Audio-enabled device using multiple acoustic ports

Abstract

In some aspects, an audio device can measure one or more audio characteristics at one or more ears of a user. The audio device can measure one or more privacy characteristics in a privacy zone surrounding the user. The audio device can determine one or more audio output metrics of the audio device based at least in part on the one or more audio characteristics and the one or more privacy characteristics, where the one or more audio output metrics include one or more privacy metrics, one or more quality metrics, one or more power metrics, or any combination thereof. The audio device can optimize audio output based on the one or more audio output metrics.

Description

Cross-references to related applications

[0001] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 559,835, filed February 29, 2024, entitled “AUDIO ENABLED DEVICE USING MULTIPLEACOUSTIC PORTS,” and U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 19 / 044,135, filed February 3, 2025, entitled “AUDIO ENABLED DEVICE USING MULTIPLEACOUSTIC PORTS,” both of which have been assigned to the assignee of this application and are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Background Technology 1. Technical Field

[0003] All aspects of this disclosure relate to audiovisual equipment.

[0004] 2. Relevant Technical Descriptions

[0005] Audio devices are used in public or semi-public environments, which may be noisy and may not provide the expected privacy. Users may expect to listen to audio without the discomfort of wearing earplugs or headphones. In some cases, users may expect to hear audio events from their surroundings while listening to audio from the audio device. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The following is a simplified summary of the invention relating to one or more aspects disclosed herein. Therefore, this summary should not be considered an exhaustive overview relating to all conceived aspects, nor should it be considered to identify key or decisive elements relating to all conceived aspects or to depict the scope associated with any particular aspect. Thus, the sole purpose of this summary is to present, in a simplified form, certain concepts relating to one or more aspects involving the mechanisms disclosed herein, prior to the detailed description presented below.

[0007] In some aspects, a method for optimizing the audio output of an audio device including at least two speakers worn by a user includes: measuring one or more audio characteristics at one or more ears of the user; measuring one or more privacy characteristics in a privacy zone around the user; determining one or more audio output metrics of the audio device based at least in part on the one or more audio characteristics and the one or more privacy characteristics, wherein the one or more audio output metrics include one or more privacy metrics, one or more quality metrics, one or more power metrics, or any combination thereof; and optimizing the audio output based on the one or more audio output metrics.

[0008] In some aspects, an audio device includes: one or more memories; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, the one or more processors being configured individually or in combination to: measure one or more audio characteristics at one or more ears of a user; measure one or more privacy characteristics in a privacy zone surrounding the user; determine one or more audio output metrics of the audio device based at least in part on the one or more audio characteristics and the one or more privacy characteristics, wherein the one or more audio output metrics include one or more privacy metrics, one or more quality metrics, one or more power metrics, or any combination thereof; and optimize the audio output based on the one or more audio output metrics.

[0009] In some aspects, an audio device includes: components for measuring one or more audio characteristics at one or more ears of the user; components for measuring one or more privacy characteristics in a privacy zone surrounding the user; components for determining one or more audio output metrics of the audio device based at least in part on the one or more audio characteristics and the one or more privacy characteristics, wherein the one or more audio output metrics include one or more privacy metrics, one or more quality metrics, one or more power metrics, or any combination thereof; and components for optimizing the audio output based on the one or more audio output metrics.

[0010] In some aspects, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by an audio device, cause the audio device to: measure one or more audio characteristics at one or more ears of a user; measure one or more privacy characteristics in a privacy zone surrounding the user; determine one or more audio output metrics of the audio device based at least in part on the one or more audio characteristics and the one or more privacy characteristics, wherein the one or more audio output metrics include one or more privacy metrics, one or more quality metrics, one or more power metrics, or any combination thereof; and optimize the audio output based on the one or more audio output metrics.

[0011] Based on the accompanying drawings and detailed description, other objects and advantages associated with the aspects disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The accompanying drawings are provided to help describe various aspects of this disclosure, and are provided for illustrative purposes only and not to limit the aspects.

[0013] Figure 1 Example user equipment (UE) architectures according to various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated.

[0014] Figures 2A to 2H Examples of audio devices according to various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated.

[0015] Figure 3 An example is shown of the area around a user's ear, which includes the desired quiet zone (also known as the privacy zone or dark zone).

[0016] Figures 4A to 4C Examples are given of measured privacy metrics relative to a frequency range, measured quality metrics relative to that frequency range, and in relation to, for example... Figure 3 An example of a diagram showing the measured measurements in polar coordinates corresponding to the depicted quiet zone.

[0017] Figure 5 An example is shown where four speakers from a speaker array are used for one ear of a user when producing optimal audio output.

[0018] Figure 6 An example of the OEPA algorithm is shown.

[0019] Figure 7 An example of the OEPA algorithm is shown, which allows acoustic contrast to be maximized while keeping other factors checked.

[0020] Figure 8 Example diagrams illustrate user- or system-tunable trade-offs between key performance indicators (KPIs) such as privacy, latency, power consumption, and THD.

[0021] Figures 9A to 9C An example of a quiet zone that can change depending on the presence of one or more people detected in the area around the user is given.

[0022] Figure 10 An example of an OEPA curve adapted to the playback frequency is shown.

[0023] Figure 11 Examples are given of OEPA applied only to a portion of playback according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0024] Figures 12A to 12B Examples of signal and noise focusing for near-field and far-field scenarios are shown.

[0025] Figures 13A to 13C Examples of microphones that can be worn on the human body as various types of devices are shown.

[0026] Figure 14 It is a flowchart of an example process based on various aspects of this disclosure.

[0027] By convention, features depicted in the accompanying drawings may not be drawn to scale. Accordingly, for clarity, the dimensions of the depicted features may be arbitrarily enlarged or reduced. By convention, some figures in the drawings are simplified for clarity. Therefore, the drawings may not depict all components of a particular device or method. Furthermore, similar reference numerals are used throughout the specification and drawings to represent similar features. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Various aspects of this disclosure are provided below in the description of various examples provided for illustrative purposes and in the accompanying drawings. Alternative aspects may be devised without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Additionally, well-known elements of this disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of this disclosure.

[0029] The terms “exemplary” and / or “example” are used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” and / or “example” is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or better than other aspects. Similarly, the term “aspects of this disclosure” does not require that all aspects of this disclosure include the features, advantages, or modes of operation discussed.

[0030] Those skilled in the art will understand that any of a variety of different techniques and methods can be used to represent the information and signals described below. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout the following description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof, depending in part on the specific application, in part on the desired design, in part on the corresponding technology, and so on.

[0031] Furthermore, many aspects are described according to a sequence of actions to be performed by elements of, for example, a computing device. It will be appreciated that the various actions described herein can be performed by a particular circuit (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), by program instructions executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of both. Additionally, the sequence of actions described herein can be considered to be entirely embodied in any form of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a corresponding set of computer instructions that, when executed, will cause or command the associated processor of the device to perform the functionality described herein. Therefore, various aspects of this disclosure can be embodied in a variety of different forms, all of which are contemplated within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, for each aspect described herein, the corresponding form of any such aspect may be described herein as, for example, "logic configured to perform the described actions."

[0032] Figure 1 Several example components (represented by corresponding boxes) that can be incorporated into a mobile phone or user equipment (UE) 100 (which may correspond to any UE described herein) are illustrated. It should be understood that these components may be implemented in different types of devices (e.g., in application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in system-on-chip (SoCs), etc.) in different specific implementations. The illustrated components can also be incorporated into other devices in a communication system. For example, other devices in the system may include components similar to those described as providing similar functionality. Furthermore, a given device may contain one or more of these components. For example, a device may include multiple transceiver components that enable the device to operate on multiple carriers and / or communicate via different technologies.

[0033] UE 100 includes one or more Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) transceivers 110 that provide components (e.g., components for transmitting, components for receiving, components for measuring, components for tuning, components for avoiding transmission, etc.) for communicating via one or more wireless communication networks (not shown) (such as NR networks, LTE networks, and / or GSM networks, etc.). The one or more WWAN transceivers 110 may each be connected to one or more antennas 116 to communicate with other network nodes (such as other UEs, access points, base stations (e.g., eNB, gNB), etc.) via at least one designated RAT (e.g., NR, LTE, GSM, etc.) through a wireless communication medium of interest (e.g., a set of time / frequency resources in a specific spectrum). The one or more WWAN transceivers 110 may be configured in various ways to transmit and encode signals 118 (e.g., messages, indications, information, etc.) according to a designated RAT, and conversely, to receive and decode signals 118 (e.g., messages, indications, information, pilots, etc.). Specifically, one or more WWAN transceivers 110 include one or more transmitters 114 for transmitting and encoding signals 118 and one or more receivers 112 for receiving and decoding signals 118.

[0034] In at least some cases, UE 100 also includes one or more short-range radio transceivers 120. The one or more short-range radio transceivers 120 may be connected to one or more antennas 126 and provide access via at least one designated RAT (e.g., Wi-Fi, LTE-D, Bluetooth) through a wireless communication medium of interest. ® ZIGBEE ® Z-WAVE ®This includes components (e.g., components for transmitting, components for receiving, components for measuring, components for tuning, components for avoiding transmission, etc.) that enable communication between short-range wireless transceivers (SLTs) and other network nodes (such as other UEs, access points, base stations, etc.) such as PC5, Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC), Wireless Access in Vehicle Environments (WAVE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Ultra Wideband (UWB), etc.). One or more SLTs 120 can be configured in various ways to transmit and encode signals 128 (e.g., messages, indications, information, etc.) according to a specified RAT, and conversely, to receive and decode signals 128 (e.g., messages, indications, information, pilots, etc.). Specifically, one or more SLTs 120 include one or more transmitters 124 for transmitting and encoding signals 128 and one or more receivers 122 for receiving and decoding signals 128. As a specific example, one or more SLTs 120 may be Wi-Fi transceivers, Bluetooth transceivers, etc. ® Transceiver, Zigbee ® and / or Z-WAVE ® Transceivers, NFC transceivers, UWB transceivers, or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and / or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) transceivers.

[0035] In at least some cases, UE 100 also includes a satellite signal interface 130, which includes one or more satellite signal receivers 132 and may optionally include one or more satellite signal transmitters 134. The one or more satellite signal receivers 132 may be connected to one or more antennas 136 and may provide components for receiving and / or measuring satellite positioning / communication signals 138. Where one or more satellite signal receivers 132 include a satellite positioning system receiver, the satellite positioning / communication signal 138 may be a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) signal, a Galileo signal, a BeiDou signal, a NAVIC Regional Navigation Satellite System, a Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), etc. Where one or more satellite signal receivers 132 include a non-terrestrial network (NTN) receiver, the satellite positioning / communication signal 138 may be a communication signal originating from a 5G network (e.g., carrying control data and / or user data). The one or more satellite signal receivers 132 may include any suitable hardware and / or software for receiving and processing the satellite positioning / communication signal 138. One or more satellite signal receivers 132 may request information and operations from other systems as appropriate, and in at least some cases use measurements obtained by any suitable satellite positioning system algorithm to perform calculations to determine the location of UE 100.

[0036] An optional satellite signal transmitter 134 (when present) may be connected to one or more antennas 136 and may provide components for transmitting satellite positioning / communication signals 138. In cases where one or more satellite signal transmitters 134 include an NTN transmitter, the satellite positioning / communication signals 138 may be communication signals originating from a 5G network (e.g., carrying control data and / or user data). One or more satellite signal transmitters 134 may include any suitable hardware and / or software for transmitting satellite positioning / communication signals 138. One or more satellite signal transmitters 134 may request information and operations from other systems as appropriate.

[0037] The transceiver can be configured to communicate via a wired or wireless link. The transceiver (whether wired or wireless) includes transmitter circuitry (e.g., transmitters 114, 124) and receiver circuitry (e.g., receivers 112, 122). In some embodiments, the transceiver may be an integrated device (e.g., implementing transmitter and receiver circuitry in a single device), in some embodiments it may include separate transmitter and receiver circuitry, or in other embodiments it may be implemented in a different manner. The transmitter and receiver circuitry of a wired transceiver may be coupled to one or more wired network interface ports. The wireless transmitter circuitry (e.g., transmitters 114, 124) may include or be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 116, 126), such as antenna arrays that allow a corresponding device (e.g., UE 100) to perform transmit “beamforming” as described herein. Similarly, wireless receiver circuitry (e.g., receivers 112, 122) may include or be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 116, 126), such as antenna arrays that allow the corresponding device (e.g., UE 100) to perform receive beamforming, as described herein. In some aspects, transmitter and receiver circuitry may share the same multiple antennas (e.g., antennas 116, 126), such that the corresponding device may perform only reception or only transmission at a given time, rather than both reception and transmission at the same time. Wireless transceivers (e.g., one or more WWAN transceivers 110, one or more short-range wireless transceivers 120) may also include network eavesdropping modules (NLMs) for performing various measurements, etc.

[0038] As used herein, various wireless transceivers (e.g., transceivers 110, 120) and wired transceivers are generally characterized as "transceiver," "at least one transceiver," or "one or more transceivers." Therefore, whether a particular transceiver is a wired or wireless transceiver can be inferred from the type of communication being performed. For example, backhaul communication between network devices or servers will typically involve signaling transmission via a wired transceiver, while wireless communication between a UE (e.g., UE 100) and a base station will typically involve signaling transmission via a wireless transceiver.

[0039] UE 100 also includes other components that can be used in conjunction with the operations disclosed herein. UE 100 includes one or more processors 142 for providing, for example, functionality related to wireless communication and for providing other processing functionality. Thus, the one or more processors 142 may provide components for processing, such as components for determining, components for calculating, components for receiving, components for transmitting, components for indicating, etc. In some aspects, the one or more processors 142 may include, for example, one or more general-purpose processors, multi-core processors, central processing units (CPUs), ASICs, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), other programmable logic devices or processing circuitry, or various combinations thereof.

[0040] UE 100 includes memory circuitry implementing memory 140 (e.g., each including a memory device) for maintaining information such as reserved resources, thresholds, parameters, etc. Thus, memory 140 can provide components for storage, retrieval, maintenance, etc. In some cases, UE 100 may include an audio device 148. Audio device 148 may include a speaker or other type of device that provides sound to a user. In some aspects, audio device 148 may be integrated within or external to the mobile phone (UE 100). Audio device 148 may be hardware circuitry that is part of or coupled to one or more processors 142, which, when executed, causes UE 100 to perform the functionality described herein. In other aspects, audio device 148 may be located external to processor 142 (e.g., it may be part of a modem processing system, integrated with another processing system, etc.). Alternatively, the audio device 148 may be a memory module stored in memory 140, which enables the UE 100 to perform the functionality described herein when executed by one or more processors 142 (or modem processing system, another processing system, etc.). Figure 1Possible locations for audio device 148 are illustrated. The audio device may be part of, for example, one or more WWAN transceivers 110, memory 140, one or more processors 142, or any combination thereof, or may be a standalone component.

[0041] UE 100 may include one or more sensors 144 coupled to one or more processors 142 to provide components for sensing or detecting motion and / or orientation information independent of motion data derived from signals received from one or more WWAN transceivers 110, one or more short-range wireless transceivers 120, and / or satellite signal interfaces 130. By way of example, sensor 144 may include one or more accelerometers (e.g., microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices), gyroscopes, geomagnetic sensors (e.g., compasses), altimeters (e.g., barometric altimeters), and / or any other type of motion detection sensor. Furthermore, sensor 144 may include multiple different types of devices and combine their outputs to provide motion information. For example, sensor 144 may use a combination of multi-axis accelerometers and orientation sensors to provide the ability to calculate positioning in two-dimensional (2D) and / or three-dimensional (3D) coordinate systems. It should be noted that at least accelerometers and gyroscopes may be referred to as “inertial” sensors.

[0042] Various components of UE 100 can be communicatively coupled to each other via data bus 108. In some respects, data bus 108 may form a communication interface of UE 100 or may be part of such a communication interface.

[0043] In addition, UE 100 includes a user interface 146 that provides components for performing operations such as providing instructions to the user (e.g., audible and / or visual instructions) and / or receiving user input (e.g., when the user actuates a sensing device such as a keypad, touchscreen, microphone, etc.).

[0044] For convenience, UE 100 in Figure 1 The example shown herein includes various components that can be configured according to the various examples described herein. However, it should be understood that the illustrated components may have different functionalities in different designs. Specifically, Figure 1 Various components are optional in alternative configurations, and various aspects include configurations that can vary due to design choices, cost, device usage, or other considerations. For example, a particular implementation of UE 100 may omit the WWAN transceiver 110 (e.g., wearable devices, tablets, PCs, or laptops may have Wi-Fi and / or Bluetooth). ®Alternatively, the short-range wireless transceiver 120 may be omitted (e.g., cellular only), or the satellite signal interface 130 may be omitted, or the sensor 144 may be omitted, etc. For the sake of brevity, examples of various alternative configurations are not provided herein, but will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

[0045] Figure 1 The components can be implemented in various ways. In some specific implementations, Figure 1 The components may be implemented in one or more circuits, such as one or more processors and / or one or more ASICs (which may include one or more processors). Here, each circuit may use and / or combine at least one memory component for storing information or executable code used by the circuit to provide that functionality. For example, some or all of the functionality represented by boxes 110 to 146 may be implemented by the processor and memory components of the UE 100 (e.g., by executing appropriate code and / or by appropriate configuration of the processor components). For simplicity, various operations, actions, and / or functions are described herein as being performed "by the UE". However, as will be understood, such operations, actions, and / or functions may actually be performed by specific components or combinations of components of the UE 100 (such as one or more processors 142, one or more transceivers 110 and 120, memory 140, audio device 148, etc.).

[0046] Figures 2A to 2H Examples of audio devices according to various aspects of this disclosure are illustrated. Examples of audio devices according to various aspects of this disclosure may include, but are not limited to, extended reality (AR) devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, smart frames, open-back headphones (not worn directly on the user's ears), mobile phones, or smartwatches, etc. Figures 2A to 2B Examples of smart frames 210 and 220 are shown, which have integrated speakers located within the frames. Figure 2C An example of an AR device 230 in the form of sunglasses is shown, which has an integrated speaker located in the frame. Figure 2D An example of VR device 240 is shown, which has an integrated speaker located in a VR headset. Figures 2E to 2F Examples of open-back in-ear headphones 250 and 260 are shown. Figure 2G An example of AR / VR device 270 is shown. Figure 2H An example of mobile phone 280 is shown.

[0047] According to various aspects of this disclosure, a natural and comfortable way to consume audio can be provided without the need for closed-back earbuds or headphones. According to various aspects of this disclosure, spatial awareness is provided, allowing users to interact with their surroundings while listening to audio content. According to various aspects of this disclosure, high audio quality can be provided to users while maintaining far-field privacy.

[0048] In some respects, two or more speakers in a speaker array direct audio toward the user and away from quiet areas. In other respects, audio output can be optimized to: minimize audio leakage, ensure power consumption efficiency, be robust to changes in the acoustic environment (such as user physical size, device wear and / or usage positioning), maintain high audio quality, maintain a good aesthetic design, or a combination thereof.

[0049] In some respects, audio devices with optimized audio output can include smart glasses or smart frames, VR devices, AR devices, open-back headphones, phones or smartwatches, etc., which can play audio outdoors without restriction compared to restricted audio devices such as closed-back earbuds or headphones.

[0050] In some respects, trade-offs can be struck between privacy, power, quality, latency, or other target functionalities. In some respects, optimized audio output is determined at least in part based on one or more quality metrics measured at the user's ear and one or more privacy metrics measured in the area around the user where others may be located.

[0051] In some respects, at least two speakers are provided for each ear to achieve a driving scheme that optimizes the relative amplitude and relative phase between the speakers to achieve the desired trade-off.

[0052] Figure 3 An example is illustrated of the area around a user's ear, which includes a desired quiet zone (also referred to as a privacy zone or dark zone). In some aspects, privacy metrics that can be considered when deriving optimized audio output may include attenuation of the ear input relative to an ear reference point (ERP) within the privacy zone or dark zone. In some aspects, attenuation relative to the ear input can be measured along an arc around the user and at different frequencies. For example, the arc may be defined by the boundary of the quiet zone. Other privacy metrics may be considered according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0053] In some aspects, quality metrics that may be considered when deriving optimized audio output may include spectral mask flatness at ERP with different signal levels, total harmonic distortion (THD) at different signal levels, or any combination thereof. Other quality metrics may be considered according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0054] In some aspects, one or more power metrics may be considered when deriving optimized audio output. In some aspects, the power metric may include array effect (AE), which is the total power consumed by the loudspeakers. Other power metrics may be considered according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0055] In some respects, the maximum achievable volume may be considered when exporting optimized audio output. In some respects, delay or finite impulse response (FIR) length may be considered when exporting optimized audio output. One or more additional metrics may be considered in addition to those described above, or as alternatives to those described above, when exporting optimized audio output.

[0056] In some respects, optimized audio output can be provided to maximize the contrast between the pressure at the ERP and the pressure at the arc of the defined quiet zone, thereby achieving the user's desired level of privacy. For example, the contrast of privacy can be defined as:

[0057]

[0058] Where P ERP The pressure is measured at the ERP, and P 静区 The pressure was measured at the arc of the quiet zone.

[0059] Figures 4A to 4C Examples are given of measured privacy metrics relative to a frequency range, measured quality metrics relative to that frequency range, and in relation to, for example... Figure 3 An example of a diagram showing the measured measurements in polar coordinates corresponding to the depicted quiet zone.

[0060] In some aspects, Open-Ear Privacy Audio (OEPA) algorithms are provided to derive beamforming filters for speaker arrays, thereby maximizing acoustic contrast. In other aspects, speaker arrays with two or more speakers are provided for each of the user's ears.

[0061] Figure 5 This example illustrates using four speakers from a speaker array for one of the user's ears when producing optimal audio output. Figure 5 In the illustrated example, a group of four speakers in speaker array 510 are provided to one of the user's ears (e.g., the left ear). The area immediately adjacent to the user's ear is depicted as a bright area 520, while the area that the user desires as a quiet or private zone is depicted as a dark area 530.

[0062] Figure 6An example of OEPA algorithm 600 is illustrated. In some aspects, a bright-area transfer function (TF) 610 and a dark-area TF 620, a speaker characteristic 630, and a system requirement 640 are provided to OEPA algorithm 650. In some aspects, one or more of the bright-area TF 610 and the dark-area TF 620 may include one or more privacy metrics. In some aspects, the speaker characteristic 630 may include one or more quality metrics, such as THD, impedance profile, or other metrics. In some aspects, the system requirement 640 may include time delay, gain margin, desired equalization (EQ) in the bright area, or other metrics.

[0063] In some aspects, the OEPA algorithm 650 can generate beamforming filters for audio devices to maximize acoustic contrast for the user. In some aspects, the OEPA algorithm 650 can be implemented to minimize the power consumed by the speaker array. In some aspects, the OEPA algorithm 650 can be implemented to improve audio quality by minimizing THD. In some aspects, the OEPA algorithm 650 can be tuned to meet external system requirements, such as latency, desired EQ at ERP, or other system requirements.

[0064] Figure 7 An example of the OEPA algorithm 700 is illustrated, which allows for maximizing acoustic contrast while maintaining consideration of other factors (i.e., regularizing factors using expected trade-offs). In some respects, multi-agent consensus equilibrium (MACE) can be included in the OEPA algorithm, which provides a framework for finding equilibrium among conflicting cost functions (also known as agents).

[0065] exist Figure 7 In the example shown, four types of agents (including Agent 1: privacy / contrast and ERP flatness 710; Agent 2: power consumption (array effect) 720; Agent 3: coherence 730; and Agent 4: total harmonic distortion (THD) 740) are treated as cost functions in the OEPA algorithm to generate maximum acoustic contrast. In some aspects, including µ from Agent 1... 对比度 µ from agent 2 AE µ from agent 3 相干性 and µ from agent 4 THD The tunable parameter 750 is used by the OEPA algorithm to generate maximum acoustic contrast while maintaining a balance between conflicting cost functions.

[0066] In some respects, agent 1 maximizes contrast while maintaining ERP flatness. In other respects, two cost functions can be implemented:

[0067] Weighted stress matching (WPM):

[0068]

[0069] or

[0070] Contrast Maximization Algorithm (CMA):

[0071] st

[0072] In some respects, WPM can be used for all experiments and / or validations due to its fast convergence.

[0073] In some respects, Agent 2 minimizes the power consumed by the speaker array to prevent excessive power consumption, increases robustness to changes in the transfer function (TF), or both. In some respects, a simple model of power consumption (AE) is provided as follows:

[0074]

[0075] In some respects, Agent 3 maintains a smooth frequency response for the OEPA filter. In some respects, a smoother response results in a shorter filter length, which leads to lower latency. In some respects, the algorithm is implemented to prevent the OEPA algorithm from overfitting the measured transfer function (TF):

[0076]

[0077] In some respects, Agent 4 minimizes THD to maintain good audio quality. In some respects, the THD model learned from measurements for each speaker is:

[0078]

[0079] Figure 8 Figure 800 illustrates an example of user- or system-tunable trade-offs between key performance indicators (KPIs) such as privacy, latency, power consumption, and THD. Figure 8 In the diagram, the shaded areas represent different tunings chosen by different users or systems to achieve various trade-offs among KPIs, some of which may conflict with each other in some cases.

[0080] In some aspects, users can select and / or tune one or more KPIs such as privacy, latency, THD, power consumption, or any combination thereof. For example, in some aspects, users may be given the option to choose between high performance and battery power saving.

[0081] In some respects, the system can automatically select and / or tune one or more KPIs such as privacy, latency, THD, power consumption, or any combination thereof. In some respects, for example, the system can enter a low-power mode when the device battery is low. In some respects, the system can choose between high performance and low latency depending on the type of use case, such as voice calls, video calls, music playback, or gaming.

[0082] In some respects, adaptive OEPA can be provided to account for changes in the desired quiet zone. In other respects, adaptive OEPA can be provided based on spatial location. For example, the OEPA algorithm can be tuned to specify the quiet zone based on the use of modalities such as cameras, gyroscopes, ultrasound, user-selectable inputs, or any combination thereof.

[0083] In some aspects, the OEPA algorithm can be adjusted for spatial location, for example, by using cameras that detect people in the area surrounding the user. In other aspects, the OEPA algorithm can be adjusted for spatial location, for example, by using a microphone array that detects people in the surrounding area. In still other aspects, the OEPA algorithm can be adjusted for spatial location, for example, by using ultrasound to detect people in the surrounding area.

[0084] In some respects, the OEPA algorithm can be adapted to spatial position by using a gyroscope that adjusts the still beam (i.e., the beam defined by the sector of the still zone when the user's head is tilted).

[0085] Figures 9A to 9C An example of a quiet zone that can change depending on the presence of one or more people detected in the area surrounding the user is shown. Figure 9A In the example shown, the quiet zone 912 is a sector extending from the ear reference point (ERP) of the user's head 910, and this quiet zone may include the area behind the head 910. Figure 9B In the example shown, the quiet zone 922 is depicted as a sector extending from the ERP when the head 910 is in an upright position. Figure 9C In the example shown, the quiet zone 932 is depicted as a sector extending slightly behind the ERP when the head 910 is in a tilted position. Using adaptive OEPA, the quiet zone can be dynamically adjusted by using one or more modalities, such as a camera, microphone array, ultrasound, gyroscope, user-selectable input, or any combination thereof.

[0086] In some aspects, the adaptive OEPA algorithm can combine multiple modalities as a scene selection, such as on the street, in a car, or in another environment. In other aspects, the user can select a desired quiet zone. For example, the user can select a desired quiet zone located in front of, to the side of, or behind the head. In some aspects, the adaptive OEPA algorithm can adjust the OEPA filter and the signal entering individual speakers to achieve the cancellation of audio signals at the target quiet zone.

[0087] In some respects, adaptive OEPA algorithms can adjust frequency content according to the type of sound. For example, adaptive OEPA algorithms can adjust frequency content to prevent speech signal leakage, optimize for specific playback, or a combination thereof.

[0088] Figure 10 Examples of OEPA curves 1010 and 1020 adapted to playback frequency are shown. Figure 10 In the example, curve 1010 represents a low-frequency playback (such as speech), which typically has a relatively large amount of low-frequency content and a relatively small amount of high-frequency content. In some respects, OEPA tuning can be altered or adapted to maximize privacy at low frequencies. Figure 10 Curve 1020 is also shown, which is an example of high-frequency playback (such as electronic music), which typically has audio content across a wider frequency spectrum. In some respects, OEPA tuning can be altered or adapted to cover a wider frequency spectrum for high-frequency playback.

[0089] Figure 11 Examples are given illustrating how OEPA, according to various aspects of this disclosure, applies only to a portion of playback. Figure 11 In this process, playback includes (privacy-sensitive) speech and (privacy-insensitive) non-speech content. In some aspects, a content separator 1110 is provided in the OEPA algorithm to separate speech content from non-speech content. In some aspects, speech content represented by signal 1112 is separated from non-speech content represented by signal 1114.

[0090] In some aspects, to maintain privacy (i.e., to prevent speech content from being audible in the far field), the OEPA performs operations to eliminate speech content in the far field (box 1116). In some aspects, the OEPA performs operations to boost non-speech content in the far field (box 1118). The speaker array 1120 is provided with the elimination of speech content in the far field and the boosting of non-speech content. The audio signal generated by the speaker array 1120 includes both speech and non-speech signals 1122 in the near field 1124 and the boosted non-speech signal and the eliminated or attenuated speech signal 1126 in the far field 1128.

[0091] In some aspects, the OEPA algorithm may include operations that use noise to mask sound in the far field to maintain privacy. In other aspects, the OEPA algorithm may inject a noise signal and direct it to the far field, so that far-field leakage of the speech signal is masked by the injected noise. In some aspects, the injected noise may be desirable when the user is in a noisy environment and needs to increase the volume of the audio device.

[0092] In some respects, injecting noise into the far field may be less intrusive to those nearby, as they are already in a noisy environment. In other respects, the noise content can be modulated and shaped to mimic or simulate ambient noise. In some respects, far-field noise injection can be aided without affecting the ERP by placing one or more speakers further away from it.

[0093] Figures 12A to 12B Examples of signal and noise focusing for near-field and far-field scenarios are shown. Figure 12A An example is shown of focusing a desired signal (such as a voice signal) onto the ERP and away from the quiet zone. Figure 12B An example is shown of focusing a noise signal toward the far field, away from the ERP.

[0094] In some aspects, the OEPA algorithm may include adaptive OEPA, which allows the filter to be calibrated every time a user wears the audio device. In some aspects, a calibration graphical user interface (GUI) may be provided to the user. In some aspects, one or more transfer functions from the speaker to the user may be captured to optimize the OEPA filter. In some aspects, the adaptive OEPA algorithm may continuously use the microphone on the device to monitor playback and leakage signals.

[0095] In some respects, adaptive OEPA algorithms can use one or more microphones on a wearable device to calibrate the amplitude and / or phase of a speaker. In other respects, adaptive filters can be implemented based on feedback from one or more microphones on devices such as headphones, watches, or phones.

[0096] In some respects, the optimal filter can be switched or tuned based on the audio content (such as speech, music, or other types of audio content) from one or more microphones.

[0097] Figures 13A to 13C Examples of microphones that can be worn on the human body as various types of devices are shown. Figure 13A An example of microphone 1310 on smartwatch 1312 is shown. Figure 13B An example of microphone 1320 on telephone 1322 is shown. Figure 13CAn example of a microphone 1330 on a headset 1332 is illustrated. According to various aspects of this disclosure, one or more microphones may be provided in various ways for the OEPA algorithm to calibrate the filter for optimal audio feedback.

[0098] In some aspects, cavity design can be optimized using finite element method (FEM) and / or boundary element method (BEM) simulations for privacy, audio quality, robustness, or any combination thereof. In some aspects, FEM and / or BEM simulations can be used to optimize port location geometry. In some aspects, two speakers can be used as a single dipole to save on amplifier components. In some aspects, speaker estimation and / or ranking methods can be provided from an OEPA perspective.

[0099] In some aspects, measurement and / or tuning processes can be provided to achieve open-ear privacy audio. In some aspects, FEM and / or BEM can be used to simulate TF and / or OEPA to validate several audio device candidates. In some aspects, the number of candidates can be narrowed down to a few. In some aspects, once several candidates are selected, 3D printed models of the candidates can be printed, TF measurements can be performed, the TF measurements can be fed into the OEPA algorithm, and the candidate audio devices can then undergo hardware verification.

[0100] In some applications, one or more additional speakers can be attached to an audio device to enhance privacy. In others, per-unit factory calibration of relative amplitude and phase can be performed. In still others, dipoles can be used in one or more speakers within a loudspeaker.

[0101] Figure 14 This is a flowchart of an example process 1400 associated with an audio-enabled device using multiple acoustic ports. In some specific implementations, Figure 14 One or more process frames may be executed by an audio device (e.g., audio device 148). In some specific implementations, Figure 14 One or more process frames may be executed by another device or group of devices, either separate from or including the audio device. Additionally or alternatively, Figure 14 One or more process blocks may be executed by one or more components of the device, such as one or more processors 142, memory 140, one or more sensors 144, user interface 146 and / or data bus 108.

[0102] like Figure 14 As shown, process 1400 may include measuring one or more audio characteristics at one or more of the user's ears (box 1410).

[0103] like Figure 14As further shown, process 1400 may include measuring one or more privacy features in a privacy zone around the user (box 1420).

[0104] like Figure 14 As further shown, process 1400 may include determining one or more audio output metrics of an audio device based at least in part on one or more audio characteristics and one or more privacy characteristics, wherein the one or more audio output metrics include one or more privacy metrics, one or more quality metrics, one or more power metrics, or any combination thereof (box 1430).

[0105] like Figure 14 As further shown, process 1400 may include optimizing audio output based on one or more audio output metrics (box 1440).

[0106] Process 1400 may include additional embodiments, such as those described below and / or any single embodiment or any combination of embodiments described in conjunction with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein.

[0107] In a first embodiment, process 1400 includes determining the relative amplitude, relative phase, or any combination thereof between at least two loudspeakers.

[0108] In the second embodiment, one or more audio output metrics are determined at least in part based on relative amplitude, relative phase, or any combination thereof.

[0109] In a third embodiment, one or more privacy measures include attenuation relative to the level of the ear input signal in the privacy zone.

[0110] In the fourth specific implementation, the privacy zone is the zone adjacent to users.

[0111] In the fifth specific implementation, one or more privacy metrics are measured at multiple audio frequencies.

[0112] In the sixth embodiment, one or more quality metrics include spectral mask flatness at the ear reference point (ERP) at multiple signal levels.

[0113] In the seventh embodiment, one or more quality metrics include total harmonic distortion (THD) at multiple signal levels.

[0114] In the eighth embodiment, process 1400 includes measuring one or more speaker characteristics.

[0115] In the ninth embodiment, process 1400 includes performing one or more beamforming operations on at least two loudspeakers to increase acoustic contrast.

[0116] although Figure 14 An example block for process 1400 is shown, but in some specific implementations, it differs from... Figure 14 Compared to the boxes depicted, process 1400 may include additional boxes, fewer boxes, different boxes, or boxes arranged in a different manner. Additionally or alternatively, two or more boxes in the process 1400 may be executed in parallel.

[0117] As can be seen in the detailed description above, different features are grouped together in the examples. This manner of disclosure should not be construed as an intention to have more features than those explicitly mentioned in each clause. Rather, the various aspects of this disclosure may include fewer features than those in the individual example clauses disclosed. Therefore, the following clauses should be regarded accordingly as incorporated into the description, where each clause may serve as a separate example. Although each dependent clause may refer in the clause to a specific combination with one of the other clauses, the aspect of that dependent clause is not limited to that specific combination. It should be understood that other example clauses may also include combinations of aspects of a dependent clause with the subject matter of any other dependent or independent clause, or combinations of any feature with other dependent and independent clauses. The various aspects disclosed herein explicitly include these combinations unless explicitly stated or readily inferred that a particular combination is not intended for use (e.g., contradictory aspects, such as defining an element as both an electrical insulator and an electrical conductor). Furthermore, it is contemplated that aspects of a clause may be included in any other independent clause, even if that clause does not directly depend on the independent clause.

[0118] Specific implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0119] Clause 1. A method for optimizing the audio output of an audio device including at least two speakers worn by a user, the method comprising: measuring one or more audio characteristics at one or more ears of the user; measuring one or more privacy characteristics in a privacy zone surrounding the user; determining one or more audio output metrics of the audio device based at least in part on the one or more audio characteristics and the one or more privacy characteristics, wherein the one or more audio output metrics include one or more privacy metrics, one or more quality metrics, one or more power metrics, or any combination thereof; and optimizing the audio output based on the one or more audio output metrics.

[0120] Clause 2. The method according to Clause 1, the method further comprising determining the relative amplitude, relative phase, or any combination thereof between the at least two loudspeakers.

[0121] Clause 3. The method according to Clause 2, wherein the one or more audio output metrics are determined at least in part based on the relative amplitude, the relative phase, or any combination thereof.

[0122] Clause 4. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 3, wherein the one or more privacy measures include attenuation relative to the level of the ear input signal in the privacy zone.

[0123] Clause 5. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 4, wherein the privacy zone is a zone adjacent to the user.

[0124] Clause 6. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 5, wherein the one or more privacy metrics are measured at multiple audio frequencies.

[0125] Clause 7. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 6, wherein the one or more quality metrics include spectral mask flatness at an ear reference point (ERP) at multiple signal levels.

[0126] Clause 8. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 7, wherein the one or more quality metrics include total harmonic distortion (THD) at multiple signal levels.

[0127] Clause 9. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 8, the method further comprising measuring one or more loudspeaker characteristics.

[0128] Clause 10. The method according to any one of Clauses 1 to 9, the method further comprising performing one or more beamforming operations on the at least two loudspeakers to increase acoustic contrast.

[0129] Clause 11. An audio device comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, the one or more processors being individually or in combination configured to: measure one or more audio characteristics at one or more ears of a user; measure one or more privacy characteristics in a privacy zone surrounding the user; determine one or more audio output metrics of the audio device based at least in part on the one or more audio characteristics and the one or more privacy characteristics, wherein the one or more audio output metrics include one or more privacy metrics, one or more quality metrics, one or more power metrics, or any combination thereof; and optimize the audio output based on the one or more audio output metrics.

[0130] Clause 12. The audio device pursuant to Clause 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured individually or in combination to determine the relative amplitude, relative phase, or any combination thereof between the at least two speakers.

[0131] Clause 13. The audio device pursuant to Clause 12, wherein the one or more audio output metrics are determined at least in part based on the relative amplitude, the relative phase, or any combination thereof.

[0132] Clause 14. An audio device according to any one of Clauses 11 to 13, wherein the one or more privacy measures include attenuation relative to the level of the ear input signal in the privacy zone.

[0133] Clause 15. The audio device pursuant to any one of Clauses 11 to 14, wherein the privacy zone is the zone adjacent to the user.

[0134] Clause 16. An audio device pursuant to any one of Clauses 11 to 15, wherein the one or more privacy metrics are measured at multiple audio frequencies.

[0135] Clause 17. An audio device according to any one of Clauses 11 to 16, wherein the one or more quality measures include spectral mask flatness at an ear reference point (ERP) at multiple signal levels.

[0136] Clause 18. An audio device pursuant to any one of Clauses 11 to 17, wherein the one or more quality metrics include total harmonic distortion (THD) at multiple signal levels.

[0137] Clause 19. An audio device according to any one of Clauses 11 to 18, wherein the one or more processors are also configured individually or in combination to measure one or more speaker characteristics.

[0138] Clause 20. An audio device according to any one of Clauses 11 to 19, wherein the one or more processors are further configured individually or in combination to perform one or more beamforming operations for the at least two speakers to increase acoustic contrast.

[0139] Clause 21. An audio device comprising: components for measuring one or more audio characteristics at one or more ears of a user; components for measuring one or more privacy characteristics in a privacy zone surrounding the user; components for determining one or more audio output metrics of the audio device based at least in part on the one or more audio characteristics and the one or more privacy characteristics, wherein the one or more audio output metrics include one or more privacy metrics, one or more quality metrics, one or more power metrics, or any combination thereof; and components for optimizing the audio output based on the one or more audio output metrics.

[0140] Clause 22. The audio device according to Clause 21, the audio device further includes components for determining the relative amplitude, relative phase, or any combination thereof between the at least two speakers.

[0141] Clause 23. The audio device pursuant to Clause 22, wherein the one or more audio output metrics are determined at least in part based on the relative amplitude, the relative phase, or any combination thereof.

[0142] Clause 24. An audio device according to any one of Clauses 21 to 23, wherein the one or more privacy measures include attenuation relative to the level of the ear input signal in the privacy zone.

[0143] Clause 25. The audio device pursuant to any one of Clauses 21 to 24, wherein the privacy zone is the zone adjacent to the user.

[0144] Clause 26. An audio device pursuant to any one of Clauses 21 to 25, wherein the one or more privacy metrics are measured at multiple audio frequencies.

[0145] Clause 27. An audio device according to any one of Clauses 21 to 26, wherein the one or more quality measures include spectral mask flatness at an ear reference point (ERP) at multiple signal levels.

[0146] Clause 28. An audio device pursuant to any one of Clauses 21 to 27, wherein the one or more quality metrics include total harmonic distortion (THD) at multiple signal levels.

[0147] Clause 29. The audio device according to any one of Clauses 21 to 28, the audio device further comprising a component for measuring the characteristics of one or more loudspeakers.

[0148] Clause 30. The audio device according to any one of Clauses 21 to 29, the audio device further comprising a component for performing one or more beamforming operations for the at least two speakers to increase acoustic contrast.

[0149] Clause 31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, when executed by an audio device, to cause the audio device to: measure one or more audio characteristics at one or more ears of a user; measure one or more privacy characteristics in a privacy zone surrounding the user; determine one or more audio output metrics of the audio device based at least in part on the one or more audio characteristics and the one or more privacy characteristics, wherein the one or more audio output metrics include one or more privacy metrics, one or more quality metrics, one or more power metrics, or any combination thereof; and optimize the audio output based on the one or more audio output metrics.

[0150] Clause 32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to Clause 31 further includes computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the audio device, cause the audio device to determine the relative amplitude, relative phase, or any combination thereof between at least two speakers.

[0151] Clause 33. The non-transient computer-readable medium as described in Clause 32, wherein the one or more audio output metrics are determined at least in part based on the relative amplitude, the relative phase, or any combination thereof.

[0152] Clause 34. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 31 to 33, wherein the one or more privacy measures include attenuation relative to the level of an ear input signal in the privacy zone.

[0153] Clause 35. A non-transitory computer-readable medium pursuant to any one of Clauses 31 to 34, wherein the privacy zone is a zone adjacent to the user.

[0154] Clause 36. A non-transitory computer-readable medium pursuant to any one of Clauses 31 to 35, wherein the one or more privacy measures are measured at multiple audio frequencies.

[0155] Clause 37. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 31 to 36, wherein said one or more quality measures include spectral mask flatness at an ear reference point (ERP) at multiple signal levels.

[0156] Clause 38. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 31 to 37, wherein the one or more quality measures include total harmonic distortion (THD) at multiple signal levels.

[0157] Clause 39. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 31 to 38, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprising, when executed by the audio device, computer-executable instructions causing the audio device to perform the following operation: measuring one or more speaker characteristics.

[0158] Clause 40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of Clauses 31 to 39, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprising, when executed by the audio device, computer-executable instructions that cause the audio device to perform one or more beamforming operations for the at least two speakers to increase acoustic contrast.

[0159] Those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and methods. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0160] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above in general terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application, but such specific implementation decisions should not be construed as departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0161] The various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented or executed using general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic elements, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternative embodiments, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0162] The methods, sequences, and / or algorithms described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of both. The software module may reside in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Example storage media are coupled to a processor such that the processor can read information from and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integral with the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal (e.g., a UE). Alternatively, the processor and storage medium may reside as discrete components in the user terminal.

[0163] In one or more examples, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality may be stored as one or more instructions or code on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media, which includes any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A storage medium may be any available medium accessible to a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible to a computer. Furthermore, any connection is appropriately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included within the definition of a medium. As used herein, disks and optical discs include: compact optical discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs. Disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of these should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0164] While the foregoing disclosure illustrates exemplary aspects of this disclosure, it should be noted that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims. For example, the functions, steps, and / or actions of the method claims according to aspects of this disclosure described herein need not be performed in any particular order. Furthermore, no component, function, action, or instruction described or claimed herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly stated otherwise. Additionally, as used herein, the terms “set,” “group,” etc., are intended to include one or more of the stated elements. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms “having,” “comprising,” “including,” etc., do not exclude the presence of one or more additional elements (e.g., element “having” A may also have B). Furthermore, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “at least partially based on” unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, as used herein, the term “or” is intended to be open-ended when used in a series and is interchangeable with “and / or” unless otherwise expressly stated (e.g., if used in conjunction with “any” or “only one”), or these alternatives are mutually exclusive (e.g., “one or more” should not be interpreted as “one and more”). Additionally, although components, functions, actions, and instructions may be described or claimed in the singular, plural forms may also be considered unless expressly stated as limited to the singular. Therefore, as used herein, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” are intended to include one or more of the described elements. Additionally, as used herein, the terms “at least one” and “one or more” include “one” component, function, action, or instruction that performs or is capable of performing the described or claimed functionality, and also include “two or more” components, functions, actions, or instructions that perform or are capable of performing the described or claimed functionality in combination.

Claims

1. An audio device, the audio device comprising: At least two speakers; One or more memory units; and One or more processors, communicatively coupled to one or more memories, wherein the one or more processors are individually or in combination configured to: Measure one or more audio characteristics at one or more of the user's ears; Measure one or more privacy features in the privacy zone surrounding the user; One or more audio output metrics of the audio device are determined at least in part based on the one or more audio characteristics and the one or more privacy characteristics, wherein the one or more audio output metrics include one or more privacy metrics, one or more quality metrics, one or more power metrics, or any combination thereof; and Optimize audio output based on one or more of the aforementioned audio output metrics.

2. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured individually or in combination to determine the relative amplitude, relative phase, or any combination thereof between the at least two speakers.

3. The audio device of claim 2, wherein the one or more audio output metrics are determined at least in part based on the relative amplitude, the relative phase, or any combination thereof.

4. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the one or more privacy measures include attenuation relative to the level of the ear input signal in the privacy zone.

5. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the privacy zone is a zone adjacent to the user.

6. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the one or more privacy metrics are measured at multiple audio frequencies.

7. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the one or more quality metrics include spectral mask flatness at an ear reference point (ERP) at multiple signal levels.

8. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the one or more quality metrics include total harmonic distortion (THD) at multiple signal levels.

9. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured individually or in combination to measure one or more speaker characteristics.

10. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured individually or in combination to perform one or more beamforming operations for the at least two speakers to increase acoustic contrast.

11. A method for optimizing the audio output of an audio device worn by a user, comprising at least two speakers, the method comprising: Measure one or more audio characteristics at one or more of the user's ears; Measure one or more privacy features in the privacy zone surrounding the user; One or more audio output metrics of the audio device are determined at least in part based on the one or more audio characteristics and the one or more privacy characteristics, wherein the one or more audio output metrics include one or more privacy metrics, one or more quality metrics, one or more power metrics, or any combination thereof; and The audio output is optimized based on one or more audio output metrics.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining the relative amplitude, relative phase, or any combination thereof between the at least two loudspeakers.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more audio output metrics are determined at least in part based on the relative amplitude, the relative phase, or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more privacy metrics include attenuation relative to the level of the ear input signal in the privacy zone.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the privacy zone is a zone adjacent to the user.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by an audio device, cause the audio device to perform the following operations: Measure one or more audio characteristics at one or more of the user's ears; Measure one or more privacy features in the privacy zone surrounding the user; One or more audio output metrics of the audio device are determined at least in part based on the one or more audio characteristics and the one or more privacy characteristics, wherein the one or more audio output metrics include one or more privacy metrics, one or more quality metrics, one or more power metrics, or any combination thereof; and Optimize audio output based on one or more of the aforementioned audio output metrics.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising, when executed by the audio device, computer-executable instructions that cause the audio device to perform the following operations: determine a relative amplitude, a relative phase, or any combination thereof between at least two speakers.

18. The non-transient computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more audio output metrics are determined at least in part based on the relative amplitude, the relative phase, or any combination thereof.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more privacy measures include attenuation relative to the level of an ear input signal in the privacy region.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the privacy region is a region adjacent to the user.

Images