DATA PROCESSING FOR A WEARABLE APPARATUS

• US 20110144779A1
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bergere, Julien Laurent, Demanet, Vincent, Janse, Cornellis Pietre
• Application Number:
  US12/293,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20110144779A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10009 Improvement or modification of read or write signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/05 Detection of connection of loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

A device (120) for processing data for a wearable apparatus (100, 110), the device (120) comprising an input unit (122) adapted to receive input data, means (124, 116, 117) for generating information, referred to as wearing information (WI), which is based on sensor information and indicates a state, referred to as wearing state, in which the wearable apparatus (100) is worn, and a processing unit (121) adapted to process the input data on the basis of the wearing information (WI), thereby generating output data.

Claims

1. A device (120) for processing data for a wearable apparatus (100, 110), the device (120) comprising

an input unit (122) adapted to receive input data;

means (124) for generating information, referred to as wearing information (WI), which is based on sensor information and indicates a state, referred to as wearing state, in which the wearable apparatus (100) is worn; and

a processing unit (121) adapted to process the input data on the basis of said wearing information (WI), thereby generating output data.

2. The device (120) according to claim 1,

wherein the input unit (122) is adapted to receive at least one of the group consisting of audio data, acoustic data, speech data, music data, video data, image data, haptic data, tactile data, and vibration data as the input data.

3. The device (120) according to claim 1,

comprising an output unit adapted to provide the generated output data.

4. The device (120) according to claim 3,

wherein the output unit is adapted as a reproduction unit (114, 115) for reproducing the generated output data.

5. The device (120) according to claim 1,

wherein the means (124) for generating wearing information are adapted to generate at least one component of wearing information of the group consisting of how many ears a human user uses with the wearable apparatus (100, 110), which body part or parts a human user uses with the wearable apparatus (100), and whether an ear cup (112, 113) of the wearable apparatus (100) is removed from the user'"'"'s head.

6. The device (120) according to claim 1,

wherein the means (124) for generating wearing information are adapted to receive sensor information from a detection unit (116, 117) adapted to automatically detect the wearing state of the wearable apparatus (100).

7. The device (120) according to claim 1,

wherein the means (124) for generating wearing information are adapted to receive sensor information from a detection unit (116, 117) adapted to detect the wearing information which is indicative of a user-controlled wearing state of the wearable apparatus (100, 110).

8. The device (120) according to claim 1,

wherein the processing unit (121) is adapted to generate the output data as stereo data when detecting that a human user uses both ears with the wearable device (100, 110), to generate the output data as mono data when detecting that a human user uses only one ear with the wearable device (100, 110), and to generate no output data when detecting that a human user uses no ear with the wearable device (100, 110).

9. The device (120) according to claim 1,

wherein the processing unit (121) is adapted to generate the output data as multiple channel data when detecting that a human user uses at least a predetermined number of ears with the wearable device (100, 110), the multiple channel data including at least three channels.

10. The device (120) according to claim 1,

wherein the processing unit (121) is adapted to generate the output data as an audio mix of the input data on the basis of detecting the number of ears the user uses with the wearable device (100).

11. The device (120) according to claim 1,

wherein the input unit (301) is adapted to receive audio signals (u1, u2), particularly speech signals, wherein a correlation between the audio signals (u1, u2) serves as a basis for generating the wearing information (WI).

12. The device (120) according to claim 11,

comprising two or more microphones (303, 304) arranged symmetrically with respect to an audio source, which microphones are adapted to supply the audio signals (u1, u2) emitted by the audio source.

13. The device (600, 700) according to claim 11,

wherein the means (601) for generating wearing information are adapted to generate the wearing information (WI) on the basis of an impulse response analysis of the received audio signals (u1, u2).

14. The device (600, 700) according to claim 13,

wherein the impulse response analysis of the received audio signals (u1, u2) is based on an output signal of at least one adaptive filter unit (401) applied to the audio signals (u1, u2).

15. The device (600, 700) according to claim 11,

wherein the processing unit (301) comprises a beam-forming unit (301a) adapted to provide beam-forming data based on the received audio signals (u1, u2).

16. The device (600, 700) according to claim 15,

wherein the beam-forming data supply is dependent on the wearing information (WI).

17. A wearable apparatus (100),

comprising a device (120) for processing data according to claim 1.

18. The wearable apparatus (100) according to claim 17,

realized as a portable device.

19. The wearable apparatus (100) according to claim 17,

realized as at least one of the group consisting of a GSM device, headphones, DJ headphones, earphones, a headset, an earpiece, an earset, a body-worn actuator, a gaming device, a portable audio player, a DVD player, a CD player, a hard disk-based media player, an Internet radio device, a public entertainment device, an MP3 player, a hi-fi system, a vehicle entertainment device, a car entertainment device, a portable video player, a mobile phone, a medical communication system, a body-worn device, a wellness device, a massage device, a speech communication device, and a hearing aid device.

20. A method of processing data for a wearable apparatus (100), the method comprising the steps of:

receiving input data;

generating information, referred to as wearing information (WI), which is based on sensor information and indicates a state, referred to as wearing state, in which the wearable apparatus (100, 110) is worn; and

processing the input data on the basis of said wearing information (WI), thereby generating output data.

21. A program element, which, when being executed by a processor (121), is adapted to control or carry out a method of processing data for a wearable apparatus (100), the method comprising the steps of:

receiving input data;

generating information, referred to as wearing information (WI), which is based on sensor information and indicates a state, referred to as wearing state, in which the wearable apparatus (100) is worn; and

processing the input data on the basis of said wearing information (WI), thereby generating output data.

22. A computer-readable medium, in which a computer program is stored which, when being executed by a processor (121), is adapted to control or carry out a method of processing data for a wearable apparatus (100), the method comprising the steps of:

receiving input data;

generating information, referred to as wearing information (WI), which is based on sensor information and indicates a state, referred to as wearing state, in which the wearable apparatus (100) is worn; and

processing the input data on the basis of said wearing information (WI), thereby generating output data.