US 12,308,043 B2
Playback enhancement in audio systems
Joseph Gaalaas, Woodbury, MN (US)
Assigned to Bose Corporation, Framingham, MA (US)
Filed by Bose Corporation, Framingham, MA (US)
Filed on May 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/745,748.
Application 17/745,748 is a continuation of application No. 16/103,039, filed on Aug. 14, 2018, granted, now 11,335,357.
Prior Publication US 2022/0277759 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 17/00 (2019.01); G10L 21/0216 (2013.01); G10L 21/0364 (2013.01); H04R 5/04 (2006.01); G10L 21/0208 (2013.01)
CPC G10L 21/0364 (2013.01) [G10L 21/0216 (2013.01); H04R 5/04 (2013.01); G10L 2021/02082 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An audio system comprising:
an input configured to receive audio content;
an output configured to playback audio in a listening environment;
one or more microphones configured to detect environmental acoustic signals in the listening environment; and
at least one processor coupled to the input and to the output, the at least one processor configured to
determine an environmental noise signal based on the detected environmental acoustic signals in the listening environment,
select a portion of the audio content to be enhanced relative to other portions of the audio content,
calculate an intelligibility metric of the selected portion using the environmental noise signal,
calculate a reference intelligibility metric based at least in part upon the audio content and a reference environment, wherein the reference intelligibility metric represents an intelligibility that would exist if the audio content were reproduced in the reference environment,
determine an enhancement based at least in part upon a comparison of the intelligibility metric to the reference intelligibility metric,
apply the enhancement to the selected portion to provide an enhanced portion, and
combine the enhanced portion with the other portions of the audio content for playback via the output.