3D sound positioning with distributed sensors

• US 10,117,604 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2017
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Inventors: Boesen, Peter Vincent, Dragicevic, Darko
• Primary Examiner(s): Sniezek, Andrew L
• Application Number:
  US15/799,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20180116564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/12 Audiometering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7415 Sound rendering of measured values, e.g. by pitch or volume variation A61B5/741 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• 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 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

A method of providing audiometric feedback from a network of distributed body sensors using one or more earpieces includes receiving signals from the network of distributed body sensors at the one or more wireless earpieces, processing the signals received at the one or more wireless earpieces to determine a location of individual body sensors within the network of distributed body sensors relative the one or more earpieces, and producing audiometric feedback at the one or more wireless earpieces at least partially based on the locations of the individual body sensors relative to the one or more earpieces.

Claims

1. A method of providing audiometric feedback from a network of distributed body sensors using one or more wireless earpieces comprising:

receiving at least a first signal from a first individual body sensor within the network of distributed body sensors at the one or more wireless earpieces;

receiving at least a second signal from a second individual body sensor within the network of distributed body sensors at the one or more wireless earpieces;

processing at least the first signal and the second signal received at the one or more wireless earpieces by a processor of the one or more wireless earpieces to determine a location of the first individual body sensor and the second individual body sensor within the network of distributed body sensors relative to the one or more wireless earpieces;

producing audiometric feedback at the one or more wireless earpieces at least partially based on the location of at least one of the first individual body sensor and the second individual body sensor relative to the one or more wireless earpieces.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the signals are sound signals.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the audiometric feedback is based on changes in the location of the individual body sensors relative to the one or more wireless earpieces due to movement.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the audiometric feedback comprises an audiometric rhythmic signal synchronized to the movement.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising encoding sensor information from the individual body sensors within the sound signals and decoding the sensor information from the individual body sensors at the one or more wireless earpieces.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the signals are communicated over skin of a user of the distributed body sensors and the one or more wireless earpieces.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the distributed body sensors is associated with an article of clothing.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the distributed body sensors is associated with a band.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the audiometric feedback is represented by three dimensional sound and wherein the one or more wireless earpieces comprises a left earpiece and a right earpiece.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the audiometric feedback is positioned at a location so as to be perceived as emanating from a position of one of the individual body sensors.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the signals are wireless signals.

12. A method of providing audiometric feedback from a network of distributed body sensors using one or more wireless earpieces comprising:

receiving at least a first signal from a first individual body sensor within the network of distributed body sensors at the one or more wireless earpieces;

receiving at least a second signal from a second individual body sensor within the network of distributed body sensors at the one or more wireless earpieces;

wherein the first signal and the second signal are received by the one or more wireless earpieces at a different time or rate;

processing at least the first signal and the second signal received at the one or more wireless earpieces to determine location of at least one of the first individual body sensor and the second individual body sensor within the network of distributed body sensors relative to the one or more wireless earpieces;

producing audiometric feedback at the one or more wireless earpieces at least partially based on the location of at least one of the first individual body sensor and the second individual body sensor relative to the one or more wireless earpieces.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one wireless earpieces comprises a left earpiece and a right earpiece.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first signal is received at the left earpiece and has a first arrival time and a first angle of incidence and the second signal is received at the right earpiece and has a second arrival time and a second angle of incidence.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein a processor disposed within the left earpiece or the right earpiece determines the location of at least one of the individual body sensors using the first arrival time and the first angle of incidence and the second arrival time and the second angle of incidence.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the audiometric feedback is perceived as emanating from a position of at least one of the individual body sensors.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more wireless earpieces is configured to triangulate the location of at least one of the individual body sensors.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more wireless earpieces further comprises at least one wireless transceiver configured to communicate with an external electronic device.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more wireless earpieces further comprises a plurality of microphones operatively connected to the wireless earpieces and a speaker is operatively connected to the one or more wireless earpieces.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the location of at least one of the individual body sensors is determined by sound intensity differential.