Earpiece with modified ambient environment over-ride function

• US 10,045,117 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Inventors: Boesen, Peter Vincent, Dragicevic, Darko
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US15/804,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20180132032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/01 Hearing devices using active noise cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

An earpiece includes an earpiece housing sized and shaped to block an external auditory canal of a user, at least one microphone positioned to sense ambient sound, a speaker, and a processor disposed within the earpiece housing and operatively connected to each of the at least one microphone and the speaker, wherein the processor is configured to modify the ambient sound based on user preferences to produce modified ambient sound in a first mode of operation and to produce a second sound in response to a trigger condition. The second sound may be an unmodified version of the ambient sound. The second sound may be a modified version of the ambient sound which suppresses at least a portion of the ambient sound. The second sound may be a warning sound.

Claims

1. An earpiece comprising:

an earpiece housing sized and shaped to block an external auditory canal of a user;

at least one microphone positioned to sense ambient sound;

an inertial sensor;

a speaker; and

a processor disposed within the earpiece housing and operatively connected to each of the at least one microphone, the inertial sensor, and the speaker, wherein the processor is configured to modify the ambient sound based on user preferences to produce modified ambient sound in a first mode of operation and to produce a warning sound in response to a trigger condition, the trigger condition based on movement sensed with the inertial sensor that exceeds a threshold.

2. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the warning sound is an unmodified version of the ambient sound.

3. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the warning sound is a modified version of the ambient sound which suppresses at least a portion of the ambient sound.

4. The earpiece of claim 1 further comprising a gestural interface operatively connected to the processor.

5. A method of improving audio transparency of an earpiece comprising:

receiving ambient sound at a microphone of the earpiece;

processing the ambient sound using a processor of the earpiece according to a user setting to produce a modified ambient sound;

further processing the modified ambient sound to include a warning sound in response to a trigger condition, wherein the trigger condition is met when a parameter sensed with an inertial sensor of the earpiece exceeds a threshold; and

producing the modified ambient sound at a speaker of the earpiece.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising further processing the modified ambient sound to suppress at least a portion of the ambient sound.

7. An earpiece comprising:

an earpiece housing sized and shaped to block an external auditory canal of a user;

at least one microphone positioned to sense ambient sound;

a biometric sensor;

a speaker; and

a processor disposed within the earpiece housing and operatively connected to each of the at least one microphone, the biometric sensor, and the speaker, wherein the processor is configured to modify the ambient sound based on user preferences to produce modified ambient sound in a first mode of operation and to produce a second sound in response to a trigger condition, the trigger condition based on a biometric parameter sensed with the biometric sensor.

8. A method of improving audio transparency of an earpiece comprising:

receiving ambient sound at a microphone of the earpiece;

processing the ambient sound using a processor of the earpiece according to a user setting to produce a modified ambient sound;

further processing the modified ambient sound to include a warning sound in response to a trigger condition, wherein the trigger condition is met when a physiological parameter sensed with a biometric sensor of the earpiece exceeds a threshold; and

producing the modified ambient sound at a speaker of the earpiece.