US 9,961,435 B1Granted

Smart earphones

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsDushyant Goyal, Pragyana K. Mishra

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Abstract

A set of earphones or other wearable or portable audio equipment may be configured to play relevant sound signals from a speaker provided within a cavity mounted about an ear of a user. The earphones may include one or more microphones for capturing acoustic energy within a vicinity of the earphones, or may be in communication with one or more external microphones. Where one or more of the microphones captures acoustic energy that includes a plurality of sound signals, the signals may be processed to identify one of the signals that is relevant to the user. The relevant signal may be reconstructed and amplified from the speaker, and all other signals may be ignored or attenuated. The signals may be further processed to determine any additional information regarding sources of the signals, including whether such signals are within a vicinity of the user, or may pose a risk to the user.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A working environment comprising:

a plurality of microphones, wherein at least a first microphone of the plurality of microphones is mounted to one of a wall, a ceiling, a floor or an apparatus within the working environment;
a plurality of workers, wherein each of the plurality of workers is wearing a wearable computer device having an ear chamber and a speaker within the ear chamber;
a computer network;
and
at least one server in communication with each of the plurality of microphones and each of the plurality of wearable computer devices via the computer network,
wherein the at least one server is configured to at least:
receive, via the computer network, information regarding acoustic energy captured via one or more of the plurality of microphones;
recognize, from the acoustic energy, a first plurality of sound signals;
perform an analysis of each of the first plurality of sound signals;
determine, based at least in part on the analysis of a first sound signal of the first plurality of sound signals, that the first sound signal is relevant to a first worker of the plurality of workers;
determine a confidence level of an association between the first worker and the first sound signal;
assign a first weight to the first sound signal based at least in part on the confidence level;
identify a first wearable computer device worn by the first worker, wherein the first wearable computer device comprises a first ear chamber and a first speaker within the first ear chamber;
reconstruct the first sound signal;
transmit, via the computer network, information regarding a second plurality of sound signals to the first wearable computer device, wherein the second plurality of sound signals comprises the reconstructed sound signal and a second sound signal;
and
cause the first wearable computer device to emit the second plurality of signals via the first speaker,
wherein the reconstructed first sound signal is emitted at a sound pressure level consistent with the first weight, and
wherein the second sound signal is emitted at a sound pressure level consistent with a second weight.

16 more elements

A method comprising:

identifying information regarding a first plurality of sound signals captured at a first time using at least a first sound sensor;
determining at least a first characteristic of a first sound signal using at least one computer processor, wherein the first sound signal is one of the first plurality of sound signals;
determining that the first sound signal is relevant to a first individual based at least in part on the first characteristic of the first sound signal using the at least one computer processor;
in response to determining that the first sound signal is relevant to the first individual,
automatically selecting at least a first sound emitting device associated with the first individual using the at least one computer processor, wherein the first sound emitting device is one of a plurality of sound emitting devices, and wherein each of the sound emitting devices is associated with at least one individual, and wherein the first sound emitting device was emitting a third sound signal at a first sound pressure level prior to the first time;
defining a second sound signal based at least in part on the first sound signal using the at least one computer processor;
causing the third sound signal to be emitted by the first sound emitting device at a second sound pressure level after the first time using the at least one computer processor, wherein the second sound pressure level is less than the first sound pressure level;
and
causing the second sound signal to be emitted by at least the first sound emitting device at a third sound pressure level after the first time using the at least one computer processor,
wherein the third sound pressure level is greater than the second sound pressure level.

7 more elements

A wearable device comprising:

an apparatus configured for wearing about a head of a user;
at least one speaker provided within a predetermined range of an ear of the user;
a position sensor;
at least one microphone provided on an outer surface of the apparatus;
and
at least one computer processor in communication with the at least one speaker, the position sensor and the at least one microphone,
wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to at least:
determine information regarding the user of the wearable device, wherein the information regarding the user comprises at least one of a position or a velocity of the wearable device determined by the position sensor;
prior to a first time, cause the at least one speaker to emit a first sound signal at a first sound pressure level;
capture acoustic energy using the at least one microphone at a first time, wherein the acoustic energy comprises a first plurality of sound signals;
identify a second sound signal included in the captured acoustic energy, wherein the second sound signal is one of the first plurality of sound signals;
analyze content of the second sound signal included in the captured acoustic energy;
determine at least one of a position or a velocity of a source of the second sound signal based at least in part on at least some of the content of the second sound signal;
determine that the at least some of the content of the second sound signal is relevant to the user based at least in part on:
at least one of the position or the velocity of the wearable device;
and
at least one of the position or the velocity of the source of the second sound signal;
generate a third sound signal based at least in part on the at least some of the content of the second sound signal;
cause the first sound signal to be emitted by the at least one speaker at a second sound pressure level at a second time, wherein the second time follows the first time, and wherein the second sound pressure level is less than the first sound pressure level;
and
cause the third sound signal to be emitted by the at least one speaker at a third sound pressure level at or after the second time, wherein the third sound pressure level is greater than the second sound pressure level.

18 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/965,656Filed 10 Dec 2015
Granted: 1 May 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H04R 1/1083
Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones: reduction of ambient noise
G10L 21/0208
Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation: noise filtering
G10L 21/0272
Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation: voice signal separating
G10L 25/48
Speech or voice analysis techniques not restricted to a single one of groups G10L15/00 - G10L21/00: specially adapted for particular use