Moving an emoji to move a location of binaural sound

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10154364-B1
Application number	US-201816125715-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 9, 2018
Priority date	Sep 9, 2018
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

During an electronic communication between a first user and a second user, an electronic device of the second user displays a graphical representation at a located selected by the first user. The graphical representation provides an indication to the second user where binaural sound associated with the graphical representation will externally localize to the second user. Subsequent movement of the graphical representation changes a location where the binaural sound externally localizes to the second user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method executed by one or more electronic devices during an electronic communication between a first user with an electronic device and a second user with an electronic device, the method comprising:
receiving, at the electronic device of the second user and from the electronic device of the first user, an emoji and a first location where binaural sound will externally localize with respect to a head of the second user when sound of the emoji plays to the second user;
displaying, with a display of the electronic device of the second user, the emoji that shows the first location where the binaural sound will externally localize with respect to the head of the second user when the sound of the emoji plays to the second user;
receiving, at the electronic device of the second user, a command from the second user to move the first location where the binaural sound will externally localize with respect to the head of the second user when the sound of the emoji plays to the second user to a second location where the binaural sound will externally localize with respect to the head of the second user when the sound of the emoji plays to the second user;
displaying, with the display of the electronic device of the second user, the emoji that shows the second location where the binaural sound will externally localize with respect to the head of the second user when the sound of the emoji plays to the second user; and
playing, upon activation of the emoji and after executing the command to move the first location to the second location, the binaural sound to the second user so the binaural sound externally localizes to the second user at the second location selected by the second user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at the electronic device of the first user and from the first user, the first location where the binaural sound will externally localize with respect to the head of the second user when the sound of the emoji plays to the second user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
playing, upon activation of the emoji and before executing the command to move the first location to the second location, the binaural sound to the second user so the binaural sound externally localizes to the second user at the first location selected by the second user.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
displaying, on the display of the electronic device of the second user, an image that represents the head of the second user; and
displaying, on the display of the electronic device of the second user, the emoji with respect to the image that represents the head of the second user to display where the binaural sound will externally localize with respect to the second user.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
displaying, on the display of the electronic device of the second user, the emoji at a coordinate location with respect to an image representing the head of the second user; and
playing, upon activation of the emoji, the binaural sound to the second user at a sound localization point (SLP) having azimuth and elevation coordinates equal to the coordinate location of the emoji with respect to the image representing the head of the second user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the emoji is simultaneously displayed with an image that represents the second user to display a relative location where the binaural sound will externally localize to the head of the second user upon activation of the emoji.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at the electronic device of the second user and from the electronic device of the first user, azimuth and elevation coordinates that indicate the first location selected by the first user where the binaural sound will externally localize to the second user; and
expediting playing of the binaural sound to the second user by processing, with a digital signal processor (DSP) and before the second user activates the emoji to hear the binaural sound, the binaural sound with a pair of head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) that have coordinates equal to the azimuth and elevation coordinates received from the electronic device of the first user.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that one or more electronic devices execute in a computer system in which a first person with a first portable electronic device (PED) communicates with a second person with a second PED, the method comprising:
receiving, at the second PED and from the first PED, a first location where binaural sound will externally localize to the second person upon activation of an emoji;
displaying, with the second PED, the emoji that shows the first location where the binaural sound will externally localize to the second person upon activation of the emoji;
receiving, at the second PED and from the second person, an instruction that changes the first location to a second location where the binaural sound will externally localize to the second person upon activation of the emoji; and
playing, with the second PED and upon activation of the emoji, the binaural sound that originates to the second person at a sound localization point (SLP) at the second location.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 storing the instructions that execute such that the method further comprises:
displaying, with the second PED, the emoji that shows the second location where the binaural sound will externally localize to the second person upon activation of the emoji.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 storing the instructions that execute such that the method further comprises:
determining azimuth and elevation coordinates for where the second location is located on a display of the second PED;
obtaining a pair of head related transfer functions (HRTFs) that have azimuth and elevation coordinates equal to the azimuth and elevation coordinates for where the second location is located on the display of the second PED; and
processing, with a digital signal processor and upon activation of the emoji, sound with the HRTFs to generate the binaural sound that originates to the second person at the SLP.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 storing the instructions that execute such that the method further comprises:
displaying, on the second PED, an image that represents the second person; and
displaying, on the second PED, the emoji at a location with respect to the image to display where the binaural sound will externally localize relative to the second person upon activation of the emoji.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 storing the instructions that execute such that the method further comprises:
receiving, at the second PED and from the first PED, azimuth and elevation coordinate locations that provide the first location where the binaural sound will externally localize to the second person upon activation of the emoji, wherein the second PED displays the emoji at the azimuth and elevation coordinate locations to display where the binaural sound will externally localize with respect to a head of the second person.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 storing the instructions that execute such that the method further comprises:
expediting playing of the binaural sound to the first location by convolving, before the second person activates the emoji to hear the binaural sound, sound of the emoji into the binaural sound with a pair of head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) with azimuth and elevation coordi

Assignees

• Lyren Philip Scott

Inventors

• Lyren Philip Scott

Classifications

• H04S7/303 Primary

  Tracking of listener position or orientation · CPC title

• G06F3/04817 Primary

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• H04R5/04

  Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)} · CPC title

• H04S2420/01

  Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD] · CPC title

• H04R5/02

  Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers · CPC title