SCHEME FOR EMBEDDING A CONTROL SIGNAL IN AN AUDIO SIGNAL

1 . A method, comprising:

generating an audio signal;

generating a control signal that is configured to control a haptic feedback device that is incorporated into a device for delivering audio based on the audio signal to a user; and

embedding the control signal in the audio signal.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the embedding the control signal in the audio signal comprises:

filtering out signal power from the audio signal in a portion of a frequency range of the audio signal.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the embedding the control signal in the audio signal further comprises:

modulating the control signal onto one or more carrier waves having frequencies that are in the portion of the frequency range of the audio signal.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the portion of the frequency range comprises frequencies below a predetermined frequency of the frequency range.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the portion of the frequency range comprises frequencies above a predetermined frequency of the frequency range.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the portion of the frequency range comprises frequencies that most humans cannot hear.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending the audio signal having the embedded control signal to the device for delivering audio.

8 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more computer programs configured to cause a processor based system to execute steps comprising:

generating an audio signal;

generating a control signal that is configured to control a haptic feedback device that is incorporated into a device for delivering audio based on the audio signal to a user; and

embedding the control signal in the audio signal.

9 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the embedding the control signal in the audio signal comprises:

filtering out signal power from the audio signal in a portion of a frequency range of the audio signal.

10 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the embedding the control signal in the audio signal further comprises:

modulating the control signal onto one or more carrier waves having frequencies that are in the portion of the frequency range of the audio signal.

11 . A system, comprising:

an audio output interface;

a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the audio output interface; and

a memory coupled to the CPU and storing program code that is configured to cause the CPU to execute steps comprising,

generating an audio signal;

generating a control signal that is configured to control a haptic feedback device that is incorporated into a device for delivering audio based on the audio signal to a user;

embedding the control signal in the audio signal; and

providing the audio signal having the embedded control signal to the audio output interface.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the embedding the control signal in the audio signal comprises:

filtering out signal power from the audio signal in a portion of a frequency range of the audio signal.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the embedding the control signal in the audio signal further comprises:

modulating the control signal onto one or more carrier waves having frequencies that are in the portion of the frequency range of the audio signal.

14 . A method, comprising:

receiving a signal that comprises an audio signal having an embedded control signal;

recovering the audio signal from the received signal;

using the recovered audio signal to generate audio in a device for delivering audio;

recovering the control signal from the received signal; and

using the recovered control signal to control a haptic feedback device that is incorporated into the device for delivering audio.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the recovering the audio signal from the received signal comprises:

filtering the received signal to remove audio signal power from a portion of a frequency range of the received signal to form the recovered audio signal.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the recovering the control signal from the received signal comprises:

filtering the received signal to remove signal power from frequencies other than the portion of the frequency range of the received signal to form a filtered signal.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the recovering the control signal from the received signal further comprises:

decoding the filtered signal to extract the control signal.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the portion of the frequency range comprises frequencies below a predetermined frequency of the frequency range.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the portion of the frequency range comprises frequencies above a predetermined frequency of the frequency range.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the portion of the frequency range comprises frequencies that most humans cannot hear.

21 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the device for delivering audio comprises a device configured to be worn on a human's head and deliver audio to one or both of the human's ears.

22 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more computer programs configured to cause a processor based system to execute steps comprising:

receiving a signal that comprises an audio signal having an embedded control signal;

recovering the audio signal from the received signal;

using the recovered audio signal to generate audio in a device for delivering audio;

recovering the control signal from the received signal; and

using the recovered control signal to control a haptic feedback device that is incorporated into the device for delivering audio.

23 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22 , wherein the recovering the audio signal from the received signal comprises:

filtering the received signal to remove audio signal power from a portion of a frequency range of the received signal to form the recovered audio signal.

24 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein the recovering the control signal from the received signal comprises:

filtering the received signal to remove signal power from frequencies other than the portion of the frequency range of the received signal to form a filtered signal.

25 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 24 , wherein the recovering the control signal from the received signal further comprises:

decoding the filtered signal to extract the control signal.

26 . A system, comprising:

at least one sound reproducing device;

at least one haptic feedback device;

a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the at least one sound reproducing device and the at least one haptic feedback device; and

a memory coupled to the CPU and storing program code that is configured to cause the CPU to execute steps comprising,

receiving a signal that comprises an audio signal having an embedded control signal;

recovering the audio signal from the received signal;

using the recovered audio signal to generate audio in the at least one sound reproducing device;

recovering the control signal from the received signal; and

using the recovered control signal to control the at least one haptic feedback device.

27 . The system of claim 26 , wherein the recovering the audio signal from the received signal comprises:

filtering the received signal to remove audio signal power from a portion of a frequency range of the received signal to form the recovered audio signal.

28 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the recovering the control signal from the received signal comprises:

filtering the received signal to remove signal power from frequencies other than the portion of the frequency range of the received signal to form a filtered signal.

29 . The system of claim 28 , wherein the recovering the control signal from the received signal further comprises:

decoding the filtered signal to extract the control signal.