ALTERNATING SAMPLING METHOD FOR NON-ECHO DUPLEX CONVERSATIONS ON A WEARABLE DEVICE WITH MULTIPLE SPEAKERS AND MICROPHONES

• US 20200133332A1
• Filed: 10/23/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Inventors: Patton, Russell Douglas, Rodriguez, II, Jonathan M., Castaneda, Julio Cesar, Thompson, Samuel Bryson
• Granted Patent: US 11,126,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/07 Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A wearable device including a body having fasteners and a frame coupled between two fasteners. The frame includes first and second sections. A first portion of the body including the first section of the frame and one fastener and a second portion of the body including the second section of the frame and the other fastener. A speaker and a microphone are connected to the first portion and another speaker and another microphone are connected to the second portion. The body also includes a processor, memory accessible to the processor, and programming in the memory for configuring the processor to selectively activate the speakers and microphones such that a first speaker emits an output sound signal while a first microphone and a second speaker are deactivated and a second microphone captures an input sound signal during the emission of the output sound signal by the first speaker.

Claims

1. A wearable device comprising:

a body comprising a first fastener, a second fastener, and a frame coupled between the first and second fasteners, the frame having a first section and a second section, the body having a first portion including the first section of the frame and the first fastener and a second portion including the second section of the frame and the second fastener;

a first speaker connected to the first portion of the body;

a second speaker connected to the second portion of the body;

a first microphone connected to the first portion of the body;

a second microphone connected to the second portion of the body;

a processor;

a memory accessible to the processor; and

programming in the memory, wherein execution of the programming by the processor configures the wearable device to perform functions, including functions to;

selectively activate at least one of the first speaker or the second speaker;

selectively activate at least one of the first microphone or the second microphone;

emit a first output sound signal via the activated first speaker while the first microphone and the second speaker are deactivated; and

capture a first input sound signal via the activated second microphone during the emission of the first output sound signal by the activated first speaker.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein execution of the programming by the processor further configures the wearable device to perform functions to:

emit a second output sound signal via the activated second speaker while the second microphone and the first speaker are deactivated;

capture a second input sound signal via the activated first microphone during the emission of the second output sound signal by the activated second speaker; and

alternate between activating the first speaker to emit the first output sound signal and the second microphone to capture the first input sound signal while the first microphone and the second speaker are deactivated, and activating the second speaker to emit the second output sound signal and the first microphone to capture the second input sound signal while the second microphone and the first speaker are deactivated.

3. The wearable device of claim 2, wherein the function to alternate between activating the first speaker to emit the first output sound signal and the second microphone to capture the first input sound signal while the first microphone and the second speaker are deactivated, and activating the second speaker to emit the second output sound signal and the first microphone to capture the second input sound signal while the second microphone and the first speaker are deactivated further comprises:

the first speaker converting a first audio channel into the first output sound signal and the second speaker converting a second audio channel into the second output sound signal, wherein the first output sound signal and the second output sound signal combined create a stereophonic sound signal.

4. The wearable device of claim 3, wherein the function to alternate alternates at a rate faster than 40 cycles per second to simulate stereophonic sound.

5. The wearable device of claim 2, wherein the function to alternate between activating the first speaker to emit the first output sound signal and the second microphone to capture the first input sound signal while the first microphone and the second speaker are deactivated, and activating the second speaker to emit the second output sound signal and the first microphone to capture the second input sound signal while the second microphone and the first speaker are deactivated further comprises:

the first microphone converting the first input audio input signal into a first input sound channel and the second microphone converting the second input audio signal into a second input sound channel, wherein the first input sound channel and the second input sound channel combined create a stereophonic electrical signal.

6. The wearable device of claim 2, wherein execution of the programming by the processor further configures the wearable device to perform functions to:

perform acoustic echo cancellation on the second input sound signal from the first microphone and the first input sound signal from the second microphone, and on the first output sound signal to the first speaker and the second output sound signal to the second speaker.

7. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the wearable device further includes:

a first transducer, wherein the first microphone and the first speaker are co-located in the first transducer.

8. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein:

the wearable device is an eyewear device;

the first fastener is a first temple connected to the first section of the frame on a proximate end of the first fastener; and

the second fastener is a second temple connected to the second section of the frame on a proximate end of the second fastener.

9. The wearable device of claim 8, wherein:

the first section of the frame further comprises;

a first chunk that is integrated into or connected to the first section of the frame;

the first microphone and the first speakers are connected to the first chunk; and

the second section of the frame further comprises;

a second chunk that is integrated into or connected to the second portion of the frame;

the second microphone and the second speaker are connected to the second chunk.

10. The wearable device of claim 8, wherein:

the first speaker is connected to the first temple.

11. The wearable device of claim 10, wherein;

the first microphone is connected to the first temple.

12. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein:

the wearable device is a smartwatch;

the first fastener is a buckle connected to the first section of the frame;

the second fastener is a strap connected to the second section of the frame;

the first microphone and the first speaker are connected to the first fastener; and

the second microphone and the second speaker are connected to the second section of the frame.

13. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein:

the wearable device is a smartwatch;

the first fastener is a first lug and spring bar connected to the first section of the frame;

the second fastener is a second lug and spring bar connected to the second section of the frame;

the first microphone and the first speaker are connected to the first section of the frame; and

the second microphone and the second speaker are connected to the second section of the frame.

14. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein:

the wearable device is a bracelet;

the first fastener is a first clasp connected to the first section of the frame;

the second fastener is a second clasp configured for coupling to the first clasp, the second fastener connected to the second section of the frame;

the first microphone and the first speaker are connected to the clasp; and

the second microphone and the second speaker are connected to the second section of the frame.

15. A method for use with a wearable device including a body including a first fastener, a second fastener, and a frame coupled between the first and second fasteners, the frame having a first section and a second section, the body having a first portion including the first section of the frame and the first fastener and a second portion including the second section of the frame and the second fastener, the wearable device further including a first speaker and a first microphone connected to the first portion of the body and a second speaker and a second microphone connected to the second portion of the body, the method comprising:

selectively activating at least one of the first speaker or the second speaker;

selectively activating at least one of the first microphone or the second microphone;

emitting a first output sound signal via the activated first speaker while the first microphone and the second speaker are deactivated; and

capturing a first input sound signal via the activated second microphone during the emission of the output sound signal by the activated first speaker.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method further includes:

emitting a second output sound signal via the activated second speaker while the second microphone and the first speaker are deactivated;

capturing a second input sound signal via the activated first microphone during the emitting of the second output sound signal by the activated second speaker; and

alternating between activating the first speaker to emit the first output sound signal and the second microphone to capture the first input sound signal while the first microphone and the second speaker are deactivated, and activating the second speaker to emit the second output sound signal and the first microphone to capture the second input sound signal while the second microphone and the first speaker are deactivated.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further includes:

the first speaker converting a first output audio channel into the first output sound signal, and the second speaker converting a second output audio channel into the second output sound signal, wherein the first output sound signal and the second output sound signal combined create a stereophonic sound signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein alternation occurs at a rate faster than 40 cycles per second to simulate stereophonic sound.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further includes:

the first microphone converting the first input audio signal into a first input sound channel, and the second microphone converting the second input audio signal into a second input sound channel, wherein the first input sound channel and the second input sound channel combined create a stereophonic electrical signal.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further includes:

performing acoustic echo cancellation on the second input sound signal from the first microphone and the first input sound signal from the second microphone, and on the first output sound signal to the first speaker and the second output sound signal to the second speaker.