AUDIO HEADSET SYSTEM AND APPARATUS

• US 20140073429A1
• Filed: 09/12/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Performance Designed Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Performance Designed Products LLC
• Inventors: Block, Gerard Lambert, Terrell, Scott Michael, Roberts, Thomas John, MENESES, ANTONIO
• Granted Patent: US 9,358,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/004 For headphones

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the technology described herein, a audio headset system is provided, comprising: a speaker; a signal processor configured to process source audio received from an audio source, to produce processed audio from the source audio, and to output the processed audio to the speaker; and a control unit configured to control operation of the signal processor according to an audio profile, wherein the audio profile causes the signal processor to selectively mix, delay, phase shift, and equalize the source audio, thereby producing processed audio.

Claims

1. A audio headset system, comprising:

a speaker;

a signal processor configured to process source audio received from an audio source, to produce processed audio from the source audio, and to output the processed audio to the speaker; and

a control unit configured to control operation of the signal processor according to an audio profile, wherein the audio profile causes the signal processor to selectively mix, delay, phase shift, and equalize the source audio, thereby producing processed audio.

2. The audio headset system of claim 1, wherein the audio source is a gaming console.

3. The audio headset system of claim 1, wherein selectively mixing, delaying, phase shifting, and equalizing, comprises:

equalizing a frequency response characteristic of a band in the source audio according to the audio profile, thereby producing a first equalized audio;

filtering and mixing the first equalized audio according to the audio profile, thereby producing a first mixed audio;

delaying and phase shifting the first mixed audio according to the audio profile, thereby producing a first delay shifted audio;

equalizing a second frequency response characteristic of a second band in the first delay shifted audio according to the audio profile, thereby producing a second equalized audio;

mixing the second equalized audio, thereby producing a second mixed audio;

equalizing a third frequency response characteristic of a third band in the second mixed audio, thereby a third equalized audio; and

mixing the third equalized audio, thereby producing the processed audio.

4. The audio headset system of claim 1, wherein the audio source is a game console and the audio headset system is configured to connect to be entirely powered by the gaming console.

5. The audio headset system of claim 1, wherein the audio profile corresponds to a specific game title or a specific game type, and comprises settings that cause the signal processor to enhance audio during game play.

6. The audio headset system of claim 1, wherein the audio profile causes the signal processor to provide three-dimensional audio through the processed audio.

7. The audio headset system of claim 1, wherein the source audio comprises a plurality of audio channels and the processed audio comprises a left processed audio channel and a right processed audio channel.

8. The audio headset system of claim 1, wherein the speaker includes a left speaker and a right speaker, and the processed audio comprises a left processed audio channel to be outputted to the left speaker, and a right processed audio channel to be outputted to the right speaker.

9. The audio headset system of claim 1, further comprises a computer readable medium, wherein the control unit is further configured to receive the audio profile from a computing device and store the audio profile on the computer readable medium.

10. The audio headset system of claim 9, wherein the control unit is further configured to transmit the audio profile from the computer readable medium to the computing device.

11. The audio headset system of claim 1, further comprising a microphone.

12. The audio headset system of claim 11, wherein the signal processor is further configured to relay microphone audio from the microphone to a game console.

13. The audio headset system of claim 12, wherein the audio headset system is configured to connect to a game controller that is in communication with the gaming console, and wherein the control unit is further configured to detect when the audio headset system is connected to the game controller, and instruct the signal processor to relay microphone audio from the microphone to the game console via the game controller.

14. The audio headset system of claim 11, wherein the signal processor is further configured to process microphone audio from the microphone before relaying the microphone audio to a game console.

15. The audio headset system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is further configured to relay chat audio from the game console to the speaker.

16. The audio headset system of claim 14, wherein the audio headset system is configured to connect to a game controller that is in communication with the gaming console, and wherein the control unit is further configured to detect when the audio headset system is connected to the game controller, and instruct the signal processor to mix chat audio with processed audio before the processed audio is output to the speaker.

17. The audio headset system of claim 1, further comprising an input component configured to allow a user to select from a plurality of audio profiles or adjust a current audio profile.

18. The audio headset system of claim 1, further comprising an input component configured to allow a user to enable or disable application of the audio profile.

19. The audio headset system of claim 1, further an auxiliary audio input configured to receive a secondary source audio and output the secondary source audio to the speaker as unprocessed audio.

20. The audio headset system of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display operational parameters of the audio headset system.

21. The audio headset system of claim 1, further comprising a headset, the headset comprising the speaker, the signal processor and the control unit.

22. The audio headset system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is a first signal processor and the audio headset system further comprises a second signal processor configured to receive digital audio from the audio source, decode the digital audio to analog audio, and output the analog audio to the first signal processor as source audio.

23. The audio headset system of claim 22, further comprising a headset and a receiver unit connected to the headset, wherein the headset comprises the speaker, the first signal processor and the control unit, and the receiver unit comprises the second signal processor.

24. The audio headset system of claim 22, wherein the control unit is further configured to control operation of the second signal processor.

25. The audio headset system of claim 22, wherein the receiver unit further comprises a second control unit that is configured to control operation of the second signal processor.

26. A gaming audio headset, comprising:

a speaker;

a microphone,

a signal processor configured to process source audio received from a game console, to produce processed audio from the source audio, to output the processed audio to the speaker, relay microphone audio from the microphone to the game console, and to mix chat audio from the game console into the processed audio before it is outputted to the speaker; and

a control unit configured to control operation of the signal processor according to an audio profile, wherein the audio profile causes the signal processor to selectively mix, delay, phase shift, and equalize the source audio, thereby producing processed audio.

27. A method, comprising:

selecting an audio profile configured to cause a signal processor to selectively mix, delay, phase shift, and equalize;

receiving, at the signal processor, audio from an audio source;

processing the audio by the signal processor according to the audio profile, thereby producing processed audio; and

providing the processed audio for audio output.