Processing sound using collective feedforward
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A personal audio system, comprising:
- a housing;
a microphone, a preamplifier, and an analog to digital converter to convert ambient sound into an ambient audio stream;
a processor to generate a personal audio stream by processing the ambient audio stream in accordance with an active processing parameter set, wherein the active processing parameter set indicates a type and degree of one or more processes to be performed on the ambient audio stream to modify a manner in which a user of the personal audio system hears the ambient audio stream, wherein the personal audio stream is a modified version of the ambient audio stream;
a buffer memory to store a most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream;
an event detector to detect a trigger event from a set of trigger events, wherein at least one of the trigger events indicates or causes a change in the active processing parameter set; and
a controller configured to, in response to detection of the at least one of the trigger events, upload from the buffer memory the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream and associated metadata to a knowledgebase remote from the personal audio system, wherein the knowledgebase remote from the personal audio system analyzes the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream, wherein the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream comprises a duration of the ambient audio stream that occurs immediately preceding the trigger event; and
a digital to analog converter, an amplifier, and a speaker to convert the personal audio stream into personal output sound, wherein the microphone, the preamplifier, the analog to digital converter, the processor, the digital to analog converter, the amplifier, and the speaker are disposed within the housing.
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Abstract
Personal audio systems and methods are disclosed. A personal audio system includes a processor to generate a personal audio stream by processing an ambient audio stream in accordance with an active processing parameter set, a circular buffer memory to store a most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream, and an event detector to detect a trigger event. In response to detection of the trigger event, a controller may transmit, to a knowledgebase remote from the personal audio system, the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream and associated metadata.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A personal audio system, comprising:
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a housing; a microphone, a preamplifier, and an analog to digital converter to convert ambient sound into an ambient audio stream; a processor to generate a personal audio stream by processing the ambient audio stream in accordance with an active processing parameter set, wherein the active processing parameter set indicates a type and degree of one or more processes to be performed on the ambient audio stream to modify a manner in which a user of the personal audio system hears the ambient audio stream, wherein the personal audio stream is a modified version of the ambient audio stream; a buffer memory to store a most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream; an event detector to detect a trigger event from a set of trigger events, wherein at least one of the trigger events indicates or causes a change in the active processing parameter set; and a controller configured to, in response to detection of the at least one of the trigger events, upload from the buffer memory the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream and associated metadata to a knowledgebase remote from the personal audio system, wherein the knowledgebase remote from the personal audio system analyzes the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream, wherein the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream comprises a duration of the ambient audio stream that occurs immediately preceding the trigger event; and a digital to analog converter, an amplifier, and a speaker to convert the personal audio stream into personal output sound, wherein the microphone, the preamplifier, the analog to digital converter, the processor, the digital to analog converter, the amplifier, and the speaker are disposed within the housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for processing ambient sound in a personal audio system, comprising:
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generating a personal audio stream by processing an ambient audio stream in accordance with an active processing parameter set, wherein the active processing parameter set indicates a type and degree of one or more processes to be performed on the ambient audio stream to modify a manner in which a user of the personal audio system hears the ambient audio stream, wherein the personal audio stream is a modified version of the ambient audio stream; storing a most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream in a buffer memory; detecting a trigger event from a set of trigger events, wherein at least one of the trigger events indicates or causes a change in the active processing parameter set; and in response to detecting the trigger event, uploading from the buffer memory the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream and associated metadata to a knowledgebase remote from the personal audio system, wherein the knowledgebase remote from the personal audio system analyzes the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream, wherein the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream comprises a duration of the ambient audio stream that occurs immediately preceding the trigger event; receiving, from the knowledgebase, one or more processing parameter sets derived by the knowledgebase from snippets and associated metadata from a plurality of personal audio systems; and storing the one or more processing parameter sets received from the knowledgebase in a parameter memory. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system, comprising:
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a knowledgebase; and a plurality of personal audio systems in communications with the knowledgebase via a network, each personal audio system comprising; a processor to generate a personal audio stream by processing an ambient audio stream in accordance with an active processing parameter set, wherein the active processing parameter set indicates a type and degree of one or more processes to be performed on the ambient audio stream to modify a manner in which a user of the personal audio system hears the ambient audio stream, wherein the personal audio stream is a modified version of the ambient audio stream; a circular buffer memory to store a most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream; an event detector to detect a trigger event from a set of trigger events, wherein at least one of the trigger events indicates or causes a change in the active processing parameter set; and a controller configured to, in response to detection of the trigger event, upload from the circular buffer memory the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream and associated metadata to the knowledgebase via the network, wherein the knowledgebase is configured to analyze the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream and create new and/or revised processing parameter sets based on snippets and metadata collectively received from the plurality of personal audio systems and to transmit the new and/or revised processing parameter sets to at least some of the plurality of personal audio systems, wherein the most recent snippet of the ambient audio stream comprises a duration of the ambient audio stream that occurs immediately preceding the trigger event. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification