Selective audio isolation from body generated sound system and method

• US 10,062,373 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Inventors: Boesen, Peter Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Islam, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US15/801,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20180122354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/178 by electro-acoustically regenerating the original acoustic waves in anti-phase
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3028 Filtering, e.g. Kalman filters or special analogue or digital filters
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3045 Multiple acoustic inputs, single acoustic output
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• 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 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication

Abstract

A wireless earpiece includes a wireless earpiece housing, a processor disposed within the wireless earpiece housing, at least one microphone operatively connected to the processor, and at least one speaker operatively connected to the processor. The processor is configured to receive audio from the at least one microphone, perform processing of the audio to provide processed audio, and output the processed audio to the at least one speaker. The processing of the audio involves identifying body generated sounds generated by a body of a user of the wireless earpiece and removing the body generated sounds.

Claims

1. A wireless earpiece comprising:

a wireless earpiece housing;

a processor disposed within the wireless earpiece housing;

at least one air microphone operatively connected to the processor;

at least one bone microphone operatively connected to the processor;

at least one speaker operatively connected to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to receive audio from the at least one air microphone, the at least one bone microphone, perform processing of the audio to provide processed audio, and output the processed audio to the at least one speaker;

wherein the processing of the audio comprises identifying body generated sounds generated by a body of a user of the wireless earpiece and removing the body generated sounds; and

wherein the identifying body generated sounds is performed by comparing a first audio signal from the at least one air microphone with the second audio signal from the at least bone microphone.

2. The wireless earpiece of claim 1 wherein the removing the body generated sounds is performed by superimposing a cancellation signal to the audio.

3. The wireless earpiece of claim 1 wherein the removing the body generated sounds is performed by filtering the body generated sounds from the audio.

4. A wireless earpiece comprising:

a wireless earpiece housing;

a processor disposed within the wireless earpiece housing;

at least one microphone operatively connected to the processor;

at least one speaker operatively connected to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to receive audio from the at least one microphone, perform processing of the audio to provide processed audio, and output the processed audio to the at least one speaker;

wherein the processing of the audio comprises identifying body generated sounds wherein the body generated sounds comprise at least one of a click or a pop generated by movement of a temporomandibular joint of a user of the wireless earpiece and removing the body generated sounds.

5. A method of removing body generated sounds by an earpiece comprising:

providing the earpiece, the earpiece comprising a wireless earpiece housing, a processor disposed within the wireless earpiece housing, at least one air microphone operatively connected to the processor, at least one bone microphone operatively connected to the processor and at least one speaker operatively connected to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to receive audio from the at least one air microphone and at least one bone microphone, perform processing on the audio to provide processed audio, and output the processed audio to the at least one speaker;

receiving audio from the at least one microphone at the processor;

performing processing on the audio to provide processed audio, wherein the processing of the audio comprises identifying body generated sounds generated by a body of a user of the wireless earpiece and removing the body generated sounds;

wherein the identifying the body generated sounds is performed by comparing a first audio signal from the air microphone with a second audio signal from the bone microphone; and

outputting the processed audio to the at least one speaker of the wireless earpiece.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the removing the body generated sounds is performed using active noise cancellation.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the removing the body generated sounds is performed by filtering.

8. A set of wireless earpieces comprising:

a first wireless earpiece comprising a first wireless earpiece housing, a processor disposed within the first wireless earpiece housing, at least one first wireless earpiece air microphone operatively connected to the first wireless earpiece processor, at least one first wireless earpiece bone microphone operatively connected to the first wireless earpiece processor, a first wireless earpiece transceiver operatively connected to the first wireless earpiece processor, and at least one first wireless earpiece speaker operatively connected to the first wireless earpiece processor;

a second wireless earpiece comprising a second wireless earpiece housing different from the first wireless earpiece housing, at least one second wireless air earpiece microphone, at least one second wireless bone earpiece microphone, at least one second wireless earpiece speaker, and at least one second wireless earpiece transceiver;

wherein the transceiver of the second wireless earpiece communicates with the transceiver of the first wireless earpiece;

wherein the first wireless earpiece processor is configured to receive audio from the at least one first wireless earpiece microphone and from the at least one second wireless earpiece microphone, perform processing of the audio to provide processed audio, and output the processed audio to the at least one first wireless earpiece speaker;

wherein the processing of the audio comprises identifying body generated sounds generated by a body of a user of the first wireless earpiece and the second wireless earpiece and removing the body generated sounds; and

wherein the identifying the body generated sounds is performed by comparing audio signals from the first wireless earpiece air microphone with the first wireless earpiece bone microphone and from the second wireless earpiece air microphone with the second wireless earpiece bone microphone.

9. The set of wireless earpieces of claim 8 wherein the removing the body generated sounds is performed by superimposing a cancellation signal to the audio.

10. The set of wireless earpieces of claim 8 wherein the removing the body generated sounds is performed by filtering the body generated sounds from the audio.

11. A set of wireless earpieces comprising:

a first wireless earpiece comprising a first wireless earpiece housing, a processor disposed within the first wireless earpiece housing, at least one first wireless earpiece microphone operatively connected to the first wireless earpiece processor, a first wireless earpiece transceiver operatively connected to the first wireless earpiece processor, and at least one first wireless earpiece speaker operatively connected to the first wireless earpiece processor;

a second wireless earpiece comprising a second wireless earpiece housing different from the first wireless earpiece housing, at least one second wireless earpiece microphone, at least one second wireless earpiece speaker, and at least one second wireless earpiece transceiver;

wherein the transceiver of the second wireless earpiece communicates with the transceiver of the first wireless earpiece;

wherein the first wireless earpiece processor is configured to receive audio from the at least one first wireless earpiece microphone and from the at least one second wireless earpiece microphone, perform processing of the audio to provide processed audio, and output the processed audio to the at least one first wireless earpiece speaker;

wherein the processing of the audio comprises identifying body generated sounds generated by a body of a user of the first wireless earpiece and the second wireless earpiece and removing the body generated sounds; and

wherein the body generated sounds comprise at least one of a click or a pop generated by movement of a temporomandibular joint of the user.