Device and method of modifying an audio output of the device

• US 10,368,182 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2018
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Direct Cursus Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Yandex Europe AG (Yandex N.V.)
• Inventors: Gurkin, Roman Vladimirovich, Kruglov, Konstantin Igorievich
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US16/022,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20190200153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/24 Structural combinations of separate transducers or of two parts of the same transducer and responsive respectively to two or more frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/01 Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/008 in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone

Abstract

A method of selectively modifying an initial audio output of a device that has at least two speakers is provided. The method comprises detecting a volume level of the initial audio output; comparing the volume level to a threshold; based on the comparison, controlling reproduction of the initial audio output by a selective execution of: (i) responsive to the volume level being inferior to the threshold, transmitting an identical audio signal to each one of the speakers for reproducing a modified audio output being of a mono audio output type; and (ii) responsive to the volume level being superior to the threshold, transmitting respective audio signals to the speakers for reproducing the modified audio output, the respective audio signals being different from one another and where the modified audio output is of a stereo audio output type.

Claims

1. A method of selectively modifying an initial audio output of a device, the device comprising at least two speakers communicatively coupled to a processor, the method comprising:

detecting, by the processor, a volume level of the initial audio output reproducible by the at least two speakers;

comparing, by the processor, the volume level to a volume level threshold;

based on the comparison of the volume level to the volume level threshold, controlling, by the processor, reproduction of the initial audio output by the at least two speakers by a selective execution of;

responsive to the volume level being inferior to the volume level threshold, transmitting, by the processor, an identical audio signal to each one of the at least two speakers for reproducing a modified audio output, the modified audio output being of a mono audio output type; and

responsive to the volume level being superior to the volume level threshold, transmitting, by the processor, respective audio signals to the at least two speakers for reproducing the modified audio output, the respective audio signals being different from one another, the modified audio output being of a stereo audio output type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial audio output is of the mono audio output type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial audio output is of the stereo audio output type.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the volume level of the initial audio output comprises analyzing at least one audio signal transmitted to the at least two speakers for reproducing the initial audio output.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a microphone communicatively coupled to the processor, and wherein

based on the comparison of the volume level to the volume level threshold and responsive to the volume level being superior to the volume level threshold, the method further comprises muting, by the processor, the microphone.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein muting the microphone comprises executing, by the processor, software muting of the microphone.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein muting the microphone further comprises executing, by the processor, hardware muting of the microphone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified audio output reproducible by the at least two speakers being of the stereo audio output type has a broader range of audio frequencies than the modified audio output reproducible by the at least two speakers being of the mono audio output type.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the volume level threshold is predetermined based on at least a volume level of speech of an operator of the device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises providing to an operator of the device a visual indication of a type of the modified audio output.

11. A device comprising:

a speaker chassis having a top, a bottom and sidewalls, the sidewalls including two opposite sidewalls each having an aperture;

at least two speakers, each of the two speakers inserted into a respective aperture of opposite sidewalls such that each one of the at least two speakers is facing outwardly from the speaker chassis; and

a processor connected to the speaker chassis and being communicatively coupled to;

the at least two speakers; and

the processor configured to;

transmit at least one audio signal to the at least two speakers for reproducing an initial audio output by the at least two speakers;

detect a volume level of the initial audio output;

compare the volume level to a volume level threshold; and

based on a comparison of a volume level of the initial audio output to the volume level threshold, control the reproduction of the initial audio output by selectively transmitting;

responsive to the volume level being inferior to the volume level threshold, an identical audio signal to each one of the at least two speakers for reproducing a modified audio output, the modified audio output being of a mono audio output type; and

responsive to the volume level being superior to the volume level threshold, respective audio signals to the at least two speakers for reproducing the modified audio output, the respective audio signals being different from one another, the modified audio output being of a stereo audio output type.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the device further comprises a top assembly connected to the top of the speaker chassis and communicatively coupled to the processor, the top assembly configured to receive indications of haptic interactions of an operator with the top assembly.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the top assembly comprises a microphone communicatively coupled to the processor, and wherein based on the comparison of the volume level to the volume level threshold and responsive to the volume level being superior to the volume level threshold, the processor is further configured to mute the microphone.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein to mute the microphone, the processor is configured to execute software muting of the microphone.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein to mute the microphone, the processor is configured to execute hardware muting of the microphone.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the modified audio output reproducible by the at least two speakers being of the stereo audio output type has a broader range of audio frequencies than the modified audio output reproducible by the at least two speakers being of the mono audio output type.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the volume level threshold is predetermined based on at least an audible volume level of speech of an operator of the device by the microphone.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the top assembly further provides to the operator of the device a visual indication of a type of the modified audio output.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the device further comprises a low-frequency speaker connected to the bottom of the speaker chassis such that the low-frequency speaker is facing downwardly from the speaker chassis, and wherein the processor is communicatively coupled to the low-frequency speaker.