Headphone listening apparatus

• US 9,357,320 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gelter, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): HUBER, PAUL W
• Application Number:
  US14/312,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20150373467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• 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 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, a headphone listening apparatus including an audio listening device is provided. The audio listening device is programmed to receive an incoming ambient audio signal indicative of an external ambient sound and to store a plurality of desired audio triggers. The audio listening device is further programmed to compare the external ambient sound to the plurality of desired audio triggers and to transmit a notification signal to headphones in response to the ambient sound being generally similar to a first desired audio trigger of the plurality of desired audio triggers. The headphones are programmed to provide an audio alert to a user to indicate the presence of the external ambient sound.

Claims

1. A headphone listening apparatus comprising:

an audio listening device programmed to;

receive an incoming ambient audio signal indicative of an external ambient sound;

store a plurality of desired audio triggers;

compare the external ambient sound to the plurality of desired audio triggers; and

transmit a notification signal to headphones in response to the external ambient sound being generally similar to a first desired audio trigger of the plurality of desired audio triggers, the headphones being programmed to provide an audio alert to a user to indicate the presence of the external ambient sound,

wherein the audio listening device is further programmed to receive an indication from a user interface to enter into a simple tone detection mode for executing a first processor intensive mechanism to preserve power consumption thereof, and

wherein the audio listening device is further programmed to compare a first frequency provided on the incoming ambient audio signal to a baseline frequency in response to the indication prior to executing the first processor intensive mechanism.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the headphones are programmed to provide the audio alert by one of playing back the external ambient sound and playing back a synthesized audio alert.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the audio listening device is further programmed to execute the first processor intensive mechanism in response to the first frequency being generally similar to the baseline frequency to preserve power consumption.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first processor intensive mechanism is a Goertzel algorithm.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the audio listening device is further programmed to search for a second frequency on the incoming ambient audio signal in response to executing the first processor intensive mechanism.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the audio listening device is further programmed to determine whether the second frequency has been located within a predetermined time frame in response to executing the first processor intensive mechanism.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the audio listening device is further programmed to transmit the notification signal to the headphones to notify the user of the presence of the external ambient sound in response to determining that the second frequency has been located within a predetermined time frame.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the audio listening device is further programmed to execute a second processor intensive mechanism in response to the first frequency not being generally similar to the baseline frequency, the second processor intensive mechanism causing the audio listening device to consume more power than the first processor intensive mechanism.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the second processor intensive mechanism is a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the audio listening device is further programmed to compare the external ambient sound to the plurality of desired audio triggers in response to executing the second processor intensive mechanism.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the audio listening device is further programmed to transmit the notification signal to the headphones in response to the external ambient sound being generally similar to a first desired audio trigger of the plurality of desired audio triggers after executing the second processor intensive mechanism.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the audio listening device includes a user interface programmed to enable the user to store the plurality of desired audio triggers in memory thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the user interface is further programmed to enable the user to assign at least one of a tolerance level and a priority level for each of the plurality of desired audio triggers that are stored in memory.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the audio listening device is further programmed to wirelessly transmit the notification signal to the headphones in response to the external ambient sound being generally similar to a first desired audio trigger of the plurality of desired audio triggers.

15. A computer-program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that is programmed for headphone listening, the computer-program product comprising instructions to:

receive an incoming ambient audio signal indicative of an external ambient sound,

compare the external ambient sound to a plurality of desired audio triggers stored in memory; and

transmit a notification signal to headphones in response to the external ambient sound being generally similar to a first desired audio trigger of the plurality of desired audio triggers, the headphones being programmed to provide an audio alert to a user to indicate the presence of the external ambient sound,

receive an indication from a user interface to enter into a simple tone detection mode for executing a first processor intensive mechanism to preserve power consumption thereof, and

compare a first frequency provided on the incoming ambient audio signal to a baseline frequency in response to the indication prior to executing the first processor intensive mechanism.

16. The computer-program product of claim 15 further comprising instructions to provide the audio alert by one of playing back the external ambient sound and playing back a synthesized audio alert that differs from the external ambient sound.

17. The computer-program product of claim 15 further comprising instructions to enable the user to store the plurality of desired audio triggers in memory.

18. The computer-program product of claim 17 further comprising instructions to enable the user to assign at least one of a tolerance level and a priority level for each of the plurality of desired audio triggers stored in memory.

19. A headphone listening apparatus comprising:

headphones programmed to receive a notification signal from an audio listening device that (i) receives an incoming ambient audio signal indicative of an external ambient sound, (ii) compares the external ambient sound to a plurality of desired audio triggers stored in memory thereof, (iii) transmits the notification signal to the headphone in response to the external ambient sound being generally similar to a first desired audio trigger of the plurality of desired audio triggers, wherein the headphones are further programmed to provide an audio alert to a user to indicate the presence of the external ambient sound, (iv) receives an indication from a user interface to enter into a simple tone detection mode for executing a first processor intensive mechanism to preserve power consumption thereof, and (v) compares a first frequency provided on the incoming ambient audio signal to a baseline frequency in response to the indication prior to executing the first processor intensive mechanism.