Wearable sound system with configurable privacy modes
AssigneeHarman International Industries, Incorporated
InventorsJaime Elliot Nahman, Stefan Marti, Davide Di Censo, Mirjana Spasojevic, Joseph Verbeke
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Abstract
An audio sharing system is configured to operate in at least two modes of operation. In a private mode, the audio sharing system outputs sound only to a user and may isolate the user from the surrounding acoustic environment. In a public mode of operation, the audio sharing system broadcasts sound to the user and to any other listeners in proximity to the user, thereby sharing sound in a social manner. The audio sharing system may also operate in other modes of operation that allow the selective sharing of sounds.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method for distributing sound between listeners, the method comprising:
- configuring one or more acoustic transducers to operate in a first mode, wherein, in the first mode, the one or more acoustic transducers generate a first sound field in which sound is output towards a first listener and away from a second listener;
- transitioning the one or more acoustic transducers from the first mode to a second mode in response to a first triggering event;
- and
- configuring the one or more acoustic transducers to operate in the second mode, wherein, in the second mode, the one or more acoustic transducers generate a second sound field in which sound is output towards the first listener and the second listener, wherein the one or more acoustic transducers are included in a clothing-based wearable device worn by the first listener.
One or more non-transitory computer-readable media that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to distribute sound between listeners by performing the steps of:
- configuring one or more acoustic transducers to operate in a first mode, wherein, in the first mode, the one or more acoustic transducers generate a first sound field in which sound is output towards a first listener and away from a second listener;
- initiating a second mode of operation in response to a first triggering event;
- and
- configuring the one or more acoustic transducers to operate in the second mode, wherein, in the second mode, the one or more acoustic transducers generate a second sound field in which sound is output towards the first listener and the second listener in conjunction with generating the first sound field, wherein the one or more acoustic transducers are included in a clothing-based wearable device worn by the first listener.
A system for distributing sound between listeners, comprising:
- a clothing-based wearable device configured to be worn by a first listener, comprising:
- an input/output (I/O) subsystem that includes a sensor array and a speaker array, and
- a computing device, comprising:
- a memory storing a control application, and
- a processor that, when executing the control application, is configured to perform the steps of:
- configuring the speaker array to operate in a first mode, wherein, in the first mode, the speaker array generates a first sound field in which sound is output towards a first listener and away from a second listener;
- transitioning the speaker array from the first mode to a second mode in response to a first triggering event;
- and
- configuring the speaker array to operate in the second mode, wherein, in the second mode, the speaker array generates a second sound field in which sound is output towards the first listener and the second listener.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.