Selective adjustment of sound playback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12141498-B2
Application number	US-202017755912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2020
Priority date	Dec 12, 2019
Publication date	Nov 12, 2024
Grant date	Nov 12, 2024

Abstract

A device for managing sound playback includes one or more processors configured to receive an indication of a user-device interaction between a user and an audio interface device during a sound playback operation of a multi-speaker audio playback system. The one or more processors are also configured to, based on receiving the indication of the user-device interaction, initiate a selective adjustment of the sound playback operation to reduce a playback sound of the multi-speaker audio playback system based on a position of the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for managing sound playback, the device comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
receive an indication of a user-device interaction between a user and an audio interface device during a sound playback operation of a multi-speaker audio playback system; and
based on receiving the indication of the user-device interaction, initiate a selective adjustment of the sound playback operation to reduce a playback sound of the multi-speaker audio playback system based on a position of the user, wherein the selective adjustment of the sound playback operation refrains from reducing a playback sound at a position of a second user.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the audio interface device includes a voice-activated device.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the selective adjustment of the sound playback operation includes reducing a playback sound of one or more first speakers of the multi-speaker audio playback system and refraining from reducing a playback sound of one or more second speakers of the multi-speaker audio playback system.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein reducing the playback sound of the one or more first speakers includes deactivating the one or more first speakers.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to detect the position of the user relative to the audio interface device based on a direction of arrival of an audio signal at the audio interface device, and wherein the audio signal corresponds to speech of the user.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the user-device interaction includes receipt of the speech of the user at the audio interface device.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to detect the position of the user based on an image of the user captured by a camera.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the user-device interaction includes a user gesture indicated in the image.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform the selective adjustment of the sound playback operation by adjusting one or more parameters associated with a portion of audio prior to streaming the portion of audio to the multi-speaker audio playback system.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to initiate the selective adjustment of the sound playback operation by sending an adjustment request to the multi-speaker audio playback system to perform the selective adjustment of the sound playback operation.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the adjustment request indicates the position of the user.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the multi-speaker audio playback system includes a beamforming-capable speaker system or sound bar.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the audio interface device includes a microphone, a speaker, or both.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein a home automation system includes the audio interface device and the multi-speaker audio playback system.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are included in an integrated circuit.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are included in a vehicle.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are implemented in an audio device, and wherein the audio device includes a wireless speaker and voice activated device with an integrated assistant application.

18. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an antenna; and
a transceiver coupled to the antenna and configured to receive the indication from the audio interface device, to send a control signal to the multi-speaker audio playback system, or both.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors, the antenna, and the transceiver are integrated into a mobile device.

20. The device of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors, the antenna, and the transceiver are integrated into a base station.

21. A method of sound playback, the method comprising:
receiving, at a device, an indication of a user-device interaction between a user and an audio interface device during a sound playback operation of a multi-speaker audio playback system; and
based on receiving the indication of the user-device interaction, initiating, at the device, a selective adjustment of the sound playback operation to reduce the playback sound based on a position of the user, wherein the selective adjustment of the sound playback operation refrains from reducing a playback sound at a position of a second user.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the selective adjustment of the sound playback operation reduces a playback sound at a position of the audio interface device.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
generating one or more filters based on the position of the user, the one or more filters configured to reduce the playback sound at the position of the audio interface device, at the position of the user, or both, via beamforming; and
sending the one or more filters to the multi-speaker audio playback system during the sound playback operation.

24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
applying one or more filters to one or more audio signals to generate one or more filtered audio signals; and
sending the one or more filtered audio signals to one or more first speakers of the multi-speaker audio playback system to reduce the playback sound at the position of the audio interface device, at the position of the user, or both, via beamforming.

25. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive an indication of a user-device interaction between a user and an audio interface device during a sound playback operation of a multi-speaker audio playback system; and
based on receiving the indication of the user-device interaction, initiate a selective adjustment of the sound playback operation to reduce a playback sound of the multi-speaker audio playback system based on a position of the user, wherein the selective adjustment of the sound playback operation refrains from reducing a playback sound at a position of a second user.

26. The computer-readable storage device of claim 25 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to detect the position of the user relative to the audio interface device based on a direction of arrival of an audio signal at the audio interface device.

27. An apparatus comprising:
means for receiving an indication of a user-device interaction between a user and an audio interface device during a sound playback operation of a multi-speaker audio playback system; and
means for initiating a selective adjustment of the sound playback operation to reduce a playback sound based on a position of the user, the selective adjustment initiated based on receiving the indication of the user-device interaction, wherein the selective adjustment of the sound playback operation refrains from reducing a playback sound at a position of a second user.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the means for receiving the indication of the user-device interaction, and the means for initiating the selective adjustment of the sound playback operation are integrated into at least one of a home au

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Filos Jason
• Olivieri Ferdinando
• Peters Nils Gunther

Classifications

• H04S7/302

  Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation (H04S7/301 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R2430/01

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

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• H04R2227/005

  Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use · CPC title