Wearable electronic device selects HRTFs based on eye distance and provides binaural sound

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10595143-B2
Application number	US-201916401157-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2019
Priority date	Jun 23, 2014
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A method provides a voice in binaural sound to a user. A wearable electronic device (WED) selects head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) based on a distance between eyes of the user. A digital signal processor (DSP) in the WED processes the voice with the HRTFs to generate the voice in the binaural sound that localizes at a sound localization point (SLP) at a location in empty space to the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method to provide a voice in binaural sound to a user during an electronic call, the method comprising:
determining, with a wearable electronic device (WED) worn on a head of the user, a physical attribute of the user that includes a distance between eyes of the user;
selecting, based on the physical attribute of the user that includes the distance between the eyes of the user, user-specific head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) of the user;
processing, with a digital signal processor (DSP) during the electronic call, the voice with the user-specific HRTFs to generate the voice in the binaural sound that localizes at a sound localization point (SLP) at a location in empty space at least one meter away from the user;
detecting, with a camera in the WED, eye movement of the user; and
altering, in response to the detecting of the eye movement, the user-specific HRTFs being processed with the voice to move the voice from externally localizing to the SLP to externally localizing to another SLP.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
detecting a body gesture of the user with a sensor in the WED; and
altering, in response to the detecting the body gesture, the voice from being provided to the user in the binaural sound to being provided to the user in stereo sound,
wherein the location in empty space includes a virtual image of a person with whom the user is talking during the electronic call.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
recognizing, at the WED, a body gesture from the user that designates the location of the SLP in empty space at least one meter away from the user where the user will hear the voice.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at the WED, a body gesture from the user that designates the location of the SLP as being on a wall in a room where the user is located.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at the WED, a body gesture from the user that designates the location of the SLP as being on a physical chair in a room where the user is located.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at a microphone in the WED and from the user during the electronic call, a voice command to move the SLP of a window from a foreground to a background where the SLP is away from the user to make the binaural sound softer.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
detecting, with the WED, a body gesture of the user that commands the WED to switch the voice from the binaural sound to stereo sound.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at a microphone in the WED and from the user during the electronic call, a voice command to move the voice from the SLP at the location in empty space at least one meter away from the user to another location in empty space at least one meter away from the user.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that one or more electronic devices execute to provide a voice in binaural sound to a user, the method comprising:
measuring, with a wearable electronic device (WED) worn on a head of the user, a distance between eyes of the user;
selecting, based on the distance between the eyes of the user, head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) for the user;
processing, with a digital signal processor (DSP), the voice with the HRTFs to generate the voice in the binaural sound that localizes at a sound localization point (SLP) at a location in empty space at least one meter away from the head of the user;
maintaining the SLP at a fixed location with respect to the head of the user as the user moves around a room in which the user and the SLP are located such that an origin of the voice at the SLP follows the user as the user moves around the room;
displaying, with the WED, multiple screens with SLPs that externally localize as the binaural sound in empty space at each of the multiple screens; and
receiving, at the WED, a body gesture from the user that commands the WED to arrange the SLPs in an order that includes moving one of the SLPs to a foreground and one of the SLPs to a background.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising:
receiving, by a natural language user interface in the WED, a voice command from the user to move the SLP from the fixed location having a first set of spherical coordinates with respect to the head of the user to a fixed location having a second set of spherical coordinates with respect to the head of the user; and
altering, in response to receiving the voice command, the HRTFs being processed with the voice to move the SLP from the fixed location having the first set of spherical coordinates with respect to the head of the user to the fixed location having the second set of spherical coordinates with respect to the head of the user.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising:
detecting a second body gesture of the user with a sensor in the WED; and
altering, in response to the detecting the second body gesture, the voice from being provided to the user in the binaural sound to being provided to the user in stereo sound.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising:
receiving, at a microphone in the WED, a voice command to an intelligent personal assistant; and
moving, by the intelligent personal assistant and in response to the voice command, the voice from one location in empty space to another location in empty space.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that one or more electronic devices execute to provide a voice in binaural sound to a user, the method comprising:
measuring, with a wearable electronic device (WED) worn on a head of the user, a distance between eyes of the user;
selecting, based on the distance between the eyes of the user, head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) for the user;
processing, with a processor, the voice with the HRTFs to generate the voice in the binaural sound that localizes at a sound localization point (SLP) at a location in empty space at least one meter away from the head of the user;
maintaining the SLP at a fixed location with respect to the head of the user as the user moves around a room in which the user and the SLP are located such that an origin of the voice at the SLP follows the user as the user moves around the room;
displaying, with the WED and at the SLP at the location in empty space, an augmented reality image of a person that is an intelligent personal assistant;
receiving, at a microphone in the WED, a voice command directed to the intelligent personal assistant; and
moving, by the intelligent personal assistant and in response to receiving the voice command, the SLP at the fixed location with respect to the head of the user to another fixed location with respect to the head of the user.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising:
capturing, with the WED, an image of a room in which the user and the SLP are located;
generating, with the WED, a model of the room to determine sound reverberation of the room; and
altering, in response to the model of the room, processing of the voice to account for the sound reverberation of the room on the voice at the SLP.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising:
capturing, with the WED, an image of a room in which the user and the SLP are located;
generating, with the WED, a model of the room to determine sound reflection of the room; a

Assignees

• Norris Glen A
• Lyren Philip Scott

Inventors

• Norris Glen A
• Lyren Philip Scott

Classifications

• H04M9/085

  using digital techniques (H04M9/082 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04S2400/01

  Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved · 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

• H04R2227/003

  Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet · CPC title

• H04R5/027

  Spatial or constructional arrangements of microphones, e.g. in dummy heads · CPC title