3D Sound positioning with distributed sensors

Abstract

A method of providing audiometric feedback from a network of distributed body sensors using one or more earpieces includes receiving signals from the network of distributed body sensors at the one or more wireless earpieces, processing the signals received at the one or more wireless earpieces to determine a location of individual body sensors within the network of distributed body sensors relative the one or more earpieces, and producing audiometric feedback at the one or more wireless earpieces at least partially based on the locations of the individual body sensors relative to the one or more earpieces.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of locating a distributed body sensor with a network of distributed body sensors using one or more earpieces comprising:
 receiving a sound signal from the individual body sensor within the network of distributed body sensors at a first wireless earpiece;   receiving the sound signal from the individual body sensor within the network of distributed body sensors at a second wireless earpiece; and   processing the sound signal at the first and the second wireless earpieces by a processor of the first and the second wireless earpieces to determine a location of the individual body sensor within the network of distributed body sensors relative to the first and the second earpieces.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of producing audiometric feedback at the first or the second wireless earpieces based on the location of the individual body sensor relative to the first or the second earpieces. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the audiometric feedback is based on changes in the location of the individual body sensor relative to the first or the second earpieces due to movement. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the audiometric feedback comprises an audiometric rhythmic signal synchronized to the movement. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising the step of encoding sensor information from the individual body sensor within the sound signal and decoding the sensor information from the individual body sensor at the the first or the second wireless earpieces. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the signal is communicated over skin of a user of the distributed body sensor and the first or the second earpieces. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the distributed body sensor is associated with an article of clothing. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the distributed body sensors is associated with a band. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the audiometric feedback is represented by three-dimensional sound. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the audiometric feedback is positioned at a location to be perceived as emanating from a position of the distributed body sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the signals are wireless signals. 
     
     
         12 . A method of locating a body sensor from a network of distributed body sensors using one or more earpieces comprising:
 receiving at least a first signal from the body sensor within the network of distributed body sensors at a first wireless earpiece;   receiving at least a second signal from the body sensor within the network of distributed body sensors at a second wireless earpiece;   receiving at least a third signal from either the first or second wireless earpiece at the second or first wireless earpiece;   wherein the first, the second and third signal are received by the first and the second wireless earpieces at a different time or angle of incidence;   processing at least the first signal, the second signal and the third signal received at the first or the second wireless earpieces to determine location of the body sensor within the network of distributed body.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of producing audiometric feedback at the first or the second wireless earpieces at least partially based on the location of at least one of the body sensor relative to the first or the second wireless earpiece. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the first signal is received at the first earpiece and has a first arrival time and a first angle of incidence and the second signal is received at the second earpiece and has a second arrival time and a second angle of incidence. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein a processor disposed of within the first earpiece or the second earpiece determines the location of at least one of the individual body sensors using the first arrival time and the first angle of incidence and the second arrival time and the second angle of incidence. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the first or the second wireless earpieces is configured to triangulate the location of at least one of the individual body sensors. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the first or the second wireless earpiece further comprise at least one wireless transceiver configured to communicate with an external electronic device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the audiometric feedback is positioned at a location to be perceived as emanating from a position of the body sensor. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the first or the second wireless earpieces further comprises a plurality of microphones operatively connected to the wireless earpieces and a speaker is operatively connected to the first or the second wireless earpieces. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the location of at least one of the individual body sensors is determined by sound intensity differential.