Methods and user interfaces for auditory features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12425695-B2
Application number	US-202117504174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2021
Priority date	May 19, 2021
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to providing auditory features. An example method includes, at a computer system in communication with one or more input devices: while playing an audio media item of a first type, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a request to play an audio media item of a second type; in accordance with a determination that a set of concurrent audio criteria is satisfied, concurrently playing: the audio media item of the first type; and the audio media item of the second type; and in accordance with a determination that the set of concurrent audio criteria is not satisfied: ceasing to play the audio media item of the first type; and playing the audio media item of the second type.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system configured to communicate with a display generation component and one or more input devices, comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
displaying, via the display generation component, a first user interface concurrently including:
a background sounds user-interactive graphical user interface object that, when selected, enables a concurrent playback feature;
a background sounds volume feature for adjusting a volume level of an audio media item of a first type; and
a concurrent volume feature for adjusting a volume level of the audio media item of the first type when the audio media item of the first type is concurrently played with an audio media item of a second type;

while playing the audio media item of the first type at a first volume level that is set via the background sounds volume feature, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a request to play the audio media item of the second type;
in response to receiving the request to play the audio media item of the second type:
in accordance with a determination that a set of concurrent audio criteria is satisfied, wherein the set of concurrent audio criteria includes a requirement that the concurrent playback feature is enabled on the computer system, via the background sounds user-interactive graphical user interface object, at the time the request to play the audio media item of the second type is received, concurrently playing:
the audio media item of the first type at a second volume level that is different from the first volume level, wherein the second volume level is set via the concurrent volume feature; and
the audio media item of the second type; and

in accordance with a determination that the concurrent playback feature is disabled on the computer system at the time the request to play the audio media item of the second type is received:
ceasing to play the audio media item of the first type; and
playing the audio media item of the second type.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the audio media item of the first type includes audio selected from the group consisting of environmental sounds, irregular noise, and a combination thereof.

3. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the audio media item of the first type includes audio selected from the group consisting of randomly selected segments of audio, randomly arranged segments of audio, and a combination thereof.

4. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the concurrent playback feature is manually configurable.

5. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein concurrently playing the audio media item of the first type and the audio media item of the second type comprises:
adjusting a magnitude of a volume level of the audio media item of the first type from the first volume level to an adjusted volume based on a magnitude of the concurrent volume feature.

6. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the set of concurrent audio criteria includes a criterion that is satisfied when a determination is made that a magnitude of a second concurrent volume feature exceeds a threshold magnitude.

7. The computer system of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting, based on contextual information, a magnitude of at least one of:
the background sounds volume feature for adjusting the volume level of the audio media item of the first type; and
the concurrent volume feature for adjusting the volume level of the audio media item of the first type when the audio media item of the first type is concurrently played with the audio media item of the second type.

8. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein playing the audio media item of the first type includes:
in accordance with a determination that the computer system is in a first context state, playing the audio media item of the first type with first audio content; and
in accordance with a determination that the computer system is in a second context state, different from the first context state, playing the audio media item of the first type with second audio content, different than the first audio content.

9. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein displaying the first user interface includes concurrently displaying:
the background sounds user-interactive graphical user interface object; and
a first audio content user-interactive graphical user interface object that, when selected, causes display of a second user interface that includes:
a second audio content user-interactive graphical user interface object that, when selected, causes third audio content to be included in the audio media item of the first type during playback; and
a third audio content user-interactive graphical user interface object that, when selected, causes fourth audio content, different from the third audio content, to be included in the audio media item of the first type during playback.

10. The computer system of claim 9 , the one or more programs including instructions for:
detecting, via the one or more input devices, a first input corresponding to the background sounds user-interactive graphical user interface object;
in response to detecting the first input, enabling playback of the audio media item of the first type when a determination is made that the set of playback criteria are met; and
while the computer system is enabled to playback the audio media item of the first type when a determination is made that the set of playback criteria are met:
in accordance with a determination that the set of playback criteria are met, playing the audio media item of a first type.

11. The computer system of claim 9 , the one or more programs including instructions for:
while displaying the second user interface:
detecting, via the one or more input devices, a second input; and
in response to detecting the second input:
in accordance with a determination that the second input corresponds to the second audio content user-interactive graphical user interface object, configuring the computer system to include the third audio content in the audio media item of the first type during playback; and
in accordance with a determination that the second input corresponds to the third audio content user-interactive graphical user interface object, configuring the computer system to include the fourth audio content in the audio media item of the first type during playback.

12. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first user interface includes a background sounds status indicator, a volume user-interactive graphical user interface object, and a background sounds enable user-interactive graphical user interface object;
the one or more programs further include instructions for:
detecting, via the one or more input devices, a third input;
in accordance with a determination that the third input corresponds to a swipe gesture at a location corresponding to the volume user-interactive graphical user interface object, adjusting a volume level of the audio media item of the first type from a second initial volume to a second adjusted volume based on a direction and magnitude of the swipe gesture; and
in accordance with a determination that the third input corresponds to a selection of the background sounds enable user-interactive graphical user interface object:
selectively activating a background sounds feature; and
modifying a visual characteristic of the background sounds status indicator.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be execu

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Lerner Mitchell R
• Cranfill Elizabeth C
• Hoyt Charles C
• Tanner Jeffrey D
• Fisch Ian M
• Mazur Jakub

Classifications

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• H04N21/4394 Primary

  involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams (arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58) · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• H04N21/4852 Primary

  for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo · CPC title