Transmitter and receiver audio devices and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016269128-A1
Application number	US-201615062135-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 6, 2016
Priority date	Mar 10, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A receiver-audio-device and a transmitter-audio-device. The receiver-audio-device comprises a receiver-ultrasound-receiver, configured to receive transmitter-ultrasound-signals representative of a request, from a transmitter-audio-device, for complementary audio resources; and a receiver-processor, configured to generate a complementary-audio-output-signal based on at least the transmitter-ultrasound-signals and to provide the complementary-audio-output-signal to a receiver-loudspeaker. The receiver-loudspeaker is configured to provide a complementary-audio-output based on the complementary-audio-output-signal. The transmitter-audio-device, comprising: a transmitter-ultrasound-transmitter, configured to provide transmitter-ultrasound-signals representative of a request for complementary audio resources; a transmitter processor, configured to generate an audio-output-signal and to provide the audio-output-signal to a transmitter-loudspeaker. The transmitter-loudspeaker is configured to provide an audio-output based on the audio-output-signal.

First claim

1 . A receiver-audio-device, comprising:
a receiver-ultrasound-receiver, configured to receive transmitter-ultrasound-signals representative of a request, from a transmitter-audio-device, for complementary audio resources; and a receiver-processor, configured to generate a complementary-audio-output-signal based on at least the transmitter-ultrasound-signals and to provide the complementary-audio-output-signal to a receiver-loudspeaker; wherein the receiver-loudspeaker is configured to provide a complementary-audio-output based on the complementary-audio-output-signal.

2 . The receiver-audio-device of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter-ultrasound-signals are representative of an audio source or information representative of requested audio reproduction for providing the complementary-audio-output or identifier information that identifies a particular audio source.

3 . The receiver-audio-device of claim 1 , further comprising an audio-source-signal-receiver configured to receive an audio source from a communication channel or a memory, the audio source for providing the complementary-audio-output.

4 . The receiver-audio-device of claim 2 , wherein the transmitter-ultrasound-signals comprise information representative of audio reproduction requested by the transmitter-audio-device, and wherein the receiver-processor is configured to provide the complementary-audio-output-signal by one or more of:
filtering the audio source based on the audio reproduction requested by the transmitter-audio-device; selecting one or more channels of the audio source based on the audio reproduction requested by the transmitter-audio-device; and amplifying the audio source to a particular volume level based on the audio reproduction requested by the transmitter-audio-device.

5 . The receiver-audio-device of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter-ultrasound-signals are representative of a spatial location of the transmitter-audio-device and/or a temporal offset of the audio signal, and wherein the receiver-audio-device is configured to provide delayed complementary-audio-output based on the spatial location of the transmitter-audio-device and a spatial location of the receiver-audio-device.

6 . The receiver-audio-device of claim 1 , wherein the receiver-loudspeaker is the receiver-ultrasound-receiver.

7 . The receiver-audio-device of claim 1 , further comprising a receiver-ultrasound-transmitter configured to provide receiver-ultrasound signaling representative of the receiver-audio-device.

8 . A transmitter-audio-device, comprising:
a transmitter-ultrasound-transmitter, configured to provide transmitter-ultrasound-signals representative of a request for complementary audio resources; a transmitter-processor, configured to generate an audio-output-signal and to provide the audio-output-signal to a transmitter-loudspeaker; wherein the transmitter-loudspeaker is configured to provide an audio-output based on the audio-output-signal.

9 . The transmitter-audio-device of claim 8 , wherein the transmitter-ultrasound-signals comprise an audio source or information representative of audio reproduction requested by the transmitter-audio-device or identifier information.

10 . The transmitter-audio-device of claim 8 , further comprising:
a transmitter-ultrasound-receiver configured to receive one or more receiver-ultrasound-signals representative of audio capabilities of a one or more receiver-audio-devices; the transmitter-audio device further comprising a processor configured to:
determine if the one or more receiver-ultrasound-signals are representative of audio capabilities that may be used to enhance the quality of audio reproduction; and
generate an adapted-transmitter-audio-loudspeaker-signal based on the one or more receiver-ultrasound-signals.

11 . The transmitter-audio-device of claim 8 , further comprising:
a transmitter-ultrasound-receiver configured to receive receiver-ultrasound-signals representative of a receiver-audio-device with complementary audio resources; the transmitter-audio device further comprising a processor configured to:
set a transmitter-device-compatibility-indicator if the receiver-ultrasound-signals satisfy a transmitter-device-compatibility-criterion; and
when the transmitter-device-compatibility-indicator is set,

generate an adapted-transmitter-audio-loudspeaker-signal based on the satisfied transmitter-device-compatibility-criterion, wherein the adapted-transmitter-audio-loudspeaker-signal is configured to cause the transmitter-loudspeaker to provide an adapted-audio-output.

12 . The transmitter-audio-device of claim 8 , wherein the transmitter-ultrasound-signals comprise information representative of audio reproduction requested by the transmitter-audio-device, and wherein the transmitter-processor is configured to provide the adapted-transmitter-audio-loudspeaker-signal by one or more of:
filtering an audio source based on the audio reproduction requested by the transmitter-audio-device; selecting one or more channels of an audio source based on the audio reproduction requested by the transmitter-audio-device; amplifying an audio source to a particular volume level based on the audio reproduction requested by the transmitter-audio-device; and delaying an audio source based on a relative position of the transmitter-audio-device and the receiver-audio-device.

13 . The transmitter-audio-device of claim 9 , wherein:
the transmitter-ultrasound-receiver is configured to receive a plurality of receiver-ultrasound-signals representative of a respective plurality of receiver-audio-devices with complementary audio resources; the processor is configured to set a plurality of transmitter-device-compatibility-indicators based on the plurality of receiver-ultrasound-signals and a plurality of transmitter-device-compatibility-criteria; and when the one or more transmitter-device-compatibility-indicators are set, the processor is further configured to:
generate one or more transmitter-ultrasound-signals representative of complementary-audio-output for one or more of the plurality of receiver-audio-devices; and
generate an adapted-transmitter-audio-loudspeaker-signal based on the one or more complementary-transmitter-ultrasound-signals.

14 . The transmitter-audio-device of claim 8 , wherein the transmitter-ultrasound-signals are representative of one or more of:
an audio source for providing the complementary-audio-output by a respective receiver-audio-device; identifier information for co-ordinating provision of the complementary-audio-output by a respective receiver-audio-device; frequency band information for defining the complementary-audio-output for a respective receiver-audio-device; audio channel information for defining the complementary-audio-output for a respective receiver-audio-device; and audio volume level information for defining the complementary-audio-output for a respective receiver-audio-device.

15 . The transmitter-audio-device of claim 10 , configured to provide radio frequency electromagnetic signaling representative of an audio source for acoustic output by a receiver-audio-device.

Assignees

• Nxp Bv

Inventors

• Gautama Temujin
• Ricquier Nico

Classifications

• H04B11/00 Primary

  Transmission systems employing ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title

• H04R3/00

  Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title

• H04R2430/01

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

• H04R3/12 Primary

  for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} · CPC title

• H04S7/301

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