# US 9,883,271 B2 · Simultaneous multi-source audio output at a wireless headset

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- Number: US 9,883,271 B2
- Document ID: US9883271B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/334,205
- Filed: 2008-12-12
- Published: 2010-06-17
- Granted: 2018-01-30
- Earliest claimed: 2008-12-12
- Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Applicants: Kuntal Sampat
- Inventors: Kuntal Sampat
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9883271B2

## CPC

- H04R 1/10: Earpieces; Attachments therefor {; Earphones; Monophonic headphones (H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033)}
- H04R 1/1041: {Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H)}
- H04R 5/033: Headphones for stereophonic communication {(details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10)}
- H04R 2420/01: Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers
- H04R 2420/07: Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
- 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

A wireless headset supports simultaneous connections to two or more audio sources and can concurrently output audio from the different sources. The audio may include voice and/or audio playback, e.g., music playback. The wireless headset includes a first transceiver configured to receive a first audio input from a first source, a second transceiver configured to receive a second audio input from a second source, and an audio mixer configured to combine the first and second audio inputs into output audio.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wireless headset, comprising:
a first transceiver configured to receive a first audio input from a first source;
a second transceiver configured to receive a second audio input from a second source;
a memory configured to store a plurality of audio signal weighting coefficient sets, wherein each of the weighting coefficient sets corresponds to a predetermined mix of the first audio input and the second audio input, and each of the weighting coefficient sets includes a plurality of programmable digital weighting coefficient values;
a controller configured to change the weighting coefficient values stored in the memory; and
an audio mixer, coupled to the memory, configured to:
select one of the weighting coefficient sets stored in the memory, the selected weighting coefficient set associated with a desired mix of the first audio input and the second audio input;
weight the first audio input and the second audio input with the weighting coefficient values of the selected weighting coefficient set to produce a weighted first audio input and a weighted second audio input, wherein at least one of the weighting coefficient values weights the first audio input from the first source and at least one other of the weighting coefficient values weights the second audio input from the second source, and
combine the weighted first audio input and the weighted second audio input into output audio.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the audio mixer is configured to output a left-channel audio output, y1, and a right-channel audio output, y2, where
y1=a1x1+b1x2+c1x3+d1x4
y2=a2x1+b2x2+c2x3+d2x4,
where: x1 represents a left stereo channel included in the first audio input,
x2 represents a right stereo channel included in the first audio input,
x3 represents the second audio input,
x4 represents a microphone input, and
a1, a2, b1, b2, c1, c2, d1, d2 represent the weighting coefficients.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the audio mixer is configured to sum the weighted first audio input and the weighted second audio input.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the audio mixer selectively combines the weighted first audio input and the weighted second audio input by:
including only the weighted first audio input in the output audio;
including only the weighted second audio input in the output audio; or
including both the first audio input and the second audio input in the output audio.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the first audio input represents voice.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The wireless headset of claim 5, wherein the second audio input represents stereo audio.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The wireless headset of claim 1, further comprising a microphone configured to produce a third audio input, wherein the audio mixer is configured to combine the weighted first audio input, the weighted second audio input and the third audio input into the output audio.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver and the second transceiver are Bluetooth transceivers.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the weighting coefficients are stored in the memory as a predetermined two-dimensional matrix of coefficients.

### Claim 10

A method for outputting audio at a wireless headset, comprising:
receiving, at a first transceiver included in the wireless headset, a first audio input from a first source;
receiving, at a second transceiver included in the wireless headset, a second audio input from a second source;
storing a plurality of audio signal weighting coefficient sets in a memory included in the wireless headset, wherein each of the weighting coefficient sets corresponds to a predetermined mix of the first audio input and the second audio input and includes a plurality of programmable digital weighting coefficient values;
changing the weighting coefficient values stored in the memory with a controller;
selecting one of the weighting coefficient sets stored in the memory, the selected weighting coefficient set associated with a desired mix of the first audio input and the second audio input;
retrieving the selected weighting coefficient set from the memory;
weighting the first audio input and the second audio input with the weighting coefficient values of the selected weighting coefficient set to produce a weighted first audio input and a weighted second audio input, wherein at least one of the weighting coefficient values weights the first audio input from the first source and at least one other of the weighting coefficient values weights the second audio input from the second source;
mixing the weighted first audio input and the weighted second audio input into output audio; and
outputting the output audio from the wireless headset.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein mixing includes:
summing the weighted first audio input and the weighted second audio input.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein mixing includes selectively combining the weighted first audio input and weighted second audio input by:
including only the weighted first audio input in the output audio;
including only the weighted second audio input in the output audio; or
including both the weighted first audio input and weighted second audio input in the output audio.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first audio input represents voice.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the second audio input represents stereo audio.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving a third audio input from a microphone; and
mixing the weighted first audio input, the weighted second audio input and the third audio input into the output audio.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first audio input and the second audio input are received at a first Bluetooth transceiver and a second Bluetooth transceiver, respectively.

### Claim 17

A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a set of instructions executable by one or more processors, comprising:
code for receiving, at a first transceiver included in a wireless headset, a first audio input from a first source;
code for receiving, at a second transceiver included in the wireless headset, a second audio input from a second source;
code for storing a plurality of audio signal weighting coefficient sets in a memory included in the wireless headset, wherein each of the weighting coefficient sets corresponds to a predetermined mix of the first audio input and the second audio input and includes a plurality of programmable digital weighting coefficient values;
code for changing the weighting coefficient values stored in the memory with a controller;
code for selecting one of the weighting coefficient sets stored in the memory, the selected weighting coefficient set associated with a desired mix of the first audio input and the second audio input;
code for retrieving the selected weighting coefficient set from the memory;
code for weighting the first audio input and the second audio input with the weighting coefficient values of the selected weighting coefficient set to produce a weighted first audio input and a weighted second audio input, wherein at least one of the weighting coefficient values weights the first audio input from the first source and at least one other of the weighting coefficient values weights the second audio input from the second source;
code for mixing the weighted first audio input and the weighted second audio input into output audio; and
code for outputting the output audio from the wireless headset.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein code for mixing includes:
code for summing the weighted first audio input and the weighted second audio input.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the code for mixing includes code for selectively combining the weighted first audio input and the weighted second audio input by:
including only the weighted first audio input in the output audio;
including only the weighted second audio input in the output audio; or
including both the weighted first audio input and the weighted second audio input in the output audio.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first audio input represents voice.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the second audio input represents stereo audio.

### Claim 22 (depends on 17)

The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:
code for receiving a third audio input from a microphone; and
code for mixing the weighted first audio input, the weighted second audio input and the third audio input into the output audio.

### Claim 23

An apparatus, comprising:
means for receiving, at a first transceiver included in a wireless headset, a first audio input from a first source;
means for receiving, at a second transceiver included in the wireless headset, a second audio input from a second source;
means for storing a plurality of audio signal weighting coefficient sets in a memory included in the wireless headset, wherein each of the weighting coefficient sets corresponds to a predetermined mix of the first audio input and the second audio input and includes a plurality of programmable digital weighting coefficient values;
means for changing the weighting coefficient values stored in the memory;
means for selecting one of the weighting coefficient sets stored in the memory, the selected weighting coefficient set associated with a desired mix of the first audio input and the second audio input;
means for retrieving the selected weighting coefficient set from the memory;
means for weighting the first audio input and the second audio input with the weighting coefficient values of the selected weighting coefficient set to produce a weighted first audio input and a weighted second audio input, wherein at least one of the weighting coefficient values weights the first audio input from the first source and at least one other of the weighting coefficient values weights the second audio input from the second source;
means for mixing the weighted first audio input and the weighted second audio input into output audio; and
means for outputting the output audio from the wireless headset.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the mixing means includes:
means for summing the weighted first audio input and the weighted second audio input.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the mixing means includes means for selectively combining the weighted first audio input and the weighted second audio input by:
including only the weighted first audio input in the output audio;
including only the weighted second audio input in the output audio; or
including both the weighted first audio input and the weighted second audio input in the output audio.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first audio input represents voice.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the second audio input represents stereo audio.

### Claim 28 (depends on 23)

The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:
means for receiving a third audio input from a microphone; and
means for mixing the weighted first audio input, the weighted second audio input and the third audio input into the output audio.

### Claim 29 (depends on 23)

The apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of the receiving means includes a Bluetooth transceiver.

### Claim 30 (depends on 23)

The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for applying a time-varying gain to at least one of the first audio input or the second audio input.