A method of operating a headphone configured to be removed from and placed in close proximity to a user's ear can include generating an input signal by an input signal generating device. The method can also include determining whether an insertion event has occurred based on the generated input signal and causing the headphone to operate in 5 a low power mode responsive to an absence of an insertion event determination after a first period of time. The method can also include causing the headphone to operate in an ultra-low power mode responsive to the absence of an insertion event determination after a second period of time that occurs after the first period of time, the ultra-low power mode having a lower power consumption than the low power mode.

A method for normalizing platform-adaptive audio includes encoding input video content and generating video stream data as original data to store the video stream data in storage; generating loudness metadata for audio data of the video content and storing the loudness metadata in the storage; receiving a request for the video content from a client; searching the storage for video stream data of the video content corresponding to the request, the loudness metadata, and a device profile corresponding to device information included in the request; and transmitting, to the client, a response including the video stream data, the loudness metadata, and the device profile that are found in the storage.

In general, techniques of controlling a plurality of multimedia players in groups are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a mechanism is provided to allow a user to group some of the players according to a theme or scene, where each of the players is located in a zone. When the scene is activated, the players in the scene react in a synchronized manner. For example, the players in the scene are all caused to play a multimedia source or music in a playlist, wherein the multimedia source may be located anywhere on a network.

In general, techniques of controlling a plurality of multimedia players in groups are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a mechanism is provided to allow a user to group some of the players according to a theme or scene, where each of the players is located in a zone. When the scene is activated, the players in the scene react in a synchronized manner. For example, the players in the scene are all caused to play a multimedia source or music in a playlist, wherein the multimedia source may be located anywhere on a network.

A method (600) for decoding an encoded audio signal (102) is described. The encoded audio signal (102) comprises a sequence of frames. Furthermore, the encoded audio signal (102) is indicative of a plurality of different dynamic range control (DRC) profiles for a corresponding plurality of different rendering modes. Different subsets of DRC profiles from the plurality of DRC profiles are comprised within different frames of the sequence of frames, such that two or more frames of the sequence of frames jointly comprise the plurality of DRC profiles. The method (600) comprises determining a first rendering mode from the plurality of different rendering modes; determining (609, 610) one or more DRC profiles from a subset of DRC profiles comprised within a current frame of the sequence of frames; determining (611) whether at least one of the one or more DRC profiles is applicable to the first rendering mode; selecting (604) a default DRC profile as a current DRC profile, if none of the one or more DRC profiles is applicable to the first rendering mode; wherein definition data of the default DRC profile is known at a decoder (100) for decoding the encoded audio signal (102); and decoding the current frame using the current DRC profile.

A first digital signal processor (DSP) associated with a first user outputs audio to the first user via first headphones, and captures speech from the first user via a first microphone. Similarly, a second DSP associated with a second user outputs audio to the second user via second headphones, and captures speech from the second user via a second microphone. The first DSP is coupled to the second DSP in order to allow the first and second users to share music and communicate with one another. The first user may speak into the first microphone, and the first and second DSPs may then interoperate to output that speech to the second user without substantially disrupting audio output to the second user. Each of the first and second users may also select between first and second audio sources that may be coupled to the first and second DSPs, respectively.

A system and method for digital processing including a gain element to process an input audio signal, a high pass filter to then filter the signal and create a high pass signal, a first filter module to filter the high pass signal and create a first filtered signal and a splitter to split the high pass signal into two high pass signals. The first filter module filters one high pass signals before a first compressor modulates the signal or a high pass signal to create a modulated signal. A second filter module filters the modulated signal to create a second filtered signal that is processed by a first processing module including a band splitter that splits the signal into low and high band signals that are then modulated by compressors. A second processing module processes the modulated low and high band signals to create an output signal.

A media system and a method of using the media system to accommodate hearing loss of a user, are described. The method includes selecting a personal level-and-frequency dependent audio filter that corresponds to a hearing loss profile of the user. The personal level-and-frequency dependent audio filter can be one of several level-and-frequency-dependent audio filters having respective average gain levels and respective gain contours. An accommodative audio output signal can be generated by applying the personal level-and-frequency dependent audio filter to an audio input signal to enhance the audio input signal based on an input level and an input frequency of the audio input signal. The audio output signal can be played by an audio output device to deliver speech or music that the user perceives clearly, despite the hearing loss of the user. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Volume leveler controller and controlling method are disclosed. In one embodiment, A volume leveler controller includes an audio content classifier for identifying the content type of an audio signal in real time; and an adjusting unit for adjusting a volume leveler in a continuous manner based on the content type as identified. The adjusting unit may configured to positively correlate the dynamic gain of the volume leveler with informative content types of the audio signal, and negatively correlate the dynamic gain of the volume leveler with interfering content types of the audio signal.

A public address method for live broadcast, in a helmet, of an audio signal conditioned from a plurality of raw audio channels, includes a pre-processing phase including the operations that consist of taking into account characteristics of the auditory perception of the listener; correcting each channel as a function of the characteristics of the auditory perception of the listener; a mixing phase including the production, from the channels thus pre-processed, of a mixed audio signal; a post-processing phase including the operations that consist of: measuring the sound level of a background noise; correcting the mixed audio signal as a function of the sound level of the background noise; a phase of reproducing, in the helmet, the conditioned audio signal resulting from post-processing.