Spatial audio to enable safe headphone use during exercise and commuting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10764708-B2
Application number	US-201916454900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2019
Priority date	Feb 28, 2018
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

Sound is produced through headphones in a manner that improves user experience and increases safety. In some circumstances, such as when the user is moving during exercise, commuting, etc., an audio safety spatialization mode of the headphones is automatically activated. In this mode, sound is spatialized such that when the user turns his head, the sound appears to be generated from a same position in space as before the user turned his head. If the user's head remains in the turned position, the spatialized sound will return to an initialized position with respect to the user's head.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing sound through one or more wearable audio output devices having a right ear portion and a left ear portion, the method comprising:
emitting sound through the wearable audio output devices in a first mode;
detecting one or more conditions surrounding a user wearing the one or more wearable audio output devices;
determining, based on the detected conditions, an activity being performed by the user;
determining, with one or more processors, whether the determined activity triggers an audio spatialization mode for the one or more wearable audio output devices, in which audio output is adjusted in relation to angular movement with respect to a virtual audio source, wherein determining whether the determined activity triggers an audio spatialization mode comprises determining whether the activity comprises at least one of:
moving in a given direction within a threshold range of speed,
moving within a threshold distance of vehicular traffic, or
moving on a path traveled by other people; and

activating the audio spatialization mode when the determined activity triggers the audio spatialization mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold range of speeds encompasses speeds associated with at least one of walking or cycling.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold range of speeds is slower than speeds associated with traveling in a motor vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting the angular movement of the one or more wearable audio output devices when the audio spatialization mode is activated.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the audio spatialization mode comprises:
establishing the virtual audio source at a first position, the first position being a first point in space relative to a neutral position of the one or more wearable audio output devices when worn by a user;
generating sound through the right ear portion and the left ear portion of the one or more wearable audio output devices, such that the sound is produced with an effect of emanating from the virtual source;
detecting angular movement of the one or more wearable audio output devices with respect to the first position;
determining an angle of the wearable audio output device with respect to the first position as a result of the detected angular movement;
adjusting a sound level in at least one of the right ear portion or the left ear portion based on the determined angle; and
moving the virtual audio source to a second position when one or more conditions are met, the second position being a second point in space different from the first point in space but a same position relative to the neutral position of the one or more wearable audio output devices.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein adjusting the sound level comprises:
reducing the sound level in the left ear portion when the detected angular movement of the wearable audio output device is to the left; and
reducing the sound level in the right ear portion when the detected angular movement of the wearable audio output device is to the right.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein adjusting the sound level comprises:
increasing the sound level in the right ear portion when the detected angular movement of the wearable audio output device is to the left; and
increasing the sound level in the left ear portion when the detected angular movement of the wearable audio output device is to the right.

8. A system, comprising:
one or more wearable audio output devices comprising a left-ear audio output and a right-ear audio output;
one or more sensors;
a memory storing instructions for generating audio through the left-ear audio output and the right-ear audio output; and
one or more processors in communication with the memory and the one or more sensors, the one or more processors configured to:
emit sound through the wearable audio output devices in a first mode;
detect one or more conditions surrounding a user wearing the one or more wearable audio output devices;
determine, based on the detected conditions, an activity being performed by the user;
determine whether the determined activity triggers an audio spatialization mode for the one or more wearable audio output devices, in which audio output is adjusted in relation to angular movement with respect to a virtual audio source, wherein determining whether the determined activity triggers an audio spatialization mode comprises determining whether the activity comprises at least one of:
moving in a given direction within a threshold range of speed,
moving within a threshold distance of vehicular traffic, or
moving on a path traveled by other people; and

activate the audio spatialization mode when the determined activity triggers the audio spatialization mode.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the threshold range of speeds encompasses speeds associated with at least one of walking or cycling.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the threshold range of speeds is slower than speeds associated with traveling in a motor vehicle.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to detect the angular movement of the one or more wearable audio output devices when the audio spatialization mode is activated.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein in activating the audio spatialization mode, the one or more processors are further configured to:
establish the virtual audio source at a first position, the first position being a first point in space relative to a neutral position of the one or more wearable audio output devices when worn by a user;
generate sound through the right ear portion and the left ear portion of the one or more wearable audio output devices, such that the sound is produced with an effect of emanating from the virtual source;
detect angular movement of the one or more wearable audio output devices with respect to the first position;
determine an angle of the wearable audio output device with respect to the first position as a result of the detected angular movement;
adjust a sound level in at least one of the right ear portion or the left ear portion based on the determined angle; and
move the virtual audio source to a second position when one or more conditions are met, the second position being a second point in space different from the first point in space but a same position relative to the neutral position of the one or more wearable audio output devices.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein adjusting the sound level comprises:
reducing the sound level in the left ear portion when the detected angular movement of the wearable audio output device is to the left; and
reducing the sound level in the right ear portion when the detected angular movement of the wearable audio output device is to the right.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein adjusting the sound level comprises:
increasing the sound level in the right ear portion when the detected angular movement of the wearable audio output device is to the left; and
increasing the sound level in the left ear portion when the detected angular movement of the wearable audio output device is to the right.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Moeller Jonathan

Classifications

• 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

• H04S2400/13

  Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems · CPC title

• H04S2400/11

  Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field (H04S2420/13 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04S7/304 Primary

  For headphones · CPC title

• H04S7/301

  Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone · CPC title