Location aware directed audio
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a directed audio system having an array of speakers within a ceiling of a physical region;
a network interface communicatively coupled with a network; and
a controller to receive, via the network interface, an estimate for a location corresponding to a user from a locating device communicatively associated with the user that is coupled with the network; and
the controller coupled with the array of speakers to cause the directed audio system to direct an audio signal by selectively enabling and disabling selected speakers to transmit ultrasonic beams carrying audible content from the array of speakers to provide the audio content to a vertical proximity corresponding to the user and not to other locations within the physical region based on an estimate for the location received from the locating device, wherein one or more of the speakers changes an angle of an ultrasonic beam based on the location of the user, and further wherein the controller manages multiple users by muting or lowering an audio level when two or more users approach each other within a conversational distance.
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Abstract
A directed audio system, a network interface communicatively coupled with a network, and a controller to receive, via the network interface, an estimate for a location from a locating device communicatively coupled with the network, and to cause the directed audio system to direct an audio signal based at least in part on an estimate for the location received from the locating device.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a directed audio system having an array of speakers within a ceiling of a physical region; a network interface communicatively coupled with a network; and a controller to receive, via the network interface, an estimate for a location corresponding to a user from a locating device communicatively associated with the user that is coupled with the network; and the controller coupled with the array of speakers to cause the directed audio system to direct an audio signal by selectively enabling and disabling selected speakers to transmit ultrasonic beams carrying audible content from the array of speakers to provide the audio content to a vertical proximity corresponding to the user and not to other locations within the physical region based on an estimate for the location received from the locating device, wherein one or more of the speakers changes an angle of an ultrasonic beam based on the location of the user, and further wherein the controller manages multiple users by muting or lowering an audio level when two or more users approach each other within a conversational distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method comprising:
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receiving a location estimate from a locating device at a location corresponding to a user; automatically directing an audio signal of a directed audio system having an array of speakers in a ceiling of a physical region based on the location estimate by selectively enabling and disabling selected speakers from the array of speakers to provide audio the location corresponding to the user and not to other locations within the physical region, wherein one or more of the speakers changes an angle of an ultrasonic beam based on the location of the user; and managing multiple users by muting or lowering an audio level when two or more users approach each other within a conversational distance. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification