# US 11,115,769 B2 · Systems and methods for providing a user with enhanced attitude awareness > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,769 B2 - Document ID: US11115769B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/567,603 - Filed: 2019-09-11 - Published: 2020-05-28 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-26 - Assignees: Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp. - Applicants: Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp. - Inventors: Scott E. Ritter - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115769B2 ## CPC - H04S 1/005: {For headphones} - H04S 7/30: {Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field} - A61B 34/35: for telesurgery - A61M 21/00: Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis - A63G 31/16: creating illusions of travel - G01S 13/505: {using Doppler effect for determining closest range to a target or corresponding time, e.g. miss-distance indicator} - G05D 1/0016: {characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00)} - G05D 1/005: {by providing the operator with signals other than visual, e.g. acoustic, haptic} - G05D 1/223: Command input arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. joysticks or touch screens - G05D 1/224: Output arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. displays, haptics or speakers - 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)} - H04R 29/001: {for loudspeakers (H04R29/007 takes precedence)} - H04S 7/304: {For headphones} - A61B 17/3211: Surgical scalpels, knives; Accessories therefor - A61B 2017/00128: {related to intensity or progress of surgical action} - A61M 2021/0027: {by the hearing sense} - A61M 2205/332: Force measuring means - A61M 2205/3375: Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means - A61M 2205/3553: remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office - A61M 2205/3592: using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission - A61M 2205/50: with microprocessors or computers - A61M 2209/088: on the body - A61M 2230/62: Posture - 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 - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A63G: MERRY-GO-ROUNDS; SWINGS; ROCKING-HORSES; CHUTES; SWITCHBACKS; SIMILAR DEVICES FOR PUBLIC AMUSEMENT - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - 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 Systems and methods for using auditorily-induced vection (AIV) to enhance a person's attitude awareness are provided herein. In at least one embodiment, an auditory object is projected based on the orientation of the person or a vehicle and the projected auditory is provided to the person. By projecting the auditory object, the attitude of the person or the vehicle can be conveyed to the person to enhance the person's attitude awareness. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of using auditorily-induced vection (AIV) to provide a user with an enhanced sense of attitude, the method comprising: obtaining an ecological auditory object associated with a vestibular system of the user; determining an orientation of the user; determining a projection source location relative to the orientation of the user; projecting the ecological auditory object from the projection source location; and providing the projected ecological auditory object to the user to convey the user's attitude in a physical environment, wherein determining the orientation of the user includes determining an orientation vector relative to a reference vector, wherein the projection source location is based at least in part on the orientation vector, and wherein projecting the ecological auditory object includes applying a head-related transfer function (HRTF) corresponding to the projection source location to the ecological auditory object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the projection source location is a point in space about the user's head. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the HRTF represents a characterization of how the user hears sound from the projection source location. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein providing the projected ecological auditory object to the user further includes indicating a deviation of the orientation vector from the reference vector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising modifying the projected ecological auditory object to enhance the user's perception of the deviation of the orientation vector from the reference vector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the reference vector is a gravity vector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the orientation of the user corresponds to a first sense of motion in a first direction and the projected ecological auditory object provides a second sense of motion in a second direction to the user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the second sense of motion offsets the first sense of motion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the ecological auditory object includes sound of one of the user's breath, heartbeat, and blood flow. ### Claim 10 An auditorily-induced vection (AIV) system for providing a user with an enhanced sense of attitude, the AIV system comprising: at least one acoustic sensor configured to sense an ecological auditory object associated with a vestibular system of the user; at least one attitude sensor configured to sense an orientation of the user; a controller configured to: receive the ecological auditory object from the at least one acoustic sensor; receive the orientation of the user from the at least one attitude sensor; determine a projection source location relative to the orientation of the user; project the ecological auditory object from the projection source location; and provide the projected ecological auditory object to earphones to convey the user's attitude in a physical environment; and a memory device coupled to the controller, the memory device configured to store a plurality of points in space about the user's head and a head-related transfer function (HRTF) corresponding to each of the plurality of points, wherein in projecting the ecological auditory object the controller is further configured to select a point from the plurality of points based on the projection source location and apply the corresponding HRTF to the ecological auditory object. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein in projecting the ecological auditory object the controller is further configured to select two or more points from the plurality of points based on the projection source location, interpolate an HRTF using the HRTFs corresponding to the two or more selected points, and apply the interpolated HRTF to the ecological auditory object. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to modify the projected ecological auditory object to enhance a non-level attitude perception. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein in modifying the projected ecological auditory object the controller is further configured to make the projected ecological auditory object louder to enhance the non-level attitude perception. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein in modifying the projected ecological auditory object the controller is further configured to exaggerate a projection angle of the projected ecological auditory object to enhance the non-level attitude perception.