Inferring pinnae information via beam forming to produce individualized spatial audio

1. A method comprising:

generating, by acoustic sensors of a sensor array, audio data from one or more sounds received by the acoustic sensors;

generating beamformed signals by processing the audio data using beamformers, each beamformer pointing to a different portion of an ear of a user;

determining transfer functions defining transformations of the sound caused by reflections from the different portions of the ear using the beamformed signals; and

generating spatialized audio content for the ear based on the transfer functions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the spatialized audio content based on the transfer functions includes:

determining an at-the-ear equalization filter based on the transfer functions; and

adjusting audio content for the user using the at-the-ear equalization filter.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the at-the-ear equalization filter includes referencing a database of reference at-the-ear equalization filters.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the at-the-ear equalization filter includes correlating the transfer functions to a filter calibrated for the user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the transfer functions defining transformations of the sound caused by reflections from the portions of the ear using the beamformed signals includes:

generating, by the acoustic sensors of the sensor array, other audio data from one or more other sounds received by the acoustic sensors without reflection from the portions of the ear;

generating calibration signals by processing the other audio data using the beamformers; and

determining the transfer functions using the beamformed signals and the calibration signals.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

at least one acoustic sensor of the sensor array is positioned at an entrance of an ear canal of the ear of the user; and

determining the transfer functions defining transformations of the sound caused by reflections from the portions of the ear using the beamformed signals includes:

generating, by the at least one acoustic sensor of the sensor array, other audio data from one or more other sounds received by the at least one acoustic sensor; and

determining the transfer functions using the beamformed signals and the other audio data.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beamformed signals collectively indicate a measure of sound pressure at a center of the ear of the user.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating, by at least one transducer, the one or more sounds received by the acoustic sensors.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each beamformer points to a different portion of a pinna of the ear.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a first beamformer of the beamformers pointing to a first portion of the ear;

generating first audio data of the audio content by the acoustic sensors of the sensor array from a first sound of the one or more sounds; and

processing the first audio data using the first beamformer to generate a first beamformed signal of the beamformed signals.

11. An audio system comprising:

a sensor array including acoustic sensors, the acoustic sensors configured to:

generate audio data from one or more sounds received by the acoustic sensors; and

an audio controller configured to:

generate beamformed signals by processing the audio data using beamformers for the acoustic sensors of the sensor array, each beamformer pointing to a different portion of an ear of a user;

determine transfer functions defining transformations of the sound caused by reflections from the different portions of the ear using the beamformed signals; and

generate spatialized audio content for the ear based on the transfer functions.

12. The audio system of claim 11 , wherein the audio controller is further configured to:

determine an at-the-ear equalization filter based on the transfer functions; and

adjust audio content using the at-the-ear equalization filter.

13. The audio system of claim 12 , wherein the audio controller is further configured to reference a database of reference at-the-ear equalization filters.

14. The audio system of claim 12 , wherein the audio controller is further configured to correlate the transfer functions to a filter calibrated for the user.

15. The audio system of claim 11 , wherein the audio controller is further configured to:

generate, by the acoustic sensors of the sensor array, other audio data from one or more other sounds received by the acoustic sensors without reflection from the portions of the ear;

generate calibration signals by processing the other audio data using the beamformers; and

determine the transfer functions using the beamformed signals and the calibration signals.

16. The audio system of claim 11 , wherein:

at least one acoustic sensor of the sensor array is positioned at an entrance of an ear canal of the ear of the user; and

the audio controller is further configured to:

generate, by the at least one acoustic sensor of the sensor array, other audio data from one or more other sounds received by the at least one acoustic sensor; and

determine the transfer functions using the beamformed signals and the other audio data.

17. The audio system of claim 11 , wherein the beamformed signals collectively indicate a measure of sound pressure at a center of the ear of the user.

18. The audio system of claim 11 , wherein each beamformer points to a different portion of a pinna of the ear.

19. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium storing instructions for presenting spatialized audio content, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

generating, by acoustic sensors of a sensor array, audio data from one or more sounds received by the acoustic sensors;

generating beamformed signals by processing the audio data using beamformers, each beamformer pointing to a different portion of an ear of a user;

determining transfer functions defining transformations of the sound caused by reflections from the different portions of the ear using the beamformed signals; and

generating spatialized audio content for the ear based on the transfer functions.

20. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

determining an at-the-ear equalization filter based on the transfer functions; and

adjusting audio content for the user using the at-the-ear equalization filter.