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US 12,626,683 B2Granted
Method and device for acute sound detection and reproduction
AssigneeST FamTech, LLC
InventorsSteven Wayne Goldstein, John Usher, Marc Andre Boillot
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Earpieces and methods for acute sound detection and reproduction are provided. A method can include measuring an external ambient sound level (xASL), monitoring a change in the xASL for detecting an acute sound, estimating a proximity of the acute sound, and upon detecting the acute sound and its proximity, reproducing the acute sound within an ear canal, where the ear canal is at least partially occluded by an earpiece. Other embodiments are disclosed.
Claims11
A method comprising:
- receiving an ambient sound gain;
- receiving an ambient sound signal;
- receiving an audio content signal;
- detecting an acute sound by analyzing the ambient sound signal;
- generating a new ambient sound gain by modifying the ambient sound gain if an acute sound is detected, wherein the new ambient sound gain is greater than the ambient sound gain;
- reducing an audio content gain if an acute sound is detected;
- generating a first modified ambient sound signal by applying the new ambient sound gain to the ambient sound signal if an acute sound is detected otherwise generating a second modified ambient sound signal by applying the ambient sound gain to the ambient sound signal, wherein the second modified ambient sound signal has a sound pressure level lower than the first modified ambient sound signal;
- generating a modified audio content signal by applying the audio content gain to the audio content signal;
- generating a mixed signal by mixing the modified audio content signal and the first modified ambient sound signal if the new ambient sound gain is generated otherwise the mixed signal is generated by mixing the second modified ambient sound signal and the modified audio content signal;
- and
- sending the mixed signal to a speaker.
8 more elements
A device comprising:
- a first microphone configured to generate an ambient sound signal;
- a second microphone configured to generate an internal signal;
- a speaker;
- a memory that stores instructions;
- and
- a processor that executes the instructions to perform operations, wherein the processor is coupled to the first microphone, the second microphone, the speaker and the memory, and wherein the operations comprise:
- receiving an ambient sound gain;
- receiving an ambient sound signal;
- receiving an audio content signal;
- detecting an acute sound by analyzing the ambient sound signal;
- generating a new ambient sound gain by modifying the ambient sound gain if an acute sound is detected, wherein the new ambient sound gain is greater than the ambient sound gain;
- reducing an audio content gain if an acute sound is detected;
- generating a first modified ambient sound signal by applying the new ambient sound gain to the ambient sound signal if an acute sound is detected otherwise generating a second modified ambient sound signal by applying the ambient sound gain to the ambient sound signal, wherein the second modified ambient sound signal has a sound pressure level lower than the first modified ambient sound signal;
- generating a modified audio content signal by applying the audio content gain to the audio content signal;
- generating a mixed signal by mixing the modified audio content signal and the first modified ambient sound signal if the new ambient sound gain is generated otherwise the mixed signal is generated by mixing the second modified ambient sound signal and the modified audio content signal;
- and
- sending the mixed signal to a speaker.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.