Portable media device with workout support

Abstract

Improved techniques and systems for utilizing a portable electronic device to monitor, process, present and manage data captured by a remote sensor are disclosed. The portable electronic device offers a convenient user interface that can be visual and/or audio based customized to a particular application, user-friendly and/or dynamic. The portable electronic device can pertain to a portable media player and thus also provide media playback.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of operating a portable media device including a processor and a memory, comprising:
 establishing, by the processor, communications with a sensor;   receiving, in the processor, sensor data from the sensor;   receiving, in the processor, a selection of a media item;   controlling, in the processor, an output of first audio data associated with the selected media item;   determining, in the processor, communications have been lost with the sensor;   in response to the determining communications have been lost with the sensor, generating, in the processor, second audio data including speech;   mixing, in the processor, the second audio data with the first audio data; and   controlling, in the processor, an output of the mixed audio data including the speech.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the speech includes an indication that communications with the sensor have been lost. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor is configured to monitor a physiological characteristic of a person. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor is a remote sensor coupled to a sporting device separate from the portable media device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor data includes work out data associated with a user of the portable media device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the generating the second audio data includes retrieving an audio snippet including the speech from a memory device coupled to the portable media device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the generating the second audio data includes synthesizing the speech. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: determining a language to use for the speech and generating the speech in the determined language. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: selecting a voice type for the speech. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the voice type is a male voice or a female voice. 
     
     
         12 . A portable media device comprising:
 a display;   a user interface configured to receive user inputs;   a memory device storing a plurality of media items;   a processor, coupled to the display, the user interface and the memory device, the processor configured to 1) establishing communications with a sensor; 2) receive sensor data from the sensor; 3) receive a selection of a media item from the plurality of media items; 4) control an output of first audio data associated with the selected media item; 5) determine communications have been lost with the sensor; 6) in response to the determining communications have been lost with the sensor, generate second audio data including speech; 7) the second audio data with the first audio data; and 8) control an output of the mixed audio data including the speech.   
     
     
         13 . A computer readable medium for storing computer code executed by a processor, the computer readable medium comprising:
 computer code for establishing communications with a sensor;   computer code for receiving sensor data from the sensor;
 computer code for receiving a selection of a media item; 
 computer code for controlling an output of first audio data associated with the selected media item; 
 computer code for determining communications have been lost with the sensor; 
 computer code for, in response to the determining communications have been lost with the sensor, generating second audio data including speech; 
 computer code for mixing the second audio data with the first audio data; and 
 computer code for controlling an output of the mixed audio data including the speech. 
   
     
     
         14 . A method of operating a portable media device, including a processor and a memory, comprising:
 receiving, in the processor, a selection of a media item;   controlling, in the processor, an output of first audio data associated with the selected media item;   determining, in the processor, that device feedback related to a device status is to be output;   in response to the determining, generating second audio data including speech related to the device status;   mixing, in the processor, the second audio data with the first audio data; and   controlling, in the processor, an output of the mixed audio data including the speech.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: retrieving device status information related to the device status. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the media item is a music file. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the mixing includes fading the first audio data, the second audio data or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: synthesizing the speech. 
     
     
         19 . A computer readable medium for storing computer code executed by a processor, the computer readable medium comprising:
 computer code for receiving a selection of a media item;
 computer code for controlling an output of first audio data associated with the selected media item; 
 computer code for determining that device feedback related to a device status is to be output; 
 computer code for, in response to the determining, generating second audio data including speech related to the device status; 
 computer code for mixing the second audio data with the first audio data; and 
 computer code for controlling an output of the mixed audio data including the speech. 
   
     
     
         20 . A portable media device comprising:
 a display;   a user interface configured to receive user inputs;   a memory device storing a plurality of media items;   a processor, coupled to the display, the user interface and the memory device, the processor configured to: 1) receive a selection of a media item from the plurality of media items; 2) control an output of first audio data associated with the selected media item; 3) determine that device feedback related to a device status is to be output; 4) in response to the determining, generate second audio data including speech related to the device status; 5) mix the second audio data with the first audio data; and 6) controlling an output of the mixed audio data including the speech.   
     
     
         21 . A method of operating a portable media device, including a processor and a memory, comprising:
 receiving, in the processor, a trigger condition for generating a message including speech;   determining, in the processor, a workout by a user has begun;   receiving, in the processor, workout data associated with the workout;   based upon the workout data and the trigger condition, determining, in the processor, the message including speech is to be generated;   generating, in the processor, audio data for the speech; and   outputting under control of the processor the audio data including the speech.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the workout data is received from a remote sensor. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the remote sensor is located in a shoe. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 receiving a selection of a media item;   generating first audio data for the media item;   mixing the audio data and the first audio data; and   outputting the mixed audio data including the speech.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 in response to determining the workout has begun, generating a message including speech indicating the workout has begun.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 determining the workout has been paused;   in response to determining the workout has paused, generating a message including speech indicating the workout has paused.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 outputting to a display a settings screen that allows a user to select one or more settings that affect the output of the speech.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 receiving a signal indicating an input button has been selected;   in response to the signal, immediately generating the audio data for the message including speech.   
     
     
         29 . A computer readable medium for storing computer code executed by a processor, the computer readable medium comprising:
 computer code for receiving a trigger condition for generating a message including speech;   computer code for determining a workout by a user has begun;   computer code for receiving workout data associated with the workout;   computer code for, based upon the workout data and the trigger condition, determining the message including speech is to be generated;   computer code for, generating audio data for the speech; and   computer code for outputting the audio data including the speech.   
     
     
         30 . A portable media device comprising:
 a display;   a user interface configured to receive user inputs;   a memory device storing a plurality of media items;   a processor, coupled to the display, the user interface and the memory device, the processor configured to: 1) receive a trigger condition for generating a message including speech; 2) determine a workout by a user has begun; 3) receive workout data associated with the workout; 4) based upon the workout data and the trigger condition, determine the message including speech is to be generated; 5) generating audio data for the speech; and 6) output the audio data including the speech.