Name-sensitive listening device

• US 10,720,153 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 07/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Di Censo, Davide, Marti, Stefan, Juneja, Ajay
• Primary Examiner(s): Ortiz-Sanchez, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/106,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20150170645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,412 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17821 characterised by the analysis of the input signals only
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17823 Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17827 Desired external signals, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/1783 handling or detecting of non-standard events or conditions, e.g. changing operating modes under specific operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17837 by retaining part of the ambient acoustic environment, e.g. speech or alarm signals that the user needs to hear
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17873 using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17885 additionally using a desired external signal, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• 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

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for providing audio enhancement to a user of a listening device. The technique includes reproducing a first audio stream, such as an audio stream associated with a media player. The technique further includes detecting a voice trigger. The voice trigger may be associated with a name of a user of the listening device. The technique further includes pausing or attenuating the first audio stream and reproducing a second audio stream associated with ambient sound in response to detecting the voice trigger.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

causing a first audio stream to be reproduced;

detecting, via a processor, a voice trigger included in ambient sound received via a microphone associated with a listening device;

in response to detecting the voice trigger;

causing the first audio stream to be paused or attenuated;

temporally compressing a first portion of the ambient sound having a first duration that was recorded prior to detecting the voice trigger and a second portion of the ambient sound having a second duration that was recorded after detecting the voice trigger to generate temporally compressed sound, wherein a duration of the temporally compressed sound is equal to the second duration; and

causing a second audio stream associated with the temporally compressed sound to be reproduced and played back to a user so that the user hears all of the first portion and the second portion during the second duration to catch up to a conversation in real time at the end of the second duration.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a first direction relative to a user from which the voice trigger was received, and generating the second audio stream by processing the ambient sound to enhance sound received from the first direction.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting a location of an interlocutor from which the voice trigger was received;

detecting a change to the location of the interlocutor relative to the user; and

in response, determining a second direction relative to the orientation of the user, and wherein generating the second audio stream comprises processing the ambient sound to enhance sound received from the second direction.

4. A listening device, comprising:

a speaker;

one or more microphones; and

a processor configured to;

cause a first audio stream to be reproduced;

detect a voice trigger included in ambient sound via the one or more microphones;

in response to detecting the voice trigger;

cause the first audio stream to be paused or attenuated;

temporally compress a first portion of the ambient sound having a first duration that was recorded prior to detecting the voice trigger and a second portion of the ambient sound having a second duration that was recorded after detecting the voice trigger to generate temporally compressed sound, wherein a duration of the temporally compressed sound is equal to the second duration; and

cause a second audio stream associated with the temporally compressed sound to be reproduced and played back to a user so that the user hears all of the first portion and the second portion during the second duration to catch up to a conversation in real time at the end of the second duration.

5. The listening device of claim 4, wherein the one or more microphones are configured to acquire the ambient sound, and wherein the listening device comprises headphones and the one or more microphones are electrically coupled to the headphones.

6. The listening device of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the second audio stream by processing the ambient sound to enhance a first voice associated with the voice trigger.

7. The listening device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to process the ambient sound by filtering the ambient sound based on at least one of a frequency range associated with the first voice and one or more digital voice parameters associated with the first voice.

8. The listening device of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to process the ambient sound by filtering the ambient sound to attenuate a second voice.

9. The listening device of claim 4, further comprising an indicator, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that a user of the listening device has selected a do-not-disturb mode; and

cause the indicator to generate a do-not-disturb indicator.

10. The listening device of claim 5, wherein the one or more microphones comprise at least two microphones, and the processor is further configured to:

detect a first direction relative to a user of the listening device from which the voice trigger was received based on the ambient sound; and

generate the second audio stream by processing the ambient sound to enhance sound received from the first direction.

11. The listening device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a location of an interlocutor from which the voice trigger was received;

detect a change to the location of the interlocutor relative to the user;

in response, determine a second direction relative to the orientation of the user; and

generate the second audio stream by processing the ambient sound to enhance sound received from the second direction.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to provide audio enhancement to a user of a listening device, by performing the steps of:

causing a first audio stream to be reproduced;

detecting a voice trigger included in ambient sound; and

in response to detecting the voice trigger;

causing the first audio stream to be paused or attenuated;

temporally compressing a first portion of the ambient sound having a first duration that was recorded prior to detecting the voice trigger and a second portion of the ambient sound having a second duration that was recorded after detecting the voice trigger to generate temporally compressed sound, wherein a duration of the temporally compressed sound is equal to the second duration; and

causing a second audio stream associated with the temporally compressed sound to be reproduced and played back to a user so that the user hears all of the first portion and the second portion during the second duration to catch up to a conversation in real time at the end of the second duration.