IP Library Granted Patent US 8,254,591
Granted Patent B2
US 8,254,591 · App. 12/024,842 · Granted Aug 28, 2012

Method and device for audio recording

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,254,591
App. No.
12/024,842
Granted
Aug 28, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

An earpiece ( 100 ) is provided. The earpiece can include an Ambient Sound Microphone ( 111 ) configured to capture ambient sound, an Ear Canal Microphone ( 123 ) configured to capture internal sound in the ear canal, a memory ( 208 ) configured to record at least a portion of the history of the ambient sound and the internal sound, and a processor ( 121 ) configured to save a recent portion of the history responsive to an event.

Claims (37)

1. A headset, comprising:

a left earpiece including:

a left Ambient Sound Microphone (LASM) configured to capture first ambient sound, and

a left Ear Canal Microphone (LECM) configured to capture first internal sound in a left ear canal;

a right earpiece including:

a right Ambient Sound Microphone (RASM) configured to capture second ambient sound, and

a right Ear Canal Microphone (RECM) configured to capture second internal sound in a right ear canal;

a memory configured to record at least one of the first ambient sound or the second ambient sound and at least one of the first internal sound or the second internal sound, and

a processor operatively coupled to the left earpiece, the right earpiece and the memory, the processor configured to save a recent portion of the at least one of the first ambient sound or the second ambient sound and the at least one of the first internal sound or the second internal sound responsive to an event.

2. The headset of claim 1 , wherein the event is a touching of the headset, a recognizing of a voice command, a starting or ending of a phone call, or a scheduled time.

3. The headset of claim 1 , wherein the processor triggers the event responsive to detecting an abrupt movement of the headset, or a change in location of the headset.

4. The headset of claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises:

a data buffer to temporarily capture the at least one of the first ambient sound or the second ambient sound and the at least one of the first internal sound or the second internal sound; and

a storage memory to save from the data buffer the recent portion of the at least one of the first ambient sound or the second ambient sound and the at least one of the first internal sound or the second internal sound in a compressed data format responsive to a directive by the processor.

5. The headset of claim 4 , wherein the data buffer is a circular buffer that temporarily stores the at least one of the first ambient sound or the second ambient sound and the at least one of the first internal sound or the second internal sound at a current time point to a previous time point.

6. The headset of claim 1 , wherein the processor saves a last two minutes of the recent portion, and audibly presents the last two minutes responsive to a user request,

wherein the recent portion is at least one a conversation, a voice mail, or an audio recording.

7. The headset of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first internal sound or the second internal sound is an ambient sound, speech, or audio content.

8. The headset of claim 1 , wherein the left earpiece and the right earpiece constitute a microphone array, and the processor increases a signal to noise ratio of audio content delivered to the headset with respect to the ambient sound using the microphone array.

9. The headset of claim 1 , wherein the processor binaurally records the first ambient sound, the second ambient sound, the first internal sound and the second internal sound from the left earpiece and the right earpiece, respectively.

10. The headset of claim 1 , further comprising:

an audio interface communicatively coupled to the processor to deliver audio content by way of a left Ear Canal Receiver (ECR) and a right ECR of the respective left earpiece and the right earpiece, wherein the memory records a history of the audio content with a residual sound, the first internal sound and the second internal sound.

11. An earpiece, comprising:

an Ambient Sound Microphone (ASM) configured to capture ambient sound;

an Ear Canal Microphone (ECM) configured to capture internal sound in an ear canal;

a memory; and

a processor operatively coupled to the ASM, the ECM and the memory, where the processor is configured to save a portion of at least one of the captured ambient sound and the captured internal sound in response to an event, wherein the event is a detected sound signature within the ambient sound.

12. The earpiece of claim 11 , wherein the processor monitors the ambient sound for a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) change event, and in response to detecting the SPL change event commits saves a portion of the ambient sound to the memory.

13. The earpiece of claim 11 , wherein the portion saved is at least one of a conversation, a voice mail, or an audio recording.

14. An earpiece, comprising:

an Ambient Sound Microphone (ASM) configured to capture ambient sound;

an Ear Canal Microphone (ECM) configured to capture internal sound in an ear canal;

an Ear Canal Receiver (ECR) configured to deliver audio content to the ear canal;

a memory; and

a processor operatively coupled to the ASM, the ECM, the ECR and the memory, where the processor is configured to save a portion of at least one of the captured ambient sound, the captured internal sound, and the delivered audio content in response to an event.

15. The earpiece of claim 14 , wherein the processor continually records a history of at least one of the captured ambient sound, the captured internal sound, and the delivered audio content in the memory.

16. The earpiece of claim 14 , wherein the event is a touching of the earpiece, a recognizing of a voice command, a starting or ending of a phone call, an abrupt movement of the earpiece, or a scheduled time.

Assignments (14)
MERGER Recorded May 9, 2026
From: ST CASE1TECH, LLC; ST CASESTECH, LLC; ST FAMTECH, LLC; ST R&DTECH, LLC; ST TIPTECH, LLC; ST SEALTECH, LLC; ST BIOTECH, LLC; ST EARTECH, LLC; ST DETECTTECH, LLC; ST VRTECH, LLC; ST AWARETECH, LLC; CASES2TECH, LLC
To: ST PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 075533/0472 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 25, 2025
From: ST CASE1TECH, LLC
To: ST FAMTECH, LLC
Reel/Frame 070325/0865 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2024
From: ST PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS, LLC
To: ST CASE1TECH, LLC
Reel/Frame 067803/0398 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2024
From: STATON TECHIYA, LLC
To: ST PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 067803/0308 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE'S NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 042992 FRAME: 0493. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 1, 2017
From: PERSONICS HOLDINGS, INC.; PERSONICS HOLDINGS, LLC
To: DM STATON FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, ASSIGNEE OF STATON FAMILY INVESTMENTS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 043392/0961 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNOR'S NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 042992 FRAME 0524. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF THE ENTIRE INTEREST AND GOOD WILL. Recorded Aug 1, 2017
From: DM STATON FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, ASSIGNEE OF STATON FAMILY INVESTMENTS, LTD.
To: STATON TECHIYA, LLC
Reel/Frame 043393/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2017
From: PERSONICS HOLDINGS, INC.; PERSONICS HOLDINGS, LLC
To: DM STATION FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, ASSIGNEE OF STATON FAMILY INVESTMENTS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 042992/0493 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2017
From: DM STATION FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, ASSIGNEE OF STATON FAMILY INVESTMENTS, LTD.
To: STATON TECHIYA, LLC
Reel/Frame 042992/0524 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2014
From: PERSONICS HOLDINGS, LLC
To: DM STATON FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP (AS ASSIGNEE OF MARIA B. STATON)
Reel/Frame 034170/0933 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2014
From: PERSONICS HOLDINGS, LLC
To: DM STATON FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP (AS ASSIGNEE OF MARIA B. STATON)
Reel/Frame 034170/0771 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 8, 2014
From: PERSONICS HOLDINGS, INC.
To: PERSONICS HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 032189/0304 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 19, 2013
From: PERSONICS HOLDINGS, INC.
To: STATON FAMILY INVESTMENTS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 030249/0078 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 28, 2011
From: GOLDSTEIN, STEVEN WAYNE; USHER, JOHN; BOILLOT, MARC ANDRE
To: PERSONICS HOLDINGS INC.
Reel/Frame 025714/0219 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 21, 2008
From: GOLDSTEIN, STEVEN WAYNE; USHER, JOHN; BOILLOT, MARC ANDRE
To: PERSONICS HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 020834/0347 →