US 9,802,123 B2Granted

Apparatus and method for adapting audio signals

AssigneeSTEELSERIES ApS

InventorsTino Soelberg, Lung-Jen Hsu, Francis Arnold Grever

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Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an audio control apparatus having a game audio port for receiving a gaming audio signal generated by a gaming application, a chat port for receiving a chat signal comprising audio information generated by at least one gamer, and an audio system coupled to the game audio port and the chat port. The audio system can be operable to detect an energy level in the chat signal that exceeds a threshold, reduce a magnitude of the gaming audio signal to a desired audio energy level responsive to the aforementioned detection, generate a mixed audio signal comprising a combination of the gaming audio signal having the reduced magnitude and the chat signal, and transmit the mixed audio signal to a listening apparatus. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores instructions;
and
a processor coupled with the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the instructions performs operations comprising:
receiving a source audio signal from a gaming console, the source audio signal being generated by a gaming application of the gaming console, wherein the source audio signal comprises a team chat signal and a gaming audio signal, wherein the team chat signal comprises player audio signals for the gaming application, and wherein gaming audio signal comprises gaming application related audio output;
detecting the team chat signal for the gaming application in the gaming audio signal;
determining an energy level for the team chat signal;
receiving the team chat signal that is generated based on captured audio signals from one or more remote audio capture devices, wherein the one or more remote audio capture devices are assigned to a same team as the gaming application of the gaming console;
detecting that the energy level of the team chat signal exceeds a threshold of the energy level;
reducing a magnitude of the gaming audio signal from a first audio energy level to a reduced audio energy level responsive to the detecting that the energy level of the team chat signal exceeds the threshold while not reducing the energy level of the team chat signal;
generating a first mixed audio signal comprising a combination of the gaming audio signal having the reduced energy level and the team chat signal;
transmitting the mixed audio signal to a listening apparatus;
detecting that the energy level in the team chat signal has fallen below the threshold;
and
restoring the magnitude of the gaming audio signal to the first audio energy level responsive to the detecting that the energy level in the team chat signal has fallen below the threshold.

11 more elements

A method, comprising:

receiving, by an audio control device including a processor, a source audio signal from a gaming console, the source audio signal being generated by a gaming application of the gaming console, the audio control device being releasably connectable with a gaming controller in communication with the gaming console, wherein the source audio signal comprises a team chat signal and a gaming audio signal, wherein the team chat signal comprises player audio signals for the gaming application, and wherein gaming audio signal comprises gaming application related audio output;
detecting the team chat signal for the gaming application;
receiving a team audio setting to set an energy level for a team chat signal;
receiving, by the audio control device, the team chat signal that is generated based on captured audio signals from one or more remote audio capture devices, wherein the one or more remote audio capture devices are assigned to a same team as the gaming application of the gaming console;
detecting, by the audio control device, that an energy level of the team chat signal exceeds a threshold;
reducing, by the audio control device, a magnitude of the gaming audio signal from a first audio energy level to a reduced audio energy level responsive to the detecting that the energy level in the team chat signal exceeds the threshold;
generating, by the audio control device, a first mixed audio signal comprising a combination of the gaming audio signal having the reduced energy level and the team chat signal;
transmitting, by the audio control device, the mixed audio signal to a listening apparatus;
detecting that the energy level in the team chat signal has fallen below the threshold;
and
restoring the magnitude of the gaming audio signal to the first audio energy level responsive to the detecting that the energy level in the team chat signal has fallen below the threshold.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/964,520Filed 12 Aug 2013 · continuation
Priority: 26 Aug 2010
Published: US 2013/0331187 A112 Dec 2013
Granted: 31 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

A63F 13/54
Controlling the output signals based on the game progress: involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent…
A63F 13/87
Providing additional services to players: communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
H03G 7/002
Volume compression or expansion in amplifiers: in untuned or low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio amplifiers
A63F 13/215
Characterised by their sensors, purposes or types: comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone

Family

Application12/869,699Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Aug 2010
US 2013/0331187 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 Dec 2013
US 8,529,356 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2012/0052948 A1Published application
US 9,802,123 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.