AUDIO-SHARING NETWORK
First Claim
1. An electronic device comprising:
- a microphone configured to obtain ambient audio and produce a digital ambient audio signal representative of the ambient audio, wherein at least some of the ambient audio is also detectable by a microphone of another electronic device that is a member of an audio-sharing network;
a network interface configured to connect to the audio-sharing network via a local wireless network and to provide the digital ambient audio signal to the audio-sharing network; and
data processing circuitry configured to control when the microphone obtains the ambient audio and when the network interface provides the digital ambient audio signal to the audio-sharing network.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems, methods, and devices for sharing ambient audio via an audio-sharing network are provided. By way of example, a system that receives shared audio from such an audio-sharing network may include a personal electronic device. The personal electronic device may join an audio-sharing network of other electronic devices and receive several audio streams from the audio-sharing network. Based at least partly on these audio streams, the personal electronic device may determine a digital user-personalized audio stream, outputting the digital user-personalized audio stream to a personal listening device. By way of example, the personal electronic device may represent a personal computer, a portable media player, or a portable phone. The personal listening device may represent a speaker of the personal electronic device, a wireless hearing aid, a wireless cochlear implant, a wired hearing aid, a wireless headset, or a wired headset, to name only a few examples.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An electronic device comprising:
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a microphone configured to obtain ambient audio and produce a digital ambient audio signal representative of the ambient audio, wherein at least some of the ambient audio is also detectable by a microphone of another electronic device that is a member of an audio-sharing network; a network interface configured to connect to the audio-sharing network via a local wireless network and to provide the digital ambient audio signal to the audio-sharing network; and data processing circuitry configured to control when the microphone obtains the ambient audio and when the network interface provides the digital ambient audio signal to the audio-sharing network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system comprising:
a personal electronic device configured to join an audio-sharing network, to receive a plurality of digital audio streams from the audio-sharing network, to determine a digital user-personalized audio stream based at least in part on at least a subset of the plurality of digital audio streams, and to output the digital user-personalized audio stream. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An electronic device comprising:
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a microphone configured to obtain ambient audio and produce a digital ambient audio signal representative of the ambient audio; data processing circuitry configured to determine location identifying data that indicates whether the electronic device is expected to be within range of detecting sounds also detectable by one or more other electronic devices that share audio obtained by the one or more of the other electronic devices; and a network interface configured to connect to the one or more of the other electronic devices, provide the location identifying data, and share the digital ambient audio signal with the other electronic devices when the location identifying data indicates that the electronic device is expected to be within range of detecting the sounds also detectable by the one or more other electronic devices. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An article of manufacture comprising:
one or more tangible, machine-readable storage media having instructions encoded thereon for execution by a processor of an electronic device, the instructions comprising; instructions to receive communication from another electronic device via a network interface of the electronic device, wherein the communication comprises a request to join an audio-sharing network of which the electronic device is a member; instructions to cause a microphone of the electronic device to obtain a first digital sample of ambient audio; instructions to receive a second digital sample of ambient audio from the other electronic device via the network interface of the electronic device, wherein the second digital sample of ambient audio comprises ambient audio detected by another microphone associated with the other electronic device; instructions to compare the first digital sample of ambient audio to the second digital sample of ambient audio; and instructions to permit the other electronic device to join the audio-sharing network when sounds from the first digital sample of ambient audio substantially match sounds from the second digital sample of ambient audio.
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29. A method comprising:
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receiving a plurality of digital audio streams into an electronic device from an audio-sharing network of personal electronic devices, wherein each of the plurality of digital audio streams includes sound deriving from a common audio source and wherein each of the personal electronic devices has a different distance from the common audio source; and processing the plurality of digital audio streams into audio that compensates for spatial differences between the personal electronic devices and the common audio source.
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Specification