Method of modifying audio content

• US 7,756,281 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staton Techiya, LLC
• Original Assignee: Personics Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Goldstein, Steven W., Keady, John Patrick, Usher, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin; Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Monikang; George C
• Application Number:
  US11/751,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20070270988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 381 17- 19, 381/309, 381/74, 381/77, 381/104, 381/106, 381/107, 381/109
• US Class Current: 381/309
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/01 Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD]

Abstract

At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a method of generating a Personalized Audio Content (PAC) comprising: selecting Audio Content (AC) to personalize; selecting an Earprint; and generating a PAC using the Earprint to modify the AC.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a region of high quality audio content comprising:

selecting a digitized Audio Content (AC) to analyze from a stored database, where a user selects the AC by at least one of a graphic user interface (GUI) and a tactile interface;

generating at least one digitized quality characteristic function (QCF) each having a related quality threshold value (QTV);

generating a related binary quality characteristic function (BQCF) for each of the at least one QCF using the related QTV, where the BQCF is expressed digitally in Os and 1s and saved in computer readable medium;

applying a related digitized weight value to each related BQCF to generate a related weighted QCF (WQCF), where the values of the WQCF vary from 0.0 to 1.0; and

summing all of the WQCF generating a single quality characteristic function (SQCF);

selecting a weighted audition window (WAW);

moving the WAW along the SQCF in increments of time, wherein the region of the SQCF inside the WAW is summed to generate a weighted summed value associated with the WAW position along the SQCF, where the position is the location of the start of the WAW, wherein a multiple of weighted summed values and their associated positions define a weighted start function (WSF); and

selecting the position of the maximum weighted summed value as the start position.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the QTV is used to define a bandwidth, QTV+DQTV and QTV−

DQTV, within which the threshold value is satisfied.

3. The method according to claim 1, where the GUI interface is a graphic user interface displayed on a screen operatively connected to a communication system.

4. The method according to claim 1, where the tactile interface is at least one of a button, rotation dial, and mouse control operatively connected to a communication system.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

generating an audio signal using the SQCF, where the audio signal is configured to be sent to a receiver.

6. A method of selecting a region of high quality audio content comprising:

selecting a digitized Audio Content (AC) to analyze from a stored database, where a user selects the AC by at least one of a graphic user interface (GUI) and a tactile interface;

generating at least one digitized quality characteristic function (QCF) each having a related quality threshold value (QTV);

generating a related binary quality characteristic function (BQCF) for each of the at least one QCF using the related QTV, where the BQCF is expressed digitally in 0s and 1s and saved in computer readable memory;

applying a related weight value to each related BQCF to generate a related digitized weighted QCF (WQCF), where the values of the WQCF vary from 0.0 to 1.0;

summing all of the WQCF generating a digitized single quality characteristic function (SQCF);

selecting a weighted audition window (WAW);

moving the WAW along the SQCF in increments of time, wherein the region of the SQCF inside the WAW is summed to generate a weighted summed value associated with the WAW position along the SQCF, where the position is the location of the start of the WAW, wherein a multiple of weighted summed values and their associated positions define a weighted start function (WSF); and

selecting the position of the maximum weighted summed value as the start position.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a portion of the AC the size of the WAW is selected from the AC starting from the start position.

8. The method according to claim 6, where the GUI interface is a graphic user interface displayed on a screen operatively connected to a communication system.

9. The method according to claim 6, where the tactile interface is at least one of a button, rotation dial, and mouse control operatively connected to a communication system.

10. The method according to claim 6 further comprising:

generating an audio signal using the SQCF, where the audio signal is configured to be sent to a receiver.

11. A method of selecting a region of high quality audio content comprising:

selecting Audio Content (AC) to analyze from a stored database, where a user selects the AC by at least one of a graphic user interface (GUI) and a tactile interface;

generating at least one digitized quality characteristic function (QCF) each having a related quality threshold value (QTV);

generating a related binary quality characteristic function (BQCF) for each of the at least one QCF using the related QTV, where the BQCF is expressed digitally in 0s and 1s and saved in computer readable memory;

applying a related weight value to each related BQCF to generate a related digitized weighted QCF (WQCF), where the values of the WQCF vary from 0.0 to 1.0;

summing all of the WQCF generating a digitized single quality characteristic function (SQCF);

selecting a weighted audition window (WAW);

moving the WAW along the SQCF in increments of time, wherein the region of the SQCF inside the WAW is used to obtain a root mean squared value associated with the WAW position along the SQCF, where the position is the location of the start of the WAW, wherein a multiple of root mean squared values and their associated positions define a weighted start function (WSF); and

selecting the position of the maximum root mean squared value as the start position.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein a portion of the AC the size of the WAW is selected from the AC starting from the start position.

13. The method according to claim 11, where the GUI interface is a graphic user interface displayed on a screen operatively connected to a communication system.

14. The method according to claim 11, where the tactile interface is at least one of a button, rotation dial, and mouse control operatively connected to a communication system.

15. The method according to claim 11 further comprising:

generating an audio signal using the SQCF, where the audio signal is configured to be sent to a receiver.

16. A method of selecting a region of high quality audio content comprising:

selecting Audio Content (AC) to analyze from a stored database, where a user selects the AC by at least one of a graphic user interface (GUI) and a tactile interface;

generating at least one digitized quality characteristic function (QCF) each having a related quality threshold value (QTV);

generating a related binary quality characteristic function (BQCF) for each of the at least one QCF using the related QTV, where the BQCF is expressed digitally in 0s and 1s and saved in computer readable memory;

applying a related weight value to each related BQCF to generate a related digitized weighted QCF (WQCF), where the values of the WQCF vary from 0.0 to 1.0; and

summing all of the WQCF generating a digitized single quality characteristic function (SQCF), wherein the step of generating at least one QCF includes;

moving a window along the AC, measuring the bit rate with the window, and applying the value of the bit rate to a position associated with the window, and using the bit rates and the associated positions to generate a QCF where the x-axis is position and the y-axis is bit rate value at that the position.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the position is the position on the AC associated with the midpoint of the window.

18. The method according to claim 16, where the GUI interface is a graphic user interface displayed on a screen operatively connected to a communication system.

19. The method according to claim 16, where the tactile interface is at least one of a button, rotation dial, and mouse control operatively connected to a communication system.

20. The method according to claim 16 further comprising:

generating an audio signal using the SQCF, where the audio signal is configured to be sent to a receiver.