Automated user/sensor location recognition to customize audio performance in a distributed multi-sensor environment
First Claim
1. A method operational in a wireless device, comprising:
- ascertaining a relative location of a target user with respect to the wireless device and a relative location of one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device, where the location of the target user relative to the wireless device is arbitrary, wherein ascertaining the relative location of the target user with respect to the wireless device comprises capturing audio signals from the target user, and wherein ascertaining the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device comprises obtaining information indicative of a location of one or more external devices relative to the wireless device, the information being based on an emitted audio signal that is emitted by the wireless device; and
wirelessly sending speaker-specific audio signals from the wireless device to the one or more external loudspeakers, the speaker-specific audio signals being based on the relative location of the target user with respect to the wireless device and the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device, each speaker-specific audio signal adapted to be played back at a corresponding external loudspeaker to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless device is provided that makes use of other nearby audio transducer devices to generate a surround sound effect for a targeted user. To do this, the wireless device first ascertains whether there are any nearby external microphones and/or loudspeaker devices. An internal microphone for the wireless device and any other nearby external microphones may be used to ascertain a location of the desired/targeted user as well as the nearby loudspeaker devices. This information is then used to generate a surround sound effect for the desired/targeted user by having the wireless device steer audio signals to its internal loudspeakers and/or the nearby external loudspeaker devices.
24 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method operational in a wireless device, comprising:
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ascertaining a relative location of a target user with respect to the wireless device and a relative location of one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device, where the location of the target user relative to the wireless device is arbitrary, wherein ascertaining the relative location of the target user with respect to the wireless device comprises capturing audio signals from the target user, and wherein ascertaining the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device comprises obtaining information indicative of a location of one or more external devices relative to the wireless device, the information being based on an emitted audio signal that is emitted by the wireless device; and wirelessly sending speaker-specific audio signals from the wireless device to the one or more external loudspeakers, the speaker-specific audio signals being based on the relative location of the target user with respect to the wireless device and the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device, each speaker-specific audio signal adapted to be played back at a corresponding external loudspeaker to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A wireless device, comprising:
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a communication interface to communicate with one or more local external devices; and a processing circuit coupled to the communication interface, the processing circuit adapted to; ascertain a relative location of a target user with respect to the wireless device and a relative location of one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device, where the location of the target user relative to the wireless device is arbitrary, wherein ascertaining the relative location of the target user with respect to the wireless device comprises capturing audio signals from the target user, and wherein ascertaining the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device comprises obtaining information indicative of a location of one or more external devices relative to the wireless device, the information being based on an emitted audio signal that is emitted by the wireless device; and wirelessly send speaker-specific audio signals from the wireless device to the one or more external loudspeakers, the speaker-specific audio signals being based on the relative location of the target user with respect to the wireless device and the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device, each speaker-specific audio signal adapted to be played back at a corresponding external loudspeaker to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A wireless device, comprising:
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means for communicating with one or more local external devices; means for ascertaining a relative location of a target user with respect to the wireless device and a relative location of one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device, where the location of the target user relative to the wireless device is arbitrary, wherein the means for ascertaining the relative location of the target user with respect to the wireless device comprises means for capturing audio signals from the target user, and wherein the means for ascertaining the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device comprises means for obtaining information indicative of a location of one or more external devices relative to the wireless device, the information being based on an emitted audio signal that is emitted by the wireless device; and means for wirelessly sending speaker-specific audio signals from the wireless device to the one or more external loudspeakers, the speaker-specific audio signals being based on the relative location of the target user with respect to the wireless device and the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device, each speaker-specific audio signal adapted to be played back at a corresponding external loudspeaker to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A non-transitory processor-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:
- ascertain a relative location of a target user with respect to a wireless device and a relative location of one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device, where the location of the target user relative to the wireless device is arbitrary, wherein ascertaining the relative location of the target user with respect to the wireless device comprises capturing audio signals from the target user, and wherein ascertaining the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device comprises obtaining information indicative of a location of one or more external devices relative to the wireless device, the information being based on an emitted audio signal that is emitted by the wireless device; and
wirelessly send speaker-specific audio signals from the wireless device to the one or more external loudspeakers, the speaker-specific audio signals being based on the relative location of the target user with respect to the wireless device and the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device, each speaker-specific audio signal adapted to be played back at a corresponding external loudspeaker to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user. - View Dependent Claims (20)
- ascertain a relative location of a target user with respect to a wireless device and a relative location of one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device, where the location of the target user relative to the wireless device is arbitrary, wherein ascertaining the relative location of the target user with respect to the wireless device comprises capturing audio signals from the target user, and wherein ascertaining the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device comprises obtaining information indicative of a location of one or more external devices relative to the wireless device, the information being based on an emitted audio signal that is emitted by the wireless device; and
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21. A wireless device, comprising:
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a communication interface to communicate with one or more local external devices; and a processing circuit coupled to the communication interface, the processing circuit adapted to; ascertain the presence of one or more external loudspeakers; ascertain a relative location of a target user with respect to the one or more external loudspeakers; ascertain a relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device; steer first audio signals to the one or more external loudspeakers to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user; and instruct the one or more local external devices to cause one or more external microphones to capture second audio signals from the one or more external loudspeakers to ascertain one or more corresponding directions of arrival for the captured second audio signals; wherein ascertaining the relative location of the target user with respect to the one or more external loudspeakers is based at least in part on the one or more corresponding directions of arrival for the captured second audio signals; and wherein ascertaining the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device comprises obtaining information indicative of a location of the one or more local external devices relative to the wireless device, the information being based on an emitted audio signal that is emitted by the wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A wireless device, comprising:
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means for ascertaining the presence of one or more external loudspeakers; means for ascertaining a relative location of a target user with respect to the one or more external loudspeakers; means for ascertaining a relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device; means for steering first audio signals to the one or more external loudspeakers to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user; and means for instructing one or more external devices to cause one or more external microphones to capture second audio signals from the one or more external loudspeakers to ascertain one or more corresponding directions of arrival for the captured second audio signals; wherein ascertaining the relative location of the target user with respect to the one or more external loudspeakers is based at least in part on the one or more corresponding directions of arrival for the captured second audio signals; and wherein the means for ascertaining the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device comprises means for obtaining information indicative of a location of the one or more external devices relative to the wireless device, the information being based on an emitted audio signal that is emitted by the wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A non-transitory processor-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:
- ascertain the presence of one or more external loudspeakers;
ascertain a relative location of a target use with respect to the one or more external loudspeakers;
ascertain a relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to a wireless device;
steer first audio signals to the one or more external loudspeakers to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user; and
instruct one or more external devices to cause one or more external microphones to capture second audio signals from the one or more external loudspeakers to ascertain one or more corresponding directions of arrival for the captured second audio signals;
wherein ascertaining the relative location of the target user with respect to the one or more external loudspeakers is based at least in part on the one or more corresponding directions of arrival for the captured second audio signals; and
wherein ascertaining the relative location of the one or more external loudspeakers with respect to the wireless device comprises obtaining information indicative of a location of one or more external devices relative to the wireless device, the information being based on an emitted audio signal that is emitted by the wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (28)
- ascertain the presence of one or more external loudspeakers;
Specification