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Various configurations described herein may be combined without departing from the present invention. The above described embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation. The present invention also can take many forms other than those explicitly described herein. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain, using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. Accordingly, it is emphasized that the invention is not limited to the explicitly disclosed methods, systems and apparatuses, but is intended to include variations to and modifications thereof which are intended to be encompassed by the following claims.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20120529
Publication Date: 20170718
Grant Date: 20170718
Priority Date: 20120529
Inventors: KRUEGER SCOTT
DOROGUSKER JESSE
WANG ERIK
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G06F1/1632", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G10L15/22", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G10L21/00", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1632", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G10L15/22", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/1632", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G10L21/00", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G10L15/22", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 49671329