IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,445,790
Granted Patent B2
US 12,445,790 · App. 18/601,961 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Reproducing audio signals with a haptic apparatus on acoustic headphones and their calibration and measurement

Inventors: Rocky Chau-Hsiung Lin (Cupertino, CA); Thomas Yamasaki (Anaheim Hills, CA)
Assignee: Alpine Electronics of Silicon Valley, Inc.
H04R29/00G01H11/06G06F3/165H04R1/1008H04R1/1091H04R1/22H04R3/04H04R31/00H04R1/1041H04R2420/07H04R2460/13
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,445,790
App. No.
18/601,961
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Method and devices for testing a headphone with increased sensation are provided. The headphone can filter and amplify low frequency audio signals, which are then sent to a haptic device in the headphone. The haptic device can cause bass sensations at the top of the skull and at both ear cups. The testing system can evaluate the haptic and acoustic sensations produced by the headphone to evaluate if they have been properly assembled and calibrate the headphones if necessary.

Claims (27)

1. A headset, comprising:

a headband configured to be placed on a top of a head;

a first circumaural ear cup incorporating a first driver therein attached to one end of the headband, wherein the first driver is configured to receive a first audio channel of an audio signal;

a second circumaural ear cup incorporating a second driver therein, attached to an opposite end of the headband and oriented to face back toward the first circumaural ear cup, wherein the second driver is configured to receive a second audio channel of the audio signal;

a signal processor configured to receive at least one of the first and second audio channels;

a first haptic device incorporated in the first circumaural ear cup, wherein the first haptic device is a first mono, low-frequency driver configured to receive the first audio channel; and

a second haptic device incorporated in the second circumaural ear cup, wherein the second haptic device is a second mono, low-frequency driver configured to receive the second audio channel.

2. The headset of claim 1 , wherein the headband provides a clamping force of approximately 300 g to 600 g.

3. The headset of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second circumaural ear cups includes a headphone jack.

4. The headset of claim 3 , wherein a mass of the first haptic device is not significantly higher or lower than a mass of the headband.

5. The headset of claim 1 , wherein the first haptic device uses a voice coil or magnet to generate vibrations.

6. The headset of claim 5 , further comprising:

an amplifier, wherein an input of the amplifier is connected to an output of the signal processor, and wherein the first haptic device is connected to an output of the amplifier.

7. The headset of claim 6 , wherein the first haptic device is configured to limit reproduction to low-frequency content from the at least one of the first and second audio channels.

8. The headset of claim 7 , wherein the headset includes a user control to adjust an operation of the first haptic device.

9. The headset of claim 1 , wherein the headset includes a network interface.

10. The headset of claim 9 , wherein the network interface is configured to receive audio information.

11. The headset of claim 10 , wherein the network interface is a wireless network interface.

12. The headset of claim 11 , wherein the network interface includes a radio for making a communication connection.

13. The headset of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second circumaural ear cups is configured to swivel.

14. The headset of claim 1 , wherein the headset is configured to receive non-audio information.

15. The headset of claim 14 , wherein the non-audio information includes a haptic event.

16. The headset of claim 15 , wherein the headset is configured to simulate a shaking sensation to occur substantially simultaneously with the haptic event.

17. The headset of claim 16 , wherein the haptic event includes an explosion event on a gaming device.

18. The headset of claim 14 , wherein the non-audio information includes a sound profile.

19. The headset of claim 18 , wherein the sound profile is customized to a user.

20. The headset of claim 19 , further comprising electronics configured to receive the sound profile and modify the first and second audio channels in accordance with the sound profile.

Continuity (9)
Continuation 17813280 · Jul 18, 2022
Continuation 16787532 · Feb 11, 2020
Continuation 15669823 · Aug 4, 2017
Continuation 14609357 · Jan 29, 2015
Continuation 14512679 · Oct 13, 2014
Continuation In Part 14269015 · May 2, 2014
Continuation 14181512 · Feb 14, 2014
Provisional Application 61924148 · Jan 6, 2014
Related Publication 20240214755A1 · Jun 27, 2024
References Cited (223)
US 1969559A · Kelly · 1934 [cited by applicant]
US 2151706A · Lieber · 1939 [cited by applicant]
US 2249572A · Lieber · 1941 [cited by applicant]
US 2681389A · Shaper · 1954 [cited by applicant]
US 2930858A · Hollingsworth · 1960 [cited by applicant]
US 3125646A · Lewis · 1964 [cited by applicant]
US 3134861A · Dempsey et al. · 1964 [cited by applicant]
US 3571529A · Gharib et al. · 1971 [cited by applicant]
US 3586425A · Gilman · 1971 [cited by applicant]
US 3600068A · Jolicoeur, Jr. et al. · 1971 [cited by applicant]
US 3604861A · Lewis et al. · 1971 [cited by applicant]
US 3718763A · Cannon et al. · 1973 [cited by applicant]
US 3764745A · Bottcher et al. · 1973 [cited by applicant]
US 3808354A · Feezor et al. · 1974 [cited by applicant]
US 3894195A · Kryter · 1975 [cited by applicant]
US 3962543A · Blauert et al. · 1976 [cited by applicant]
US 3980842A · Weisbrich · 1976 [cited by applicant]
US 3989904A · Rohrer et al. · 1976 [cited by applicant]
US 4006318A · Sebesta et al. · 1977 [cited by applicant]
US 4039750A · Hull · 1977 [cited by applicant]
US 4051331A · Strong et al. · 1977 [cited by applicant]
US 4110583A · Lepper · 1978 [cited by applicant]
US 4173715A · Gosman · 1979 [cited by applicant]
US 4201225A · Bethea et al. · 1980 [cited by applicant]
US 4284847A · Besserman · 1981 [cited by applicant]
US 4289935A · Zollner et al. · 1981 [cited by applicant]
US 4309575A · Zweig et al. · 1982 [cited by applicant]
US 4425481A · Mansgold et al. · 1984 [cited by applicant]
US 4471171A · Koepke et al. · 1984 [cited by applicant]
US 4548082A · Engebretson et al. · 1985 [cited by applicant]
US 4591668A · Iwata · 1986 [cited by applicant]
US 4622440A · Slavin · 1986 [cited by applicant]
US 4677679A · Killion · 1987 [cited by applicant]
US 4731850A · Levitt et al. · 1988 [cited by applicant]
US 4791672A · Nunley et al. · 1988 [cited by applicant]
US 4821323A · Papiernik · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 4868880A · Bennett, Jr. · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 4879749A · Levitt et al. · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 4887299A · Cummins et al. · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 4901355A · Moore · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 4926139A · Anderson et al. · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 4972468A · Murase et al. · 1990 [cited by applicant]
US 5027410A · Williamson et al. · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5046102A · Zwicker et al. · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5054079A · Frielingsdorf et al. · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5086464A · Groppe · 1992 [cited by applicant]
US 5146501A · Spector · 1992 [cited by applicant]
US 5164987A · Raven · 1992 [cited by applicant]
US 5195132A · Bowker et al. · 1993 [cited by applicant]
US 5197332A · Shennib · 1993 [cited by applicant]
US 5323468A · Bottesch · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5333195A · Bowker et al. · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5335285A · Gluz · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5355418A · Kelsey et al. · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5371799A · Lowe et al. · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5388185A · Terry et al. · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5406633A · Miller et al. · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5406635A · Jarvinen · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5438626A · Neuman et al. · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5452359A · Inanaga et al. · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US RE35051E · Moore · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5457751A · Such · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5485515A · Allen et al. · 1996 [cited by applicant]
US 5495534A · Inanaga et al. · 1996 [cited by applicant]
US 5500902A · Stockham et al. · 1996 [cited by applicant]
US 5506911A · Neuman et al. · 1996 [cited by applicant]
US 5521919A · Anderson et al. · 1996 [cited by applicant]
US 5524148A · Allen et al. · 1996 [cited by applicant]
US 5526423A · Ohuchi et al. · 1996 [cited by applicant]
US 5539806A · Allen et al. · 1996 [cited by applicant]
US 5590213A · Urella et al. · 1996 [cited by applicant]
US 5592545A · Ho et al. · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 5596507A · Jones et al. · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 5608803A · Magotra et al. · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 5615270A · Miller et al. · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 5630159A · Zancho · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 5638438A · Keen · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 5642426A · Neuman et al. · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 5663727A · Vokac · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 5706352A · Engebretson et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5715323A · Walker · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5717767A · Inanaga et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5721783A · Anderson · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5737389A · Allen · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5737719A · Terry · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5794201A · Nejime et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5802164A · Clancy et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5811681A · Braun et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5848171A · Stockham et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5854843A · Jacknin et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5854978A · Heidari · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5867457A · Pervulescu et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5867582A · Nagayoshi · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5868683A · Protopapas et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5890124A · Galbi · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5892836A · Ishige et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5896449A · Oshidari et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5903076A · Suyama · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5903655A · Salmi et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5907823A · Sjoeberg et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5910990A · Jang · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5923764A · Shennib · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5928160A · Clark et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5930758A · Nishiguchi et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5943413A · Ash et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5956674A · Smyth et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5974380A · Smyth et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5978762A · Smyth et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5986813A · Saikawa et al. · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 5987418A · Gentit · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 6022315A · Iliff · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6029126A · Malvar · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6036496A · Miller et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6055502A · Kitamura · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6061431A · Knappe et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6072885A · Stockham, et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6078675A · Bowen-Nielsen et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6084975A · Perkins · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6094481A · Deville et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6098039A · Nishida et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6104822A · Melanson et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6141427A · Fukuda · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6212496B1 · Campbell et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6233345B1 · Urwyler · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6298249B1 · Locarno et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6322521B1 · Hou · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6433801B1 · Moon et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6463128B1 · Elwin · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6483925B1 · Shen et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6603863B1 · Nagayoshi · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 6674867B2 · Basseas · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6684063B2 · Berger et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6694143B1 · Beamish et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6792122B1 · Okada et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 6913578B2 · Hou · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 6944309B2 · Terai et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 7110743B2 · Depew et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 7123737B2 · Ham · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 7181297B1 · Pluvinage et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 7324655B2 · Sato · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 7848512B2 · Eldracher · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 7983437B2 · Wong et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8139803B2 · Afshar · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8175302B2 · Tanghe et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8175316B2 · Yamagishi et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8213632B2 · Yamagishi et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8370030B1 · Gurin · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8411893B2 · Ito et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8433580B2 · Sugiyama et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8447042B2 · Gurin · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8473099B2 · Sugiyama et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8538059B2 · Yamagishi et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8767996B1 · Lin et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8892233B1 · Lin et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8977376B1 · Lin et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9083821B2 · Hughes · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9462371B2 · Li · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9729985B2 · Lin et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9760827B1 · Lin et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9965720B2 · Lin et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10204302B2 · Lin et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10210451B2 · Lin et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20020068986A1 · Mouline · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 20030128859A1 · Greene et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 20030165247A1 · Bantz et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 20060095516A1 · Wijeratne · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20060171553A1 · Wong et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20070038164A1 · Afshar · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20070081529A1 · Sugiyama et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20080112581A1 · Kim · 2008 [cited by examiner]
US 20080318597A1 · Berns et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20090185699A1 · Kim · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20100033333A1 · Victor et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20100278359A1 · Rostami · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20110009770A1 · Margolis et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20110170702A1 · Bays · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20110206216A1 · Brunner · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20120035513A1 · Afshar · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20120089299A1 · Breed · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20130218942A1 · Willis et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140056459A1 · Oishi · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140073486A1 · Ahmed et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140335902A1 · Guba et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150179062A1 · Ralston et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150195664A1 · Lin et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150216762A1 · Oohashi et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160001781A1 · Fung et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160034809A1 · Trenholm et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160205238A1 · Abramson et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160347310A1 · Moran et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170001650A1 · Park · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170045890A1 · Gurin · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170206440A1 · Schrier et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170332162A1 · Lin et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
AU 1996052098 · 1997 [cited by applicant]
CN 101310557 · 2008 [cited by applicant]
DE 19600234A1 · 1997 [cited by applicant]
DE 29905172 · 1999 [cited by applicant]
DE 19815373A1 · 1999 [cited by applicant]
EP 0329383A2 · 1989 [cited by applicant]
EP 1931170 · 2008 [cited by applicant]
EP 2302953 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
JP H11133998A · 1999 [cited by applicant]
JP 2000236280A · 2000 [cited by applicant]
WO 9506996A1 · 1995 [cited by applicant]
WO 9805150A1 · 1998 [cited by applicant]
WO 9847314A2 · 1998 [cited by applicant]
WO 9851124A1 · 1998 [cited by applicant]
WO 9851126A1 · 1998 [cited by applicant]
WO 9914986A1 · 1999 [cited by applicant]
WO 9931937A1 · 1999 [cited by applicant]
WO 0064350A1 · 2000 [cited by applicant]
WO 0152737A1 · 2001 [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 60/177,695, filed Jan. 24, 2000 entitled “Remote Hearing Test,” inventor Zezhang Hou. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 60/189,010, filed Mar. 13, 2000 entitled “Method and System for On-Line Hearing Examination and Correction,” inventor Zezhang Hou. [cited by applicant]
Wireless Short Message Service (SMS) Telecommunication Systems Web ProForum Tutorials, pp. 1-18. [cited by applicant]
“Sony Online World, Memory Stick, The Concept”, http://www.world.sony.com/Electronics/MS/concepUexp2.html, Oct. 11, 1999. [cited by applicant]
Braida, et al., “Review of Recent Research on Multiband Amplitude Compression for the Hearing Impaired”, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1982, 133-140. [cited by applicant]
Lippmann, et al., “Study of Multichannel Amplitude Compression and Linear Amplification for Persons with Sensorineural Hearing Loss”, Acoustical Society of America Feb. 69(2):524-534, 1981, 524-534. [cited by applicant]
Unser, et al., “B-Spline Signal Processing: Part II—Efficient Design and Applications”, IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, 41 (2):834-848, 1993, 834-848. [cited by applicant]
Villchur, et al., “Signal Processing to Improve Speech Intelligibility in Perceptive Deafness”, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 53(6):1646-1657, 1973, 1646-1657. [cited by applicant]
Ohn-Bar, et al., “On surveillance for safety critical events: In-vehicle video networks for predictive driver assistance systems”, 2015, Computer Vision and Image Understanding, 134, pp. 130-140. [cited by applicant]
Dong, et al., “Driver Inattention Monitoring System for Intelligent Vehicles: A Review”, Jun. 2011, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 596-614. [cited by applicant]