Personalized audio experience management and architecture for use in group audio communication

• US 10,362,394 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arthur Woodrow, Tyson Mcdowell
• Original Assignee: Arthur Woodrow, Tyson Mcdowell
• Inventors: Woodrow, Arthur, McDowell, Tyson
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US15/858,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20180124511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 381119, 381 77, 381 56, 381 711- 7114, 381 941- 949, 381 731, 381 80- 83
• 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 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A closed audio circuit is disclosed for personalized audio experience management and audio clarity enhancement. The closed audio circuit includes a plurality of user equipment (UEs) and an audio signal combiner for a group audio communication session. The UEs and the audio signal combiner form a closed audio circuit allowing a user to target another user to create a private conversation to prevent eavesdropping. The UEs receive user audio input signals and send the audio input signals to the audio signal combiner. The audio signal combiner receives the audio input signals from each UE and transfer desired mixed audio output signals to each of the UE.

Claims

1. A closed audio system for personalized audio experience management and audio clarity enhancement in group audio communication, the closed audio system comprising:

a plurality of user equipment (UEs) with each UE receiving an audio input signal from each corresponding user; and

an audio signal combiner receiving the audio input signals from the plurality of UEs and generating a desired mixed audio output signal for each UE of the plurality of UEs;

wherein the mixed audio output signal for each UE is generated based at least on a selection input from each corresponding user;

wherein after receiving the audio input signals from the plurality of UEs, the audio signal combiner performs an audio clarity check to verify whether the audio input signal from each UE meets a clarity threshold; and

wherein the group audio communication further comprises at least one of;

a group hearing aid system;

a localized virtual conference room;

a geographically dynamic virtual conference room; and

a party line communication.

2. The closed audio system of claim 1, wherein the audio signal combiner includes a communication interface, a processor and a memory;

wherein the communication interface couples to each UE of the plurality of UEs.

3. The closed audio system of claim 1, wherein the UEs are smartphones, tablets, walkie-talkies, headphone sets or a combination thereof.

4. The closed audio system of claim 1, wherein at least one UE of the plurality of UEs apply a preliminary audio clarity enhancement for the audio input signal.

5. The closed audio system of claim 4, wherein the preliminary audio clarity enhancement includes at least one of passive noise cancellation, active noise cancellation, amplitude suppression for selected frequency band and voice amplification.

6. The closed audio system of claim 1, wherein if a particular audio input signal from a particular UE of the plurality of UEs does not meet the clarity threshold, the audio signal combiner isolates the particular audio input signal in real time and performs clarity enhancement for the particular audio input signal.

7. The closed audio system of claim 1, wherein the selection input from each corresponding user include whether the corresponding user wants to include the corresponding user'"'"'s own audio input to be included in the mixed audio output signal.

8. The closed audio system of claim 1, wherein the selection input from each corresponding user includes a list of desired UEs among the plurality of UEs, wherein only the audio input signals from the desired UEs are included for the mixed audio output signal for the corresponding user.

9. A method of group audio communication for personalized audio experience management and audio clarity enhancement, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of audio input signals from a plurality of users via a plurality of user equipment (UEs) with each user corresponding to a UE;

sending the plurality of audio input signals to an audio signal combiner; and

generating by the audio signal combiner a desired mixed audio output signal for each UE of the plurality of UEs;

wherein the mixed audio output signal for each UE is generated based at least on a selection input from each corresponding user;

performing, at the audio signal combiner, an audio clarity check to verify whether the audio input signal from each UE meets a clarity threshold after the audio signal combiner receives the audio input signals from the plurality of UEs; and

wherein the group audio communication further comprises at least one of;

a group hearing aid system;

a localized virtual conference room;

a geographically dynamic virtual conference room; and

a party line communication.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the UEs are smartphones, tablets, walkie-talkies, headphone sets or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises applying a preliminary audio clarity enhancement for at least one audio input signal using a corresponding UE.

12. The method of claim, 11, wherein the preliminary audio clarity enhancement includes at least one of passive noise cancellation, active noise cancellation, amplitude suppression for a selected frequency band and voice amplification.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises if a particular audio input signal from a particular UE does not meet the clarity threshold, the audio signal combiner isolates the particular audio input signal in real time and performs clarity enhancement for the particular audio input signal.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises starting a private conversation among a list of selected users from the plurality of users wherein the audio input signals from those selected users related to the private conversation are not sent to unselected users who are not in the private conversation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the list of selected users within the private conversation is not known to the unselected users who are not in the private conversation.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing computer-executable instructions that are executed by a processor to perform operations for closed audio system for personalized audio experience management and audio clarity enhancement in group audio communication, the operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of audio input signals from a plurality of user equipment (UEs) in a group audio communication;

receiving a plurality of selection inputs from each UE of the plurality of UEs;

generating a plurality of mixed audio output signals; and

sending the plurality mixed audio output signals to the plurality of UEs;

wherein each mixed audio output signal related to a corresponding UE of the plurality of UEs is generated based at least on a selection input from the corresponding UE;

performing an audio clarity check to verify whether the plurality of audio input signals from the plurality of UEs meets a clarity threshold; and

wherein the group audio communication further comprises at least one of;

a group hearing aid system;

a localized virtual conference room;

a geographically dynamic virtual conference room; and

a party line communication.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise if a particular audio input signal from a particular UE does not meet the clarity threshold, isolating the particular audio input signal in real time and performing clarity enhancement for the particular audio input signal.