TECHNIQUES FOR PERSONALIZING AUDIO LEVELS

• US 20090304205A1
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation Of America (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hardacker, Robert, Richman, Steven
• Application Number:
  US12/136,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20090304205A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/104
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/301 the gain being continuously variable
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2400/13 Use or details of compression drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

Techniques for personalizing audio levels, in accordance with embodiments of the present technology, provide different audio volumes to different locations in a room allowing for two or more users to enjoy the same audio content at different volumes. Differential level and delay compensation filtering based on a position of each of a plurality of speakers, the location of each user and the preferred relative audio volume of each user are utilized to produce different effective audio levels in localized regions of a room.

Claims

1. A method of personalizing audio levels comprising outputting a localized audio volume proximate each user based upon a location and preferred relative audio volume of each user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein outputting a localized audio volume proximate each user comprises psychoacoustic modulating audio to produce an audio volume proximate each user based upon the location and preferred relative audio volume of each user.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein outputting a localized audio volume proximate each user comprises applying differential level and delay compensation filtering to audio based on a position of each of a plurality of speakers, the location of each user and the preferred relative audio volume of each user.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command to adjust the audio level; and

adjusting the localized audio volume proximate each user based on the location and preferred relative audio volume of each user in response to the command to adjust the audio level.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the command comprises an audio command received from a user.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining the location of each user; and

determining the relative audio volume preference of each user.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining the location of each user comprises:

receiving sound from each user;

determining time delay between the sound received from each user at a plurality of microphones; and

triangulating a position of each user from the time delay between sound received from each user at the plurality of microphones.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining the location of each user comprises:

outputting sound from each of a plurality of speakers;

determining time delay between the sound received from each speaker at a microphone proximate each user; and

triangulating a position of each user from the time delay between sound received from each speaker at the microphone.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining the location of each user comprises:

outputting a radio frequency signal from a transmitter proximate each user;

determining a time delay between the radio frequency signal received at each of a plurality of antennas; and

triangulating a position of each user from the time delay between the radio frequency signal received from the transmitter at each antenna.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining the location of each user comprises:

outputting an infrared signal from a transmitter proximate each user;

determining a time delay between the infrared signal received at each of a plurality of receivers; and

triangulating a position of each user from the time delay between the infrared signal received from the transmitter at each receiver.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining the location of each user comprises:

outputting an tone or sound in the audible sound range or non-audible sound range from a transmitter proximate each user;

determining a time delay between the tone or sound received at each of a plurality of receivers; and

triangulating a position of each user from the time delay between the infrared signal received from the transmitter at each receiver.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining the relative audio volume preference of each user comprises:

determining a preferred audio level of each user; and

determining a difference between the preferred audio level of each user.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining the relative audio volume preference for each user comprises:

determining a preferred audio level for each user for each of a plurality of audio levels; and

determining a difference between the preferred audio level of each user for each of the plurality of audio levels.

14. The method according to claim 6, further comprising storing the location and relative audio volume preference of each user.

15. A method comprising:

accessing mode information including a location and a relative audio volume preference of each user; and

outputting a localized audio volume proximate each user based upon the location and preferred relative audio volume of each user.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein outputting a localized audio volume proximate each user comprises psychoacoustic modulating audio to produce an audio volume proximate each user based upon the location and preferred relative audio volume of each user.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

determining the location of each user; and

determining the relative audio volume preference of each user.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a command to adjust the audio level; and

adjusting the localized audio volume proximate each user based on the location and preferred relative audio volume of each user in response to the command to adjust the audio level.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the relative audio volume preference of each user is fixed for each of a plurality of audio levels.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the relative audio volume preference of each user is specified by a response curve.

21. A system for personalizing audio levels comprising:

a plurality of speakers;

a source of audio; and

a signal processor, communicatively coupled between the source and the plurality of speakers, for receiving the audio and a location and a relative audio volume preference of each user and for causing the plurality of speakers to output a localized audio volume proximate each user based upon the location and preferred relative audio volume of each user.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a remote control for adjusting an audio level of the source; and

the signal processor for adjusting the localized audio volume proximate each user in response to the adjusted audio level of the source.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a microphone for receiving an audible input from a user;

the signal processor implementing voice recognition for converting the audible input to a command to adjust an audio level of the source and for adjusting the localized audio volume proximate each user in response to the audible input from the user.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

an image sensor for receiving a hand gesture from a user;

the processor implementation a gesture recognition for converting the hand gesture of the user to a command to adjust an audio level of the source and for adjusting the localized audio volume proximate each user in response to the audible input from the user

25. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a microphone proximate a user for receiving a sound from each of the plurality of speakers; and

the signal processor for determining the location of each user from a time difference between receipt of the sound from each of the plurality of speakers by the microphone.

26. The system of claim 21, further comprising a logic unit for determining one or more volume levels preferred by a first user and corresponding volume levels preferred by one or more additional users and determining the relative audio volume preference of each user from the difference between corresponding volume levels preferred by the one or more additional users relative to the first user.

27. A system comprising:

a means for determining a location of each of a plurality of users;

a means for determining a relative audio volume preference of each user;

a means for storing the location and relative audio volume preference of each user as one of a plurality of modes; and

a means for outputting the localized audio volume proximate each user based upon a selected one of the plurality of modes.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a means for receiving a command to adjust the audio level; and

a means for adjusting the localized audio volume in response to the command to adjust the audio level.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the relative audio volume preference of each user is fixed for each of a plurality of audio levels.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the relative audio volume preference of each user is specified by a response curve.