Broadband communications devices and methods operate with at least two separate communication paths between the devices and the network, such as the Internet. The broadband devices and methods receive data concurrently over the communication paths or separately. The bandwidth is increased when the separate communication paths are combined. The broadband devices employ packetized data with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies combined with RF communications technologies.

A head mounted display (HMD) determines a distance between eyes of a user wearing the HMD, and head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) are selected based on the eye distance. The HMD displays a virtual image to the user and processes sound with the HRTFs into binaural sound that externally localizes at the virtual image. The HMD that determines the distance between the eyes of the user is also the HMD that displays the virtual image and processes the sound with the HRTFs.

Systems and methods for prioritizing audio announcements are provided. In one embodiment, a method can include obtaining, by one or more processors associated with a computing device, an audio notification that comprises a message and a preferred priority associated with the message. The method can include determining, by the one or more processors, an assigned priority associated with the message based at least in part on a content of the message and the preferred priority associated with the message. The method can include generating, by the one or more processors, an output indicative of the message and the assigned priority associated with the message. The method can include providing, by the one or more processors, the output to an audio device to audibly produce the output based at least in part on the priority associated with the message.

A double-talk state can be accurately detected, and based on a detection result, echo can be appropriately suppressed. When a sound is output from a speaker and only the output sound is input to a microphone, a comparison is made, for each of different frequency bands, between a frequency mask generated based on a power spectrum or an amplitude spectrum for a learning signal transmitted through a transmitting signal path and a value of a power spectrum or an amplitude spectrum for an input signal input from the microphone, to detect whether there is a double-talk state. In a case of detecting that no signal is being transmitted through the transmitting signal path and that a signal is being transmitted through the receiving signal path, an echo suppressor is used to execute processing of suppressing an echo in the input signal.

A base station for an audio headset system is provided which is able to communicate with a remote device. The base station is configured to be convertible such that it facilitates communication with remote devices over a range of different communication protocols, in accordance with varying user preference.

A conference system with transmitting and receiving sides. The transmitting side has a microphone array unit with microphone capsules, and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to receive output signals of the microphone capsules and to execute audio beamforming based on the received output signals for acquiring sound coming from an audio source in a first direction. The processing unit has a direction-recognition unit that computes from the output signals of said microphone capsules a score for each of multiple search grid spatial positions and uses a search grid spatial position having a higher score to identify said first direction. The receiving side has an audio reproduction system that reproduces an audio signal detected by the microphone array with directional information of the first direction. The detected audio signal and the directional information regarding the first direction are transmitted from the transmitting side to the receiving side.

This application is directed to a speaker device having a rounded enclosure. The rounded enclosure includes two housing elements that are coupled to each other and have a substantially continuous transition. The rounded enclosure has a circular cross section defined by a first radius. A first housing element includes and extends past the circular cross section, and a second housing element has a second maximum radius that is smaller than the first radius. A speaker unit and a circuit board are arranged within the rounded enclosure. The circuit board is electrically coupled to the speaker unit. At least a portion of the first housing element includes perforations configured to enable transmission of sound generated by the speaker unit out of the speaker device. The second housing element has a power connector that is electrically coupled to the circuit board and is configured to receive power from an external power supply.

Described herein are audio capture systems and methods. One embodiment provides an audio capture system (1) including: microphones (9-11) positioned to capture respective audio signals from different directions or locations within an audio environment; a mixing module (7) configured to mix the audio signals in accordance with a mixing control signal to produce an output audio mix, wherein, upon the detection of vibration activity, the mixing control signal controls the mixing module (7) to selectively temporarily modify one or more of the audio signals to reduce the presence of noise associated with vibration activity in the output audio mix.

An electronic device includes a chassis which has mutually partitioned first chamber, second chamber and third chamber, an electronic substrate which is housed in the first chamber, loudspeaker modules which are housed in the second chamber and the microphones which are housed in the third chamber.

A privacy system and method are provided for selecting an audio play mode in a mobile electronic communications device having a microphone, a loudspeaker and an earpiece speaker. The described technique in an embodiment includes receiving a user request for information, and playing the information via the earpiece speaker if the earpiece speaker is adjacent the user's head and was adjacent the user's head when the user request was received. The information is played via the loud speaker if the earpiece speaker is not adjacent the user's head and was not adjacent the user's head when the user request was received. If the earpiece speaker was adjacent the user's head when the user request was received but is no longer adjacent the user's head, the device requests user permission to play the received information via the loud speaker.