Apple patents audio user interface

Another day, another Apple patent filing. This time, Apple calls dibs on an "audio user interface for computing devices." Nothing new right? Afterall, we've had audio assisted navigation for years. The system described however, uses the relative power of a host system to auto-generate audio tags from text strings which can then be played by a hand-held device such as an "MP3 player, mobile phone, or PDA." Still not following? Ok, imagine a system whereby your PC or Mac automatically converts the metadata stored on your iTunes Music Store purchases -- you know, song or video title, artist, album, episode, etc -- into audio tags which are then synch'd to your video iPod, iPhone, or Apple handheld via iTunes thereby allowing you to find and play your favorite song, playlist, whutevah without ever looking at the device and straining your eyes. And since this could likely be a software only enhancement to existing Apple 'ware, implementing it could be just be a free, point-release upgrade away... hear that display-less Shuffle owners?

[Via Unwired View, Thanks Staska]

[Sebastian @ May 4th 2006 9:52AM]

Isn't MS Voice Command already doin the same thing on PPCs?

[Tree @ May 4th 2006 9:55AM]

PhatNoise PhatBox has done this for *years*. (Car hd based mp3 player)
Talk about prior art...

http://phatnoise.com

[Pritchett @ May 4th 2006 9:57AM]

ummm... Wouldn't this require the product to have a microphone of some sort? Hear that microphone-less ipod owners... Software update indeed Engadget... or not.

[DacmonJ @ May 4th 2006 10:02AM]

Ya, I have a Phatnoise Phatbox, it works exactly as this patent describes, taking the tags from your music and converting them to speech files for easy navigation in the vehicle.

I hope Phatnoise (now owned by Harmon Kardon I believe) puts the smack down on this one.

[Steffest @ May 4th 2006 10:09AM]

Ridiculous !
My home made Media Center software did this 10 year ago ...
I recall some player on the amiga that did the same thing, that's 20 (yes: twenty) years ago, people !

[Jon Shipman @ May 4th 2006 10:09AM]

No... no microphone required. It sounds more of a Text-to-speech kinda thing where it'd read you your Song Info. Nothing extremely new, Apple's Computers have been doing this since AT LEAST 1984 or so.

[Tomas @ May 4th 2006 10:21AM]

This is a good move for Apple. When you're playing a movie on your new video Nano, you're going to need a voice to tell you what you're watching.

[judd sandage @ May 4th 2006 10:22AM]

kenwood has been using this for at least 3 years now for their car radios, they call it ACDrive and its got softwear for your MP3s, WMA and AAC files to tag them with speech and then burn a disc with this info and have it played back on the head units, and before that was the HDD based units using the Phatnoise system which did the same thing, how can this be seen as uniqe and not have prior art?

[Todd @ May 4th 2006 10:27AM]

( from #5 comment )"...Wouldn't this require the product to have a microphone of some sort? Hear that microphone-less ipod owners"

Hey my iRiver U10 has a microphone!

[jcg @ May 4th 2006 11:11AM]

Another inovation from apple. Isn't it great how they always invent new things?

[T @ May 4th 2006 11:22AM]

"Still not following? You are an f-ing moron."

[Brad Johnson @ May 4th 2006 11:22AM]

I see the value of this idea for a device without a display like the shuffle or for situations where your visual attention needs to be somewhere else, like on the road in front of you when you're driving and probably some other good applications that escape me for the moment. However, I can't imagine that this is a replacement for displays on portable devices anytime soon unless the future of MP3 and cellphones looks like some Star Trek communicator pin and is a bluetooth combo iPhone/iPod with voice recognition software. Device,,,Call my wife. Device,,,play Steely Dan,,,Hey Nineteen. Damn, and I thought those little communication pins were supposed to look like little Acura logo's instead of little Apple logo's. Gene Roddenberry was a fraud.

[dxk @ May 4th 2006 11:47AM]

Ahhh yes, a neat little feature for iPods. But knowing Steve Jobs track record on iPod features, only the latest iPods will get this feature. All others will be forced to upgrade... if they want the feature.

[Korpil @ May 4th 2006 12:21PM]

Yeah right, free software updates... I'm still waiting for my iPod 4G to be able to display lyrics, to have world time or any of the new stuff the Nano and 5G posess...

[Alex @ May 4th 2006 12:38PM]

So does this mean that Phatnoise can't use this technology anymore? How did Apple get the patent if someone else is already doing it?

It seems like a cool idea, but it sucks that Apple has exclusivity here. I'd like to see more mp3 players with it, especially my next walkman phone.

[idude135 @ May 4th 2006 1:01PM]

I see this as a must-have feature for their upcoming iPhone. The shuffle as we know is a budget-conscious stick with no screen. But I wouldn't rule it out if they want to remain competitive...

[T @ May 4th 2006 1:24PM]

Lifted straight from Rockbox

[jcg @ May 5th 2006 8:16AM]

@Alex, if I understand the American patent system. You can patent evything you want, it's up to up to others to prove it prior art. But then agian I ANAL (I am not a laywer)

[Suz @ May 8th 2006 11:07AM]

Indeed another ploy for an upgrading.

It also makes this type of service more available for the general consumer...people not tech oriented. Actually a smart move in terms of marketing to the masses for Apple and if they can snag the patent then kudos to them and waa-waa-waa for the others that didn't think to patent it initially.


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