| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 381310000 | Virtual positioning | 34 |
| 20080205676 | Phase-Amplitude Matrixed Surround Decoder - A frequency domain method for phase-amplitude matrixed surround decoding of 2-channel stereo recordings and soundtracks, based on spatial analysis of 2-D or 3-D directional cues in the recording and re-synthesis of these cues for reproduction on any headphone or loudspeaker playback system. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080310658 | Headphone for Sound-Source Compensation and Sound-Image Positioning and Recovery - A headphone for sound-source compensation and sound-image positioning and recovery is provided, including a left speaker device for playing to a left ear of a user left channel sound and right channel sound originating from at least a sound signal, and a right speaker device for playing to a right ear of the user left channel sound and right channel sound originating from the sound signal. A user wearing the headphone of the invention perceives stereo sound field and sound image positioning seemingly provided by a loudspeaker. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090034766 | MIXING DEVICE, METHOD AND PROGRAM - In a situation where a plurality of virtual sound sources are fixedly located, a mixing system allows a listener to increase or decrease the sound volumes of the virtual sound sources with a simple operation. Directional angle difference detection means | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090052703 | System and Method Tracking the Position of a Listener and Transmitting Binaural Audio Data to the Listener - A binaural technology method includes: determining positions related to position of both ears of a listener, receiving a wireless RF signal including binaural audio data is received, and presenting the binaural audio data to the listener By determining ear positions of a listener e.g. in 3D, information of the listener's position e.g. in a virtual environment is known, and further by wireless transmitting binaural audio signals to the listener, it becomes possible to transmit 3D audio data matching the listener's position and movements accordingly. Further, since the position of both ears is known, it is possible to individually match the binaural audio data to the listener, since it is possible to derive from the ear positions a distance between the listener's ears, and hereby a valuable parameter is known that can be used to generate binaural signals that individually fits the listener. Thus, the listener can be provided with a better 3D audio experience. Especially, the determined positions may correspond to ear canal reference points for the binaural audio data. The positions in the ears may be derived based on RF signals, e.g. by using earphones, e.g. in-the-ear type earphones, that are also used to wirelessly receive and reproduce the binaural audio data to the listener. The ear phones may be arranged to wirelessly transmit the determined position data to a remote processor that generates the binaural audio data accordingly. The method may be used for applications such as: binaural synthesis, binaural capturing, inverse binaural filtering, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, teleconferencing, inter-com, exhibition/museum, and traffic signals. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090252356 | SPATIAL AUDIO ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS FOR BINAURAL REPRODUCTION AND FORMAT CONVERSION - A frequency-domain method for format conversion or reproduction of 2-channel or multi-channel audio signals such as recordings is described. The reproduction is based on spatial analysis of directional cues in the input audio signal and conversion of these cues into audio output signal cues for two or more channels in the frequency domain. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20100034404 | VIRTUAL REALITY SOUND FOR ADVANCED MULTI-MEDIA APPLICATIONS - The method and apparatus described herein generates realistic audio for a virtual reality simulation based on the position (location and orientation) of a participant's head. The audio may be generated based on independent and dependent audio profiles. The independent audio profile represents the participant-independent propagation of sound from a virtual source to each of one or more virtual objects in the simulation. The dependent audio profile represents the propagation of the sound from each of the one or more virtual objects to the head or ears of the participant based on a position of the participant's head or ears. An audio processor generates the desired audio signal at the head of the participant by combining the dependent and independent audio profiles to determine a total audio profile for the virtual source, and filtering an audio wave corresponding to the virtual source based on the total audio profile. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100054508 | MULTIPLE-CHANNEL DIGITAL SOUND FIELD WIRELESS EARPHONE DEVICE - A digital wireless earphone device with stereo or multiple-channel sound effect automatic detection and switching functions is provided. The multiple-channel digital wireless earphone device uses a signal processing and transmitting device to decode multiple-channel signal sources. After the decoding is completed, the multiple-channel signal sources are concurrently transmitted to a wireless earphone end through a radio. After being directly digital-to-analog converted and amplified, the multiple-channel signals are connected to a plurality of speakers to generate a multiple-channel surround sound field. The wireless earphone at a receiving end further has an automatic detection function for detecting a 6CH or 2CH sound source and automatically selects an earphone playing mode accordingly. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100166238 | Surround sound virtualization apparatus and method - A surround sound virtualization apparatus and method. The surround sound virtualization apparatus may include an audio decoder to perform head-related transfer function (HRTF) filtering, and a time delay unit to provide a time delay to a plurality of output signals of the audio decoder. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100215199 | METHOD FOR HEADPHONE REPRODUCTION, A HEADPHONE REPRODUCTION SYSTEM, A COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - A method for headphone reproduction of at least two input channel signals is proposed. Said method comprises for each pair of input channel signals from said at least two input channel signals the following steps. First, a common component, an estimated desired position corresponding to said common component, and two residual components corresponding to two input channel signals in said pair of input channel signals are determined. Said determining is being based on said pair of said input channel signals. Each of said residual components is derived from its corresponding input channel signal by subtracting a contribution of the common component. Said contribution is being related to the estimated desired position of the common component. Second, a main virtual source comprising said common component at the estimated desired position and two further virtual sources each comprising a respective one of said residual components at respective predetermined positions are synthesized. | 08-26-2010 |
| 20100246864 | HEADPHONE IMPROVEMENTS - A method of providing an audio signal to a headphone apparatus for a user is disclosed. The method comprises providing a headphone apparatus comprising at least one left speaker for a left ear of a user having a sound path from the left speaker to the left ear canal and at least one right speaker for a right ear of the user having a sound path from the right speaker to the right ear canal, wherein the sound path of the left speaker has a different length from the sound path of the right speaker. The method further comprises sending an audio signal simultaneously to the left speaker and right speaker thereby creating a timing difference in the time the signal is received by each ear canal based on the difference is the length of the sound path. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100303266 | SPATIALIZED AUDIO OVER HEADPHONES - A spatial element is added to communications, including over telephone conference calls heard through headphones or a stereo speaker setup. Functions are created to modify signals from different callers to create the illusion that the callers are speaking from different parts of the room. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20110026745 | DISTRIBUTED SIGNAL PROCESSING OF IMMERSIVE THREE-DIMENSIONAL SOUND FOR AUDIO CONFERENCES - Embodiments of the present invention are directed to audio-conference communication systems that enable audio-conference participants to identify which of the participants are speaking. In one embodiment, an audio-communication system comprises at least one communications server, a plurality of stereo sound generating devices, and a plurality of microphones. Each stereo sound generating device is electronically coupled to the at least one communications server, and each microphone is electronically coupled to the at least one communications server. Each microphone detects different sounds that are sent to the at least one communications server as corresponding sound signals. The at least one communications server converts the sound signals into corresponding stereo signals that when combined and played over each of stereo sound generating devices creates an impression for a person listing to any one of the stereo sound generating devices that each of the sounds emanates from a different virtual location in three-dimensional space. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110299707 | VIRTUAL SPATIAL SOUND SCAPE - An apparatus, method and computer program product relating to spatialized audio. There is a set of headphones having an accelerometer and a tilt sensor for tracking the location and orientation of the set of headphones and a computer apparatus which includes a headphone position processor to receive headphone location and orientation information from the set of headphones, virtual speaker location processors (VSLPs) which receive a digital signal containing audio information from a digital audio stream and a digital signal containing headphone location and orientation information from the headphone position processor and output a digital signal containing audio information, a summing processor to receive the digital output signals from the VSLPs, sum them and output them to a digital to analog (D/A) converter. The D/A converter converts the summed digital output signals received from the VSLPs to an analog signal and outputs the analog signal to the set of headphones. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20120020502 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING HEADPHONE SPATIAL IMPRESSION - A headphone system includes a headphone, a sensor, and a processor. The headphone may provide sound from virtual speakers to a listener via a plurality of sound paths that are filtered with a plurality of filters. The sensor may sense an angular velocity of a movement of the listener. The processor may receive the angular velocity and may calculate delays in the plurality of sound paths and filter coefficients for the plurality of filters based on the angular velocity, and insert the calculated delays in the plurality of sound paths and adjust the plurality of filters with the calculated filter coefficients. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120063619 | HEADPHONE IMPROVEMENTS - A method of providing an audio signal to a headphone apparatus for a user is disclosed. The method comprises providing a headphone apparatus comprising at least one left speaker for a left ear of a user having a sound path from the left speaker to the left ear canal and at least one right speaker for a right ear of the user having a sound path from the right speaker to the right ear canal, wherein the sound path of the left speaker has a different length from the sound path of the right speaker. The method further comprises sending an audio signal simultaneously to the left speaker and right speaker thereby creating a timing difference in the time the signal is received by each ear canal based on the difference is the length of the sound path. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120170779 | HEADPHONES FOR 3D SOUND | 07-05-2012 |
| 20120219165 | HEADPHONE APPARATUS AND SOUND REPRODUCTION METHOD FOR THE SAME - A headphone apparatus includes sound reproduction units which respectively reproduce sound signals and are arranged so as to be separated from ear auricles of a headphone user, wherein each of the sound reproduction unit is configured by a speaker array including a plurality of speakers. | 08-30-2012 |
| 20130177187 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING VIRTUALIZED AUDIO FILES VIA HEADPHONES - Embodiments of the subject invention relate to a method and apparatus for providing virtualized audio files. Specific embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for providing virtualized audio files to a user via in-ear speakers or headphones. A specified embodiment can provide Surround Sound virtualization with DTS Surround Sensations software. Embodiments can utilize the 2-channel audio transmitted to the headphones. In order to accommodate for the user moving the headphones in one or more directions, and/or rotating the headphones, while still allowing the user to perceive the origin of the audio remains is a fixed location, heading data regarding the position of the headphones, the angular direction of the headphones, the movement of the headphones, and/or the rotation of the headphones can be returned from the headphones to a PC or other processing device. Additional processing of the audio files can be performed utilizing all or a portion of the received data to take into account the movement of the headphones. | 07-11-2013 |
| 20130216074 | HEADPHONE DEVICE - [Object] To provide a headphone device in which the influence of individual differences in virtual sound field reproduction is less likely to occur and which may listen external sounds naturally, | 08-22-2013 |
| 20130236040 | AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) AUDIO WITH POSITION AND ACTION TRIGGERED VIRTUAL SOUND EFFECTS - An augmented reality (AR) audio system for augmenting environment or ambient sound with sounds from a virtual speaker or sound source positioned at a location in the space surrounding an AR participant. The sound from the virtual speaker may be triggered by an action of the listener and/or by the location or relative orientation of the listener. The AR audio system includes stereo earphones receiving an augmented audio track from a control unit, and binaural microphones are provided to capture ambient sounds. The control unit operates to process trigger signals and retrieve one or more augmentation sounds. The control unit uses an AR audio mixer to combine the ambient sound from the microphones with the augmentation sounds to generate left and right ear augmented audio or binaural audio, which may be modified for acoustic effects of the environment including virtual objects in the environment or virtual characteristics of real objects. | 09-12-2013 |
| 20130287235 | HEAD-RELATED TRANSFER FUNCTION CONVOLUTION METHOD AND HEAD-RELATED TRANSFER FUNCTION CONVOLUTION DEVICE - A head-related transfer function (HRTF) convolution method arranged, when an audio signal is reproduced acoustically by an electro-acoustic conversion unit disposed in a nearby position of both ears of a listener, to convolute an HRTF into the audio signal, which allows the listener to listen to the audio signal such that a sound image is localized in a perceived virtual sound image localization position, the method including the steps of: measuring, when a sound source is disposed in the virtual sound image localization position, and a sound-collecting unit is disposed in the position of the electro-acoustic conversion unit, a direct-wave direction HRTF regarding the direction of a direct wave, and reflected-wave direction HRTFs regarding the directions of selected one or more reflected waves, from the sound source to the sound-collecting unit, separately beforehand; and convoluting the obtained direct-wave direction HRTF, and the reflected-wave direction HRTFs into the audio signal. | 10-31-2013 |
| 20140010391 | AMPLIFYING AUDIO-VISIUAL DATA BASED ON USER'S HEAD ORIENTATION - One or more devices may receive, from a media presentation device worn by a user, sensory data comprising at least information describing orientation of the media presentation device. The one or more devices may also determine an approximate direction of a gaze of the user in a three dimensional audio space based on the information describing the orientation of the media presentation device, identify a sound source at which the user gazes based on the approximate direction of the gaze of the user in the three dimensional audio space, obtain audio data associated with the sound source based on an identity of the identified sound source, determine an action to perform on the audio data associated with the sound source, and perform the determined action. | 01-09-2014 |
| 20140126758 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PROCESSING SOUND DATA - The invention relates to a method and device for processing sound data comprising determining a listener position; determining a virtual sound source position; receiving sound data; processing the sound data for reproduction by at least one speaker to let the listener perceive the processed sound data reproduced by the speaker to originate from the virtual sound position. This provides the listener with a realistic experience of sound by the speaker. Implementation of the invention allows sound data to be provided also in a dynamic environment, where positions of the listener, the virtual sound source or both can change. For example, sound data may be reproduced by a mobile device by means of headphones to a moving listener, where the virtual sound source is a shop. As the listener moves, the sound data is processed such that when reproduced via the headphones, it is perceived as to originate from the shop. | 05-08-2014 |
| 20140348358 | HEADPHONE AUDIO ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM - An audio enhancement system can provide spatial enhancement, low frequency enhancement, and/or high frequency enhancement for headphone audio. The spatial enhancement can increase the sense of spaciousness or stereo separation between left and right headphone channels. The low frequency enhancement can enhance bass frequencies that are unreproducible or attenuated in headphone speakers by emphasizing harmonics of the low bass frequencies. The high frequency enhancement can emphasize higher frequencies that may be less reproducible or poorly tuned for headphone speakers. In some implementations, the audio enhancement system provides a user interface that enables a user to control the amount (e.g., gains) of each enhancement applied to headphone input signals. The audio enhancement system may also be designed to provide one or more of these enhancements more effectively when headphones with good coupling to the ear are used. | 11-27-2014 |
| 20150092965 | METHOD OF IMPROVING EXTERNALIZATION OF VIRTUAL SURROUND SOUND - Aspects of the present disclosure relate to techniques for processing a source audio signal in order to localize sounds. In particular, aspects of the present disclosure relate to sound localization techniques which externalize sounds for headphone audio, such as a virtual surround sound headphone system. In various implementations, room reverberations and other acoustic effects of the environment may be more accurately modeled using improved room reverberation models. For example, in some implementations, the underlying source signal may be filtered with a filter representing a room impulse response that is a combination of a stereo room impulse response and a mono room impulse response. By way of further example, in some implementations the source signal may be filtered with a combined impulse response filter that is derived from binaural recordings of simulated impulses recorded in a desired reverberant environment. | 04-02-2015 |
| 20150382131 | METHOD FOR OPERATING A VIRTUAL REALITY SYSTEM AND VIRTUAL REALITY SYSTEM - A virtual reality system is operated by, detecting a spatial position of a head of a first person who is wearing virtual reality glasses and headphones, displaying a virtual object within a virtual environment from a virtual direction of view by the virtual reality glasses. The virtual direction of view is specified depending on the detected spatial position of the head. An acoustic recording is reproduced by the headphones. A speech sound of a second person is detected a microphone device and converted into a speech signal. The speech signal is also reproduced by the headphones, the left and right loudspeakers of the headphones being operated depending on the detected spatial position of the head such that the speech signal is reproduced by the loudspeakers as if the speech sound were to pass to the first person without the headphones being worn. | 12-31-2015 |
| 20160029144 | Method of Rendering One or More Captured Audio Soundfields to a Listener - A computer implemented system for rendering captured audio soundfields to a listener ( | 01-28-2016 |
| 20160044436 | SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING A HEAD RELATED AUDIO TRANSFER FUNCTION - The present invention provides for an apparatus, system, and method for generating a head related audio transfer function in real time. Specifically, the present invention utilizes unique structural components including a tragus structure and an antihelix structure in connection with a microphone in order to communicate the location of a sound in three dimensional space to a user. | 02-11-2016 |
| 20160094929 | AUDIO DECODER CONFIGURED TO CONVERT AUDIO INPUT CHANNELS FOR HEADPHONE LISTENING - The proposed technology provides an audio decoder ( | 03-31-2016 |
| 20160119737 | ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR REPRODUCING AUDIO DATA OF AN ACOUSTIC SCENE - An arrangement, for reproducing audio data of an acoustic scene, adapted for generating audio signals for at least a first and a second headphone channel of a headphone assembly, the audio signals corresponding to at least one audio object and/or sound source in the acoustic scene comprising at least one given close range and at least one given distant range arranged around a listener, the arrangement comprising a first headphone channel; a second headphone channel; a basic channel provider comprising at least a basic system adapted for reproducing audio signals corresponding to at least one audio object and/or sound source arranged in at least one distant range; a proximity channel provider comprising at least a proximity system adapted for reproducing audio signals corresponding to at least one audio object and/or sound source arranged in at least one close range. | 04-28-2016 |
| 20160134987 | VIRTUAL SOUND SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Provided are methods and systems for updating a sound field in response to user movement. The methods and systems are less computationally expensive than existing approaches for updating a sound field, and are also suitable for use with arbitrary loudspeaker configurations. The methods and systems provide a dynamic binaural sound field rendering realized with the use of “virtual loudspeakers.” Rather than loudspeaker signals being fed into the physical loudspeakers, the signals are instead filtered with left and right HRIRs (Head Related Input Response) corresponding to the spatial locations of these loudspeakers. The sums of the left and right ear signals are then fed into the audio output device of the user. | 05-12-2016 |
| 20160165350 | AUDIO SOURCE SPATIALIZATION - An audio customization system operates to enhance a user's audio environment. A user may wear headphones and specify what portion the ambient audio and/or source audio will be transmitted to the headphones or the personal speaker system. The audio signal may be enhanced by application of a spatialized transformation using a spatialization engine such as head-related transfer functions so that at least a portion of the audio presented to the personal speaker system will appear to originate from a particular direction. The direction may be modified in response to movement of the personal speaker system. | 06-09-2016 |
| 20160198281 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING AUDIO SIGNALS | 07-07-2016 |
| 20170238096 | AUDIO PLAYBACK DEVICE | 08-17-2017 |
