IP Library Granted Patent US 10,284,939
Granted Patent B2
US 10,284,939 · App. 15/690,371 · Granted May 7, 2019

Headphones system

Inventors: Daniel I. Radin (Waterford, CT); Kent Jopling (Tulsa, OK); Isword Zhang (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
H04R1/1041G06F3/165H04R1/1008H04R2420/07
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,284,939
App. No.
15/690,371
Granted
May 7, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A headphone listening device may include at least one speaker included in an earpiece and configured to playback first audio content from a first audio source. The headphone device may include at least one sensor configured to detect a trigger event and a controller. The controller may be configured to, in response to receiving the trigger event from the sensor, enable at least one microphone to acquire second audio content, fade a volume of the first audio content, and playback the second audio content.

Claims (26)

1. A headphone listening device, comprising:

at least one speaker included in an earpiece and configured to playback first audio content from a first audio source;

at least one switch configured to detect a trigger event, the trigger event including a change in the switch; and

a controller configured to, in response to receiving the trigger event from the switch:

enable at least one microphone to acquire second audio content including ambient noise;

fade a volume of the first audio content over time to a mute to allow for playback of the second audio content instead of the first audio content; and

playback the second audio content;

wherein the sensor is configured to receive a subsequent trigger event from the sensor and the controller is configured to, in response to receiving the subsequent trigger event from the switch:

fade a volume of the second audio content;

disable the microphone; and

resume playback the first audio content.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one switch is further configured to detect a user interaction with the earpiece, the trigger event including the user interaction.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the playback of the second audio content includes a gradual increase in volume over time of the second audio content.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the fade of the volume of the first audio content occurs concurrently with the playback of the second audio content.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to fade the volume of the second audio content to a mute.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the fade of the volume of the second audio content occurs concurrently with the playback of the first audio content.

7. A headphone listening device, comprising:

at least one speaker included in an earpiece and configured to playback first audio content from a first audio source;

at least one sensor including at least one switch configured to detect a change in the switch for switching playback of the first audio content to a second audio content including ambient noise;

at least one microphone configured to detect the ambient noise; and

a controller configured to:

cease playback of the first audio content and initiate playback of a second audio content based on the detected ambient noise by the microphone, in response to the change in the switch; and

enable the at least one microphone to acquire the ambient noise, fade a volume of the first audio content, and resume playback of the second audio content, in response to detecting another change in the switch.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to fade the volume of the first audio content to a mute.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the playback of the second audio content includes a gradual increase in volume over time of the second audio content.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the fade of the volume of the first audio content occurs concurrently with the playback of the second audio content.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 30, 2017
From: RADIN, DANIEL I.; JOPLING, KENT; ZHANG, ISWORD
To: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 043450/0505 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190069069A1 · Feb 28, 2019
Cited By (14)
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