Patents Portfolio

U.S. Patent: 10,126,991


Patent Title

Output systems, information apparatus, or internet appliances supporting voice commands for receiving and for playing selected digital content from a service over a network

Meta Information

Issued Date: November 13, 2018
Inventor: William Ho Chang et al
External Links: UPSTO, Google Patents

Technical Fields

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Abstract

Output systems (e.g., information apparatus, Internet appliances, information pads, smart phones, audio output devices) supporting voice commands for playing digital content received from a service provided over a network (e.g., Internet) are herein disclosed and enabled. The output system may include an interface (e.g., touch sensitive screen interface, wireless interface) for receiving authentication information to access the service over the network. The service may be a subscribed service. While connected to the service, the output system receives voice commands from a user for outputting or playing digital content, and, in response to the voice commands, the output system receives, from the service, output data related to the digital content for outputting or playing at the output system. The output system may include a digital camera for image acquisition and may further be Bluetooth enabled for wirelessly receiving audio data (e.g., music) from a mobile device.

Sample Claim

1. An output system for receiving digital content from one or more servers over a network, the digital content includes audio digital content or video digital content, and the received digital content is for outputting or playing at the output system, the output system comprising:
a display screen;
a touch sensitive screen interface provided on at least part of the display screen for interacting with a user;
one or more controllers or processors;
one or more wireless communication units that include wireless communication circuitry for wireless communication, the wireless communication includes wireless local area network communication; one or more audio output devices for outputting audio digital content that includes at least one of sound content, voice content, or music content, individually or in any combination; a microphone; and a voice activated command interface for interacting with the user;
wherein the output system:
(1) couples, using the wireless communication circuitry of the output system, the output system to the network, the network includes a wireless local area network;
(2) receives, via the touch sensitive screen interface, authentication information related to the user for accessing the one or more servers over the network that includes the wireless local area network;
(3) establishes, using the wireless communication circuitry of the output system, a wireless connection to the one or more servers over the network that includes the wireless local area network for receiving at least part of the digital content, the wireless connection to the one or more servers over the network that includes the wireless local area network for receiving at least part of the digital content, is based, at least in part, on the authentication information received via the touch sensitive screen interface;
(4) wirelessly provides, via the wireless communication circuitry, the authentication information to the one or more servers over the network for accessing a service provided by the one or more servers;
(5) wirelessly connects, via the wireless communication circuitry, to the service provided by the one or more servers over the network, the wireless connecting to the service is based, at least in part, on having provided the authentication information for accessing the service;
(6) receives, via the voice activated command interface of the output system, an input from the user for outputting or playing digital content at the output system, the digital content includes at least one of audio digital content or video digital content, individually or in any combination;
(7) wirelessly transmits, using the wireless communication circuitry of the output system, a digital content object from the output system to the one or more servers over the network, the digital content object includes information corresponding to the digital content in (6) for outputting or playing at the output system;
(8) wirelessly receives, using the wireless communication circuitry of the output system, output data from the one or more servers over the network, the wireless receiving of the output data being in response to having transmitted the digital content object in (7), and at least part of the output data includes one of audio data, music data, sound data, or video data, individually or in any combination, that is related to the digital content in (6) for outputting or playing at the output system;
(9) processes, using the one or more controllers or processors of the output system, at least part of the output data received in (8) for outputting or playing at least part of the digital content at the output system; and
(10) outputs or plays, using at least one of the one or more audio output devices of the output system or the display screen of the output system, at least part of the processed output data in (9).