In-ear monitoring system and method with bidirectional channel

1 . An in-ear monitoring system, comprising:

first and second in-ear assemblies, each in-ear assembly comprising:

an outside microphone configured to receive acoustic energy from an acoustic environment external to a wearer of the first and second in-ear assemblies and convert the acoustic energy into corresponding ambient electrical signals;

a voice channel microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to the wearer and to receive acoustic signals generated by the wearer and selectively configurable to convert the acoustic signals into first voice electrical signals;

a communication subsystem configured to receive a mix of acoustic electrical signals and to selectively transmit the first voice electrical signals;

a digital signal processing (DSP) circuit configured to receive the ambient electrical signals and the mix of acoustic electrical signals, and to further process the ambient electrical signals and the mix of acoustic electrical signals according to in-ear assembly processing parameters to provide an output signal; and

an output transducer configured to receive the output signal and convert the output signal into an acoustic signal heard by the wearer.

2 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein:

the communication subsystem is further configured to digitally modulate the first voice signal.

3 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein:

the communication subsystem is further configured to receive second voice electrical signals; and

the DSP circuit is further configured to process the second voice electrical signals to provide the output signal.

4 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 3 , wherein:

the DSP circuit is further configured to attenuate the ambient electrical signals and the mix of acoustic electrical signals when receiving the second voice electrical signals.

5 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 3 , further comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to receive the second voice signal from a base station over a first wireless communication protocol and transmit the second voice signal to the communication subsystem in the first and second in-ear assemblies.

6 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 5 , wherein:

the wireless transceiver is further configured to receive the mix of acoustic electrical signals from the base station over the first wireless communication protocol and transmit the mix of acoustic electrical signals to the communication subsystem in the first and second in-ear assemblies.

7 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 5 , wherein:

the communication subsystem in the first and second in-ear assemblies is a wireless communication subsystem; and

the wireless transceiver is further configured to transmit the second voice signal to the first and second in-ear assemblies over a second wireless communication protocol.

8 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 5 , wherein:

the base station is configured to address a plurality of pairs of first and second in-ear assemblies and to address the second voice signal to one or more addressed pairs of first and second in-ear assemblies.

9 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein:

the wireless transceiver is further configured to select one or more addressed pairs of first and second in-ear assemblies and address the first voice electrical signals to the selected addressed pairs of first and second in-ear assemblies.

10 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 9 , wherein:

the communication subsystem in the first and second in-ear assemblies is a wireless communication subsystem; and

the wireless transceiver is further configured to transmit the mix of acoustic electrical signals and the second voice signal to the first and second in-ear assemblies over a second wireless communication protocol.

11 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 10 , wherein:

the first wireless communication protocol is a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol and the second wireless communication protocol is a personal area network (PAN) protocol.

12 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein:

each voice channel microphone is selectively configurable by the wearer to receive occlusion acoustic energy from the wearer's inner ear and convert the sounds into occlusion electrical signals; and

wherein each DSP circuit is further configured to receive and process the occlusion electrical signals so that the generated output signal has a reduced occlusion characteristic.

13 . A method of in-ear monitoring, comprising:

receiving ambient acoustic energy from an acoustic environment external to a wearer of the first and second in-ear assemblies;

converting the ambient acoustic energy into corresponding ambient electrical signals;

receiving first voice acoustic signals generated by the wearer;

converting the first voice acoustic signals into first voice electrical signals;

receiving a mix of acoustic electrical signals;

transmitting the first voice electrical signals over a bidirectional voice channel;

processing the ambient electrical signals and the mix of acoustic electrical signals according to in-ear assembly processing parameters to provide an output signal; and

converting the output signal into an acoustic signal heard by the wearer.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

digitally modulating the first voice signal.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving second voice electrical signals over the bidirectional voice channel; and

processing the second voice electrical signals to provide the output signal.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

attenuating the ambient electrical signals and the mix of acoustic electrical signals when receiving the second voice electrical signals.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:

the bidirectional voice channel comprises a first wireless link according to a first wireless communication protocol and a second wireless link according to a second wireless communication protocol.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein:

the first wireless communication protocol conforms to a personal area network (PAN) protocol and the second wireless communication protocol conforms to a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

addressing a plurality of pairs of first and second in-ear assemblies; and

selecting one or more addressed pairs of first and second in-ear assemblies; and

addressing the first voice electrical signal to the selected one or more addressed first and second in-ear assemblies.

20 . An in-ear monitoring system, comprising:

first and second in-ear assemblies, each comprising:

means for receiving ambient acoustic energy from an acoustic environment external to a wearer of the first and second in-ear assemblies;

means for converting the ambient acoustic energy into corresponding ambient electrical signals;

means for receiving first voice acoustic signals generated by the wearer;

means for converting the first voice acoustic signals into first voice electrical signals;

means for receiving a mix of acoustic electrical signals;

means for transmitting the first voice electrical signals over a bidirectional voice channel;

means for processing the ambient electrical signals and the mix of acoustic electrical signals according to in-ear assembly processing parameters to provide an output signal; and

means for converting the output signal into an acoustic signal heard by the wearer.

21 . An in-ear monitoring system, comprising:

first and second in-ear assemblies, wherein at least one of the first and second in-ear assembly comprises an outside microphone configured to receive acoustic energy from an acoustic environment external to a wearer of the first and second in-ear assemblies and convert the acoustic energy into corresponding ambient electrical signals, and further configured to receive acoustic signals generated by the wearer and selectively configurable to convert the acoustic signals into first voice electrical signals;

a communication subsystem configured to receive a mix of acoustic electrical signals and to selectively transmit the first voice electrical signals;

a digital signal processing (DSP) circuit configured to receive the ambient electrical signals and the mix of acoustic electrical signals, and to further process the ambient electrical signals and the mix of acoustic electrical signals according to in-ear assembly processing parameters to provide an output signal; and

wherein each first and second in-ear assembly includes an output transducer configured to receive the output signal and convert the output signal into an acoustic signal heard by the wearer.

22 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 21 , wherein:

the communication subsystem and DSP circuit comprise a wireless transceiver.

23 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 22 , wherein:

the communication subsystem is further configured to receive second voice electrical signals; and

the DSP circuit is further configured to process the second voice electrical signals to provide the output signal.

24 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 23 , wherein:

the DSP circuit is further configured to attenuate the ambient electrical signals and the mix of acoustic electrical signals when receiving the second voice electrical signals.

25 . The in-ear monitoring system of claim 23 , wherein:

the wireless transceiver is configured to receive the second voice signal from a base station over a first wireless communication protocol.