Systems and methods for adjusting audio based on ambient sounds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9781537-B2
Application number	US-201614994058-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2016
Priority date	Jan 12, 2016
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

There is provided a system for use in an environment, the system comprising a microphone, a plurality of speakers, a memory storing an executable code, and a processor executing the executable code to receive a media content including an audio component, play the audio component of the media content over at least one of the plurality of speakers, detect, while playing the audio component, an ambient sound in the environment using the microphone, and adjust playing of the audio component of the media content for the at least one of the plurality of speakers based on the ambient sound in the environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for use in an environment, the system comprising:
a microphone;
a plurality of speakers;
a non-transitory memory storing an executable code; and
a hardware processor executing the executable code to:
receive a media content including a plurality of surround sound audio components;
play the plurality of surround sound audio components of the media content over the plurality of speakers;
detect, while playing the plurality of surround sound audio components, an ambient sound in the environment using the microphone; and
adjust a volume of at least one of the plurality of surround sound audio components, but not all of the plurality of surround sound audio components, based on the ambient sound in the environment, for playing over at least one of the plurality of speakers.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor executes the executable code to further identify the ambient sound using a sound database stored in the non-transitory memory, and wherein detecting includes determining a volume of the ambient sound.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of surround sound audio components have a plurality of sound tracks including a dialog sound track.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein adjusting the volume includes changing a volume of the dialog sound track.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of speakers includes a speaker of a mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the volume pauses the playing of the least one of the plurality of surround sound audio components on the at least one of the plurality of speakers.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the media content includes metadata describing the plurality of surround sound audio components, and wherein the adjusting uses the metadata.

8. A method for use with a system having a non-transitory memory and a hardware processor in an environment, the method comprising:
receiving, using the hardware processor, a media content including a plurality of surround sound audio components;
playing, using the hardware processor, the plurality of surround sound audio components of the media content over a plurality of speakers;
detecting, using the hardware processor while playing the plurality of surround sound audio components, an ambient sound in the environment using a microphone; and
adjusting, using the hardware processor, a volume of at least one of the plurality of surround sound audio components, but not all of the plurality of surround sound audio components, based on the ambient sound in the environment, for playing over at least one of the plurality of speakers.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
identify, using the hardware processor, the ambient sound using a sound database stored in the non-transitory memory, and wherein detecting includes determining a volume of the ambient sound.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of surround sound audio components have a plurality of sound tracks including a dialog sound track.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein adjusting the volume includes changing a volume of the dialog sound track.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of speakers includes a speaker of a mobile device.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein adjusting the volume pauses the playing of the least one of the plurality of surround sound audio components on the at least one of the plurality of speakers.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the media content includes metadata describing the plurality of surround sound audio components, and wherein the adjusting uses the metadata.

Assignees

• Disney Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Smith Tony R
• Silverman Leon
• Chen Alexander C

Classifications

• H04R2499/11

  Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's · CPC title

• H04R3/005

  for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407) · CPC title

• H04R2430/20

  Processing of the output signals of the acoustic transducers of an array for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic (H04R2203/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R2201/401

  2D or 3D arrays of transducers · CPC title

• H04R1/406

  microphones · CPC title