Method and system for audio sharing

• US 10,390,122 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2015
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HED TECHNOLOGIES Sàrl
• Original Assignee: HED TECHNOLOGIES Sàrl
• Inventors: Degraye, Timothy, Huguet, Liliane
• Primary Examiner(s): Elbin, Jesse A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Truong, Kenny H
• Application Number:
  US14/757,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20160241947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/178 by electro-acoustically regenerating the original acoustic waves in anti-phase
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17821 characterised by the analysis of the input signals only
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17837 by retaining part of the ambient acoustic environment, e.g. speech or alarm signals that the user needs to hear
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17854 the filter being an adaptive filter
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17857 Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17873 using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17885 additionally using a desired external signal, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3014 Adaptive noise equalizers [ANE], i.e. where part of the unwanted sound is retained
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3025 Determination of spectrum characteristics, e.g. FFT
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-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 1/326 for microphones H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/01 Noise reduction using microphones having different directional characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/05 Noise reduction with a separate noise microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 : Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308
• 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 3/02 : for preventing acoustic reaction , i.e. acoustic oscillatory feedback specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 : for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 : Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

The present invention provide a method and system of audio sharing aimed to revolutionize the way people listen and share music and to give multiple uses to a wireless headphone referred to as HEDphone. A communication protocol referred to as HEDtech protocol is used in a HED system to allow users to share music amongst a plurality of HEDphones while using a single audio source. A wireless connection is established between the HEDphone and a mobile device including an audio source while simultaneously having the capability of allowing other HEDphone users to join wirelessly and listen to the same audio source. A feature of Super Human Hearing (SHH) goes beyond conventional ANR (ambient noise reduction) with additional features that allow the user to control their aural environment by being able to directionally increase or decrease selective frequencies.

Claims

1. A first headphone system for sharing audio with one or more second headphone systems, the first headphone system comprising:

a first module configured to communicate with a first audio device, the first module further configured to receive first audio data from the first audio device;

a set of one or more first speakers configured to output a first instance of first audio based on the first audio data;

at least one microphone configured to receive first voice data from a user while the set of one or more first speakers is outputting the first instance of first audio;

a second module configured to establish a wireless network to communicate with one or more second headphone systems over one or more unicast communication channels; and

a first processor configured to stream the first audio data from the first audio device over a respective unicast communication channel of the one or more unicast communication channels on the wireless network to each of the one or more second headphone systems, each of the one or more second headphone systems configured to output a respective second instance of the first audio based on the first audio data from the first audio device, the first processor further configured to communicate the first voice data to each of the one or more second headphone systems over the wireless network, each of the one or more second headphone systems configured to generate a respective instance of first voice output based on the first voice data while each of the one or more second headphone systems is outputting the respective second instance of the first audio, the first processor further configured to receive over the wireless network second voice data from at least one of the one or more second headphone systems, the set of one or more first speakers further configured to output an instance of second voice output based on the second voice data while the set of one or more first speakers is outputting the first instance of the first audio.

2. The first headphone system of claim 1 wherein the wireless network is a Wi-Fi network.

3. The first headphone system of claim 1 wherein the wireless network includes a mesh network.

4. The first headphone system of claim 1 wherein the first audio device is a mobile device.

5. The first headphone system of claim 1 wherein the first module is configured to communicate with the first audio device using a Bluetooth protocol.

6. The first headphone system of claim 1 wherein the first module is configured to communicate with the first audio device over a wire.

7. The first headphone system of claim 1 wherein the first audio device sources the first audio data from a music server or service.

8. The first headphone system of claim 1 wherein the first headphone system is configured to receive configuration data from an application, the application providing a graphical user interface for receiving configuration settings from the user.

9. The first headphone system of claim 8 wherein the application is configured to provide a representation, the representation identifying the first headphone system as a host and the one or more second headphone systems as guests.

10. The first headphone system of claim 1 further comprising an array of second microphones, the array of second microphones being arranged to attenuate or amplify audio coming from a selected direction, the second microphones of the array of second microphones being pointed in various directions to achieve a 360°

audio image of an environment around the user.

11. The first headphone system of claim 10 wherein the second microphones are MEMS microphones configured to provide active noise cancelling.

12. The first headphone system of claim 10 further comprising a chassis including a pair of ear cups, the pair of ear cups containing the set of one or more first speakers.

13. The first headphone system of claim 12 wherein one or more batteries are housed in the chassis.

14. The first headphone system of claim 1 further comprising a sensor configured to sense when the first headphone system is removed from the head of the user.

15. The first headphone system of claim 14 wherein the first headphone system is turned off automatically if the sensor senses that the first headphone system has been removed from the head of the user.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the first headphone system is configured to allow a particular second headphone system to override the first headphone system and stream second audio data from a particular second audio device to the first headphone system and to any other of the one or more second headphone systems connected to the wireless network.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the first headphone system is configured to allow the user to switch the first audio device to a different audio device to stream different audio data over the wireless network to each of the one or more second headphone systems connected to the wireless network.

18. A method performed by a first headphone system, the method comprising:

establishing a communication channel with a first audio device;

receiving first audio data from the first audio device;

outputting a first instance of first audio by a set of one or more speakers, the first instance of first audio being based on the first audio data;

receiving by at least one first microphone first voice data from a user while the set of one or more speakers is outputting the first instance of first audio;

establishing one or more unicast communication channels on a wireless network with one or more second headphone systems;

streaming the first audio data over a respective unicast communication channel of the one or more unicast communication channels on the wireless network to each of the one or more second headphone systems for each of the one or more second headphone systems to output a respective second instance of the first audio based on the first audio data from the first audio device;

communicating the first voice data over the wireless network to each of the one or more second headphone systems for each of the one or more second headphone systems to generate a respective instance of first voice output based on the first voice data while each of the one or more second headphone systems is outputting the respective second instance of the first audio;

receiving over the wireless network second voice data from at least one of the one or more second headphone systems; and

outputting an instance of second voice output by the set of one or more speakers while the set of one or more speakers is outputting the first instance of the first audio.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the wireless network is a Wi-Fi network.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the wireless network includes a mesh network.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the first audio device is a mobile device.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising communicating with the first audio device using a Bluetooth protocol.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the first audio device sources the first audio data from a music server or service.

24. The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving configuration data from an application, the application providing a graphical user interface for receiving configuration settings from the user.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising providing a representation by the application, the representation identifying the first headphone system as a host and the one or more second headphone systems as guests.

26. The method of claim 18 further comprising allowing a particular second headphone system to override the first headphone system and stream second audio data from a particular second audio device to the first headphone system and to any other of the one or more second headphone systems connected to the wireless network.

27. The method of claim 18 further comprising switching the first audio device to a different audio device and streaming different audio data over the wireless network to each of the one or more second headphone systems connected to the wireless network.