Method and apparatus for wireless audio delivery

• US 20040208325A1
• Filed: 04/15/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IpVenture, Inc.
• Inventors: Tong, Peter P., Thomas, C. Douglass, Cheung, Kwok Wai
• Application Number:
  US10/826,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20040208325A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/61 for local area broadcast, e.g. instore broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/19 Arrangements of transmitters, receivers, or complete sets to prevent eavesdropping, to attenuate local noise or to prevent undesired transmission; Mouthpieces or receivers specially adapted therefor circuit arrangements for preventing eavesdropping H04M1/68; telephone cabinets E04H1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/605 involving control of the receiver volume to provide a dual operational mode at close or far distance from the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/023 Transducers incorporated in garment, rucksacks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/401 2D or 3D arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2217/03 Parametric transducers where sound is generated or captured by the acoustic demodulation of amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/405 by combining a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• 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: H04S 1/00 Two-channel systems H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/00 Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence

Abstract

Techniques for providing wireless delivery of audio sounds from audio systems to personal audio devices are disclosed. These techniques can permit users of the personal audio device to be mobile yet still acquire the audio sounds. These techniques can also optionally provide customization (or personalization) of the audio sounds to the user'"'"'s hearing and/or modification of the audio sounds in view of environmental conditions. According to one aspect of the invention, audio output from an audio system or a personal audio device can be delivered in a directionally constrained manner. According to another aspect of the invention, a wireless adapter can serve as an after market modification to an audio system.

Claims

1. A system for enhancing an audio system, the audio system delivers audio output to an audio output terminal, said system comprising:

a wireless transmitter that connects to the audio output terminal and wirelessly transmits the audio output provided by the audio system; and

a personal audio device usable by a user to hear the audio output, said personal audio device including at least;

a wireless receiver capable of receiving the audio output transmitted by said wireless transmitter;

a data store for storing user information;

a controller operatively connected to said data store and said wireless receiver, said controller operates to produce customized audio output by modifying the audio output received by said wireless receiver based on the user information; and

a speaker operatively connected to said controller, said speaker produces an audio sound output in accordance with the customized audio output.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said speaker is a directional speaker.

3. A system as recited in claim 2, wherein said controller produces ultrasonic drive signals based on the customized audio output and supplies the ultrasonic drive signals to said directional speaker for output of the audio sound output in a directionally constrained manner.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user information comprises a user hearing profile.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user information comprises at least one user preference.

6. A system as recited in claim 1,

wherein said personal audio device further obtains environmental information pertaining to the vicinity of said personal audio device, and

wherein the customized audio output produced by said controller is dependent on the environmental information.

7. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the environmental information includes at least a noise level, and wherein the output volume of the audio sound is dependent on the noise level.

8. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein said personal audio device further comprises:

at least one environmental sensor that acquires the environmental information.

9. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the environmental information is determined based on a position of said personal audio device or the user.

10. A system for enhancing an audio system, the audio system delivers audio output to an audio output terminal, said system comprising:

a wireless transmission apparatus that connects to the audio output terminal to receive audio output from the audio system and wirelessly transmits a customized audio output, said wireless transmission apparatus including at least;

a data store for storing user information; and

a first controller operatively connected to said data store, said first controller operates to produce the customized audio output by modifying the audio output received by said wireless transmission apparatus based on the user information; and

a personal audio device usable by a user to hear the customized audio output, said personal audio device including at least;

a wireless receiver capable of receiving the customized audio output transmitted by said wireless transmission apparatus;

a second controller operatively connected to said wireless receiver to receive the customized audio output that has been received, said second controller further converts the customized audio output into audio output signals; and

a speaker operatively connected to said second controller, said speaker produces an audio sound output in accordance with the audio output signals.

11. A system as recited in claim 10, wherein said speaker is a directional speaker.

12. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the audio output signals produced by said second controller are ultrasonic drive signals based on the customized audio output, and the ultrasonic drive signals are supplied to said directional speaker for output of the audio sound output in a directionally constrained manner.

13. A system as recited in claim 10, wherein the user information comprises a user hearing profile.

14. A system as recited in claim 10, wherein the user information comprises at least one user preference.

15. A system as recited in claim 10,

wherein said personal audio device further obtains environmental information pertaining to the vicinity of said personal audio device, and

wherein the customized audio output produced by said first controller is dependent on the environmental information.

16. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein said personal audio device further comprises:

at least one environmental sensor that acquires the environmental information.

17. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein the environmental information is wirelessly transmitted to said first controller.