The present application provides method and apparatus for a binaural hearing assistance system using a monaural audio signal input. The system, in various examples, provides adjustable delay/phase adjustment and sound level adjustment. Different embodiments are provided for receiving the monaural signal and distributing it to a plurality of hearing assistance devices. Different relaying modes are provided. Special functions are supported, such as telecoil functions. The system also has examples that account for a head-related transfer function in providing advanced sound processing for the wearer. Other examples are provided that are described in the detailed description.

The apparatus and methods of the present invention provide improved accuracy of response for a tactile transducer included in a body-mounted device such as a headphone, VR/AR headset or similar device. Accuracy is increased through the application of digital signal processing, such as with Infinite Impulse Response filters or Finite Impulse Response filters.

An electronic device includes a display and one or more processors. The display displays, when a person is at a location, a virtual image at a sound localization point (SLP) in empty space. The one or more processors process sound with a room impulse response (RIR) for the location in order to generate binaural sound that externally localizes at the SLP in empty space in response to the person being at the location.

An earpiece for reproducing audio has multiple drivers, including a bone conduction bass driver and an air conduction treble driver, attached to the ends of a malleable, yet stiff, tubing. The bass driver is placed behind or over the ear to provide a high quality bass output while the treble driver is placed so as to extend in proximity to the user's ear canal. The malleable, yet stiff, tubing enables a user to bend the earpiece and thereby position the earpiece comfortably and securely around the user's ear and to optimally position the drivers in the desired positions around the user's ear. The tubing also allows the earpiece, when not in use, to be reshaped for easy storage or to be worn as an accessory. The earpiece may also include one or more microphones with the treble and/or bass drivers.

Methods and systems are provided for gaming headset with enhanced off-screen awareness. An audio system that is used for outputting audio signals to a user may be configured for identifying in audio signals, based on parameters or criteria associated with a user of the system, one or more components in the audio signals; determining characteristics of the one or more components based on perception of the audio signals by the user; and adjusting based on the characteristics of the one or more components, the one or more components and/or one or more other components in the audio signals. The audio system may include circuits for handling the required functions. The circuits may include a detection circuit configured for identify the one or more components, one or more adjustment circuits for applying the adjustments, and a controller circuit for controlling applying the adjustments.

An information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an executing unit that associates a head-related transfer function corresponding to a user with an identifier that identifies equipment that is used by the user and a providing unit that provides the head-related transfer function and the identifier associated with the head-related transfer function to a providing destination to which the head-related transfer function corresponding to the user is provided.

Methods and systems are provided for enhanced audio experiences in VR/AR applications. The apparatuses of this disclosure are adapted to record multiple binaural stereo pairs and play back select binaural pairs corresponding to users' head positions. A substantially spherical microarray is utilized in various embodiments for recording multiple binaural stereo pairs. A VR/AR headset is further adapted to track a user's head positions and dynamically play back binaural sound pairs corresponding to the head positions.

Systems and methods for using auditorily-induced vection (AIV) to enhance a person's attitude awareness are provided herein. In at least one embodiment, an auditory object is projected based on the orientation of the person or a vehicle and the projected auditory is provided to the person. By projecting the auditory object, the attitude of the person or the vehicle can be conveyed to the person to enhance the person's attitude awareness.

Methods and systems are provided for gaming headset with enhanced off-screen awareness. One or more components may be identified or detected in input audio signals, which may meet particular positioning criteria, relating to a user of the system when the user is receiving output audio signals corresponding to the input audio signals. The input audio signals may then be processed to adjust characteristics corresponding to the one or more components and/or one or more other components in the output audio signals, as perceived by the user when receiving the output audio signals. The positioning criteria may include field-of-view of the user, with the one or more components corresponding to sounds in (or having source(s) within) the field-of-view of the user. The processing may be configured to enhance the one or more other components and/or to subtract or suppress the one or more components.

An apparatus includes a headphone driver and a processor in communication with the headphone driver. The processor is configured to receive an audio setting selection from among a plurality of audio setting selections. Each audio setting selection is associated with a frequency range that includes at least one frequency that is outside of a range of human hearing. The processor is further configured to receive an audio signal and to process the audio signal according to the selected audio setting selection to generate an output signal. The processor is configured to provide an output signal to the headphone driver.