IP Library Granted Patent US 10,785,587
Granted Patent B2
US 10,785,587 · App. 16/851,171 · Granted Sep 22, 2020

Adjusting ambient sound playing through speakers in headphones

Inventors: Glen A. Norris (Tokyo, JP); Philip Scott Lyren (Bangkok, TH)
H04S1/002H04M1/605H04M1/6033H04M1/72572H04M3/53366H04M3/568H04M9/085H04R5/027H04R5/033H04R5/04H04S1/007H04S3/008H04S7/303H04S7/304G10L21/028H04R27/00H04R2227/003H04S7/305H04S2400/01H04S2400/11H04S2400/15H04S2420/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,785,587
App. No.
16/851,171
Granted
Sep 22, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Headphones include one or more microphones that capture ambient sound in an environment of a user. The headphones play music from a smartphone and the ambient sound through speakers. An amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers is adjusted in response to determining an atmospheric pressure in the environment or movement of the smartphone with the user.

Claims (49)

1. A method comprising:

capturing, with one or more microphones in headphones worn on a head of a user, ambient sound in an environment of the user;

playing, through speakers in the headphones, the ambient sound captured with the one or more microphones and music received from a smartphone in wireless communication with the headphones;

determining, by the headphones, an atmospheric pressure in the environment of the user; and

adjusting an amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in the headphones in response to determining the atmospheric pressure in the environment of the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting of the amplitude of the ambient sound includes automatically reducing the amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in the headphones in response to determining the atmospheric pressure in the environment of the user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a global positioning system (GPS) location of the smartphone; and

adjusting the amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in the headphones based on the GPS location of the smartphone.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, with one or more sensors in the smartphone, motion of the smartphone with the user; and

adjusting the amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in the headphones based on the motion of the smartphone.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, with an accelerometer in the smartphone, motion of the smartphone with the user; and

canceling non-vocal components of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in the headphones in response to determining the motion of the smartphone.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, from the ambient sound, a voice in the environment of the user; and

processing, by the headphones, the ambient sound to enhance the voice playing through the speakers in the headphones while filtering non-voice in the ambient sound.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adjusting the amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in the headphones in response to determining that the user is on an airplane.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

canceling, by the headphones, non-voice components in the ambient sound; and

enhancing vocal components in the ambient sound that plays to the user through the speakers.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that one or more electronic devices execute as a method comprising:

capturing, with one or more microphones in headphones worn on a head of a user, ambient sound in an environment of the user;

playing, through speakers in the headphones, the ambient sound captured with the one or more microphones and music received from a smartphone in wireless communication with the headphones;

determining, with the smartphone, movement of the smartphone with the user;

changing an amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in the headphones in response to determining the movement of the smartphone with the user; and

reducing, with a processor in the headphones, the amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in the headphones in response to a change in atmospheric pressure in the environment of the user.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 in which the method further comprises:

capturing, with the one or more microphones in the headphones, binaural sound of a voice in the environment of the user; and

enhancing, with the headphones, the binaural sound of the voice that plays through the speakers in the headphones.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 in which the method further comprises:

determining, with the smartphone, a global positioning system (GPS) location of the smartphone with the user; and

changing the amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in the headphones in response to the smartphone determining the GPS location of the smartphone with the user.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 in which the method further comprises:

reducing an amplitude of non-vocal components of the ambient sound playing through the speakers and enhancing an amplitude of a voice in the ambient sound playing through the speakers in response to determining the movement of the smartphone with the user.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 in which the method further comprises:

reducing the amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in the headphones in response to determining the user is on an airplane.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 in which the method further comprises:

reducing, with a processor in the headphones, the amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in the headphones in response to determining the smartphone with the user is moving.

15. An electronic system, comprising:

a smartphone that includes one or more sensors that determine movement of a user with the smartphone; and

headphones that include one or more microphones that capture ambient sound in the environment of the user, a processor that processes the ambient sound, and speakers that play the ambient sound along with music wirelessly received from the smartphone,

wherein the processor automatically changes an amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in response to the smartphone determining the user with the smartphone is moving, and

wherein the processor reduces the amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in response to the headphones determining a change in the atmospheric pressure in an environment of the user.

16. The electronic system of claim 15 , wherein the processor reduces non-vocal components of the ambient sound and enhances a voice in the ambient sound playing through the speakers in response to the smartphone determining the movement of the user with the smartphone.

17. The electronic system of claim 15 , wherein the processor reduces the amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in response to the smartphone determining the user with the smartphone is walking.

18. The electronic system of claim 15 , wherein the processor reduces the amplitude of the ambient sound playing through the speakers in response to the smartphone determining the user with the smartphone is located on an airplane.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2023
From: LYREN, PHILIP S.; NORRIS, GLEN A.
To: ANALOG AUDIO LLC
Reel/Frame 065732/0392 →
Continuity (16)
Continuation 16401160 · May 2, 2019
Continuation 15729681 · Oct 11, 2017
Continuation 15728527 · Oct 10, 2017
Continuation 15674998 · Aug 11, 2017
Continuation 15674960 · Aug 11, 2017
Continuation 15635224 · Jun 28, 2017
Continuation 15610640 · Jun 1, 2017
Continuation 15441199 · Feb 23, 2017
Continuation 15430549 · Feb 13, 2017
Continuation 15367186 · Dec 2, 2016
Continuation 15259072 · Sep 8, 2016
Continuation 15096352 · Apr 12, 2016
Continuation 15011563 · Jan 31, 2016
Continuation 14946806 · Nov 20, 2015
Continuation 14311532 · Jun 23, 2014
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