Devices with enhanced audio

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10402151-B2
Application number	US-201715592983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2017
Priority date	Jul 28, 2011
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A system for enhancing audio including a computer and an output device. The computer includes a sensor configured to determine a user location relative to the computer. The sensor is also configured to gather environment data corresponding to an environment of the computer. The computer also includes a processor in communication with the sensor and configured to process the user location and the environment data and adjust at least one of an audio output or a video output. The output device is in communication with the processor and is configured to output at least one of the audio output or the video output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for enhancing audio for a portable computing device comprising a plurality of sensors and an output device configured to produce an audio output or a video output, comprising:
determining, using one or more of the plurality of sensors, a user location relative to the portable computing device;
determining, using one or more of the plurality of sensors, environment data corresponding to an environment of the portable computing device, the environment data including a location of the portable computing device and acoustics of the location of the portable computing device, wherein the location of the portable computing device is determined using global positioning information or as a result of signal strength analysis;
adjusting by a processor a first audiovisual setting of a plurality of audio visual settings, based on the determined environment data and based on the determined user location;
determining if a second audiovisual setting of the plurality of audio visual settings is at a predetermined setting for the determined location of the portable computing device; and
if the second audiovisual setting is not at the predetermined setting for the determined location of the portable computing device, adjusting the second audiovisual setting to the predetermined setting based on the determined location of the portable computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors include a first sensor for detecting the user location and a second sensor that gathers the environment data.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environment data includes one of an estimated size of a space that the portable computing device is located, global positioning data, temperature data, humidity data, reverberant qualities of the location of the portable computing device, or a distance from the portable computing device to an object.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of audiovisual settings affect an audio output and a video output.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of audiovisual settings affect only one of an audio output or a video output.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
during video output or audio output in accordance with one or more audio visual settings of the plurality of audiovisual settings, determining, via a motion sensor, whether the user has moved, and in response determining if the one or more audiovisual settings are adequately set for an updated environment or an updated user location; and
further adjusting the one or more audiovisual settings responsive to the updated environment data or the updated user location.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
during video output or audio output in accordance with one or more audio visual settings of the plurality of audiovisual settings, determining via an accelerometer whether the portable computing device is moving, and in response determining if the one or more audiovisual settings are adequately set for an updated environment or an updated user location; and
further adjusting the one or more audiovisual settings responsive to the updated environment data or the updated user location.

8. A system for enhancing audio comprising:
a portable computing device that includes:
a first sensor configured to determine a user location relative to the portable computing device,
a second sensor configured to gather data corresponding to an acoustic quality of an environment of the portable computing device,
a third sensor configured to gather data corresponding to a location of the portable computing device, wherein the data corresponding to the location of the portable computing device includes global positioning information or a result of signal strength analysis, and
a processor in communication with the first, second, and third sensors and configured to process the user location, the data corresponding to the acoustic quality of the environment of the portable computing device, and the data corresponding to the location of the portable computing device, and based on that, adjust an audio output or a video output,
wherein the processor is configured to determine the location of the portable computing device using the global positioning information or the result of signal strength analysis, and
wherein the processor is further configured to determine if an audiovisual setting is at a predetermined setting for the determined location of the portable computing device, and if the audiovisual setting is not at the predetermined setting, the processor adjusts the audiovisual setting to the predetermined setting based on the determined location of the portable computing device; and

an output device in communication with the processor and configured to produce the audio output or the video output.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the data corresponding to an acoustic quality of an environment of the portable computing device includes one of a reverberant quality of, or an approximate dimension of, a space in which the portable computing device is located.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the data corresponding to an acoustic quality of an environment of the portable computing device includes both a reverberant quality and an approximate dimension of a space that the portable computing device is located.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the output device is external to the portable computing device.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the audiovisual setting includes one of an audio setting or a video setting.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the output device is a speaker internal to the portable computing device, and the system further comprises a speaker that is external to the portable computing device.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor, during audio output or video output in accordance with the audiovisual setting, determines via a motion sensor whether the user has moved, and in response determines if the audiovisual setting is adequately set for an updated environment or an updated user location, and
wherein the processor is to further adjust the audiovisual setting responsive to the updated environment data or the updated user location.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor, during audio output or video output in accordance with the audiovisual setting, determines via an accelerometer whether the portable computing device is moving, and in response determines if the audiovisual setting is adequately set for an updated environment or an updated user location, and
wherein the processor is to further adjust the audiovisual setting responsive to the updated environment data or the updated user location.

16. A system for enhancing audio comprising:
a portable computing device that includes:
a first sensor configured to determine a user location relative to the portable computing device,
a second sensor configured to gather data corresponding to an acoustic quality of an environment of the portable computing device,
a third sensor configured to gather data corresponding to a location of the portable computing device, wherein the data corresponding to the location of the portable computing device includes one of global positioning information or a result of signal strength analysis, and
a processor in communication with the first, second, and third sensors and configured to process the user location, the data corresponding to the acoustic quality of the environment of the portable computing device, and the data corresponding to the location of the portable computing device, and based on that, adjust an audio

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Pance Aleksandar
• Bilbrey Brett
• Hadley Darbey E
• Johnson Martin E
• Isaac Ronald Nadim

Classifications

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• H04N5/60

  for the sound signals · CPC title

• H04N7/142

  Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display · CPC title

• H04N21/4223

  Cameras (H04N23/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N21/4143

  {embedded in a} Personal Computer [PC] · CPC title