Use of voice-to-remaining audio (VRA) in consumer applications

• US 20050232445A1
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mind Fusion, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hearing Enhancement Company, LLC
• Inventors: Saunders, William R., Vaudrey, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/109
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00992 Circuits for stereophonic or quadraphonic recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10592 specifically adapted for recording or reproducing multichannel signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/89 using three or more audio channels, e.g. triphonic or quadraphonic
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence
• 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 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 2400/11 Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field H04S2420/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/002 Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field

Abstract

Systems provide an audio/visual output to each of a plurality of listeners in a manner that permits individualized audio adjustment, wherein audio comprises a first signal that is substantially voice and a second signal that is substantially other than voice. The systems may include a video device, a storage medium, and a transmitter that transmits the first and second signals to a plurality of personal listening devices. Each of the plurality of personal listening devices may include first and second receivers, first and second adjustment devices, an audio signal combining device, and one or more transducers, wherein the systems permit each of the plurality of listeners to adjust the first and second signals independently of other ones of the plurality of listeners in an audience.

Claims

1. A system that provides an audio/visual output to each of a plurality of listeners in a manner that permits individualized audio volume adjustment for the plurality of listeners located in an audience, comprising:

a video device that displays the video portion of the audio/visual output to plurality of listeners located in the audience;

one or more elements of a storage medium that stores the video portion of the audio/visual output and the corresponding audio portion of the audio/visual output, wherein the audio portion comprises a first audio signal being substantially a voice signal and a second audio signal including substantially audio content other than the voice signal;

a transmitter that transmits the first and second audio signals from the one or more elements of the storage medium in synchronization with the transmission of the video portion of the audio/visual output, to a plurality of personal listening devices, wherein each of the plurality of personal listening devices is associated with each of the plurality of listeners in the audience, each of the personal listening devices comprising;

a first receiver that receives the first transmitted audio signal;

a second receiver that receives the second transmitted audio signal;

a first adjustment device that adjusts the first audio signal to provide a first adjusted audio signal based on inputs from the user;

a second adjustment device that adjusts the second audio signal to provide a second adjusted audio signal based on inputs from the user;

an audio signal combining device that combines the first adjusted audio signal with the corresponding second adjusted audio signal, to produce a combined audio signal; and

one or more transducers that receives the combined audio signal, converts the combined audio signal to sounds, and outputs the sounds so they may be heard by each of the plurality of listeners associated with each of the plurality of personal listening devices in the audience;

wherein the system permits each of the plurality of listeners to adjust the first and second audio signals independently of other ones of the plurality of listeners in the audience.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is a stereo signal, the stereo signal having left and right spatial information channels.

3. An airline in-flight entertainment system that outputs a motion picture to each of a plurality of listeners in a manner that permits individualized audio volume adjustment for the plurality of listeners located in an audience of the airline in-flight entertainment environment, comprising:

a first receiver that receives an encoded video portion of the motion picture, a corresponding encoded audio portion of the motion picture, an encoded first audio signal being substantially a vocal signal and having one or more channels of spatial information, and an encoded second audio signal including substantially audio content other than the audio content of the first audio signal and having one or more channels of spatial information;

a decoder that decodes the encoded video portion of the motion picture, the corresponding encoded audio portion of the motion picture, the encoded first audio signal, and the encoded second audio signal;

a video device that displays the decoded video portion of the motion picture to the audience;

a transmitter that transmits the decoded first and second audio signals from the decoder in synchronization with a transmission of the decoded video portion and the corresponding audio portion of the motion picture, to a plurality of personal listening devices, wherein each of the plurality of personal listening devices is associated with each of the plurality of listeners in the theatre audience, each of the personal listening devices comprising;

a second receiver that receives the first transmitted audio signal;

a third receiver that receives the second transmitted audio signal;

a first adjustment device that adjusts the first audio signal based on inputs from the user;

a second adjustment device that adjusts the second audio signal based on inputs from the user;

an audio signal combining device that combines the first audio signal'"'"'s spatial information channels with corresponding spatial information channels of the second audio signal, to produce a combined audio signal; and

one or more transducers that receives the combined audio signal, converts the combined audio signal to sounds, and outputs the sounds so they may be heard by each of the plurality of listeners associated with each of the plurality of personal listening devices in the audience;

wherein the system permits each of the plurality of listeners to adjust the first and second audio signals independently of other ones of the plurality of listeners in the audience.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first and second receivers connect to one or more portions of an airline seat.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is a stereo signal, the stereo signal having left and right spatial information channels.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is a surround signal, the surround signal having spatial information channels that include left, center, right, and one or more surround channels.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is a multiple channel surround signal, the multiple channel surround signal having spatial information channels including left, left center, center, right center, right, and one or more surround channels.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the first receiver receives a first digital bit stream that includes the first audio signal and the second receiver receives a second digital bit stream that includes the second audio signal, the system further comprising:

a second decoder that decodes the first digital bit stream; and

a third decoder that decodes the second digital bit stream.

9. The system of claim 3, further comprising a processor that computes the ratio of the volume of the first audio signal to the volume second audio signal, wherein at least one of the first adjustment device, the second adjustment device, and the audio signal combining device automatically adjusts for and maintains the ratio of the first audio signal volume to the second audio signal volume.

10. A computer, comprising:

the system of claim 9, wherein the first and second adjustment devices are operated using at least one of computer software and hardware.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the second audio signal includes at least a portion of the first audio signal.

12. A home theatre system that outputs a motion picture to each of a plurality of listeners in a manner that permits individualized audio volume adjustment for the plurality of listeners located in an audience of the home theatre environment, comprising:

a first receiver that receives an encoded video portion of the motion picture, a corresponding encoded audio portion of the motion picture, an encoded first audio signal being substantially a vocal signal and having one or more channels of spatial information, and an encoded second audio signal including substantially audio content other than the audio content of the first audio signal and having one or more channels of spatial information;

a decoder that decodes the encoded video portion of the motion picture, the corresponding encoded audio portion of the motion picture, the encoded first audio signal, and the encoded second audio signal;

a video device that displays the decoded video portion of the motion picture to the audience;

a transmitter that transmits the decoded first and second audio signals from the decoder in synchronization with a transmission of the decoded video portion and the corresponding audio portion of the motion picture, to a plurality of personal listening devices, wherein each of the plurality of personal listening devices is associated with each of the plurality of listeners in the theatre audience, each of the personal listening devices comprising;

a second receiver that receives the first transmitted audio signal;

a third receiver that receives the second transmitted audio signal;

a first adjustment device that adjusts the first audio signal based on inputs from the user;

a second adjustment device that adjusts the second audio signal based on inputs from the user;

an audio signal combining device that combines the first audio signal'"'"'s spatial information channels with corresponding spatial information channels of the second audio signal, to produce a combined audio signal; and

one or more transducers that receives the combined audio signal, converts the combined audio signal to sounds, and outputs the sounds so they may be heard by each of the plurality of listeners associated with each of the plurality of personal listening devices in the audience;

wherein the system permits each of the plurality of listeners to adjust the first and second audio signals independently of other ones of the plurality of listeners in the audience.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second receivers connect to one or more portions of a chair.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is a stereo signal, the stereo signal having left and right spatial information channels.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is a surround signal, the surround signal having spatial information channels that include left, center, right, and one or more surround channels.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is a multiple channel surround signal, the multiple channel surround signal having spatial information channels including left, left center, center, right center, right, and one or more surround channels.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the first receiver receives a first digital bit stream that includes the first audio signal and the second receiver receives a second digital bit stream that includes the second audio signal, the system further comprising:

a second decoder that decodes the first digital bit stream; and

a third decoder that decodes the second digital bit stream.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a processor that computes the ratio of the volume of the first audio signal to the volume second audio signal, wherein at least one of the first adjustment device, the second adjustment device, and the audio signal combining device automatically adjusts for and maintains the ratio of the first audio signal volume to the second audio signal volume.

19. A computer, comprising:

the system of claim 18, wherein the first and second adjustment devices are operated using at least one of computer software and hardware.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the second audio signal includes at least a portion of the first audio signal.