Sound Localization for an Electronic Call

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016227341-A1
Application number	US-201615096352-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 12, 2016
Priority date	Jun 23, 2014
Publication date	Aug 4, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

During an electronic call between two individuals, a sound localization point simulates a location in empty space from where an origin of a voice of one individual occurs for the other individual.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
capturing, with an electronic earphone located at a head of a talking person, binaural sound that will be provided to a listening person during a telephone call; designating, with a computer system, a sound localization point in empty space that is away from and proximate to the listening person such that the sound localization point simulates an origin of the binaural sound at the empty space that the listening person hears during the telephone call; adjusting, with the computer system, the binaural sound captured at the earphone of the talking person so the binaural sound originates during the telephone call from the sound localization point in empty space that is away from and proximate to the listening person; and providing, with an electronic earphone located at a head of the listening person, the binaural sound to the listening person during the telephone call such that the origin of the binaural sound for the listening person occurs at the sound localization point in empty space that is away from and proximate to the listening person.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
tracking a head orientation of the listening person with respect to the sound localization point;
adjusting an interaural time difference of the sound that the listening person hears in response to the listening person changing the head orientation with respect to the sound localization point.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, from the listening person, a location that specifies a distance from the listening person where to position the sound localization point in empty space that is proximate to and away from the listening person.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, from the listening person, a designation of an object that is not an electronic device and that is proximate to and away from the listening person such that the binaural sound at the sound localization point appears to originate from the object.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a sound receiving point that simulates a location in empty space of the listening person to whom the speaking person speaks;
tracking a physical location of the talking person with respect to the sound receiving point;
adjusting an interaural level difference of the binaural sound that the listening person hears in response to the talking person moving closer to and away from the sound receiving point.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
capturing binaural sound from a second talking person;
designating a second sound localization point in empty space that is away from and proximate to the listening person such that the second sound localization point simulates an origin of the binaural sound from the second talking person that the listener hears;
positioning the second sound localization point adjacent to the sound localization point such that the binaural sound captured from the talking person appears to originate from the sound localization point and the binaural sound captured from the second talking person appears to originate from the second sound localization point.

7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
recording the binaural sound as a voice message from the talking person to the listening person;
receiving, from the talking person, a coordinate location that will trigger playback of the voice message to the listening person;
providing the voice message to the listening person when the listening person physically moves into the coordinate location.

8 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that cause a computer system to execute a method, comprising:
commence an electronic call between a first individual wearing an electronic earphone and a second individual that are remote from each other; designate, for the first individual, a sound localization point that simulates a location in empty space from where an origin of a voice of the second individual occurs for the first individual through the electronic earphone such that the sound localization point in empty space is located away from and proximate to the first individual; execute the electronic call such that the origin of the voice of the second individual appears to the first individual to originate from a fixed location that is the sound localization point in empty space while the first individual moves and changes a location and a head orientation with respect to the sound localization point; and maintain the origin of the voice of the second individual at the sound localization point but alter an interaural time difference of the voice that the first individual hears in response to the first individual moving the head orientation with respect to the sound localization point.

9 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 8 further to cause the computer system to execute the method comprising:
maintain the origin of the voice of the second individual at the sound localization point but alter an interaural level difference of the voice that the first individual hears in response to the first individual moving closer to and away from the sound localization point.

10 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 8 further to cause the computer system to execute the method comprising:
monitor movements of the head orientation of the first individual in response to the first individual localizing the voice of the second individual during the electronic call;
adjust head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) of the first individual to more accurately simulate real HRTFs of the first individual in response to the movements of the head orientation of the first individual localizing the voice of the second individual during the electronic call.

11 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 8 further to cause the computer system to execute the method comprising:
determine physical objects located in a room with the first individual;
adjust, based on the physical objects located in the room, the voice of the second individual that the first individual hears such that the voice simulates a natural voice that the first individual would hear if the second individual spoke to the first individual while the first individual and the second individual were proximate to each other in the room.

12 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 8 further to cause the computer system to execute the method comprising:
add a third individual to the electronic call;
designate, for the first individual, a sound localization point that simulates a location in empty space from where an origin of a voice of the third individual occurs for the first individual through the electronic earphone such that the sound localization point of the third individual is adjacent to the sound localization point of the second individual.

13 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 8 further to cause the computer system to execute the method comprising:
determine a size and a shape of a room in which the first individual and the sound localization point are located;
adjust, based on the size and the shape of the room, the voice of the second individual that the first individual hears such that the voice simulates a natural voice that the first individual would hear if the second individual spoke to the first individual while the first individual and the second individual were proximate to eac

Assignees

• Norris Glen A
• Lyren Philip Scott

Inventors

• Norris Glen A
• Lyren Philip Scott

Classifications

• 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

• H04R2227/003

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

• H04M3/568

  audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants (echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30) · CPC title

• H04S2400/11

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

• H04S7/303

  Tracking of listener position or orientation · CPC title