Earpiece Audio Token Generation for Hands-Free Text Notifications

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Solution Overview

Problem

Earpieces do not provide a convenient means for organizing and notifying users of text messages, requiring users to divert visual attention to their communication device, which can be dangerous and inconvenient.

Innovation Solution

An earpiece equipped with an Ambient Sound Microphone, Ear Canal Receiver, and Ear Canal Microphone, along with a processor that screens and groups event information from text messages, generates audio tokens for audible delivery, allowing users to receive notifications and respond to messages without visual distraction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users rely on communication device display to read text messages, then message content can be read in text form, but user visual attention must be diverted to the device which is dangerous and inconvenient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemessage reading convenienceVSAvoiduser safety

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the visual-mechanical interaction of reading text on a display with an acoustic-electrical system that converts text messages into audible audio tokens delivered through an earpiece, allowing users to perceive message content through hearing rather than sight

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of the earpiece, audio processor, and text-to-speech converter that mediates between the communication device and the user, transforming text messages into audio format and delivering them directly to the user's ear canal

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If earpiece delivers all text message notifications audibly, then users can receive messages hands-free, but the number of audible messages increases which may cause information overload

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehands-free message receptionVSAvoidinformation organization

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential information from text messages to create concise audio tokens, removing unnecessary details while preserving key message content, thereby reducing information overload while maintaining hands-free reception capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the audio output into discrete audio tokens, each representing a separate message or information unit, allowing users to process information in manageable segments rather than continuous streams

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS8473081B2Method and system for event reminder using an earpiece

Publication Date: 2013.06.25 ST PORTFOLIO HLDG LLC

AI summary

A method for administering an audio message to a user of an earpiece can include receiving event information from a paired communication device, updating a personal event calendar by ordering event information to generate a first event list, generating a modified event list by grouping events in the first event list according to acceptance criteria based on event priority of event types, and generating an audio token for collective events in the modified event list for audible delivery to the ear canal. Events can be ordered by event name, event location, event data, event importance, event invitees, or event category.