DIRECTIONAL AWARENESS AUDIO COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A directional awareness audio communications system comprising:
- a communications device receiver comprising;
a location identification device integrated with or communicatively coupled to the communications device receiver, the location identification device configured to provide receiver location data and receiver orientation data of the communications device receiver;
a location data processor configured to;
receive the receiver location data and the receiver orientation data from the location identification device;
determine whether a transmitter location data signal identifying a remote location of a communications device transmitter has been received;
provide a warning when the transmitter location data signal has not been received; and
compute, when the transmitter location data signal has been received, a directional vector between the communications device transmitter and the communications device receiver based on the transmitter location data signal, the receiver location data, and the receiver orientation data;
an audio processor configured to;
receive a transmitter audio signal from the communications device transmitter; and
operate in an enhanced audio mode when the transmitter location data signal has been received by the location data processor or in a standard audio mode when the transmitter location data signal has not been received by the location data processor,wherein the audio processor is configured to process the transmitter audio signal based on the directional vector to convert the transmitter audio signal to a directionally-enhanced audio signal when operating in the enhanced audio mode,wherein the audio processor is configured to provide one of a standard mono audio signal or a standard stereo signal when operating in the standard audio mode; and
at least one speaker integrated with or communicatively coupled to the communications device receiver, the at least one speaker configured to output the directionally-enhanced audio signal, the standard mono audio signal, or the standard stereo signal provided by the audio processor.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various embodiments include a directional awareness audio communication system and method. The system may include remote speaker/transmitting device(s) and listener/receiving device(s). The speaker/transmitting device(s) may send real-time location information with audio or separate from the audio to the listener/receiving device(s). The listener/receiving device(s) use the speaker/transmitting device(s) location information relative to the listener/receiving device location and orientation to perform audio processing on the transmitted audio signal. The listener/receiving device(s) provide the processed audio signal in stereo (i.e., at least two speakers such as left and right headphones, vehicle speakers, control center speakers, surround sound speakers, etc.) to a user of the listener/receiving device. The listener/receiving device(s) provides a warning and outputs standard audio if the real-time location information of the speaker/transmitting device(s) is unavailable or unreliable. In various embodiments, the listener device provides haptic and/or visual feedback of the speaker device location with respect to the listener device location.
10 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A directional awareness audio communications system comprising:
a communications device receiver comprising; a location identification device integrated with or communicatively coupled to the communications device receiver, the location identification device configured to provide receiver location data and receiver orientation data of the communications device receiver; a location data processor configured to; receive the receiver location data and the receiver orientation data from the location identification device; determine whether a transmitter location data signal identifying a remote location of a communications device transmitter has been received; provide a warning when the transmitter location data signal has not been received; and compute, when the transmitter location data signal has been received, a directional vector between the communications device transmitter and the communications device receiver based on the transmitter location data signal, the receiver location data, and the receiver orientation data; an audio processor configured to; receive a transmitter audio signal from the communications device transmitter; and operate in an enhanced audio mode when the transmitter location data signal has been received by the location data processor or in a standard audio mode when the transmitter location data signal has not been received by the location data processor, wherein the audio processor is configured to process the transmitter audio signal based on the directional vector to convert the transmitter audio signal to a directionally-enhanced audio signal when operating in the enhanced audio mode, wherein the audio processor is configured to provide one of a standard mono audio signal or a standard stereo signal when operating in the standard audio mode; and at least one speaker integrated with or communicatively coupled to the communications device receiver, the at least one speaker configured to output the directionally-enhanced audio signal, the standard mono audio signal, or the standard stereo signal provided by the audio processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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providing, by a location identification device integrated with or communicatively coupled to the communications device receiver, receiver location data and receiver orientation data of the communications device receiver; receiving, by a location data processor of the communications device receiver, the receiver location data and the receiver orientation data from the location identification device; determining, by the location data processor, whether a transmitter location data signal identifying a remote location of a communications device transmitter has been received; providing, by the location data processor, a warning when the transmitter location data signal has not been received; computing, by the location data processor, a directional vector between the communications device transmitter and the communications device receiver based on the transmitter location data signal, the receiver location data, and the receiver orientation data when the transmitter location data signal has been received; receiving, by an audio processor of the communications device receiver, a transmitter audio signal from the communications device transmitter; operating, by the audio processor, in an enhanced audio mode by processing the transmitter audio signal based on the directional vector to convert the transmitter audio signal to a directionally-enhanced audio signal when the transmitter location data signal has been received by the location data processor; operating, by the audio processor, in a standard audio mode by providing one of a standard mono audio signal or a standard stereo signal when the transmitter location data signal has not been received by the location data processor; and outputting, by at least one speaker integrated with or communicatively coupled to the communications device receiver, the directionally-enhanced audio signal, the standard mono audio signal, or the standard stereo signal provided by the audio processor. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A directional awareness audio communications system comprising:
a communications device receiver comprising; a location identification device integrated with or communicatively coupled to the communications device receiver, the location identification device configured to provide receiver orientation data of the communications device receiver; a Radio Direction Finding (RDF) device integrated with or communicatively coupled to the communications device receiver, the RDF device comprising an RDF processor and at least one antenna, the RDF device configured to generate a transmitter location data signal identifying a remote location of a communications device transmitter with respect to the communications device receiver; a location data processor configured to; receive the receiver orientation data from the location identification device; receive the transmitter location data signal from the RDF device; and compute a directional vector between the communications device transmitter and the communications device receiver based on the transmitter location data signal and the receiver orientation data; an audio processor configured to; receive a transmitter audio signal from the communications device transmitter; and process the transmitter audio signal based on the directional vector to convert the transmitter audio signal to a directionally-enhanced audio signal; and a plurality of speakers integrated with or communicatively coupled to the communications device receiver, the plurality of speakers configured to output the directionally-enhanced audio signal provided by the audio processor. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method comprising:
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providing, by a location identification device integrated with or communicatively coupled to a communications device receiver, receiver orientation data of the communications device receiver; generating, by a Radio Direction Finding (RDF) device integrated with or communicatively coupled to the communications device receiver, a transmitter location data signal identifying a remote location of a communications device transmitter with respect to the communications device receiver; receiving, by a location data processor of the communications device receiver, the receiver orientation data from the location identification device; receiving, by the location data processor, the transmitter location data signal from the RDF device; computing, by the location data processor, a directional vector between the communications device transmitter and the communications device receiver based on the transmitter location data signal and the receiver orientation data; receiving, by an audio processor of the communications device receiver, a transmitter audio signal from the communications device transmitter; processing, by the audio processor, the transmitter audio signal based on the directional vector to convert the transmitter audio signal to a directionally-enhanced audio signal; and outputting, by a plurality of speakers integrated with or communicatively coupled to the communications device receiver, the directionally-enhanced audio signal provided by the audio processor. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification