Selective audio/sound aspects

• US 20080130908A1
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Cohen, Alexander J., Mangione-Smith, William Henry, Tegreene, Clarence T., Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D., Wood, Lowell L.
• Application Number:
  US11/634,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20080130908A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/71.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/14 Measuring mean amplitude; Measuring mean power; Measuring time integral of power
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/24 Control dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/34 Muting amplifier when no signal is present or when only weak signals are present, or caused by the presence of noise signals, e.g. squelch systems
• 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

Abstract

Certain aspects relate to providing an at least one audio source to at least one user. Certain aspects relate to selectively modifying an at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user, wherein the at least one first sound source is combined with an at least one second sound source, and wherein the selectively modifying is performed relative to the at least one audio source based at least in part on at least some specific information of the at least one first sound source. Other aspects relate to selectively modifying the at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user relative to the at least one second sound source based at least in part on at least some specific information of the at least one first sound source.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an at least one audio source to at least one user; and

selectively modifying an at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user, wherein the at least one first sound source is combined with an at least one second sound source, and wherein the selectively modifying is performed relative to the at least one audio source based at least in part on at least some specific information of the at least one first sound source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively modifying an at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user, wherein the at least one first sound source is combined with an at least one second sound source, and wherein the selectively modifying is performed relative to the at least one audio source based at least in part on at least some specific information of the at least one first sound source further comprises:

selectively modifying the at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user, wherein the at least one first sound source is combined with the at least one second sound source, and wherein the selectively modifying is performed relative to the at least one second sound source and the at least one audio source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively modifying an at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user, wherein the at least one first sound source is combined with an at least one second sound source, and wherein the selectively modifying is performed relative to the at least one audio source based at least in part on at least some specific information of the at least one first sound source further comprises:

selectively reducing the at least one audio source relative to the at least one first sound source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively modifying an at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user, wherein the at least one first sound source is combined with an at least one second sound source, and wherein the selectively modifying is performed relative to the at least one audio source based at least in part on at least some specific information of the at least one first sound source further comprises:

selectively stopping the at least one audio source relative to the at least one first sound source.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively modifying an at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user, wherein the at least one first sound source is combined with an at least one second sound source, and wherein the selectively modifying is performed relative to the at least one audio source based at least in part on at least some specific information of the at least one first sound source further comprises:

selectively filtering the at least one audio source relative to the at least one first sound source.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively modifying an at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user, wherein the at least one first sound source is combined with an at least one second sound source, and wherein the selectively modifying is performed relative to the at least one audio source based at least in part on at least some specific information of the at least one first sound source further comprises:

selectively relatively maintaining the at least one first sound source as the at least one audio source is reduced, diminished, or cut.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing a volume of the at least one audio source at least partially in response to at least some outside classes of sound.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first sound source at least partially includes a noise.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first sound source at least partially includes a recorded or synthesized audio.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first sound source at least partially includes a voice.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second sound source at least partially includes an ambient sound.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second sound source at least partially includes a recorded or synthesized audio.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second sound source at least partially includes a voice.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one audio source is presented over a headphone.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one audio source is presented over a speaker system.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one audio source is presented over an audio system.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least some specific information includes at least some specific frequency information, specific spectral content information, or specific recognition-based information.

18. A method comprising:

providing an at least one audio source to at least one user; and

selectively modifying an at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user, wherein the at least one first sound source is combined with an at least one second sound source, and wherein the selectively modifying is performed relative to the at least one second sound source based at least in part on at least some specific information of the at least one first sound source.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the selectively modifying an at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user, wherein the at least one first sound source is combined with an at least one second sound source, and wherein the selectively modifying is performed relative to the at least one second sound source based at least in part on at least some specific information of the at least one first sound source further comprises:

selectively reducing the at least one second sound source relative to the at least one first sound source.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the selectively modifying an at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user, wherein the at least one first sound source is combined with an at least one second sound source, and wherein the selectively modifying is performed relative to the at least one second sound source based at least in part on at least some specific information of the at least one first sound source further comprises:

selectively stopping the at least one second sound source relative to the at least one first sound source.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the selectively modifying an at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user, wherein the at least one first sound source is combined with an at least one second sound source, and wherein the selectively modifying is performed relative to the at least one second sound source based at least in part on at least some specific information of the at least one first sound source further comprises:

selectively filtering the at least one second sound source relative to the at least one first sound source.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the selectively modifying an at least one first sound source to be provided to the at least one user, wherein the at least one first sound source is combined with an at least one second sound source, and wherein the selectively modifying is performed relative to the at least one second sound source based at least in part on at least some specific information of the at least one first sound source further comprises:

selectively maintaining the at least one first sound source as the at least one second sound source is diminished or stopped.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising reducing a volume of the at least one audio source at least partially in response to at least some outside classes of sound.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one first sound source at least partially includes a noise.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one first sound source at least partially includes a recorded or synthesized audio.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one first sound source at least partially includes a voice.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one second sound source at least partially includes an ambient sound.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one second sound source at least partially includes a recorded or synthesized audio.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one second sound source at least partially includes a voice.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one audio source is presented over a headphone.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one audio source is presented over a speaker system.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one audio source is presented over a music system.

33. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least some specific information includes at least some specific frequency information, specific spectral content information, or specific recognition-based information.

34. A system comprising:

an at least one audio source usable to provide audio to an individual; and

an at least one first sound source whose output is configured to be combined with an at least one second sound source, wherein the at least one first sound source is modified based at least in part on at least some specific spectrum of information of the at least one first sound source relative to the at least one second sound source.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one first sound source is amplified based at least in part on the at least some specific spectrum of information.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one first sound source is sustained based at least in part on the at least some specific spectrum of information relative to the at least one second sound source.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least some specific spectrum of information of the at least one first sound source includes at least some specific frequencies of the at least one first sound source.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least some specific spectrum of information of the at least one first sound source includes at least some specific spectral content of the at least one first sound source.

39. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least some specific spectrum of information of the at least one first sound source includes at least some specific recognition-based content of the at least one first sound source.

40. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one first sound source is modified based at least in part on increasing the at least one first sound source.

41. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one first sound source is modified based at least in part on filtering the at least one second sound source relative to the at least one first sound source.

42. A system comprising:

an at least one audio source usable to provide audio to an individual; and

an at least one first sound source whose output is configured to be combined with an at least one second sound source, wherein the at least one first sound source is modified based at least in part on at least some specific spectrum of information of the at least one first sound source relative to the at least one audio source.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the at least one first sound source is amplified based at least in part on the at least some specific spectrum of information.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the at least one first sound source is sustained based at least in part on the at least some specific spectrum of information relative to the at least one audio source.

45. The system of claim 42, wherein the at least some specific spectrum of information of the at least one first sound source includes at least some specific frequencies of the at least one first sound source.

46. The system of claim 42, wherein the at least some specific spectrum of information of the at least one first sound source includes at least some specific spectral content of the at least one first sound source.

47. The system of claim 42, wherein the at least some specific spectrum of information of the at least one first sound source includes at least some specific recognition-based content of the at least one first sound source.

48. The system of claim 42, wherein the at least one first sound source is modified based at least in part on increasing the at least one first sound source.

49. The system of claim 42, wherein the at least one first sound source is modified based at least in part on filtering the at least one audio source relative to the at least one first sound source.