FREQUENCY-SPECIFIC DETERMINATION OF AUDIO DOSE

• US 20110118859A1
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research in Motion Deutschland GmbH (Blackberry Limited), Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Goerges, Frederik Nicolas, Theimer, Wolfgang Michael, Koenig, Jens, Burghardt, Gunther Heinrich, Edeler, Wolfgang, Von Heimburg, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/00 Two-channel systems H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to media players, such as portable electronic devices, vehicle audio systems, home stereo systems, etc. In particular, it relates to the management of the sound pressure level generated by portable electronic devices. A method and system for controlling the consumed audio dose of a user of a media player is described. The method comprises the steps of selecting a first frequency range from the total frequency range relevant for the human ear; of determining the audio dose already consumed by the user within the first frequency range; of evaluating the audio dose of a media track within the first frequency range and the already consumed audio dose of the user within the first frequency range; and of controlling the audio dose generated by the media player based on the evaluating step.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the consumed audio dose of a user of a media player within a first frequency range from the total frequency range relevant for the human ear, the method comprising:

determining the audio dose already consumed by the user within the first frequency range;

determining the audio dose within the first frequency range of a media track;

evaluating the audio dose of the media track and the already consumed audio dose of the user within the first frequency range; and

controlling the audio dose generated by the media player when playing back the media track based on the evaluating step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling step comprises selecting the media track from a set of media tracks for play back on the media player.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency range is determined by

splitting the total frequency range into N sub-ranges;

wherein N is greater than one; and

selecting one of the N sub-ranges as the first frequency range.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the N sub-ranges correspond to the Bark scale.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the audio dose already consumed by the user within a second frequency range from the total frequency range relevant for the human ear;

determining the audio dose within the second frequency range of the media track; and

separately from the first evaluating step, evaluating the audio dose of the media track and the already consumed audio dose of the user within the second frequency range.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising:

determining the audio dose within the first and second frequency range of a set of media tracks that are available on the media player; and

determining a playlist for playing back media tracks on the media player by selecting a plurality of media tracks from the set of media tracks based on the separate evaluating steps in the first and second frequency range.

7. The method of claim 5, comprising:

weighting the already consumed audio dose within the first and second frequency range by a first weight;

weighting the audio dose of the media track within the first and second frequency range by a second weight;

determining a first weighted sum of the consumed audio dose and the audio dose of the media track in the first frequency range;

wherein the first weighted sum corresponds to the consumed audio dose in the first frequency range including the media track; and

determining a second weighted sum of the consumed audio dose and the audio dose of the media track in the second frequency range;

wherein the second weighted sum corresponds to the consumed audio dose in the second frequency range including the media track.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising

determining the first and second weighted sum for a plurality of media tracks;

and

selecting a media track with a first weighted sum smaller than a first pre-determined value and/or a second weighted sum smaller than a second pre-determined value.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising

updating the audio dose consumed by the user in the first and second frequency range, the updating being based on a separate leaky integration of the previously consumed audio dose and the audio dose of the selected media track in the first and second frequency range.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the consumed audio dose comprises

weighting the consumed audio dose with a weight associated with the time instance at which the audio dose was consumed;

wherein the weight decreases with increasing anteriority of the consumed audio dose.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the audio dose of a media track within a frequency range comprises:

weighting the audio dose of the media tracks within the frequency range using weights associated with human auditory perception.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the audio dose of a media track comprises:

extracting a plurality of segments of the media track using a window function;

determining the audio doses for the plurality of segments of the media track; and

determining the audio dose of the media track as the sum of the audio doses of the plurality of segments of the media track.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising

selecting a media category including a plurality of media tracks that are available for playback on the media player,

wherein the selection of a media track is restricted to media tracks from the selected category.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the media player comprises an equalizer having a first gain associated with the first frequency range and at least one other gain associated with a frequency range outside the first frequency range;

and wherein the controlling step comprises

setting the first gain; and

changing a volume of playback of the media track within the first frequency range using the first gain.

16. A computer program product comprising executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1 when executed on a computer.

15. An electronic device comprising

an audio rendering component operable to generate an audio dose to a user;

a memory operable to store a plurality of media tracks; and

a processor operable to

determine the audio dose already consumed by the user within a first frequency range from the total frequency range relevant for the human ear;

determine the audio dose within the first frequency range of at least one of a set of media tracks;

evaluate the audio dose of the at least one media track and the already consumed audio dose of the user within the first frequency range; and

control the audio dose generated by the media player when playing back the at least one media track based on the evaluating step.