Sound output system or internet appliance that supports voice activated commands, and that plays audio data received from a service over a network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10140072-B2
Application number	US-201715494297-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2017
Priority date	Nov 1, 2000
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

An output system, such as a wireless speaker or an Internet appliance, that supports voice activated commands is herein disclosed and enabled. The output system is wirelessly connectable to a service operated over a network (e.g., Internet) for receiving output data (e.g., music) from the service for outputting at the output system. The setup of the output system includes: (1) wirelessly discovering the output system using a smart phone, (2) establishing a wireless communication link between the smart phone and the output system (e.g., via Bluetooth or IEEE 802.11), and (3) providing information, such as security and/or authentication information, from the smart phone to the output system over the wireless communication link. Thereafter, the output system accesses the service operated over the network, and the outpt system is operabke to receive voice activated commands from a user while the output system is connected to the service.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sound output system that is wirelessly connectable to one or more servers over a network for receiving audio output data from the one or more servers for outputting or playing the received audio output data at the sound output system, the sound output system includes:
a voice activated command interface for interacting with a user,
memory storing software or firmware,
one or more processors,
at least one sound output device or speaker,
a microphone, and
wireless communication circuitry for wireless communication; wherein, when the one or more processors execute at least part of the software or firmware at the sound output system, the sound output system:
(1) wirelessly receives, using the wireless communication circuitry of the sound output system, data from a portable wireless device via a short range wireless communication link, the portable wireless device being a distinct device from the sound output system;
(2) processes an authentication procedure, at the sound output system, by detecting identification information or other information provided by the portable wireless device via the short range wireless communication link, and wherein, subsequent to processing the authentication procedure, the sound output system further:
(3) establishes, using the wireless communication circuitry at the sound output system, a wireless connection to the one or more servers over the network, the network includes a wireless local area network;
(4) receives, using the microphone and using the voice activated command interface, a voice activated command from the user;
(5) sends, using the wireless communication circuitry, a digital content object from the sound output system to the one or more servers over the network for processing at least part of audio digital content included in the digital content object, the sending of the digital content object is based on having received the voice activated command from the user;
(6) receives, using the wireless communication circuitry, audio output data from the one or more servers over the network, the audio output data includes audio data or sound data for output or playing at the sound output system, and the audio output data having a relationship, at least in part, to the audio digital content included in the digital content object sent from the sound output system to the one or more servers; and
(7) outputs or plays, using the at least one sound output device or speaker of the sound output system, at least part of the audio output data received from the one or more servers.

2. The sound output system according to claim 1 , wherein the portable wireless device is at least one of a smart phone or an Internet pad with a touch sensitive screen interface.

3. The sound output system according to claim 2 , wherein the sound output system further includes an interface with one or more of a button, a display, or other interfaces; wherein, when the one or more processors execute at least part of the software or firmware at the sound output system, the sound output system further:
(a) provides, via the interface of the sound output system, at least an indication related to the sound output system; and
(b) subsequent to having provided the indication in (a), facilitates, using the wireless communication circuitry, a wireless discovery operation, the wireless discovery operation is for the portable wireless device to wirelessly discover the sound output system.

4. The sound output system according to claim 3 , wherein, when the one or more processors execute at least part of the software or firmware at the sound output system, the sound output system further:
(c) transmits, using the wireless communication circuitry, at least one of attribute information or identification information related to the sound output system to the portable wireless device that has wirelessly discovered the sound output system in (b); and
(d) subsequent to having transmitted the at least one of attribute information or identification information in (c), establishes, using the wireless communication circuitry, a wireless communication link between the sound output system and the portable wireless device; and
wherein the receiving of the data from the portable wireless device in (1) is received via the wireless communication link established in (d), and wherein the wireless communication circuitry further supports at least a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards or Bluetooth specifications for establishing the wireless communication link between the sound output system and the portable wireless device in (d).

5. The sound output system according to claim 2 , wherein the wireless communication circuitry includes at least one wireless communication unit, the least one wireless communication unit includes one or more chips or chipsets for wireless communication, the one or more chips or chipsets support at least a protocol within IEEE 802.11 standards for establishing a wireless local area network connection that includes the wireless local area network in (3).

6. The sound output system according to claim 5 , wherein the one or more servers over the network are operated, at least partly, by a digital content service, the digital content service is for providing digital content to users who have signed up or have subscribed to the digital content service, and wherein the audio output data for outputting or playing at the sound output system includes audio digital content received from the digital content service, and the digital content service is operated, at least partly, over the Internet; and
wherein, the sound output system further establishes, using the wireless communication circuitry of the sound output system, a connection to the digital content service, and wherein the receiving of the audio output data is based, at least in part, on having authentication information for accessing the digital content service.

7. The sound output system according to claim 5 , wherein, when the one or more processors execute at least part of the software or firmware at the sound output system and subsequent to establishing the wireless connection in (3), the sound output system:
(i) downloads, using the wireless communication circuitry and via the wireless connection established in (3), application software or software components or data from the one or more servers over the network, the application software or software components or data is for upgrading, updating, or modifying features and capabilities of the sound output system; and
(ii) installs, using the one or more processors at the sound output system, the application software or software components or data downloaded in (i), and
wherein the sending of the digital content object to the one or more servers and the receiving of the audio output data from the one or more servers are both facilitated, at least in part, using the application software or software components or data downloaded in (i) and installed in (ii).

8. A method for setting up an output system to receive voice activated commands from a user, the output system includes:
one or more sound output devices for outputting sound,
a microphone,
a voice activated command interface for interacting with the user, and
wireless communication circuitry, the method, comprising:
(1) establishing, using the wireless communication circuitry at the output system, a short range wireless communication link between the output system and a portable wireless device, the portable wireless device is a distinct device from the output system, and the portable wireless device is at least one of a smart phone or an information pad;
(2) receiving, using the wireless communication circuitry at the output system and via the establish

Assignees

• Flexiworld Tech Inc

Inventors

• Chang William Ho
• Liu Christina Ying

Classifications

• G06F3/128

  Direct printing, e.g. sending document file, using memory stick, printing from a camera · CPC title

• H04N7/16

  Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title

• H04N1/00244

  with a server, e.g. an internet server (fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324) · CPC title