Method and apparatus for creating a multi-dimensional communication space for use in a binaural audio system

• US 7,876,903 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sauk, Paul L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Ping
• Application Number:
  US11/482,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20080008342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 381/17, 381/18, 381/309, 381/310, 381 19- 23, 381/74
• US Class Current: 381/17
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/002 Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/304 For headphones

Abstract

Method and apparatus for producing, combining, and customizing virtual sound environments. A binaural sound system (400) includes a transceiver (492) configured for receiving a signal (600) containing at least a first type of information and a second type of information. The first type of information includes enunciated data (602). The enunciated data specifies certain information intended to be audibly enunciated to a user. The second type of information comprises first type of metadata (604-1) and a second type of metadata (604-2). The first type of metadata includes information which identifies a characteristic of the enunciated data exclusive of spatial position information. The second type of metadata identifies a spatial position information associated with the enunciated data.

Claims

1. A method for communicating binaural information to a user using a first Binaural Sound System (BSS) of an audio system, said method comprising:

performing user-software operations to cause said first BSS to select at least two virtual audio environments from a plurality of virtual audio environments;

generating, at said first BSS, a combined virtual audio environment based on said two virtual audio environments which were previously selected by said user;

receiving, at said first BSS, first and second signals comprising

first information including enunciated data which specifies certain information intended to be audibly enunciated to said user in different virtual audio environments of said plurality of virtual audio environments, and

second information including at least a first metadata comprising information which identifies a characteristic of said enunciated data exclusive of spatial position information of a source of said enunciated data; and

performing operations at said first BSS to provide said combined virtual audio environment to said user which includes said enunciated data of said first and second signals in accordance with at least one predetermined audio enhancement based on said first metadata of said first and second signals;

wherein said plurality of virtual audio environments are configured to simulate different acoustic environments containing sound from select sound sources, said sound sources of at least one of said different acoustic environments selected to include members of a group of users of second BSSs of said audio system.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting said second information to further include at least a second metadata which indicates a spatial position information of said enunciated data in said respective one of said different virtual audio environments.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising modifying said enunciated data with at least one of a Binaural Room Impulse Response (BRIR) filter and a reverb filter responsive to said second metadata.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising selecting at least one of said BRIR filter and said reverb filter in accordance with a relative spatial distance of said user with respect to a remote location associated with a source of said enunciated data.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting said enunciated data to include at least one of digital voice data and data that specifies a predetermined earcon.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined audio enhancement comprises including said enunciated data in said combined virtual audio environment only if said first metadata indicates that said enunciated data is associated with a particular one of said plurality of virtual audio environments.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising establishing a plurality of user groups, and wherein said predetermined audio enhancement further comprises including said enunciated data in a particular one of said plurality of virtual audio environments only if said enunciated data originated with a member of a predetermined one of said user groups.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined audio enhancement comprises selecting an audio reproduction format based on a source of said enunciated data as specified by said first metadata.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said audio reproduction format is selected from the group consisting of monophonic audio, stereophonic audio, and binaural audio.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising defining a plurality of information relevance levels, and wherein said predetermined audio enhancement comprises selectively applying said audio reproduction format in accordance with a particular relevance level specified by said first metadata.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein a relevance level of enunciated data is determined based on a source of said enunciated data.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting said predetermined audio enhancement to include selectively muting said information intended to be audibly enunciated to said user.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting said enunciated data to include live voice data as generated by a person.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting said enunciated data to specify at least one word which is machine reproduced for a user.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising generating said at least one word using stored audio data responsive to said enunciated data.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting said enunciated data to specify at least one tone which is audibly reproduced for a user.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising automatically generating at least one of said first signal and second signal responsive to a control signal specifying the occurrence of a predetermined condition.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising automatically generating said control signal in response to a sensor disposed within an environment.

19. A binaural sound system for communicating binaural information to a user, comprising:

a receiver configured for receiving at least first and second signals containing at least;

first information comprising enunciated data which specifies certain information intended to be audibly enunciated to said user in different virtual audio environments of a plurality of audio environments, and

second information comprising first metadata and second metadata, said first metadata comprising information which identifies a characteristic of said enunciated data exclusive of spatial position information of a source of said enunciated data, and at least a second metadata which identifies a spatial position information associated with said source of said enunciated data;

an audio processing system responsive to an RF signal, said audio processing system configured for generating a combined virtual audio environment based on at least two virtual audio environments from said plurality of audio environments which were previously selected by said user, and for audibly reproducing said enunciated data of said first and second signals in said combined virtual audio environment and in accordance with at least one predetermined audio enhancement based on said first metadata of said first and second signals;

wherein said plurality of virtual audio environments are configured to simulate different acoustic environments containing sound from select sound sources, said sound sources for at least one of said different acoustic environments selected to include members of a group of users of a plurality of binaural sound systems.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said second information further includes at least a second metadata which indicates a spatial position information of said enunciated data in said respective one of said different virtual audio environments.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said binaural sound system is configured to modify said enunciated data with at least one of a Binaural Room Impulse Response (BRIR) filter and a reverb filter responsive to said second metadata.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said binaural sound system is configured to selectively apply said BRIR filter and said reverb filter in accordance with a relative spatial distance of said user with respect to a remote location associated with a source of said enunciated data.

23. The system according to claim 19, wherein said enunciated data includes at least one of digital voice data and data that specifies a predetermined earcon.

24. The system according to claim 19, wherein said first metadata specifies one of said plurality of virtual audio environments.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein said binaural sound system is configured to include said enunciated data in said combined virtual audio environment only if said first metadata indicates that said enunciated data is associated with a particular one of said plurality of virtual audio environments.

26. The system according to claim 24, wherein said binaural sound system is configured to include said enunciated data in a particular one of said plurality of virtual audio environments only if said first metadata indicates that the enunciated data originated with a member of a predetermined one of a plurality of user groups.

27. The system according to claim 24, wherein said binaural sound system is configured to select an audio reproduction format based on a source of said enunciated data as specified by said first metadata.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein said audio reproduction format is selected from the group consisting of monophonic audio, stereophonic audio, and binaural audio.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said binaural sound system is configured to selectively apply said audio reproduction format in accordance with a particular relevance level specified by said first metadata.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein a relevance level of enunciated data is determined based on a source of said enunciated data.