System and method for communication between mobile devices using digital/acoustic techniques
First Claim
1. A peer-to-peer method of acoustically and bi-directionally communicating information between a first portable device and a second, the method comprising:
- encoding first information in a signal that, when converted into first acoustic energy at an acoustic transducer of the first portable device, is characterized in that the first acoustic energy is discernable to a human ear yet the encoding of the first information therein is not perceivable by the human apart from the first acoustic energy itself;
transmitting the first acoustic energy from the acoustic transducer of the first portable device toward the second portable device across an air gap that constitutes a substantially entirety of the distance therebetween; and
receiving at the acoustic transducer of the first portable device second acoustic energy, the second acoustic energy being from the second portable device, wherein the second acoustic energy is also characterized in that the second acoustic energy is itself discernable to a human ear yet an encoding of second information therein is not perceivable by the human.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques have been developed for transmitting and receiving information conveyed through the air from one portable device to another as a generally unperceivable coding within an otherwise recognizable acoustic signal. For example, in some embodiments in accordance with the present invention(s), information is acoustically communicated from a first handheld device toward a second by encoding the information in a signal that, when converted into acoustic energy at an acoustic transducer of the first handheld device, is characterized in that the acoustic energy is discernable to a human ear yet the encoding of the information therein is generally not perceivable by the human. The acoustic energy is transmitted from the acoustic transducer of the first handheld device toward the second handheld device across an air gap that constitutes a substantially entirety of the distance between the devices. Acoustic energy received at the second handheld device may then be processed using signal processing techniques tailored to detection of the particular information encodings employed.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A peer-to-peer method of acoustically and bi-directionally communicating information between a first portable device and a second, the method comprising:
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encoding first information in a signal that, when converted into first acoustic energy at an acoustic transducer of the first portable device, is characterized in that the first acoustic energy is discernable to a human ear yet the encoding of the first information therein is not perceivable by the human apart from the first acoustic energy itself; transmitting the first acoustic energy from the acoustic transducer of the first portable device toward the second portable device across an air gap that constitutes a substantially entirety of the distance therebetween; and receiving at the acoustic transducer of the first portable device second acoustic energy, the second acoustic energy being from the second portable device, wherein the second acoustic energy is also characterized in that the second acoustic energy is itself discernable to a human ear yet an encoding of second information therein is not perceivable by the human. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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2. A method of acoustically communicating information from a first portable device toward a second, the method comprising:
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encoding the information in a signal that, when converted into acoustic energy at an acoustic transducer of the first portable device, is characterized in that the acoustic energy is discernable to a human ear yet the encoding of the information therein is not perceivable by the human apart from the acoustic energy itself; and transmitting the acoustic energy from the acoustic transducer of the first portable device toward the second portable device across an air gap that constitutes a substantially entirety of the distance therebetween, wherein the information encoded in the acoustic transmission conveys one of character and state for a physical object simulated at the first portable device. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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27. A method of receiving acoustically communicated information from a first portable device, the method comprising:
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receiving acoustic energy at an acoustic transducer of a second portable device, the received acoustic energy transmitted from the first portable device across an air gap that constitutes a substantially entirety of the distance between the first and second portable devices, wherein the received acoustic energy is characterized in that the acoustic energy is itself discernable to a human ear yet an encoding of information therein is not perceivable by the human; sampling a signal transduced from the received acoustic energy; and processing the sampled signal at the second portable device to extract the information encoded therein, wherein the information encoded in the received acoustic energy conveys one of character and state for a physical object simulated at the first portable device. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 32)
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30. A portable device comprising:
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one or more acoustic transducers capable of converting a first signal into outgoing acoustic energy and capable of converting into a second signal incoming acoustic energy received from across an air gap that constitutes a substantially entirety of the distance between the portable device and a second portable device; a transmit path that encodes in the first signal, first information destined for one or more remote receivers, wherein the first signal is characterized in that outgoing acoustic energy converted therefrom is discernable to a human ear yet the encoding of the first information therein is not perceivable by the human apart from the acoustic energy itself; and a receive path that extracts second information from the second signal transduced from the incoming acoustic energy, wherein the incoming acoustic energy is discernable to the human ear yet the second information encoded therein is not perceivable by the human apart from the acoustic energy itself. - View Dependent Claims (31, 41)
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34. A method of receiving acoustically communicated information from a first portable device, the method comprising:
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receiving acoustic energy at an acoustic transducer of a second portable device, the received acoustic energy transmitted from the first portable device across an air gap that constitutes a substantially entirety of the distance between the first and second portable devices, wherein the received acoustic energy is characterized in that the acoustic energy is itself discernable to a human ear yet an encoding of information therein is not perceivable by the human; sampling a signal transduced from the received acoustic energy; and processing the sampled signal at the second portable device to extract the information encoded therein, wherein the received acoustic energy presents to the human ear a sound having a generally recognizable physical analog, and wherein the received acoustic energy includes the encoded information at least partially as a sinusoid not employed in a synthesis of the sound corresponding to the generally recognizable physical analog, but nonetheless detectable at the second portable device.
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40. A portable device comprising:
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one or more acoustic transducers capable of converting a first signal into outgoing acoustic energy and capable of converting into a second signal incoming acoustic energy received from across an air gap that constitutes a substantially entirety of the distance between the portable device and a second portable device; a transmit path that encodes in the first signal, first information destined for one or more remote receivers, wherein the first signal is characterized in that outgoing acoustic energy converted therefrom is discernable to a human ear yet the encoding of the first information therein is not perceivable by the human apart from the acoustic energy itself; and a receive path that extracts second information from the second signal transduced from the incoming acoustic energy, wherein the incoming acoustic energy is discernable to the human ear yet the second information encoded therein is not perceivable by the human apart from the acoustic energy itself, wherein the information encoded in either or both of the outgoing and incoming acoustic energy conveys one of character and state for a physical object simulated at the first portable device.
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42. A method of acoustically communicating information from a first portable device toward a second, the method comprising:
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encoding the information in a signal that, when converted into acoustic energy at an acoustic transducer of the first portable device, is characterized in that the acoustic energy is discernable to a human ear yet the encoding of the information therein is not perceivable by the human apart from the acoustic energy itself; transmitting the acoustic energy from the acoustic transducer of the first portable device toward the second portable device across an air gap that constitutes a substantially entirety of the distance therebetween; and at the first portable device, synthesizing the acoustic energy to present to the human ear a sound having a generally recognizable physical analog, wherein the acoustic energy includes at least one or more selected from the group consisting of; (i) the encoded information at least partially as a sinusoid not employed in the synthesis of sound corresponding to the generally recognizable physical analog, but detectable at the second portable device, (ii) the encoded information at least partially as one or more of frequency, phase and amplitude modulation of a sinusoid employed in the synthesis of sound corresponding to the generally recognizable physical analog, (iii) the encoded information at least partially as a selection plural non-harmonic overtones thereof, (iv) the encoded information at least partially as frequency, phase and amplitude modulation of plural non-harmonic overtones thereof, (v) harmonics of one or more fundamental frequencies associated with the generally recognizable physical analog, wherein the encoded information is represented at least partially as a frequency, phase and amplitude perturbation of at least one of the harmonics, (vi) noise, wherein the encoded information is represented at least partially as a structure imparted to the noise, and (vii) a plurality of constituents presented in phase in a stereo field together with an additional constituent that is out of phase with the plurality of constituents, wherein the encoded information is represented at least partially using the out-of-phase constituent.
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43. A method of receiving acoustically communicated information from a first portable device, the method comprising:
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receiving acoustic energy at an acoustic transducer of a second portable device, the received acoustic energy transmitted from the first portable device across an air gap that constitutes a substantially entirety of the distance between the first and second portable devices, wherein the received acoustic energy is characterized in that the acoustic energy is itself discernable to a human ear yet an encoding of information therein is not perceivable by the human; sampling a signal transduced from the received acoustic energy; and processing the sampled signal at the second portable device to extract the information encoded therein, wherein the received acoustic energy presents to the human ear a sound having a generally recognizable physical analog, wherein the received acoustic energy includes at least one or more selected from the group consisting of; (i) the encoded information at least partially as one or more of frequency, phase and amplitude modulation of a sinusoid employed in a synthesis of sound corresponding to the generally recognizable physical analog, (ii) the encoded information at least partially as a selection plural non-harmonic overtones thereof, (iii) the encoded information at least partially as frequency, phase and amplitude modulation of plural non-harmonic overtones thereof, (iv) harmonics of one or more fundamental frequencies associated with the generally recognizable physical analog, wherein the encoded information is represented at least partially as a frequency, phase and amplitude perturbation of at least one of the harmonics, and (v) a plurality of constituents presented in phase in a stereo field together with an additional constituent that is out of phase with the plurality of constituents, wherein the encoded information is represented at least partially using the out-of-phase constituent.
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Specification