Immersive 3D sound space for searching audio

• US 9,838,818 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Seligmann, Doree Duncan, John, Ajita, Sammon, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US15/009,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20160150340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 381 1, 381 17, 381 77, 381 92, 381302, 381303, 381307, 381309, 381310, 382103, 463 38, 463 31, 701301, 701533, 701441, 345419, 348155, 3792011, 37920201, 455406, 482 4, 700 94, 702150, 703 6, 704 2, 704260, 715727, 715849
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/11 Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field H04S2420/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/002 Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/40 Visual indication of stereophonic sound image

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for generating an immersive three-dimensional sound space for searching audio. The system generates a three-dimensional sound space having a plurality of sound sources playing at a same time, wherein each of the plurality of sound sources is assigned a respective location in the three-dimensional sound space relative to one another, and wherein a user is assigned a current location in the three-dimensional sound space relative to each respective location. Next, the system receives input from the user to navigate to a new location in the three-dimensional sound space. Based on the input, the system then changes each respective location of the plurality of sound sources relative to the new location in the three-dimensional sound space.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, via a processor, a three-dimensional sound space having a plurality of sound sources playing at a same time, wherein each of the plurality of sound sources is assigned a respective location in a three-dimensional sound space relative to one another;

assigning a user a current location in the three-dimensional sound space relative to each respective location;

receiving an input from the user to navigate to a new location from the current location in the three-dimensional sound space; and

based on the input, changing each respective location of the plurality of sound sources relative to the new location in the three-dimensional sound space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional sound space is generated based on a search request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of sound sources is identified based on search criteria in the search request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sound sources comprises at least one of an audio playback or a live communication session, and wherein a respective playback of each of the plurality of sound sources can be automatically adjusted.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional sound space is generated using three-dimensional audio spatialization, and wherein the three-dimensional sound space comprises a visual component having at least one of an image, a visual cue, or a video, the visual component being associated with at least one of the plurality of sound sources.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each respective location is assigned to a respective sound source from the plurality of sound sources based on a relationship between the plurality of sound sources.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of a sound source from the three-dimensional sound space to yield a selected sound source; and

generating a new three-dimensional sound space based on sound sources related to the selected sound source.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the input is received via at least one of a mouse, a touch screen, a touchpad, a keyboard, a camera, a photo-capture device, a voice-input device, a motion capture device, a system state, a device state, a sensor, or an external event.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sound sources is dynamically arranged based on groupings, wherein the groupings are based on at least one of a topic, a relevance, a search request, an association, a term, a characteristic of a sound, a respective sound associated with each of the plurality of sound sources, or content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional sound space is based on a three-dimensional particle system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the three-dimensional particle system is rendered via a computing device and displayed via at least one of a monitor, a tablet computer, three-dimensional glasses, a hologram projection, a smartphone, or a gaming system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a distance between the user and the plurality of sound sources is based on an apparent three-dimensional position of the user.

13. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

generating, via a processor, a three-dimensional sound space having a plurality of sound sources playing at a same time, wherein each of the plurality of sound sources is assigned a respective location in a three-dimensional sound space relative to one another;

assigning a user a current location in the three-dimensional sound space relative to each respective location;

receiving an input from the user to navigate to a new location from the current location in the three-dimensional sound space; and

based on the input, changing each respective location of the plurality of sound sources relative to the new location in the three-dimensional sound space.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the three-dimensional sound space is generated based on a search request.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sound sources is identified based on search criteria in the search request.

17. The computer-readable device of claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional sound space is generated based on a search request.

18. The computer-readable device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of sound sources is identified based on search criteria in the search request.

16. A computer-readable device storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

generating, via a processor, a three-dimensional sound space having a plurality of sound sources playing at a same time, wherein each of the plurality of sound sources is assigned a respective location in a three-dimensional sound space relative to one another;

assigning a user a current location in the three-dimensional sound space relative to each respective location;

receiving an input from the user to navigate to a new location from the current location in the three-dimensional sound space; and

based on the input, changing each respective location of the plurality of sound sources relative to the new location in the three-dimensional sound space.