This application provides an audio output method and a terminal device. The method helps to reduce the operation complexity of a user, improve a degree of intelligence of the terminal device, and finally improve the user experience. The method includes that: a second terminal device may send an audio output request to a first terminal device, and a user may operate the first terminal device or an audio output device connected to the first terminal device, to trigger the second terminal device to obtain audio data corresponding to the audio output request. When the audio output device is a wireless audio output device, the second terminal device may establish a communication link with the wireless audio output device, to control the wireless audio output device to output a first audio signal corresponding to the audio data; and when the audio output device is a wired audio output device, the first terminal device may obtain audio data from the second terminal device, to control the audio output device connected to the first terminal device to output a first audio signal corresponding to the audio data.

Embodiments herein relate to ear-worn devices that can be used to locate other devices such as mobile electronic devices. In a first aspect, an ear-worn device is included having a control circuit, a microphone in electrical communication with the control circuit, an electroacoustic transducer for generating sound in electrical communication with the control circuit, a motion sensor in electrical communication with the control circuit, and a power supply circuit in electrical communication with the control circuit, wherein the ear-worn device is configured to issue a location command to a mobile electronic device and wherein the location command triggers the mobile electronic device to emit a locating signal. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Methods and systems are provided for enhancing communications mobility in an enterprise using a distributed communication controller. At least one distributed communication controller processes incoming and outgoing calls from a user device such as wearable and peripheral devices. The calls range in type and include voice calls, video calls, and both voice and video calls. Upon receiving an incoming call for the user comprising audio and video content, the distributed communication controller sends a call notification message to the user device that is in proximity to the distributed communication controller. After receiving a call acceptance input from the user device, the distributed communication controller sends the audio content of the call over a first channel to the user device. While the audio content is being sent over the first channel, the distributed communication controller sends the video content to an alternative device over a different second channel.

Devices and methods for controlling the functionality of a pair of earbuds. The first earbud establishes a connection between the first earbud and an electronic device, searches for the second earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication, BCC, and sends a signal from the first earbud to the electronic device including information defining whether the first earbud detected the second earbud during the search. The electronic device receives a signal from the at least one of the earbuds, the signal comprising information defining whether the earbud has detected the other earbud of the pair of earbuds using Body Coupled Communication, BCC, and sends a signal to the at least one earbud wherein the signal is controlled based on the received signal and includes information associated with controlling the functionality of the pair of earbuds.

A headset includes a wearable body, first and second earphones extending from the wearable body, controls for controlling an external communication/multimedia device wirelessly, a microphone for picking up vocal data from a user of the headset system and a signal processing unit. The signal processing unit includes circuitry for processing the vocal data into a distinctly audible vocal feedback signal, circuitry for enhancing the vocal feedback signal thereby producing an enhanced vocal feedback signal and circuitry for mixing the enhanced vocal feedback signal with audio signals originating from the external communication/multimedia device, thereby producing a mixed output signal and then sending the mixed output signal to the user via the earphones. The external communication/multimedia device comprises a vocal command application and the headset further comprises a vocal command control for sending vocal commands to the external communication/multimedia device and to the vocal command application.

This disclosure describes techniques for detecting voice commands from a user of an ear-based device. The ear-based device may include an in-ear facing microphone to capture sound emitted in an ear of the user, and an exterior facing microphone to capture sound emitted in an exterior environment of the user. The in-ear microphone may generate an inner audio signal representing the sound emitted in the ear, and the exterior microphone may generate an outer audio signal representing sound from the exterior environment. The ear-based device may compute a ratio of a power of the inner audio signal to the outer audio signal and may compare this ratio to a threshold. If the ratio is larger than the threshold, the ear-based device may detect the voice of the user. Further, the ear-based device may set a value of the threshold based on a level of acoustic seal of the ear-based device.

A wireless earphone system (1) comprising a first earphone (2) and a second earphone (3). The first earphone (2) comprises a first earphone transceiver (6) of a first type and a second earphone transceiver (7) of a second type, and the second earphone (3) comprises a third earphone transceiver (7) of the first type. A first wireless link (5) can be established between the first earphone transceiver (6) and the third earphone transceiver (8), and a second wireless link (9) can be established between the second earphone transceiver (7) and an audio rendering transceiver (25) of the second type of an audio rendering device (4). The first earphone device (2) is adapted to send a link status signal (12) via the second wireless link (9) to the audio rendering device (4).

An operation method for a mobile electronic device is provided. The operation method includes: transmitting a calling phone number to a wireless audio product from an operation system of the mobile electronic device via wireless communication, wherein the mobile electronic device is wirelessly connected to the wireless audio product; transmitting the calling phone number to an application software of the mobile electronic device by the wireless audio product; searching a caller name corresponding to the calling phone number by the application software of the mobile electronic device; transmitting the caller name to the wireless audio product by the application software of the mobile electronic device via wireless communication; and playing the caller name by the wireless audio product.

A system includes a first microphone that captures audio, a communication module communicatively coupled to the first microphone, a logic circuit communicatively coupled to the first microphone and communication module, a speaker operatively coupled to the logic circuit, and an interaction element. The interaction element and logic circuit are configured to initiate control of audio content for output from the speaker in response to at least one voice command detected in captured audio. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Techniques for providing audio services to multiple devices are described. For instance, connections between a hands-free unit and multiple wireless devices are established. The connections are themselves used to establish active communication channels, such as active audio communication channels, between the hands-free unit and the wireless devices, such as during a phone call. Upon establishment of an active communication channel with one of the wireless devices, the connections to the other wireless devices are disconnected—and/or additional connections refused—for the duration of the active communication channel. Furthermore, a routing module in various embodiments permits multiple hands-free units to route active communication channels to each other depending on user location.