Methods and devices for operating an audio processing integrated circuit to record an audio signal via a headphone port

• US 10,187,719 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2015
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Physics Limited
• Original Assignee: Bugatone Ltd
• Inventors: Ben-Ami, Edmund, Petrank, Noam
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhu, Qin
• Application Number:
  US15/308,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20170055063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,367 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• 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 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a method of recording a signal from a headphone. The method may comprise instructing an audio processing integrated circuit of a client terminal to connect an electrical resistance component between an electrical ground of a client terminal and an electrical ground of one or more electro-acoustic output transducer of a headphone. The method may further comprise instructing the audio processing integrated circuit of the client terminal to accept as microphone input a signal from the one or more electro-acoustic output transducer of the headphone. The method may further comprise recording a signal from the one or more electro-acoustic output transducer of the headphone using the audio processing integrated circuit of the client terminal.

Claims

1. A method of recording a signal from a headphone, comprising:

a client terminal automatically instructing that an audio processing integrated circuit of said client terminal switch from;

(i) having no electrical resistance between an electrical ground of said client terminal and an electrical ground of at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of a headphone, to

(ii) connecting an electrical resistance component between the electrical ground of said client terminal and the electrical ground of the at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of the headphone;

instructing said audio processing integrated circuit of said client terminal to accept as microphone input a signal from said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of said headphone; and

recording a signal from said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of said headphone using said audio processing integrated circuit of said client terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer is at least one loudspeaker used for playing audio signals of said headphone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said audio processing integrated circuit receives further instructions to simultaneously play back a target audio signal, and said target audio signal is automatically subtracted from said signal to produce an aural noise signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said signal is recorded via said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer in a plurality of recording fragment iterations; and

said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer intermittently plays at least one output audio signal in a plurality of playing fragment iterations so that said plurality of playing fragment iterations are temporarily intertwined with said plurality of recording fragment iterations, and said signal is an aural noise signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each fragment of said plurality of recording fragment iterations interrupting said output audio signal is inaudible during normal use of said headphone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said electrical resistance component has a finite resistance such that said electrical ground of said client terminal and said electrical ground of said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of said headphone are connected with an electrical resistance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said electrical resistance component has an electrical resistance with a value between zero ohms and 500 ohms.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said electrical resistance component is connected by enabling a low pass filter of an output audio signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said electrical resistance component is connected by a constant voltage source connected between said electrical ground of said client terminal and said electrical ground of said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of said headphone.

10. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of operations, including:

a client terminal automatically instructing that an audio processing integrated circuit of said client terminal switch from;

(i) having no electrical resistance between an electrical ground of said client terminal and an electrical ground of at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of a headphone, to

(ii) connecting an electrical resistance component between the electrical ground of said client terminal and the electrical ground of the at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of the headphone;

instructing said audio processing integrated circuit of said client terminal to accept as microphone input a signal from said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of said headphone; and

recording a signal from said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of said headphone using said audio processing integrated circuit of said client terminal.

11. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of operations, including:

a client terminal automatically instructing that an audio processing integrated circuit of said client terminal switch from;

(i) having no electrical resistance between an electrical ground of said client terminal and an electrical ground of at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of at least one headphone, to

(ii) connecting an electrical resistance component between the electrical ground of said client terminal and the electrical ground of the at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of the at least one headphone;

instructing said audio processing integrated circuit of said client terminal to accept as microphone input a signal from said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of said at least one headphone; and

recording a signal from said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of said at least one headphone using said audio processing integrated circuit of said client terminal.

12. A client terminal system for recording from a headphone, comprising:

at least one headphone interface for connecting to at least one headphone with at least one electro-acoustic output transducer used to record an audio signal;

at least one audio processing integrated circuit for receiving a plurality of adapting instructions; and

at least one processing unit, said processing unit configured for;

automatically adapting said at least one audio processing integrated circuit to switch from;

(i) having no electrical resistance between a conductor of said at least one audio processing integrated circuit and said at least one headphone interface, to

(ii) connecting an electrical resistance component between the conductor of said at least one audio processing integrated circuit and said at least one headphone interface;

adapting said at least one audio processing integrated circuit to record a signal from said at least one headphone interface; and

recording said signal from said at least one headphone interface.

13. The client terminal system of claim 12, wherein said client terminal system is any from the list of a smartphone, a mobile phone, a palmtop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a personal computer, a music player, a video player, and Bluetooth earphones.

14. The client terminal system of claim 12, wherein said at least one headphone is any from the list of a headphone, an earpiece, an earspeaker, a headphone, a headset, a stereo headset, a mono-aural headset, a stereo headphone, a mono-aural headphone, a stereo earphone, a mono-aural earphone, an internal speaker, and an external speaker.

15. The client terminal system of claim 12, wherein said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer is at least one loudspeaker used for playing audio signals of said at least one headphone.

16. The client terminal system of claim 12, wherein said at least one processing unit is configured for adapting said at least one audio processing integrated circuit to simultaneously record said signal and play back a target audio signal, and automatically subtract the target audio signal from said signal to produce an aural noise signal.