Parametric array for a head-mountable device

• US 8,750,541 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Dong, Jianchun, Kim, Eliot, Heinrich, Mitchell J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US13/665,469
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 381182-186, 381/310
• US Class Current: 381/182
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2217/03 Parametric transducers where sound is generated or captured by the acoustic demodulation of amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

An apparatus includes a head-mountable support structure, a transducer array coupled to the support structure, and a processor configured to control the transducer array to radiate ultrasonic waves toward an ear of a user of the head-mountable support structure. The ultrasonic waves are audible.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a head-mountable support structure;

a transducer array coupled to the support structure;

a processor configured to control the transducer array to radiate ultrasonic waves toward an ear of a user of the head-mountable support structure, wherein the processor is further configured to control the transducer array to radiate a steerable beam of ultrasonic waves; and

a touchpad coupled to the processor and configured to receive instructions to steer the steerable beam.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer array is coupled to the support structure such that when the support structure is worn, the transducer array is located in front of an ear and oriented so as to radiate ultrasonic waves towards the ear.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer array comprises a linear configuration of two or more ultrasonic transducers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support structure comprises an eyeglass frame configuration.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the support structure comprises a side-arm, and wherein the transducer array is disposed on the side-arm such that when the support structure is worn, the transducer array is located in front of an ear and oriented so as to radiate ultrasonic waves towards the ear.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer array includes first and second ultrasonic transducers, and wherein the processor is configured to control the first and second ultrasonic transducers to radiate first and second ultrasonic waves, respectively, wherein the first and second ultrasonic waves interact to produce the beam of ultrasonic waves, and further wherein the processor is configured to adjust a phase of the first ultrasonic waves with respect to the second ultrasonic waves to steer the steerable beam.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the transducer array to radiate ultrasonic carrier waves and ultrasonic signal waves, wherein the ultrasonic signal waves include audio signals, and wherein an interaction between the ultrasonic carrier waves and the ultrasonic signal waves are audible.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more optical elements coupled to the support structure and configured to provide a computer-generated image.

9. A method comprising:

controlling a transducer array coupled to a head-mountable support structure to radiate ultrasonic carrier waves toward an ear of a user of the head-mountable support structure;

controlling the transducer array to radiate ultrasonic signal waves toward the ear of the user, wherein the ultrasonic signal waves include audio signals;

producing a beam of audible sound from an interaction between the ultrasonic carrier waves and the ultrasonic signal waves, wherein the beam of audible sound is radiated toward the ear of the user; and

receiving instructions, via a touchpad associated with the head-mountable support structure, to steer the beam of audible sound.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising steering the beam of audible sound by a processor configured to carry out the received instruction.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein steering the beam of audible sound comprises adjusting a phase of the ultrasonic carrier waves with respect to the ultrasonic signal waves.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultrasonic carrier waves and the ultrasonic signal waves are radiated by different ultrasonic transducers of the transducer array.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising controlling an optical element coupled to the support structure to provide a computer-generated image close to an eye of the user.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the beam of audible sound originates from a position in front of the user'"'"'s ear and is radiated back toward the ear of the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the support structure comprises an eyeglass frame configuration that includes a side-arm, and wherein the transducer array is disposed on the side-arm such that when the structure is worn, the transducer array is located in front of the ear and oriented so as to radiate ultrasonic waves back towards the ear.

16. A head-mountable device, comprising;

a support structure;

a transducer array coupled to the support structure, wherein the transducer array includes at least a first ultrasonic transducer and a second ultrasonic transducer;

a processor configured to control the first transducer to radiate ultrasonic carrier waves and to control the second transducer to radiate ultrasonic signal waves, wherein the ultrasonic signal waves includes audio signals, further wherein an interaction between the carrier waves and the signal waves results in a beam of audible sound; and

a touchpad configured to receive instructions to steer the beam of audible sound.

17. The head-mountable device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to control the first and second transducers to steer the beam of audible sound based on the received instructions.

18. The head-mountable device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to adjust a phase of the carrier waves with respect to the signal waves to steer the beam of audible sound.