Audio systems and methods

• US 10,602,321 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2019
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, Brian F., Newham, Adam E., Menendez, Jose, Sauhta, Rohit
• Primary Examiner(s): Blair, Kile O
• Application Number:
  US16/594,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20200037121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 169 Days
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/02 Manually-operated control H03G3/001 and H03G3/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3872 with extendable microphones or earphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/15 : Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 : Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A system for receiving multiple conversations or messages and for playing the multiple conversations or messages with a mobile device and wireless earpieces. The system may determine various presentation parameters based on various characteristics of the received messages and may play the messages such that audio appears at distinguishing locations around the user. The system may change how messages and/or conversations are played in response to recognize a change in the focus of the user based on detected user inputs, such as body movement gestures.

Claims

1. An audio system comprising:

a first wireless earpiece;

a second wireless earpiece; and

a mobile device comprising one or more processors configured to;

wirelessly receive data from the first wireless earpiece;

recognize a user gesture using at least the data received from the first wireless earpiece, wherein the user gesture comprises (i) a contact gesture for contacting at least a portion of the first wireless earpiece, or (ii) a body movement gesture; and

in response to recognizing the user gesture, alter a presentation parameter of audio data played by either the first wireless earpiece or the second wireless earpiece such that presentation parameters of audio data played by the first wireless earpiece differ from presentation parameters of audio data played by the second wireless earpiece;

wherein the audio data played by the first wireless earpiece includes at least a first audio data of a first electronic communication received from a first source device that is different from a second electronic communication received from a second source device and the audio data played by the second wireless earpiece includes at least a second audio data of the second electronic communication.

2. The audio system of claim 1, wherein:

the first wireless earpiece comprises a motion sensor; and

the data received from the first wireless earpiece comprises motion data from the motion sensor.

3. The audio system of claim 1, wherein:

the first wireless earpiece comprises a speaker and a microphone.

4. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to alter a presentation parameter of audio data played by either the first wireless earpiece or the second wireless earpiece by distorting audio data played by either the first wireless earpiece or the second wireless earpiece to create a muffled sound effect.

5. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to alter a presentation parameter of audio data played by either the first wireless earpiece or the second wireless earpiece by changing a volume level of audio data played by either the first wireless earpiece or the second wireless earpiece.

6. A mobile device comprising:

one or more processors configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

wirelessly receiving data from a first wearable device;

recognizing a user gesture using at least the data received from the first wearable device, wherein the user gesture comprises (i) a contact gesture for contacting at least a portion of the first wearable device, or (ii) a body movement gesture; and

in response to recognizing the user gesture, altering a presentation parameter of audio data played by either the first wearable device or a second wearable device such that presentation parameters of audio data played by the first wearable device differ from presentation parameters of audio data played by the second wearable device,

wherein the audio data played by the first wearable device includes at least a first audio data of a first electronic communication received from a first source device that is different from a second electronic communication received from a second source device and the audio data played by the second wearable device includes at least a second audio data of the second electronic communication.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the first wearable device is a wireless earpiece.

8. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein:

the first wearable device comprises a motion sensor; and

the data received from the first wearable device comprises motion data from the motion sensor.

9. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein altering a presentation parameter of audio data played by either the first wearable device or the second wearable device comprises distorting audio data played by either the first wearable device or the second wearable device to create a muffled sound effect.

10. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein altering a presentation parameter of audio data played by either the first wearable device or the second wearable device comprises changing a volume level of audio data played by either the first wearable device or the second wearable device.

11. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

wirelessly receiving data from first wearable device;

recognizing a user gesture using at least the data received from the first wearable device, wherein the user gesture comprises (i) a contact gesture for contacting at least a portion of the first wearable device, or (ii) a body movement gesture; and

in response to recognizing the user, altering a presentation parameter of audio data played by either the first wearable device or a second wearable device such that presentation parameters of audio data played by the first wearable device differ from presentation parameters of audio data played by the second wearable device,

wherein the audio data played by the first wearable device includes at least a first audio data of a first electronic communication received from a first source device that is different from a second electronic communication received from a second source device and the audio data played by the second wearable device includes at least a second audio data of the second electronic communication.

12. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first wearable device is a wireless earpiece.

13. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein:

the first wearable device comprises a motion sensor; and

the data received from the first wearable device comprises motion data from the motion sensor.

14. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein altering a presentation parameter of audio data played by either the first wearable device or the second wearable device comprises distorting audio data played by either the first wearable device or the second wearable device to create a muffled sound effect.

15. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein altering a presentation parameter of audio data played by either the first wearable device or the second wearable device comprises changing a volume level of audio data played by either the first wearable device or the second wearable device.

16. A method comprising:

by a mobile device including one or more processors;

wirelessly receiving data from a first wearable device;

recognizing a user gesture using at least the data received from the first wearable device, wherein the user gesture comprises (i) a contact gesture for contacting at least a portion of the first wearable device, or (ii) a body movement gesture; and

in response to recognizing the user gesture, altering a presentation parameter of audio data played by either the first wearable device or a second wearable device such that presentation parameters of audio data played by the first wearable device differ from presentation parameters of audio data played by the second wearable device,

wherein the audio data played by the first wearable device includes at least a first audio data of a first electronic communication received from a first source device that is different from a second electronic communication received from a second source device and the audio data played by the second wearable device includes at least a second audio data of the second electronic communication.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first wearable device is a wireless earpiece.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the first wearable device comprises a motion sensor; and

the data received from the first wearable device comprises motion data from the motion sensor.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein altering a presentation parameter of audio data played by either the first wearable device or the second wearable device comprises distorting audio data played by either the first wearable device or the second wearable device to create a muffled sound effect.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein altering a presentation parameter of audio data played by either the first wearable device or the second wearable device comprises changing a volume level of audio data played by either the first wearable device or the second wearable device.