IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,100,909
Granted Patent B2
US 11,100,909 · App. 16/862,376 · Granted Aug 24, 2021

Devices, methods, and graphical user interfaces for adaptively providing audio outputs

Inventors: Hugo D. Verweij (San Francisco, CA); Mitchell R. Lerner (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
G10K11/17827G10K11/17873G10K11/17885G10K2210/1081G10K2210/3056
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,100,909
App. No.
16/862,376
Filed
Apr 29, 2020
Granted
Aug 24, 2021
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2653
USPC
381/71.6
Abstract

A wearable audio output device is in a respective physical environment and in communication with an electronic device. While one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment satisfy first audio criteria, the wearable audio output device provides audio output corresponding to the first audio criteria, the audio output including: audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device at a first device-content audio level; and audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a first ambient-sound audio level. The wearable audio output device detects a change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, and in response to detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, provides audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a second ambient-sound audio level that is different from the first ambient-sound audio level.

Claims (78)

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions that, when executed by a wearable audio output device that is in a respective physical environment and that is in communication with an electronic device, cause the wearable audio output device to:

while one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment satisfy first audio criteria, provide audio output corresponding to the first audio criteria, the audio output including:

audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device at a first device-content audio level; and

audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a first ambient-sound audio level;

detect a change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment; and

in response to detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, provide audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a second ambient-sound audio level that is different from the first ambient-sound audio level.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions that, when executed by the wearable audio output device, cause the wearable audio output device to:

in response to detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, provide, via the wearable audio output device, audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device at a second device-content audio level that is different from the first device-content audio level.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein:

while the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment satisfy the first audio criteria, the audio output further includes audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a first audio-cancelling audio level; and

the one or more programs include instructions that, when executed by the wearable audio output device, cause the wearable audio output device to:

in response to detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, provide audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a second audio-cancelling audio level that is different from the first audio-cancelling audio level.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 3 , wherein:

detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment includes detecting an increase in speech in the respective physical environment; and

in response to detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, the second audio-cancelling audio level is zero.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the audio output includes audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment, and the audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment is based on an amount by which ambient sound from the respective physical environment is reduced by the wearable audio output device when worn by a user.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein, while providing audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device, audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment is provided at an ambient-sound audio level that is lower than an ambient-sound audio level at which audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment is provided while not providing audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions that, when executed by the wearable audio output device, cause the wearable audio output device to:

prior to detecting a second change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, detect a user input via the wearable audio output device;

detect the second change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment;

in accordance with a determination that the second change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment is detected after a predefined time period since detecting the user input, change a respective audio level of respective audio, the respective audio comprising the audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device, the audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment, and/or audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment; and

in accordance with a determination that the second change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment is detected within the predefined time period since detecting the user input, forgo changing the respective audio level of the respective audio.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the wearable audio output device includes one or more pose sensors for detecting a pose of the wearable audio output device, and the one or more programs include instructions that, when executed by the wearable audio output device, cause the wearable audio output device to:

detect a change in the pose of the wearable audio output device;

wherein the audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment is provided at the second ambient-sound audio level further in response to detecting the change in the pose of the wearable audio output device.

9. A wearable audio output device that is in a respective physical environment and that is in communication with an electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

while one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment satisfy first audio criteria, providing audio output corresponding to the first audio criteria, the audio output including:

audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device at a first device-content audio level; and

audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a first ambient-sound audio level;

detecting a change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment; and

in response to detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, providing audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a second ambient-sound audio level that is different from the first ambient-sound audio level.

10. The wearable audio output device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

in response to detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, providing, via the wearable audio output device, audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device at a second device-content audio level that is different from the first device-content audio level.

11. The wearable audio output device of claim 9 , wherein:

while the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment satisfy the first audio criteria, the audio output further includes audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a first audio-cancelling audio level; and

the one or more programs include instructions for:

in response to detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, providing audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a second audio-cancelling audio level that is different from the first audio-cancelling audio level.

12. The wearable audio output device of claim 11 , wherein:

detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment includes detecting an increase in speech in the respective physical environment; and

in response to detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, the second audio-cancelling audio level is zero.

13. The wearable audio output device of claim 9 , wherein the audio output includes audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment, and the audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment is based on an amount by which ambient sound from the respective physical environment is reduced by the wearable audio output device when worn by a user.

14. The wearable audio output device of claim 9 , wherein, while providing audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device, audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment is provided at an ambient-sound audio level that is lower than an ambient-sound audio level at which audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment is provided while not providing audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device.

15. The wearable audio output device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

prior to detecting a second change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, detecting a user input via the wearable audio output device;

detecting the second change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment;

in accordance with a determination that the second change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment is detected after a predefined time period since detecting the user input, changing a respective audio level of respective audio, the respective audio comprising the audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device, the audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment, and/or audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment; and

in accordance with a determination that the second change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment is detected within the predefined time period since detecting the user input, forgoing changing the respective audio level of the respective audio.

16. The wearable audio output device of claim 9 , wherein the wearable audio output device includes one or more pose sensors for detecting a pose of the wearable audio output device, and the one or more programs include instructions for:

detecting a change in the pose of the one or more wearable audio output device;

wherein the audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment is provided at the second ambient-sound audio level further in response to detecting the change in the pose of the wearable audio output device.

17. A method, comprising:

at one or more wearable audio output devices that are in a respective physical environment and that are in communication with an electronic device:

while one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment satisfy first audio criteria, providing audio output corresponding to the first audio criteria, the audio output including:

audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device at a first device-content audio level; and

audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a first ambient-sound audio level;

detecting a change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment; and

in response to detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, providing audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a second ambient-sound audio level that is different from the first ambient-sound audio level.

18. The method of claim 17 , including:

in response to detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, providing, via the one or more wearable audio output devices, audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device at a second device-content audio level that is different from the first device-content audio level.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein:

while the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment satisfy the first audio criteria, the audio output further includes audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a first audio-cancelling audio level; and

the method includes:

in response to detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, providing audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment at a second audio-cancelling audio level that is different from the first audio-cancelling audio level.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein:

detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment includes detecting an increase in speech in the respective physical environment; and

in response to detecting the change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, the second audio-cancelling audio level is zero.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the audio output includes audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment, and the audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment is based on an amount by which ambient sound from the respective physical environment is reduced by the one or more wearable audio output devices when worn by a user.

22. The method of claim 17 , wherein, while providing audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device, audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment is provided at an ambient-sound audio level that is lower than an ambient-sound audio level at which audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment is provided while not providing audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device.

23. The method of claim 17 , including:

prior to detecting a second change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment, detecting a user input via the one or more wearable audio output devices;

detecting the second change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment;

in accordance with a determination that the second change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment is detected after a predefined time period since detecting the user input, changing a respective audio level of respective audio, the respective audio comprising the audio corresponding to audio content from the electronic device, the audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment, and/or audio configured to cancel at least a portion of ambient sound from the respective physical environment; and

in accordance with a determination that the second change in the one or more audio properties of the respective physical environment is detected within the predefined time period since detecting the user input, forgoing changing the respective audio level of the respective audio.

24. The method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more wearable audio output devices include one or more pose sensors for detecting a pose of the one or more wearable audio output devices, and the method includes:

detecting a change in the pose of the one or more wearable audio output devices;

wherein the audio corresponding to ambient sound from the respective physical environment is provided at the second ambient-sound audio level further in response to detecting the change in the pose of the one or more wearable audio output devices.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2020
From: VERWEIJ, HUGO D.; LERNER, MITCHELL R.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 053203/0398 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62843891 · May 6, 2019
Related Publication 20200357374A1 · Nov 12, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,377,738