Wireless communications devices with three dimensional audio systems

• US 8,098,856 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 1, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hjort, Staffan Fredrik, Carlsson, Olof Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Leshui
• Application Number:
  US11/472,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20070297625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,035 Days
• Field of Search: 381/300, 381/307, 381/309, 381/311, 381/320, 381/17, 381/18, 381/1, 381/2, 381/74, 381/306, 381/87, 381/332, 381/334, 381/386, 381/388, 345/419, 345/156, 715/716, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/567, 455/566, 700/94
• US Class Current: 381/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

Mobile terminals having three dimensional audio capabilities for making sound appear to originate from any location within a three dimensional space and to facilitate navigational movement among displayed information are provided. A mobile terminal includes a housing that encloses a processor and one or more speakers. A display is located on the housing that is in communication with the processor, and a keypad is located on the housing that is in communication with the processor and that is responsive to user input for navigating a cursor within the display. The mobile terminal includes a three dimensional audio system that is in communication with the processor and speaker(s). The three dimensional audio system audibly indicates navigational movement of the cursor in the display, and is configured to make sound emitted by the speaker(s) appear to originate from any of a plurality of locations in a virtual three dimensional space.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing that encloses a processor and a speaker;

a display located on the housing, wherein the display is in communication with the processor;

a keypad located on the housing, wherein the keypad is in communication with the processor, and wherein the keypad is responsive to user input for navigating a cursor within the display; and

a three dimensional audio system in communication with the processor and the speaker, wherein the three dimensional audio system audibly indicates navigational movement of the cursor within the display via the speaker by variations in one or more of time delay, pitch, tone and volume, such that the three dimensional audio system is configured to make sound emitted by the speaker appear to originate from any of a plurality of locations in a cursor virtual three dimensional space, and such that the three dimensional audio system is configured to make the sound emitted by the speaker appear to originate from wherever the cursor is located on the display.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to make a user of the electronic device appear to be positioned at a generally central location in the virtual three dimensional space.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured to play music, and wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to make the music appear to originate from multiple locations in the virtual three dimensional space.

4. A radiotelephone, comprising:

a housing that encloses a processor and a speaker;

a display located on the housing, wherein the display is in communication with the processor;

a keypad located on the housing, wherein the keypad is in communication with the processor, and wherein the keypad is responsive to user input for navigating a cursor within the display; and

a three dimensional audio system in communication with the processor and the speaker, wherein the three dimensional audio system audibly indicates navigational movement of the cursor within the display via the speaker by variations in one or more of time delay, pitch, tone and volume, such that the three dimensional audio system is configured to make sound emitted by the speaker appear to originate from any of a plurality of locations in a cursor virtual three dimensional space, and such that the three dimensional audio system is configured to make the sound emitted by the speaker appear to originate from wherever the cursor is located on the display, and wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to make a user of the radiotelephone appear to be positioned at a generally central location in the cursor virtual three dimensional space.

5. The radiotelephone of claim 4, wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to make the sound emitted by the speaker appear to originate from a two dimensional matrix located in front of the user in response to movement of the cursor within the display by the user.

6. The radiotelephone of claim 4, wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to make a ringtone appear to originate from any location in the virtual three dimensional space in response to the radiotelephone receiving an incoming call signal.

7. The radiotelephone of claim 4, wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to make a ringtone appear to originate from a location in the virtual three dimensional space that is in front of the user in response to the radiotelephone receiving an incoming call signal.

8. The radiotelephone of claim 4, wherein the radiotelephone is configured to play music, and wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to make the music appear to originate from multiple locations in the virtual three dimensional space.

9. The radiotelephone of claim 8, wherein, in response to the radiotelephone receiving an incoming call signal, the three dimensional audio system is configured to make the music that is playing appear to originate from a location in the virtual three dimensional space that is behind the user and to make a ringtone appear to originate from another location in the virtual three dimensional space that is in front of the user.

10. The radiotelephone of claim 4, wherein the radiotelephone comprises a plurality of speakers, and wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to variably time delay sound signals provided to the speakers to vary location of a perceived source of a combined sound emitted from the speakers.

11. The radiotelephone of claim 4, wherein the radiotelephone comprises a plurality of speakers, and wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to vary volume and/or tonal characteristics of sound signals provided to the speakers to vary location of a perceived source of a combined sound emitted from the speakers.

12. The radiotelephone of claim 4, further comprising a hands free headset in wireless communication with the processor and the three dimensional audio system, wherein the headset comprises an earplug that is configured to be inserted into the ear of the user, wherein the earplug comprises one or more speakers, wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to emit sound via the one or more earplug speakers, and wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to make the user of the radiotelephone appear to be positioned at a generally central location in the virtual three dimensional space and to make the sound emitted via the one or more earplug speakers appear to originate from any location in the virtual three dimensional space.

13. A radiotelephone, comprising:

a housing that encloses a processor and a speaker;

a touch-sensitive display located on the housing that is configured to sense the position of an object in contact therewith and to transmit a corresponding signal to the processor, and wherein the display is responsive to user input for navigating a cursor therewithin; and

a three dimensional audio system in communication with the processor and speaker, wherein the three dimensional audio system audibly indicates navigational movement of the cursor via the speaker by variations in one or more of time delay, pitch, tone and volume, such that the three dimensional audio system is configured to make sound emitted by the speaker appear to originate from any of a plurality of locations in a cursor virtual three dimensional space, and such that the three dimensional audio system is configured to make the sound emitted by the speaker appear to originate from wherever the cursor is located on the display, and wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to make a user of the radiotelephone appear to be positioned at a generally central location in the cursor virtual three dimensional space.

14. The radiotelephone of claim 13, wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to make the sound emitted by the speaker appear to originate from a two dimensional matrix located in front of the user in response to movement of the cursor within the display by the user.

15. The radiotelephone of claim 13, wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to make a ringtone appear to originate from any location in the virtual three dimensional space in response to the radiotelephone receiving an incoming call signal.

16. The radiotelephone of claim 13, wherein the radiotelephone is configured to play music, and wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to make music appear to originate from multiple locations in the virtual three dimensional space.

17. The radiotelephone of claim 16, wherein, in response to the radiotelephone receiving an incoming call signal, the three dimensional audio system is configured to make music that is playing appear to originate from a location in the virtual three dimensional space that is behind the user and to make a ringtone appear to originate from a location in the virtual three dimensional space that is in front of the user.

18. The radiotelephone of claim 13, further comprising a hands free headset in wireless communication with the processor and the three dimensional audio system, wherein the headset comprises an earplug that is configured to be inserted into the ear of the user, wherein the earplug comprises one or more speakers, wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to emit sound via the one or more earplug speakers, and wherein the three dimensional audio system is configured to make the user of the radiotelephone appear to be positioned at a generally central location in the virtual three dimensional space and to make the sound emitted via the one or more earplug speakers appear to originate from any location in the virtual three dimensional space.