IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,819,840

Granted Patent B2

US 10,819,840 · App. 15/981,828 · Granted Oct 27, 2020

Voice communication method

Inventors: Tiffany S. Jon (Sunnyvale, CA); Freddy Allen Anzures (San Francisco, CA); Stephen O. Lemay (Palo Alto, CA); Matthew J. Sundstrom (Campbell, CA)

Assignee: Apple Inc.

H04M1/7253 G06F1/163 G06F1/169 G06F3/0362 G06F3/0482 G06F3/0488 G06F3/04817 G06F3/04883 H04M1/72583 H04M1/7255

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 10,819,840
App. No.: 15/981,828
Granted: Oct 27, 2020
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

Audio inputs are detected at an electronic device and translated into electronic communications for playback at an external electronic device.

Claims (106)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

one or more input devices including a touch-sensitive surface;

one or more output devices;

a wireless communication radio;

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, on the display, a communication user interface of a first application that includes an activatable indicator, wherein the activatable indicator is a selectable graphical user interface object which, while being activated via touch input on the touch-sensitive surface, triggers an outgoing communication via the first application;

while displaying the communication user interface and while communication is not occurring, detecting a start of communication via the first application;

in conjunction with detecting the start of the communication via the first application, displaying feedback indicative of the communication while the communication is ongoing, including:

in accordance with a determination that communication via the first application is the outgoing communication triggered by activation of the activatable indicator:

recording, via the one or more input devices, an outgoing communication, wherein the outgoing communication includes audio; and

displaying, on the display, a first type of animated visual feedback in a respective region of the communication user interface that is proximate to the activatable indicator; and

in accordance with a determination that communication via the first application is an incoming communication received via the wireless communication radio:

playing, via the one or more output devices, the incoming communication; and

while playing the incoming communication:

displaying, on the display, a second type of animated visual feedback in the respective region of the communication user interface that is different from the first type of animated visual feedback; and

disabling the activatable indicator from being activated to initiate an outgoing communication via the first application.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein recording the outgoing communication and displaying the first type of animated visual feedback in the respective region of the communication user interface comprises recording the outgoing communication and displaying the first type of animated visual feedback in the respective region of the communication user interface while the user activation of the activatable indicator is maintained.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein playing the incoming communication occurs in accordance with a determination that the first application is set to a first availability mode.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while playing the incoming communication, detecting a first gesture; and

in response to detecting the first gesture, stopping playing the incoming communication.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in response to detecting the first gesture, transmitting, via the wireless communication radio, an error communication indicating that a user of the electronic device is unavailable for the communication.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the activatable indicator includes an indication that the activatable indicator must be activated in order to record an outgoing communication.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the indication is displayed on the activatable indicator while recording the outgoing communication and the indication is not displayed on the activatable indicator while playing the incoming communication.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first type of animated visual feedback includes a graphical effect comprising shapes moving in a first direction, and wherein the second type of animated visual feedback includes a graphical effect comprising shapes moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while the communication via the first application is ongoing, wherein the communication is with a first contactable user, detecting, via a wireless communication radio, an incoming communication associated with the first application from a second contactable user different from the first contactable user; and

in response to detecting the incoming communication from the second contactable user, displaying, on the display, a representation of the second contactable user.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in response to detecting the incoming communication from the second contactable user, disabling the activatable indicator.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein displaying the representation of the second contactable user comprises replacing a representation of the first contactable user with the representation of the second contactable user.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in response to detecting the incoming communication from the second contactable user, displaying, on the display, a third type of visual feedback in the respective region of the communication user interface that is different from the first type of animated visual feedback and from the second type of animated visual feedback.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while the communication via the first application is ongoing, detecting, via a wireless communication radio, an incoming communication associated with the first application from a second contactable user different from the first contactable user, wherein the communication that is ongoing is a communication with a first contactable user; and

in response to detecting the incoming communication from the second contactable user, ceasing the existing communication with the first contactable user and initiating a new communication with the second contactable user.

14. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a display, one or more input devices including a touch-sensitive surface, one or more output devices, and a wireless communication radio:

while displaying the communication user interface and while communication is not occurring, detecting a start of communication via the first application;

in conjunction with detecting the start of the communication via the first application, displaying feedback indicative of the communication while the communication is ongoing, including:

in accordance with a determination that communication via the first application is the outgoing communication triggered by activation of the activatable indicator:

recording, via the one or more input devices, an outgoing communication, wherein the outgoing communication includes audio; and

displaying, on the display, a first type of animated visual feedback in a respective region of the communication user interface that is proximate to the activatable indicator; and

in accordance with a determination that communication via the first application is an incoming communication received via the wireless communication radio:

playing, via the one or more output devices, the incoming communication; and

while playing the incoming communication:

disabling the activatable indicator from being activated to initiate an outgoing communication via the first application.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of an electronic device with a display, one or more input devices including a touch-sensitive surface, one or more output devices, and a wireless communication radio, the one or more programs including instructions for:

while displaying the communication user interface and while communication is not occurring, detecting a start of communication via the first application;

in conjunction with detecting the start of the communication via the first application, displaying feedback indicative of the communication while the communication is ongoing, including:

in accordance with a determination that communication via the first application is the outgoing communication triggered by activation of the activatable indicator:

recording, via the one or more input devices, an outgoing communication, wherein the outgoing communication includes audio; and

displaying, on the display, a first type of animated visual feedback in a respective region of the communication user interface that is proximate to the activatable indicator; and

in accordance with a determination that communication via the first application is an incoming communication received via the wireless communication radio:

playing, via the one or more output devices, the incoming communication; and

while playing the incoming communication:

disabling the activatable indicator from being activated to initiate an outgoing communication via the first application.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein recording the outgoing communication and displaying the first type of animated visual feedback in the respective region of the communication user interface comprises recording the outgoing communication and displaying the first type of animated visual feedback in the respective region of the communication user interface while the user activation of the activatable indicator is maintained.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein playing the incoming communication occurs in accordance with a determination that the first application is set to a first availability mode.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

while playing the incoming communication, detecting a first gesture; and

in response to detecting the first gesture; stopping playing the incoming communication.

19. The method of claim 18 ; further comprising:

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the activatable indicator includes an indication that the activatable indicator must be activated in order to record an outgoing communication.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the indication is displayed on the activatable indicator while recording the outgoing communication and the indication is not displayed on the activatable indicator while playing the incoming communication.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first type of animated visual feedback includes a graphical effect comprising shapes moving in a first direction, and wherein the second type of animated visual feedback includes a graphical effect comprising shapes moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

23. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

in response to detecting the incoming communication from the second contactable user, displaying, on the display, a representation of the second contactable user.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

in response to detecting the incoming communication from the second contactable user, disabling the activatable indicator.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein displaying the representation of the second contactable user comprises replacing a representation of the first contactable user with the representation of the second contactable user.

26. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

in response to detecting the incoming communication from the second contactable displaying, on the display, a third type of visual feedback in the respective region of the communication user interface that is different from the first type of animated visual feedback and from the second type of animated visual feedback.

27. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein recording the outgoing communication and displaying the first type of animated visual feedback in the respective region of the communication user interface comprises recording the outgoing communication and displaying the first type of animated visual feedback in the respective region of the communication user interface while the user activation of the activatable indicator is maintained.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein playing the incoming communication occurs in accordance with a determination that the first application is set to a first availability mode.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while playing the incoming communication, detecting a first gesture; and

in response to detecting the first gesture, stopping playing the incoming communication.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 30 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the activatable indicator includes an indication that the activatable indicator must be activated in order to record an outgoing communication.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 32 , Therein the indication is displayed on the activatable indicator while recording the outgoing communication and the indication is not displayed on the activatable indicator while playing the incoming communication.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the first type of animated visual feedback includes a graphical effect comprising shapes moving in a first direction, and wherein the second type of animated visual feedback includes a graphical effect comprising shapes moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in response to detecting the incoming communication from the second contactable user, displaying, on the display, a representation of the second contactable user.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in response to detecting the incoming communication from the second contactable user, disabling the activatable indicator.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35 , wherein displaying the representation of the second contactable user comprises replacing a representation of the first contactable user with the representation of the second contactable user.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

39. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while the communication via the first application is ongoing, detecting, via a wireless communication radio; an incoming communication associated with the first application from a second contactable user different from the first contactable user, wherein the communication that is ongoing is a communication with a first contactable user; and

Assignments (1)

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2019

From: JON, TIFFANY S.; ANZURES, FREDDY ALLEN; LEMAY, STEPHEN O.; SUNDSTROM, MATTHEW J.

To: APPLE INC.

Reel/Frame 048733/0402 →

Continuity (4)

Provisional Application 62671991 · May 15, 2018

Provisional Application 62507195 · May 16, 2017

Provisional Application 62507167 · May 16, 2017

Related Publication 20180338026A1 · Nov 22, 2018