Portable electronic device directed audio system and method

• US 10,291,983 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2013
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Baym, Michael H., Duncan, William David, Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Wood, Jr., Lowell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer, Mark
• Application Number:
  US13/920,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20140270305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,156 Days
• Field of Search: 726 17- 20, 726 26- 28
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2217/03 Parametric transducers where sound is generated or captured by the acoustic demodulation of amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

A computationally implemented system and method that is designed to, but is not limited to: electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals; and electronically outputting, said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more acoustic audio signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part according to said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part according to one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A computationally-implemented method comprising:

(a) electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals, including at least;

(1) inserting digital information into said audio output information, the inserted digital information being configured to facilitate tracking of acoustic audio reception quality at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device; and

(b) electronically outputting, said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, including at least;

(1) determining one or more positions associated with one or more ears of one or more target listeners;

wherein at least one of (1) the electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals or (2) the electronically outputting, said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals is performed at least in part with one or more processing devices.

2. A computer program product comprising:

one or more non-transitory mediums bearing at least one or more executable instructions that when executed on at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to at least;

(a) electronically provide audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals, including at least;

(1) insert digital information into said audio output information, the inserted digital information being configured to facilitate tracking of acoustic audio reception quality at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device; and

(b) electronically output, said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, including at least;

(1) determine one or more positions associated with one or more ears of one or more target listeners.

3. A computationally-implemented system comprising:

(a) circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals, including at least;

(1) circuitry for inserting digital information into said audio output information, the inserted digital information being configured to facilitate tracking of acoustic audio reception quality at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device; and

(b) circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, including at least;

(1) circuitry for determining one or more positions associated with one or more ears of one or more target listeners;

and

wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals are both implemented at least in part with hardware.

4. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

at least one of;

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals through one or more data storage portions of said portable electronic device;

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals via one or more wireless communication portions of said portable electronic device;

or

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals through one or more microphone portions of said portable electronic device.

5. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals via one or more audio signal processing portions of said portable electronic device.

6. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals through one or more internet communication portions of said portable electronic device.

7. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals via one or more software portions of said portable electronic device.

8. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals through one or more disk player portions of said portable electronic device.

9. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals via one or more media player portions of said portable electronic device.

10. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals through one or more audio player portions of said portable electronic device.

11. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals via one or more text recognition portions of said portable electronic device.

12. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals including one or more microprocessor portions of said portable electronic device.

13. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing said audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals including one or more digital processor portions of said portable electronic device for inserting digital information into said audio output information.

14. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals as one or more electronic tablet computer systems.

15. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals as one or more electronic handheld mobile device systems.

16. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals as one or more electronic cell phone systems.

17. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals as one or more electronic portable laptop systems.

18. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals comprises:

circuitry for electronically providing audio output information to one or more portions of the portable electronic device to be outputted from said portable electronic device via one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals from one or more collections of one or more ultrasonic transducers of the portable electronic devices.

19. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting including at least outputting according to a sensed acoustic environment proximate one or more target listeners.

20. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting including at least outputting to compensate for Doppler frequency shifting due to movement of said portable electronic device.

21. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting including at least outputting one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals for ranging one or more target listeners.

22. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting including at least outputting acoustic ultrasonic signal amplitude based at least partly on two dimensional user interface user input.

23. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting including at least outputting acoustic ultrasonic signal target location based at least partly on two dimensional user interface user input.

24. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting including at least outputting based at least partly on audio microphone sensing of one or more characteristics of human audible frequency signals down converted at one or more target locations.

25. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting including at least outputting based at least partly on ultrasonic microphone sensing of acoustic ultrasonic signals down converted at one or more target locations.

26. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting including at least outputting based at least partly on sensing of acoustic digital signals received from one or more target locations.

27. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting including at least outputting acoustic ultrasonic signals to be down converted into acoustic anti-noise signals to at least in part cancel acoustic noise signals sensed at one or more target locations.

28. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting including at least outputting one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to produce one or more human audible frequency signals through non-linear atmospheric interaction.

29. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for determining at least a targeting area size based at least in part on one or more frequencies of said one or more ultrasonic acoustic signals.

30. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals at least partly with one or more transducers placed based at least in part on one or more frequencies to be used for said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals.

31. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals wherein said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals include at least one amplitude that is based at least in part on a size of a desired target area, wherein the size of the desired target area corresponds to a size of at least a portion of an ear of a target listener.

32. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals at least partly with one or more transducers placed at least partially along a vicinity of said portable electronic device.

33. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals at least partly with one or more transducers concealed from view through integration at least partly within a display screen of said portable electronic device.

34. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals at least partly with one or more transducers integrated within a keyboard of said portable electronic device.

35. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals at least partly with one or more transducers having a dimensional sizing of less than 10 millimeters.

36. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals at least partly with one or more transducers having a dimensional sizing of less than 30 wavelengths of a lowest frequency of said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals.

37. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

at least one of;

circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals at least partly with one or more transducers placed along one or more key spacings of one or more keyboards;

or

circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals at least partly with one or more transducers interspaced between one or more keyboard keys.

38. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements including at least one transducer concealed from view at least in part through placement of the at least one transducer behind at least a portion of a thin display of said portable electronic device.

39. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for electronically outputting said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals to be demodulated into one or more human audible frequency signals containing one or more portions of said audio output information at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device based at least in part on said one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals and based at least in part on one or more portable electronic device ultrasonic emitter arrangements, comprises:

circuitry for embedding one or more digitally coded human audible frequency acoustic audio signals in one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals.

40. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for inserting digital information into said audio output information, the inserted digital information being configured to facilitate tracking of acoustic audio reception quality at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device comprises:

circuitry for inserting into said audio output information at least one or more digital signatures configured to facilitate tracking of acoustic audio reception quality at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device.

41. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry for inserting digital information into said audio output information, the inserted digital information being configured to facilitate tracking of acoustic audio reception quality at one or more locations spaced from said portable electronic device comprises:

circuitry for inserting into said audio output information at least one or more digitally coded identifiers configured to facilitate quality control of down-converted audio signals in a vicinity near a target listener.

42. The computationally-implemented system of claim 3, further comprising:

circuitry for determining that one or more persons proximate to the one or more target listeners are not authorized to audibly receive information encoded in the one or more acoustic ultrasonic signals based at least in part on input from imaging circuitry; and

circuitry for electronically steering the acoustic ultrasonic signals to one or more positions associated with one or more ears of the one or more target listeners but avoiding transmitting the acoustic ultrasonic signals to the one or non-authorized persons proximate to the one or more target listeners.