Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04S—STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS 
  • H04S1/00—Two-channel systems
  • H04S1/002—Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution
  • H04S1/005—For headphones
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/57—Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set
  • H04M1/575—Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/57—Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set
  • H04M1/575—Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
  • H04M1/578—Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party associated with a synthesized vocal announcement
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/60—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers including speech amplifiers
  • H04M1/6033—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers including speech amplifiers for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets
  • H04M1/6041—Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
  • H04M1/6058—Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
  • H04M1/6066—Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone including a wireless connection
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04S—STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS 
  • H04S2420/00—Techniques used stereophonic systems covered by H04S but not provided for in its groups
  • H04S2420/01—Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD]

Definitions

• a telephone alerts the user in order to make him or her aware that a communication connection could be received.
• alerting is performed by generating a ringer sound, and a typical example of a communication connection is an incoming call.
• the communication network may transmit an identifier to the telephone indicating the originating party of the communication connection. In many cases, this identifier can be displayed to the user of the telephone.
• Some telephones offer the user a possibility to store identifiers identifying other telephones or subscribers, together with names which the user associates to them in order to facilitate not only choosing the recipient for an outgoing communication connection but also recognizing the identity of the party originating the communicating connection, since for most humans it is easier to recognize a name than a telephone number.
• the telephone can be adapted to compare the identifier indicating the originating party - such as the calling number - with a list of stored identifier - name pairs.
• a telephone may be customized at least up to some extent by selecting, composing or downloading ringing tones.
• Ringing tones vary from monophonic (such as beeper-like) through polyphonic to stereophonic ringing tones .
• the quality in which they will be perceived by humans usually depends on the sound reproduction capabilities of a particular telephone .
• ringing tones can be selected for phonebook entries or groups of such entries. This facilitates the user to recognize who is calling, or to which group the caller belongs to, even without needing to look at the display.
• a user of a telephone may be provided with a new way to customize the telephone or to improve his or her ability to distinguish between calling parties. This objective can be achieved with a method, program product or with a telephone as set out in corresponding independent patent claims.
• the user may be in a better position to distinguish between different originating parties or groups in which they belong when a sound reproduction position is selected responsive to an identifier identifying an originating party or a group to which the originating party belongs.
• the feeling of customization can be improved by selecting a sound reproduction position responsive to an identifier identifying a destination party or a group to which the destination party belongs .
• a digital representation of a paging signal or a voice signal used for a communication connection is generated by applying a head—related transfer function with said sound reproduction position to the paging signal or voice signal, the resulting psychoacoustic effect may be very impressing when the representation is then listened through at least two-channel headphones. By wirelessly transmitting this to headphones, the user's mobility is not compromised.
• the user may be in a better position to modify or define the relationship.
• a sound reproduction position is transmitted to a communication network
• the applying of a head-related transfer function with a sound reproduction position to a paging or voice signal does not need to be performed at the transmitting telephone but can be performed at the receiving telephone or in a communication network.
• the voice can be transmitted using a one-channel representation, thus resulting in reduced complexity and savings in the amount of data to be transmitted.
• the applying of a head-related transfer function to a paging or voice signal can be performed at the receiving telephone. Since the selection of the head-related transfer function has an impact to the quality in which the user perceives the representation of the signal, the quality or user comfort can be improved since in this manner it is possible to use a head-related transfer function stored at the receiving telephone, tested by and suitable for the user of the telephone.
• the signal processing required by head-related transfer function can be performed before using any specific telephony coding, e.g. before using a speech codec (such as Enhanced Full Rate for GSM) or before performing the Pulse Code Modulation for PSTN or ISDN) .
• a speech codec such as Enhanced Full Rate for GSM
• a Pulse Code Modulation for PSTN or ISDN a codec for transmitting the representation of the signal has then to be transmitted for at least two channels, this easily requiring some more bandwidth.
• Figure IA shows an example of a location of a sound source in head coordinates
• Figure IB illustrates a user wearing headphones
• Figure 2A illustrates settings for a caller group
• Figure 2B illustrates settings for a phone book entry
• Figure 3 shows some functional blocks of a telephone
• Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating operation of a telephone according to the invention.
• Figure 5 is a signalling diagram showing two telephones in communication with each other over a communications network
• FIG. 6 illustrates different operations processing the signal
• Some current development work of the appiicant is directed to bringing out a telephone that can be used by a user wearing at least two-channel headphones (e.g. stereo headphones).
• the telephone is adapted to pass an at least two-channel (e.g. stereo) signal to the headphones, preferably over a wireless link.
• Figure IA shows an example of head coordinates in one plane.
• a sound source 13 is located in at distance r at angle ⁇ from the middle of the head 11 of the head of a person.
• the acoustic conditions of the room are denoted with e, mostly resulting from echo and background noise.
• e mostly resulting from echo and background noise.
• a person can observe the position (direction and distance) of the sound source 13 with a rather good precision.
• the skilled person readily understands that a 3D space outside the user's head could be covered by adding a third angle ⁇ so that a location could be expressed in spherical coordinates.
• a tool relatively new on the market is a program product that can be used to create an impression of position of a source of an audio signal when a user listens a representation of the audio signal through at least two channel headphones.
• the audio signal will be passed, through a head- related transfer function (HRTF) in order to generate, for a user wearing at least two channel (e.g. stereo) headphones, a psychoacoustic impression of the audio signal arriving from a predefined position.
• HRTF head- related transfer function
• the mechanism how the psychoacoustic impression is created can be illustrated by way of an example also shown in Figure IB illustrating the head 11 of a user of a telephone wearing at least two-channel (e.g. stereo) headphones 100 adapted to convert a representation S''' of an audio signal S to sound.
• the headphones 100 comprise at least two acoustic transducers (such as speakers) .
• r symbol denotes here a vector which may be expressed with r, ⁇ , and ⁇ in spherical coordinates
• Sound reproduction position r is a vector and can be defined as a position vector in any coordinate system, e.g. in polar or spherical coordinates. For spherical coordinates, coordinate points would be r, ⁇ , and ⁇ .
• an HRTF as described in the "538 application can be used m order to carry out the present invention if a high-quality 3D impression is desired.
• the HRTF should preferably be stored in the telephone. Since one telephone may have several users (e.g. members of a family) , the telephone may therefore could comprise a larger number of HRTFs, one for each user.
• the selection of the HRTF that is to bo used can be selected e.g. based on a code entered to the telephone by the user.
• the selection can be based on an identifier identifying of the headphones 100, if users prefer to use their personal headphones.
• the location of the sound source 13 as in Figure IA may be almost deliberately chosen in the electronic device 30, e.g. in its processing unit 34, by selecting a sound reproduction position r that is used by the HRTF to modify its filtering characteristics.
• a sound reproduction position r that is used by the HRTF to modify its filtering characteristics.
• separate HRTFs can be used (one for each sound reproduction position r) , then the HRTF to be used is changed when the sound reproduction position r changes.
• a general HRTF can also be used for all users.
• An especially suitable HRTF of that kind is one that has been recorded using a head and torso simulator.
• the HRTF is then preferably stored for a large selection of angles around the head. In order to obtain a resolution of two degrees, 180 HRTF positions should be stored. In order to obtain a resolution of 5 degrees, 72 HRTF positions should be stored, for 2D reproduction of the sound source. To control the distance further HRTF positions are preferably needed.
• FIG. 3 shows some functional blocks of a telephone 30.
• the telephone 30 comprises means 35 for receiving and transmitting data to/from communications network 50.
• the data transmission between the telephone 30 and the communications network 50 may take place over a wireless interface or an electrical interface.
• An example of the former is the air interface of a cellular communications network, especially a GSM network, and of the latter a tranditional interface of a Public Switched Telephony Network PSTN.
• the telephone 30 further comprises input/output means 32 for operating the telephone 30.
• Input/output means 32 may comprise a keypad and/or joystick that is preferably suitable for dialling a number or selecting a destination address or name from a phonebook stored in the memory 36, the keypad preferably further comprising a dial toggle and answer button.
• the input/output means 32 may further comprise a display.
• the telephone 30 comprises means 33 for receiving speech of the user of the telephone 30 and means 31 for paging a user or for reproducing an audio signal received from the communications network to the user of the telephone 30.
• means for paging a user or for communicating an audio signal received from the communications network to the user of the telephone comprises an acoustic transducer, e.g. a loudspeaker.
• a telephone 30 according to the invention may comprise such an acoustic transducer, but in order to enable using headphones 100, the means 31 for paging a user or for reproducing an audio signal received from the communications network 50 to the user are adapted to pass a paging signal Sr or a reproduction of an audio signal received from the communications network to headphones 100. This can be done e.g. by using a wireless link, such as Bluetooth.
• Means 33 for receiving speech of the user of the telephone 30 can be an acoustic transducer, e.g. a microphone, or they can be adapted to receive a signal from headphones 100 which then comprises an acoustic transducer for receiving speech.
• the transmission of user speech from headphones 100 to telephone 30 can be done e.g. by using a wireless link, such as Bluetooth.
• a wireless link such as Bluetooth.
• a cable comprising one or two pairs of copper wires can be used.
• the telephone 30 comprises a processing unit 34, such as a microprocessor, and memory 36.
• the processing unit 34 is adapted to read program as executable code and then to execute it.
• the program is usually stored in the memory 36.
• Figure 2A illustrates settings for a caller group.
• the settings for a caller group can be stored in settings file 201 that is preferably stored in memory 36.
• the settings file 201 would comprise a name of the group, such as "FRIENDS", “FAMILY”, “COLLEAGUES”, or "VIP".
• the sound reproduction position r can be selected when a member of- the group is originating a communication connection or when the member corresponds to a destination address.
• the settings file 201 there may be a time rato of change dr/dt for the sound reproduction position r.
• the sound source 13 can be made to rotate around the user in a level.
• Figure 2B illustrates settings of a phone book entry 251.
• the phone book entry 251 comprises name and an identifier (e.g. phone number) defining a network address by using which another telephone can be reached.
• an identifier e.g. phone number
• the phonebook entry 251 comprises the sound reproduction position r, and optionally time rate of change dr/dt for the sound reproduction position r.
• Figure 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the processing unit 34 of the telephone 30, triggered when the telephone 30 receives a paging message from the communication network 50.
• the processing unit 34 has been adapted to execute program code that preferably has been delivered or sold to a customer in form of a program product 70. Therefore the program product 70 preferably comprises means that, after installing the program product 70 into a telephone 30 allow performing of at least some of the method steps shown in Figure 4.
• the processing unit 34 of the telephone 30 receives in step 410 the address MSISDN-A of the telephone from which the communication connection is being originated.
• the address can be e.g. Mobile Station International Subscriber Digital
• step 413 the processing unit 34 compares the address
• step 415 If in step 415 it is detected that for the address MSISDN-A there is no group defined, in step 421 a ringing tone for an unknown number is selected. In step 431 the sound reproduction position r that is used for an unknown number is selected.
• the processing unit reproduces in step 450 the selected paging signal Sr (such as ringing tone) by passing it through a program module in the processing unit 34 that applies the HRTF (step 460) with the sound reproduction position r to it generating a digital representation S' for at least two channels (left and right).
• the digital representation S' is then converted to an analog signal, amplified and possibly filtered by appropriate components in the telephone 30.
• headphones 100 as described above can be used, for which reason the telephone 30 may be adapted to broadcast the representation S' ' ' .
• step 415 If in step 415 it was detected that for the address MSISDN-A there was a group defined, in step 417 the address MSISDN-A is compared with phonebook entries 251. If there is no phonebook entry 251 corresponding to the address MSISDN-A, in step 423 a ringing tone for the group is selected. In step 433 the sound reproduction position r that is used for the group is selected, after which the paging signal Sr is reproduced in steps 450 and 460 in the manner described above.
• step 432 the sound reproduction position r defined for the phone book entry 251 is selected, after which the paging signal Sr is
• a digital representation S' of the paging signal Sr is generated by the the processing unit 34 by applying the HRTF with the sound reproduction position r as long as the paging is finished (which is checked in step 470) .
• the paging has terminated, i.e. the user has either received or rejected the communication connection, the initiating party has terminated establishing the connection, or the communication network, has detected a timeout (e.g. because of no answer at the telephone 30) .
• An analogous principle can be applied to a voice signal Sp used for a communication connection as was above described for a paging signal Sr.
• a particular example of such a voice signal Sp is the speech of the user.
• steps equal to steps 431, 432 or 433 can be performed at the beginning of the communication connection, and instead of starting the ringing tone in step 450, voice received from the communication network can be passed through the program module m the processing unit 36, generating digital representation S' (step 460) by applying the -HRTF with the sound reproduction position r, after which the representation S''' can be played back or broadcasted.
• Figure 5 is a signalling diagram showing two telephones 3OA, 3OB in communication with each other over a communications network 50.
• the signalling diagram of Figure 5 is a simplified example of a communication connection that could take place in a cellular network. Analogous principle would
• originating telephone 3OA sends call message LIl to network 50 which sends paging message L12 to destination telephone 3OB. If the destination telephone 3OB accepts the call, it sends a positive acknowledgement message L22 to the network 50 which further acknowledges initiating telephone 3OA by sending a positive acknowledgement message L21.
• the user of the originating telephone 3OA speaks, his or her speech is coded and then transmitted in small blocks Mil, M21, ... to the network which transmits same contents in messages M12, M22, ... to the destination telephone 3OB.
• the destination telephone decodes the messages M12, M22 and then reproduces the speech.
• the coding used may be changed by the network 50 if necessary. If the codecs used in both telephones 3OA and 30B are compatible, this is not necessary.
• the processing unit 34 of the telephone 3OA can be adapted to receive an identifier defining a destination party, such as the number of the telephone 3OB, for a communication connection or a group to which the destination party of the communication connection, i.e. telephone 30B, belongs.
• the processing unit 34 of the telephone 30A may further be adapted to select the sound reproduction position r that will be perceived by the user of telephone 30B as the position from where the voice of the user of telephone 3OA is reproduced.
• the telephone 3OB can be adapted to apply the HRTF to the paging signal Sr.
• the telephone 3OA, the communication network 50, or the telephone 3OB can be adapted to apply the HRTF with the sound reproduction position r to a voice signal Sp used for the communication connection, i.e. speech from the user of telephone 30A.
• the paging signal Sr and voice signal Sp are usually one-channel (i.e. mono) signals, by applying a HRTF to any of them gives an at least two-channel (e.g. stereo) signal. This at least two-channel signal is then passed to headphones 100 at telephone 3OB. If the paging signal Sr or voice signal Sp are originally on two or more channels, the HRTF has to be applied at least to the right and left channel.
• the processing unit 34 of the telephone 3OB is adapted to receive an identifier defining an originating party, such as telephone 3OA, for a communication connection, or a group to which the originating party of the communication connection belongs .
• the processing unit 34 of the telephone 3OB is-'adapted to select the sound reproduction position r that will be perceived by the user of telephone 30A as the position from which the voice of the user of telephone 3OB is reproduced.
• identifier MSISDN defining an originating or destination party for a communication connection is received at the processing unit from the means 35 for receiving data from the communications network 50, or from input/output means 32. Responsive to the identifier MSISDN, the processing unit 34 receives a predefined sound reproduction position r from the memory 36. The processing unit 34 may further receive a predefined paging signal Sr from the memory 36. If the processing unit 34 does not receive a predefined paging signal Sr from the memory 36, it preferably receives a voice signal Sp used for the communication connection from means 35 for receiving data from the communications network 50, or from means 33 for receiving speech of the user of the telephone 30.
• the paging signal Sr or speech signal Sp is in the following denoted with a common symbol for a signal S.
• the processing unit 34 applies the HRTF with sound reproduction position r to the audio signal S.
• the thus produced digital representation S' is then converted to an analog signal, amplified m amplifier 61, and filtered.
• the amplified signal S 11 can be fed to means 31 for paging a user or for reproducing an audio signal-
• the representation S' 1 ' from means 31 can be received at headphones 100.
• the program which can be executed in the processing unit 34 comprises the mam base band application 700 which takes care of monitoring the means 35 for receiving data from the communications network 50, and input/output means 32.
• the program further comprises a ringing tone selection module 701 which the base band application 700 can call.
• the ringing tone selection module 701 selects a ringing tone Sr that is used as a paging signal Sr for paging the user, in the selection, a group identifier or an identifier (such as MSISDN) identifying the originating address is used in order to select paging signal Sr.
• the program may receive through means 35 for receiving data from the communication network 50 a voice signal Sp which relates to an ongoing communication connection, such as to an ongoing call.
• a voice signal Sp which relates to an ongoing communication connection, such as to an ongoing call.
• a practical example of this is the coded speech of the other party.
• the program may receive from the means 33 for receiving speech of the user of the telephone 30 a voice signal Sp which relates to an ongoing communication connection, such as to an ongoing call.
• a voice signal Sp which relates to an ongoing communication connection, such as to an ongoing call.
• a practical example of this is the coded speech of the user of the telephone.
• the interface with processing unit 34 interacts with the communication network 50, with peripherals (such as headphones 100) , with input/output means 32, etc, by using suitable interfaces.
• peripherals such as headphones 100
• input/output means 32 etc.
• These interfaces may involve device drivers and so forth, and their more detailed description can be omitted since the skilled person readily understands how to implement them.
• the signal that is going to output is below denoted with S, regardless whether Sr or Sp is meant.
• the program further comprises a sound reproduction position selection module 703 which the base band application 700 may call.
• the sound reproduction position r selection module 703 is adapted to receive an identifier defining an originating or destination party for a communication connection, such as MSISDN.
• the sound reproduction position selection module 703 may be adapted to receive an identifier GROUP defining the group to which the originating or destination party of the communication connection belongs.
• the sound reproduction position selection module 703 is adapted to select a sound reproduction position r responsive to the identifier (MSISDN or GROUP) .
• the program may further comprise a sound processing module 705 which the base band application 700 may use.
• the base band application 700 preferably passes the signal S together with the selected sound reproduction position r to the sound processing module 705 which applies the HRTr in order to generate a digital representation S' o ⁇ the signal S.
• Memory 36 of the telephone 30 preferably comprises a phonebook entry 251 or a settings file 201.
• This memory 36 is suitable for storing a dependency between the identifier (NSISDN or GROUP) and the sound reproduction position r.
• a smart card such as UMTS Subscriber Identity Module or Subscriber Identity Module can be used for storing these data.
• the HRTF can be stored in the memory or in the smart card. The latter option makes the HRTF device-independent.
• the HRTF can be stored m the communications network 50.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

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• 2004
  • 2004-11-10 EP EP04026709A patent/EP1657892A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2005
  • 2005-06-27 EP EP05756896A patent/EP1810489A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-06-27 WO PCT/EP2005/053006 patent/WO2006051002A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2005-11-08 TW TW094139048A patent/TW200627915A/zh unknown

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