Earpiece with app environment
View Patent ↗An earpiece includes an earpiece housing, a processor disposed within the earpiece housing, a memory operatively connected to the processor and disposed within the earpiece housing, and a plurality of software applications stored within the memory. The earpiece is configured to allow a user of the earpiece to select one of the plurality of software applications to run using the processor as a foreground application and allows for receiving user input into the foreground application.
1. An earpiece comprising:
an earpiece housing;
a processor disposed within the earpiece housing:
a memory operatively connected to the processor and disposed within the earpiece housing; and
a plurality of software applications stored within the memory;
wherein the earpiece is configured to allow a user of the earpiece to select one of the plurality of software applications to run using the processor as a foreground application of the earpiece; and
wherein the earpiece is further configured to receive user input from the user in the form of movement of the user detected with an inertial sensor operatively connected to the processor into the foreground application.
2. The earpiece of claim 1 further comprising a microphone and wherein the user input comprises voice input received from the user using the microphone.
3. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the earpiece is further configured to download an additional software application to the memory using a wireless transceiver disposed within the earpiece housing.
4. A method for controlling an earpiece comprising:
installing a plurality of different software applications within an earpiece;
receiving a selection of one of the plurality of different software applications from a user through a user interface of the earpiece;
executing the one of the plurality of different software applications based on the selection in a foreground mode of operation for the earpiece; and
receiving user input from the user of the earpiece through the user interface into the one of the plurality of different software applications in the foreground mode of operation, wherein the user input comprises movement of the user received at an inertial sensor of the earpiece.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the user input further comprises voice input received at a microphone of the earpiece.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein the user input further comprises a gesture received at a gestural control interface of the earpiece.
7. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the earpiece is further configured to allow the user to select one of the plurality of software applications to run as a background application using the processor.
8. The earpiece of claim 7 wherein the background application run by the processor is used for monitoring physiological parameters associated with the user.
9. The method of claim 4 further comprising presenting the plurality of software applications through the user interface.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of software applications comprises business applications, productivity applications, health applications, entertainment applications, sensor analysis applications, streaming media applications, and audio amplification applications.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of software applications presented by the user interface are ordered by recent usage.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of software applications presented by the user interface are based on a pattern analysis.