U.S. patent application number 13/435083 was filed with the patent office on 2012-10-04 for automatic audio recording and publishing system.
Invention is credited to Christopher C. Andrews.
Application Number | 20120253493 13/435083 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46927918 |
Filed Date | 2012-10-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120253493 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Andrews; Christopher C. |
October 4, 2012 |
AUTOMATIC AUDIO RECORDING AND PUBLISHING SYSTEM
Abstract
A device, system and method for automatic audio recording and
publishing. An electronic device having an audio recording ability
includes an audio sharing program that enables a user to input a
single command to execute the program and begin recording audio
with the electronic device without the need for further input to
the device. As a result, a user is able to quickly capture their
thoughts or other audio related to an event before the moment has
passed. After another single command, preset time period or trigger
action such as ending the recording or hanging up, the sharing
program automatically publishes the recorded audio according to one
or more preselected or default settings. In particular, the user is
able to preselect one or more media outlets to which the audio
should be published as well as the format and time at which the
audio should be published.
Inventors: |
Andrews; Christopher C.;
(Los Altos, CA) |
Family ID: |
46927918 |
Appl. No.: |
13/435083 |
Filed: |
March 30, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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61471541 |
Apr 4, 2011 |
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61471548 |
Apr 4, 2011 |
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61471552 |
Apr 4, 2011 |
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61582164 |
Dec 30, 2011 |
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61488954 |
May 23, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
700/94 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/9566 20190101;
G06F 3/165 20130101; G06F 3/04847 20130101; H04W 4/021 20130101;
H04W 4/02 20130101; H04W 4/029 20180201; G06F 16/61 20190101; H04L
65/602 20130101; G06F 16/639 20190101; G10L 15/26 20130101; H04N
21/432 20130101; H04N 21/472 20130101; G06F 16/48 20190101 |
Class at
Publication: |
700/94 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/00 20060101
G06F017/00; G06F 15/16 20060101 G06F015/16 |
Claims
1. A method of automatically recording and publishing audio
content, the method comprising: a. activating an application on a
computing device; b. inputting audio content to the computing
device to be recorded by the application; and c. recording audio
with the application on the computing device; wherein the
activation of the application and the commencement of recording
audio by the application are both initiated by a user performing a
single action on the computing device.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the commencement of recording by
the application is delayed by a predetermined delay period.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the application stops recording
audio after a predetermined recording period or if the volume of
the inputted audio content falls below a minimum threshold for a
predetermined threshold period.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising publishing the
recorded audio content on one or more network-accessible
locations.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the network-accessible locations
are selected from the group consisting of a website, a blog, an
email, a text message, an editable document, and a database.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the publishing of the recorded
audio is initiated by the single action after the application has
stopped recording the recorded audio content.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the publishing comprises
transmitting the recorded audio content to one or more storage
elements for formatting and storage on the storage elements.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more
network-accessible locations are determined based on a publishing
table that associates the computing device with the one or more
network-accessible locations.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising enabling the user to
select or edit the one or more network-accessible locations
associated with the computing device using the application on the
computing device.
10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions
that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device
to perform the method comprising: a. activating an application on
the computing device; and b. recording inputted audio content with
the application on the computing device; wherein the activation of
the application and the commencement of recording audio by the
application are both initiated by a user performing a single action
on the computing device.
11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the commencement of recording
by the application is delayed by a predetermined delay period.
12. The medium of claim 10, wherein the application stops recording
audio after a predetermined recording period or if the volume of
the inputted audio content falls below a minimum threshold for a
predetermined threshold period.
13. The medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises
publishing the recorded audio content on one or more
network-accessible locations.
14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the network-accessible
locations are selected from the group consisting of a website, a
blog, an email, a text message, an editable document, and a
database.
15. The medium of claim 13, wherein the publishing of the recorded
audio is initiated by the single action after the application has
stopped recording the recorded audio content.
16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the publishing comprises
transmitting the recorded audio content to one or more storage
elements for formatting and storage on the storage elements.
17. The medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more
network-accessible locations are determined based on a publishing
table that associates the computing device with the one or more
network-accessible locations.
18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises
enabling the user to select or edit the one or more
network-accessible locations associated with the computing device
using the application on the computing device.
19. A computing device for automatically recording and publishing
audio content, the computing device comprising: a. a processor; and
b. an application executed by the processor configured to: i.
activate on the computing device; and ii. record inputted audio
content on the computing device; wherein the activation and the
commencement of recording audio are both initiated by a user
performing a single action on the computing device.
20. The device of claim 19, wherein the commencement of recording
by the application is delayed by a predetermined delay period.
21. The device of claim 19, wherein the application is further
configured to stop recording audio after a predetermined recording
period or if the volume of the inputted audio content falls below a
minimum threshold for a predetermined threshold period.
22. The device of claim 19, wherein the application is further
configured to publish the recorded audio content on one or more
network-accessible locations.
23. The device of claim 22, wherein the network-accessible
locations are selected from the group consisting of a website, a
blog, an email, a text message, an editable document, and a
database.
24. The device of claim 22, wherein the publishing of the recorded
audio is initiated by the single action after the application has
stopped recording the recorded audio content.
25. The device of claim 24, wherein the publishing comprises
transmitting the recorded audio content to one or more storage
elements for formatting and storage on the storage elements.
26. The device of claim 24, wherein the one or more
network-accessible locations are determined based on a publishing
table that associates the computing device with the one or more
network-accessible locations.
27. The device of claim 26, wherein the application is further
configured to enable the user to select or edit the one or more
network-accessible locations associated with the computing device
using the application on the computing device.
28. The device of claim 25, wherein the storage elements are
integrated with the computing device.
29. The device of claim 28, further comprising a recording
mechanism that is used by the application to record the audio
content.
30. The device of claim 22, wherein one or more of the
network-accessible locations are located on the computing
device.
31. A system for automatically recording and publishing audio
content, the system comprising: a. one or more storage elements; b.
a recording mechanism; and c. a computing device coupled with the
one or more storage elements and the recording mechanism, wherein
the computing device comprises a processor and an application
executed by the processor configured to: i. activate on the
computing device; and ii. record inputted audio content on the
computing device with the recording mechanism; wherein the
activation and the commencement of recording audio by the
application are both initiated by a user performing a single action
on the computing device.
32. The system of claim 31, wherein the commencement of recording
by the application is delayed by a predetermined delay period.
33. The system of claim 31, wherein the application is further
configured to stop recording audio after a predetermined recording
period or if the volume of the inputted audio content falls below a
minimum threshold for a predetermined threshold period.
34. The system of claim 31, wherein the application is further
configured to publish the recorded audio content on one or more
network-accessible locations.
35. The system of claim 34, wherein the network-accessible
locations are selected from the group consisting of a website, a
blog, an email, a text message, an editable document, and a
database.
36. The system of claim 34, wherein the publishing of the recorded
audio is initiated by the single action after the application has
stopped recording the recorded audio content.
37. The system of claim 36, wherein the publishing comprises
transmitting the recorded audio content to the one or more storage
elements for formatting and storage on the storage elements.
38. The system of claim 36, wherein the one or more
network-accessible locations are determined based on a publishing
table that associates the computing device with the one or more
network-accessible locations.
39. The system of claim 38, wherein the application is further
configured to enable the user to select or edit the one or more
network-accessible locations associated with the computing device
using the application on the computing device.
40. The system of claim 34, wherein the computing device is
integrated with one or more selected from the group consisting of
the storage elements, the audio recording mechanism and at least
one of the one or more network-accessible locations.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 61/471,541, filed Apr. 4, 2011 and
entitled "AUDIO COMMENTING SYSTEM FOR THE INTERNET INCLUDING
WEBSITES, SOCIAL NETWORKS, AND BLOGS," U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/471,548, filed Apr. 4, 2011 and entitled
"AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR CREATING AND PUBLISHING INTERNET-BASED AUDIO
PROGRAMMING," U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/471,552, filed Apr. 4, 2011 and entitled "AUDIO RECORDING,
PLAYBACK, AND PUBLISHING SYSTEM FOR CREATING VOICEOVERS,
SOUNDTRACKS AND OTHER AUDIO PROGRAMMING FOR INTERNET CONTENT
INCLUDING WEBSITES AND SOCIAL NETWORKS," and U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 61/582,164, filed Dec. 30, 2011 and
entitled "AUTOMATIC AUDIO RECORDING AND PUBLISHING SYSTEM," U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/488,954, filed May 23,
2011 and entitled "LOCATION-BASED INTERNET RADIO PRODUCTION AND
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM," all of which are hereby incorporated herein
by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to audio recording and
publishing. More specifically, the present invention relates to
providing a system for automatically recording and publishing audio
input.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Recording and distributing sound files can be an effective
way to communicate to a broad audience. A professional journalist
can record and distribute their observations and thoughts about a
breaking story. Or a person with no professional training can
record their thoughts about a new product they just bought or a
great meal they ate, and share their enthusiasm with friends by
recording a sound file and distributing it through the internet.
Usually these recordings contain two main elements 1) the voice of
the person speaking and 2) ambient or background noise. The
background noise may be very subtle, for example the quiet of a
hotel room, or it may be a more powerful part of the recording, for
example a political rally with lots of shouts and crowd noise in
the background.
[0004] Current audio recording or sharing systems require multiple
actions to initiate the recording of the audio as well as multiple
subsequent actions to share the recorded audio. As a result, these
systems do not enable a user to immediately record their thoughts
on an event before the moment has passed, and share those thoughts
with other people. Indeed, in some cases even attempting to use the
recording system immediately can be dangerous or inconvenient as
the user is in the middle of operating a vehicle or performing
other focus intensive tasks. For example, tasks such as when a
person is riding a bicycle, driving a car, when they just saw an
accident, when they have just finished a meal or are in the process
of eating it, are focus intensive tasks that are inconvenient or
dangerous to interrupt in order to operate an audio recording
system. Specifically, if there are too many actions required (e.g.
buttons to push) on an audio device for operation, or a person has
to wait, then that moment that was desired to be recorded is lost.
As a result, current systems often fail to allow someone to record
and share such moments where the true personality and voice of that
person who wanted to talk is captured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A device, system and method for automatic audio recording
and publishing. Specifically, an electronic device having an audio
recording ability includes an audio sharing program that enables a
user to input a single command in order to execute the program and
begin recording audio with the electronic device without the need
for any further input to the device. As a result, a user is able to
quickly capture their thoughts or other audio related to an event
before the moment has passed. After another single command or
preset time period, the sharing program is able to automatically
publish the recorded audio according to one or more preselected or
default settings. In particular, the user is able to preselect one
or more media outlets (e.g. social networks, websites, email lists)
to which the audio should be published as well as the format and
time at which the audio should be published. Accordingly, the
system provides the benefit of a single step audio recording and
publishing process that enables the quickest possible audio
recording as well as configurable automatic publishing of the audio
content.
[0006] One aspect of the present application is directed to a
method of automatically recording and publishing audio content. The
method comprises activating an application on a computing device,
inputting audio content to the computing device to be recorded by
the application and recording audio with the application on the
computing device, wherein the activation of the application and the
commencement of recording audio by the application are both
initiated by a user performing a single action on the computing
device. In some embodiments, the commencement of recording by the
application is delayed by a predetermined delay period. In some
embodiments, the application stops recording audio after a
predetermined recording period or if the volume of the inputted
audio content falls below a minimum threshold for a predetermined
threshold period. In some embodiments, the method further comprises
publishing the recorded audio content on one or more
network-accessible locations. In some embodiments, the
network-accessible locations are selected from the group consisting
of a website, a blog, an email, a text message, an editable
document, and a database. In some embodiments, the publishing of
the recorded audio is initiated by the single action after the
application has stopped recording the recorded audio content. In
some embodiments, the publishing comprises transmitting the
recorded audio content to one or more storage elements for
formatting and storage on the storage elements. In some
embodiments, the one or more network-accessible locations are
determined based on a publishing table that associates the
computing device with the one or more network-accessible locations.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises enabling the user
to select or edit the one or more network-accessible locations
associated with the computing device using the application on the
computing device.
[0007] A second aspect of the present application is directed to a
non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that
when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to
perform the method comprising activating an application on the
computing device and recording inputted audio content with the
application on the computing device, wherein the activation of the
application and the commencement of recording audio by the
application are both initiated by a user performing a single action
on the computing device. In some embodiments, the commencement of
recording by the application is delayed by a predetermined delay
period. In some embodiments, the application stops recording audio
after a predetermined recording period or if the volume of the
inputted audio content falls below a minimum threshold for a
predetermined threshold period. In some embodiments, the method
further comprises publishing the recorded audio content on one or
more network-accessible locations. In some embodiments, the
network-accessible locations are selected from the group consisting
of a website, a blog, an email, a text message, an editable
document, and a database. In some embodiments, the publishing of
the recorded audio is initiated by the single action after the
application has stopped recording the recorded audio content. In
some embodiments, the publishing comprises transmitting the
recorded audio content to one or more storage elements for
formatting and storage on the storage elements. In some
embodiments, the one or more network-accessible locations are
determined based on a publishing table that associates the
computing device with the one or more network-accessible locations.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises enabling the user
to select or edit the one or more network-accessible locations
associated with the computing device using the application on the
computing device.
[0008] Another aspect of the present application is directed to a
computing device for automatically recording and publishing audio
content. The computing device comprises a processor and an
application executed by the processor configured to activate on the
computing device and record inputted audio content on the computing
device, wherein the activation and the commencement of recording
audio are both initiated by a user performing a single action on
the computing device. In some embodiments, the commencement of
recording by the application is delayed by a predetermined delay
period. In some embodiments, the application is further configured
to stop recording audio after a predetermined recording period or
if the volume of the inputted audio content falls below a minimum
threshold for a predetermined threshold period. In some
embodiments, the application is further configured to publish the
recorded audio content on one or more network-accessible locations.
In some embodiments, the network-accessible locations are selected
from the group consisting of a website, a blog, an email, a text
message, an editable document, and a database. In some embodiments,
the publishing of the recorded audio is initiated by the single
action after the application has stopped recording the recorded
audio content. In some embodiments, the publishing comprises
transmitting the recorded audio content to one or more storage
elements for formatting and storage on the storage elements. In
some embodiments, the one or more network-accessible locations are
determined based on a publishing table that associates the
computing device with the one or more network-accessible locations.
In some embodiments, the application is further configured to
enable the user to select or edit the one or more
network-accessible locations associated with the computing device
using the application on the computing device. In some embodiments,
the storage elements are integrated with the computing device. In
some embodiments, the device further comprises a recording
mechanism that is used by the application to record the audio
content. In some embodiments, one or more of the network-accessible
locations are located on the computing device.
[0009] Yet another aspect of the present application is directed to
a system for automatically recording and publishing audio content.
The system comprises one or more storage elements, a recording
mechanism and a computing device coupled with the one or more
storage elements and the recording mechanism, wherein the computing
device comprises a processor and an application executed by the
processor configured to activate on the computing device and record
inputted audio content on the computing device with the recording
mechanism, wherein the activation and the commencement of recording
audio by the application are both initiated by a user performing a
single action on the computing device. In some embodiments, the
commencement of recording by the application is delayed by a
predetermined delay period. In some embodiments, the application is
further configured to stop recording audio after a predetermined
recording period or if the volume of the inputted audio content
falls below a minimum threshold for a predetermined threshold
period. In some embodiments, the application is further configured
to publish the recorded audio content on one or more
network-accessible locations. In some embodiments, the
network-accessible locations are selected from the group consisting
of a website, a blog, an email, a text message, an editable
document, and a database. In some embodiments, the publishing of
the recorded audio is initiated by the single action after the
application has stopped recording the recorded audio content. In
some embodiments, the publishing comprises transmitting the
recorded audio content to the one or more storage elements for
formatting and storage on the storage elements. In some
embodiments, the one or more network-accessible locations are
determined based on a publishing table that associates the
computing device with the one or more network-accessible locations.
In some embodiments, the application is further configured to
enable the user to select or edit the one or more
network-accessible locations associated with the computing device
using the application on the computing device. In some embodiments,
the computing device is integrated with one or more selected from
the group consisting of the storage elements, the audio recording
mechanism and at least one of the one or more network-accessible
locations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates an automatic audio recording and
publishing system according to some embodiments.
[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates an automatic audio recording the
publishing device according to some embodiments.
[0012] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow chart of a method of automatically
recording and publishing audio content according to some
embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0013] The device, system and method described herein are directed
to automatic audio recording and publishing. Specifically, an
electronic device having an audio recording ability includes an
audio sharing program that enables a user to input a single command
in order to execute the program and begin recording audio with the
electronic device without the need for any further input to the
device. This single command is also able to be merely the opening
of the system, enabling the user to instantly be able to talk. As a
result, a user is able to quickly capture their thoughts or other
audio related to an event before the moment has passed. For
example, a driver is able to issue a single execute command to the
device when they see an accident on the road and immediately begin
recording their description of the accident. Similarly, after
another single command or preset time period, the sharing program
is able to automatically publish the recorded audio according to
one or more preselected or default settings. In particular, the
user is able to preselect one or more media outlets to which the
audio should be published as well as the format and time at which
the audio should be published. For example, the system is able to
be used by a company in order to enable their salespeople to easily
record and publish their thoughts on a centralized company bulletin
board on the internet or company network such that the sales
manager can easily obtain the real-time information from the
bulletin board. Accordingly, the system provides the benefit of a
single step audio recording and publishing process that enables the
quickest possible audio recording as well as configurable automatic
publishing of the audio content.
[0014] Additionally, it should be noted that although the
description herein is related to audio recording and publishing,
video or audio and video recording is contemplated. In such
embodiments, the system is able to further comprise a video
recording device and/or the audio recording device is able to also
comprise a video recording mechanism. Alternatively, the video
recording device is able to replace the audio recording device in
the system. In any case, the system described herein is able to
incorporate video recording and publishing such that a user is able
to immediately capture the video or audio and video of an event and
publish the recorded content to one or more media outlets.
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates an automatic audio recording and
publishing system 100 according to some embodiments. As shown in
FIG. 1, the system 100 comprises at least one audio recording
device 102 which includes an automatic audio recording and
publishing application, one or more storage servers 106 and one or
more media outlets 108 coupled together via one or more networks
104. In operation, the audio recording device 102 transmits
recorded audio data and/or other data over the networks 104 to the
storage servers 106 for automatic storage and formatting. The
storage servers 106 are then able to automatically transmit the
recorded audio data and/or other data to one or more of the media
outlets 108 for publishing to the desired audience. Specifically,
the storage servers 106 are able to format and publish the recorded
data according to a table stored on the servers 106 that includes
one or more preselected publishing settings. Alternatively, the
storage servers 106 are able to be omitted and the audio recording
device 102 is able to store the table and perform the storage,
formatting and publishing functions. The publishing settings stored
in the table are able to be selectively adjusted by a user such
that the recorded audio is automatically published by the storage
servers 106 in the desired manner.
[0016] In some embodiments, the publishing settings are able to be
adjusted using an audio sharing application on the audio recording
device 102. Alternatively, the publishing settings are able to be
adjusted by connecting to a website associated with one or more of
the storage servers 106. In some embodiments, an administrator is
able to adjust the publishing settings on the storage servers 106
such that they are global publishing settings that will be applied
to the audio recordings from a selected group of audio recording
devices 102 or all audio recording devices 102 that transmit their
recorded data to the storage servers 106. Thus, an administrator of
a company is able to create global publishing settings on the
company's storage servers that will be applied to all the recording
devices of the employees of the company. In some embodiments, the
publishing settings include how the recorded audio is to be
formatted (e.g. wave, mp3, mp4, uniform resource link (URL)) for
each media outlet 108 and/or which of the media outlets 108 to send
the recorded audio to for publishing. Alternatively, the publishing
settings are able to comprise the intervals at which the recordings
should be published for each media outlet 108, how long the
recorded data should be stored on the storage servers 106 and/or
other publishing settings as are well known in the art. For
example, in some embodiments the publishing settings are able to
comprise a "live feed" or "live broadcast" setting that causes the
servers 106 to immediately transmit the recordings to the media
outlets 108 such that the media outlets 108 are able to output the
recordings in real time (or with a preset delay). As a result, the
captured recordings are able to be shared with the viewers of the
media outlets 108 as a live broadcast event. In such embodiments,
the audio recording device 102 is able to automatically transmit
the recorded audio to the servers 106 (or directly to the media
outlets 108) in real time (or with a preset delay) as it is input
by the recording mechanism. Further in such embodiments, the
recordings are able to be simultaneously stored on the device 102
and/or the servers 106 such that the recordings are able to be
transmitted to the media outlets 108 at future times as well. As a
result, the system 100 enables a user to automatically publish
their audio recordings from their recording device 102 to a storage
server 106 and/or one or more predetermined media outlets 108.
[0017] In some embodiments, the audio recording device 102 is able
to be a mobile computing device such as a smart phone, computer or
computing component within a vehicle. Alternatively, the audio
recording device is able to be any device, stationary or mobile,
capable of recording, processing and transmitting audio input by a
user as are well known in the art. In some embodiments, the one or
more networks 104 comprise the internet. Alternatively, the one or
more networks 104 are able to be any combination of wired and/or
wireless networks such as the internet, an ethernet or other types
of networks capable of transmitting audio data as are well known in
the art. In some embodiments, the media outlets 108 comprise
websites. Alternatively, the media outlets 108 are able to comprise
one or more of computing devices, websites such as facebook, social
networks, email, blogs, twitter, radio or other media sources, as
well as the servers and other hardware that operate the media
outlets 108 as are well known in the art.
[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates the audio recording device 102 according
to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 2, the audio recording device
102 comprises a central processing unit (CPU) 202 for executing a
sound sharing application and controlling the operation of the
audio recording device 102, a memory 204 for storing the sound
sharing application and the recorded audio, an input/output
interface 206 for inputting commands from a user and outputting the
recorded data to the storage servers 106 via the networks 104, an
audio recording mechanism 208 for recording the audio, and one or
more buses 210 for coupling the audio recording device 102
components together. In operation, when a user wishes to record
audio, they input an activation command to the input/output
interface 206 by performing a single first action and thereby cause
the CPU 202 to execute the audio sharing application. In some
embodiments, the single action is a voice command input by the
recording mechanism. Alternatively, the single first action is able
to comprise one or more of a voice command, the pressing of a
button on the device 102 and/or other triggering actions as are
well known in the art.
[0019] Alternatively, in some embodiments activation of the audio
sharing application is able to be caused by the occurrence of an
external event monitored by the audio sharing application or audio
recording device 102. Specifically, the audio sharing application
is able to have a trigger feature that enables a user to select one
or more trigger events, wherein if the audio sharing application or
recording device 102 detect that the selected trigger events occur
the audio sharing application will automatically activate and
prompt the user visually and/or acoustically that the event has
occurred. For example, the selected or input trigger events are
able to comprise "when the stock market or a stock reaches a
specified threshold," "when a weather detection/prediction source
indicates one or more specified weather conditions in one or more
locations," or other types of events that are detectable by the
audio sharing application and/or recording device 102. In some
embodiments, the audio sharing application and/or recording device
102 detects the trigger events via the networks 104 and/or other
resources/components on the device 102. In some embodiments, the
audio sharing application enables the user to select at what
intervals, for one or more of the trigger events, the audio sharing
application and/or recording device 102 will attempt to detect the
trigger events. In some embodiments, the prompting of the detection
of a trigger event is able to comprise a visual and/or audio
description of what trigger event has occurred and/or prompting
questions or commands that guide the user as to what comments are
desired to be recorded. These prompting characteristics are able to
be default, parsed during the detection operation from the source
indicating the occurrence of the trigger event and/or manually
input by the user to the audio sharing application. In some
embodiments, the audio sharing application enables the user to
specify a plurality of devices 102 that are to receive the prompt
when one or more of the trigger events are detected as occurring.
For example, a newspaper chief editor is able to create one or more
trigger events and specify that the devices 102 of each of the
reporters of the newspaper are prompted when the trigger events
occur including possibly customized prompts that include different
instructions for each reporter.
[0020] Upon being activated, the audio sharing application
automatically begins recording audio using the audio recording
mechanism 208 without requiring any second or subsequent actions by
the user. In some embodiments, the application causes the device
102 to begin recording immediately upon being activated.
Alternatively, the application is able to cause the device 102 to
begin recording after a default delay period or preselected delay
period selected by the user upon being activated. As a result, the
single action performed by the user is able to both start the
application and cause the application (and the device 102) to begin
recording audio. In particular, this minimal input requirement
enables recording to begin as quickly as possible on the device
102. In some embodiments, the single first action is also able to
cause the device 102 to publish the recorded audio. Specifically,
after receiving the first action and beginning recording, the
device 102 is able to detect when the recording/input is complete
and automatically publish the recorded content as desired. In some
embodiments, the device 102 determines that the recording is
complete when the audio input has been below a threshold level for
a predetermined time period. In some embodiments, the device 102 is
able to also or alternatively determine when the recording is
complete after a predetermined time period has elapsed or using
other methods as are well known in the art. In some embodiments,
the manner utilized to determine when the recording is complete
and/or the threshold level and predetermined time periods are able
to be selectively adjusted by a user utilizing the audio sharing
application. As a result, in addition to activating the application
and beginning the recording, the first single action performed by
the user is able to cause the device 102 to transmit the recorded
data to the storage servers 106 where the data is automatically
published to the desired media outlets 108. In particular, this
minimal input requirement enables the recorded audio to be
published as quickly as possible after it is recorded by the device
102.
[0021] Alternatively, in some embodiments when the user wishes to
publish the recorded audio to the one or more media outlets 108,
they are able to input a publish command to the input/output
interface 206 by performing a single second action and thereby
cause the audio sharing application to transmit the recorded audio
to the storage servers 106. In some embodiments, the second single
action is a voice command input by the recording mechanism.
Alternatively, the second single action is able to comprise one or
more of a voice command, the pressing of a button on the device 102
and/or other triggering actions as are well known in the art,
including merely handing up or exiting or ending the application.
In some embodiments, the second single action is able to comprise a
"paste" command wherein the audio sharing application automatically
"copies" the recorded audio or a link thereto such that the user
only needs to select a location within the media outlets 108 and
issue the "paste" command to publish the recorded audio on the
media outlets 108. In some embodiments, if the device 102 is unable
to connect to the networks 104 and/or storage servers 106, the
application stores the recorded audio until a connection is able to
be made and the recorded audio is able to be transmitted. In some
embodiments, the publish command also stops the device 102 from
recording. Alternatively, a separate command input by performing a
third action stops the device 102 from recording or the device 102
automatically stops recording after a predetermined period. In some
embodiments, such as when the storage servers 106 are omitted or
cannot currently be connected to, the publish command also causes
the audio sharing application to store, format and transmit the
recorded audio directly to the one or more media outlets 108 as
described above. As a result, the second single action performed by
the user is able to cause the device 102 to transmit the recorded
data to the storage servers 106 where the data is automatically
published to the desired media outlets 108. In particular, this
alternative minimal input requirement enables the recorded audio to
be published as quickly as possible after it is recorded by the
device 102.
[0022] In some embodiments, the memory 204 comprises non-volatile
memory. Alternatively, the memory 204 comprises one or both of
non-volatile and volatile memory. In some embodiments, the
input/output interface 206 comprises a display with a graphical
user interface (GUI) for receiving commands from the user.
Alternatively, the input/output interface 206 comprises one or more
of a display, a GUI, a voice recognition mechanism, device physical
inputs, peripherals such as mice and keyboards, and other interface
components as are well known in the art. In some embodiments, the
audio recording mechanism 208 is integrated into the device 102.
Alternatively, the recording mechanism 208 is able to be a
peripheral that is coupled to the device 102. In some embodiments,
a user downloads the sound sharing application onto the audio
recording device 102. Alternatively, the sound sharing application
is able to come pre-installed on the audio recording device 102.
Additionally, it is understood that the audio recording device 102
is able to comprise one or more additional components well known in
the art, which have not been included herein for the sake of
brevity.
[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow chart of a method of automatically
recording and publishing audio content according to some
embodiments. A user or administrator adjusts the publishing
settings to be applied to one or more audio recording devices 102
at the step 302. The audio recording device 102 receives an
activation command based on a single user input such that an audio
sharing application on the device 102 is opened and automatically
begins recording audio at the step 304. In some embodiments, the
single user input is a physical interaction with the device 102
such as a button press. Alternatively, the single user input is one
or more of a physical interaction, an vocal interaction such as a
voice command, or other type of interaction as are well known in
the art. Alternatively, the user is able to perform multiple inputs
to activate the application. In some embodiments, the recording
does not begin until after a predetermined delay period. In some
embodiments, the duration and/or ending of the predetermined delay
period is indicated by a visual and/or audible countdown or other
indicator as are well known in the art. The user inputs the audio
that is to be recorded into an audio recording mechanism 208 of the
audio recording device 102 at the step 306. The audio recording
device 102 receives a publish and/or deactivation command based on
a second single user input such that the audio sharing application
and the audio recording device 102 stop recording audio at the step
308. Alternatively, the first single user input is able to also
cause the device 102 to publish the recordings and/or deactivate
the application and the second single user input is able to be
omitted. In some embodiments, the second single user input
comprises one or more of a physical or vocal input such as a button
press, verbal command or other types of inputs as are well known in
the art. Alternatively, the audio sharing application and audio
recording device 102 are able to automatically stop recording after
a predetermined time period and/or after not detecting a threshold
amount of audio input for a predetermined time period. In some
embodiments, the publish and/or deactivation command causes the
audio sharing application to shut down in addition to stopping the
recording process.
[0024] Upon receiving the publish and/or deactivation command the
audio sharing application transmits the recorded audio to one or
more storage servers 106 at the step 310. In some embodiments, the
audio sharing application stores the recorded audio in the memory
204 of the device 102 before transmitting the recorded audio to the
storage servers 106. The storage servers 106 automatically receive,
store, format and transmit the recorded audio to one or more media
outlets 108 according to one or more publishing settings associated
with the device 102 at the step 312. In some embodiments, the
publishing settings cause the servers 106 to immediately transmit
or broadcast the recorded audio to the media outlets 108 in real
time such that users of the media outlets 108 are able to access
the recorded audio in real time. In some embodiments, the
formatting of the recorded audio comprises creating a URL out of
the recorded audio such that the recorded audio is able to be
uniquely identified. In some embodiments, the transmitting of the
recorded audio to the one or more media outlets 108 comprises
automatically signing on or logging into the one or more media
outlets 108 based on user information stored in the publishing
settings. In some embodiments, the audio recording device 102 in
conjunction with the audio sharing application perform the
functions of step 310 such that step 308 is able to be omitted. The
desired audience is able to access the recorded audio on the media
outlets 108 at the step 314. As a result, the single action
performed by the user is able to both start the application and
cause the application (and the device 102) to begin recording
audio. In particular, this minimal input requirement enables
recording to begin as quickly as possible on the device 102.
Further, the second single action performed by the user is able to
cause the device 102 to transmit the recorded data to the storage
servers 106 where the data is automatically published to the
desired media outlets 108. In particular, this minimal input
requirement enables the recorded audio to be published as quickly
as possible after it is recorded by the device 102.
[0025] The audio recording and publishing system described herein
has numerous advantages. Specifically, the system provides the
advantage of enabling a user to record their thoughts on an event
immediately thereby capturing the moment as it happens. Further,
the system provides the advantage of providing this immediate
recording ability with a minimum of actions required reducing any
risk or inconvenience of capturing a moment where the user must
also perform other tasks such as operating a vehicle. Finally, the
system provides the advantage of automatic publishing of these
thoughts according to user preferences such that the moments are
able to be immediately transmitted to the desired audience.
[0026] The present invention has been described in terms of
specific embodiments incorporating details to facilitate the
understanding of principles of construction and operation of the
invention. Such reference herein to specific embodiments and
details thereof is not intended to limit the scope of the claims
appended hereto. It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the
art that other various modifications may be made in the embodiment
chosen for illustration without departing from the spirit and scope
of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
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