Methods and devices for creating and modifying sound profiles for audio reproduction devices

• US 8,892,233 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics of Silicon Valley, Inc. (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics of Silicon Valley, Inc. (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lin, Rocky Chau-Hsiung, Yamasaki, Thomas, Toki, Hiroyuki, Kanda, Koichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): McCord, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELJAIEK, ALEXANDER L
• Application Number:
  US14/269,015
• Time in Patent Office: 200 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 709/201, 709/205
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Method and devices for processing audio signals based on sound profiles are provided. A reproduction device can request a sound profile based on user information, device information, media metadata or a combination. The sound profiles can be customized and shared across multiple devices. User interfaces allow for the input of information that allows the reproduction device or a server in the cloud to select, modify, store, and analyze sound profiles. Deeper analysis allows for the improvement of sound profiles for individuals and groups. Intensity scoring of a music library can also be conducted.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing sound profiles to enhance audio reproduction, comprising the steps of:

receiving a submitted sound profile from a submitting user, the submitted sound profile comprising a submitting identifier, submitting device information, and the submitting user'"'"'s preselected reproduction parameters for modifying the reproduction of audio data;

wherein the submitting device information comprises demographic information and geographic information about the submitting user;

storing the submitted sound profile in a database with other sound profiles according to the submitting identifier, the submitting device information, and the submitting user'"'"'s preselected reproduction parameters for modifying the reproduction of audio data;

receiving a request for a sound profile from a requesting user, the request comprising request information;

wherein the request information comprises a requesting identifier and requesting device information;

wherein the requesting device information comprises demographic information and geographic information about the requesting user;

wherein the demographic information about the submitting user comprises information regarding the ethnicity of the submitting user, and the demographic information about the requesting user comprises information about the ethnicity of the requesting user;

searching the database for a sound profile based on the request information;

selecting the submitted sound profile according to the request information;

comparing the selected sound profile to any other sound profiles in the database previously submitted by the requesting user; and

modifying the selected sound profile'"'"'s preselected reproduction parameters for modifying the reproduction of audio data to more closely match the sound profiles previously submitted by the requesting user contained in the database;

serving the selected sound profile to a transmitter; and

transmitting the selected sound profile to the requesting user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the submitting identifier comprises the genre of audio to which the submitted sound profile applies, and the requesting identifier comprises a requested genre that is the same as in the submitted sound profile.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic information about the submitting user matches the geographic information about the requesting user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the submitted device information further comprises information regarding the consumption modality wherein the audio data will be reproduced.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the submitting user and the requesting user are identical users.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the demographic information about the submitting user further comprises information about the submitting user'"'"'s generational cohort, and the demographic information about the requesting user comprises information about the requesting user'"'"'s generational cohort.