# US 10,375,506 B1 · Spatial audio to enable safe headphone use during exercise and commuting > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,506 B1 - Document ID: US10375506B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/908,206 - Filed: 2018-02-28 - Published: 2019-08-29 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-28 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Applicants: Google LLC - Inventors: Jonathan Moeller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375506B1 ## CPC - H04S 7/304: {For headphones} - G06F 3/012: {Head tracking input arrangements} - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback} - H04R 5/033: Headphones for stereophonic communication {(details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10)} - H04S 7/301: {Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone} - G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)} - H04R 1/1041: {Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H)} - H04S 2400/11: Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field (H04S2420/13 takes precedence) - H04S 2400/13: Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems - H04S 2420/01: Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD] - H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract Sound is produced through headphones in a manner that improves user experience and increases safety. In some circumstances, such as when the user is moving during exercise, commuting, etc., an audio safety spatialization mode of the headphones is automatically activated. In this mode, sound is spatialized such that when the user turns his head, the sound appears to be generated from a same position in space as before the user turned his head. If the user's head remains in the turned position, the spatialized sound will return to an initialized position with respect to the user's head. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: detecting a direction of movement of headphones having a right ear portion and a left ear portion; establishing a virtual audio source for the headphones based on the direction of movement; generating sound through the right ear portion and the left ear portion of the headphones, such that the sound is produced with an effect of emanating from the virtual audio source; detecting angular movement of the headphones with respect to the virtual audio source; and adjusting the sound generated through at least one of the right ear portion or the left ear portion based on the angular movement with respect to the virtual audio source, wherein adjusting the sound in the right ear portion comprises at least one of reducing the sound level in the left ear portion or increasing the sound level in the right ear portion when the detected angular movement of the headphones is to the left, and adjusting the sound in the left ear portion comprises at least one of reducing the sound level in the right ear portion or increasing the sound level in the left ear portion when the detected angular movement of the headphones is to the right. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the direction of movement of the headphones comprises detecting forward linear movement when the headphones are in a neutral orientation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein establishing the virtual audio source comprises establishing the virtual audio source at a position in front of the headphones. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting a change in the direction of movement of the headphones; and moving the virtual audio source based on the detected change in the direction of movement. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein detecting the change in the direction of movement comprising detecting a change in orientation of the headphones for a predetermined period of time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the sound comprises adjusting a volume level in at least one of the right ear portion or the left ear portion. ### Claim 7 A system, comprising: headphones comprising a left-ear audio output and a right-ear audio output; one or more sensors; a memory storing instructions for generating audio through the left-ear audio output and the right-ear audio output; and one or more processors in communication with the memory and the one or more sensors, the one or more processors configured to: receive input from the one or more sensors; detect a direction of movement of the headphones based on the received input; establish a virtual audio source for the headphones based on the direction of movement; generate sound through the right ear portion and the left ear portion of the headphones, such that the sound is produced with an effect of emanating from the virtual audio source; detect angular movement of the headphones with respect to the virtual audio source; adjust the sound generated through at least one of the right ear portion or the left ear portion based on the angular movement with respect to the virtual audio source, wherein adjusting the sound in the right ear portion comprises at least one of reducing the sound level in the left ear portion or increasing the sound level in the right ear portion when the detected angular movement of the headphones is to the left, and adjusting the sound in the left ear portion comprises at least one of reducing the sound level in the right ear portion or increasing the sound level in the left ear portion when the detected angular movement of the headphones is to the right. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of an accelerometer, gyroscope, or magnetometer. ### Claim 9 A method for producing sound through headphones having a right ear portion and a left ear portion, the method comprising: establishing a virtual audio source at a first position, the first position being a first point in space relative to a neutral position of the headphones when worn by a user; generating sound through the right ear portion and the left ear portion of the headphones, such that the sound is produced with an effect of emanating from the virtual source; detecting angular movement of the headphones with respect to the first position; determining an angle of the headphones with respect to the first position as a result of the detected angular movement; adjusting the sound in the right ear portion by at least one of reducing the sound level in the left ear portion or increasing the sound level in the right ear portion when the detected angular movement of the headphones is to the left, and adjusting the sound in the left ear portion by at least one of reducing the sound level in the right ear portion or increasing the sound level in the left ear portion when the detected angular movement of the headphones is to the right; and moving the virtual audio source to a second position when one or more conditions are met, the second position being a second point in space different from the first point in space but a same position relative to the neutral position of the headphones. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more conditions include the headphones remaining at the determined angle for a threshold period of time. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the one or more conditions include the user changing a direction of travel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the sound level is reduced in proportion to the determined angle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: determining whether an audio spatialization mode is activated; and detecting the angular movement of the headphones when the audio spatialization mode is activated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein determining whether the audio spatialization mode has been activated comprises at least one of determining whether a manual input was entered or determining whether the user is performing a particular activity. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the particular activity comprises moving in a given direction within a threshold range of speed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the angular movement of at least the headphones comprises receiving data from one or more sensors adapted to measure movement. ### Claim 17 A system, comprising: headphones comprising a left-ear audio output and a right-ear audio output; a memory storing instructions for generating audio through the left-ear audio output and the right-ear audio output; and one or more processors in communication with the memory, the one or more processors configured to: establish a virtual audio source at a first position, the first position being a first point in space relative to a neutral position of the headphones when worn by a user; generate sound through the right-ear audio output and the left-ear audio output, such that the sound is produced with an effect of emanating from the virtual source; detect angular movement of the headphones with respect to the first position; determine an angle of the headphones with respect to the first position as a result of the detected angular movement; adjust the sound in the right ear portion by at least one of reducing the sound level in the left ear portion or increasing the sound level in the right ear portion when the detected angular movement of the headphones is to the left, and adjust the sound in the left ear portion by at least one of reducing the sound level in the right ear portion or increasing the sound level in the left ear portion when the detected angular movement of the headphones is to the right; and move the virtual audio source to a second position when one or more conditions are met, the second position being a second point in space different from the first point in space but a same position relative to the neutral position of the headphones. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, further comprising: one or more sensors adapted to measure movement, wherein the one or more processors, in detecting the angular movement of at least the headphones, are further configured to receive data from the one or more sensors.