# US 12,010,496 B2 · Method and system for performing audio ducking for headsets > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,010,496 B2 - Document ID: US12010496B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/471,011 - Filed: 2021-09-09 - Published: 2022-03-31 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-25 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Aarti Kumar; Shehryar Lasi; Baptiste P. Paquier; Brian Clark - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010496B2 ## CPC - H04R 1/1041: {Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H)} - G10L 19/002: Dynamic bit allocation (for perceptual audio coders G10L19/032) - H04L 65/61: for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio - H04L 65/70: Media network packetisation - H04L 65/765: {intermediate} - H04R 3/04: for correcting frequency response - H04R 5/033: Headphones for stereophonic communication {(details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10)} - H04R 5/04: Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)} - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - G10L 19/167: {Audio streaming, i.e. formatting and decoding of an encoded audio signal representation into a data stream for transmission or storage purposes} - G10L 19/24: Variable rate codecs, e.g. for generating different qualities using a scalable representation such as hierarchical encoding or layered encoding - H04M 1/6066: {including a wireless connection} - H04M 1/72442: for playing music files - H04R 2420/07: Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones - H04R 2430/01: Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems - 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) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract A method performed by an audio source device. The method receives a first audio signal and a second, different audio signal and encodes the first audio signal and the second audio signal, wherein the first audio signal is encoded differently than the second audio signal. The method generates a first data packet that comprises the first encoded audio signal and a first volume level and a second data packet that comprises the second encoded audio signal and a second volume level, wherein the first volume level is lower than the second volume level and transmits, over a wireless connection, the first and second data packets as a dual audio stream to an audio output device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method performed by an audio source device, the method comprising: receiving a playback audio signal of a piece of audio content and a notification audio signal that comprises an audible notification; receiving, over a wireless connection and from an audio output device, a user volume level of a volume control of the audio output device; determining a playback volume level for the playback audio signal and a notification volume level for the notification audio signal based on the user volume level, wherein the notification volume level is equal to or less than the user volume level and the playback volume level is less than the notification volume level; encoding the playback audio signal and the notification audio signal, wherein encoding comprises compressing the playback audio signal at a first compression bit rate and the notification audio signal at a second compression bit rate that is higher than the first compression bit rate; generating a playback data packet that comprises the encoded playback audio signal and the playback volume level and a notification data packet that comprises the encoded notification audio signal and the notification volume level; and transmitting, over the wireless connection and to the audio output device, the playback data packet and the notification data packet as a dual audio stream. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the playback audio signal and the notification audio signal are encoded at a volume level of 0 decibels relative to full scale (dBFS). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that there is a reduction in available bandwidth for transmitting the dual audio stream over the wireless connection; and adjusting at least one of the first and second compression bit rates based on the reduction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein both of the playback audio signal and the notification audio signal are for synchronized output by the audio output device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the audible notification comprises a virtual personal assistant (VPA) response. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the audio output device is a wireless headset. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless connection is a BLUETOOTH connection. ### Claim 8 An audio output device, comprising: a volume control; at least one processor; and memory having instructions stored therein which when executed by the at least one processor causes the audio output device to: transmit, over a wireless connection, a user volume setting of the volume control to an audio source device; receive, over the wireless connection and from the audio source device, a first data packet and a second data packet as a dual audio stream, the first data packet comprising a first playback audio signal and a playback volume level and the second data packet comprising a first notification audio signal and a notification volume level, wherein the playback volume level is lower than the notification volume level, wherein the playback volume level and the notification volume level are determined by the audio source device and are based on the transmitted user volume setting; apply a first scalar gain associated with the playback volume level to a second playback audio signal received prior to the first playback audio signal and apply a second scalar gain associated with the notification volume level to a second notification audio signal received prior to the first notification audio signal to generate first and second gain-adjusted audio signals, respectively; and drive a speaker of the audio output device with a mix of the first and second gain-adjusted audio signals. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The audio output device of claim 8, wherein the first playback audio signal and the first notification audio signal are encoded in their respective data packets, wherein the memory comprises further instructions to: decode the encoded first playback audio signal and the encoded first notification audio signals; storing the decoded playback audio signal in a first audio buffer and the decoded notification audio signal in a second audio buffer; and extracting the second playback audio signal and the second notification audio signal from the first and second audio buffers, respectively. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The audio output device of claim 9, wherein the first and second playback audio signals comprise different portions of a playback audio. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The audio output device of claim 9, wherein the first playback audio signal is encoded differently than the first notification audio signal by having a lower bitrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The audio output device of claim 8, wherein the audio output device is a wireless headset. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The audio output device of claim 8, wherein the playback volume level is less than the user volume setting and the notification volume level is 1) greater than the playback volume level and 2) less than or equal to the user volume setting. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The audio output device of claim 8, wherein the first and second notification audio signals comprise different portions of a virtual personal assistant (VPA) response. ### Claim 15 An audio source device, comprising: at least one processor; and memory having instructions stored therein which when executed by the at least one processor causes the audio source device to: receive a first playback audio signal and a first notification audio signal, receive, over a wireless connection and from an audio output device, a user volume setting of the audio output device, determine a playback volume level for the first playback audio signal and a notification volume level for the first notification audio signal based on the user volume setting, wherein the playback volume level is less than the notification volume level, encode the first playback audio signal and the first notification audio signal, wherein the first playback audio signal is encoded differently than the first notification audio signal, generate a first data packet that includes the encoded first playback audio signal and the playback volume level and generate a second data packet that includes the encoded first notification audio signal and the notification volume level, and transmit, over the wireless connection and to the audio output device, the first and second data packets as a dual audio stream, wherein the audio output device is configured to: apply a first gain associated with the playback volume level to a second playback audio signal transmitted in the dual audio stream prior to the first data packet and apply a second gain associated with the notification volume level to a second notification audio signal transmitted in the dual audio stream prior to the second data packet to generate first and second gain-adjusted audio signals, respectively; and drive a speaker of the audio output device with a mix of the first and second gain-adjusted audio signals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The audio source device of claim 15, wherein the instructions to encode the first playback and first notification audio signals comprises instructions to compress the first playback audio signal according to a first compression bit rate and compress the first notification audio signal according to a second compression bit rate, wherein the first compression bit rate is lower than the second compression bit rate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The audio source device of claim 16, wherein the memory has further instructions to determine that there is a reduction in available bandwidth for transmitting the dual audio stream over the wireless connection; and adjust at least one of the first and second compression bit rates based on the reduction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The audio source device of claim 15, wherein the first and second playback audio signals comprise different portions of a playback audio that is being streamed from the audio source device to the audio output device via the dual audio stream. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The audio source device of claim 15, wherein the first and second notification audio signals comprises a virtual personal assistant (VPA) response. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The audio source device of claim 15, wherein the audio output device is a wireless headset. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The audio source device of claim 15, wherein the wireless connection is a BLUETOOTH connection.