Audio control based on orientation

Abstract

A device may be configured to sense its own orientation with respect to a coordinate system, and to also sense the orientation of a user's head with respect to the device. The device may then determine whether the device orientation has changed with respect to the coordinate system and/or whether the head orientation has changed with respect to the device. Audio signal generation in the device may then be controlled based on the determination. For example, the position of a simulated sound source may be changed in a 3-D audio field based on determined changes in device and/or head orientation. The audio signal may then be transmitted from the device to an apparatus configured to generate sound based on the audio signal (e.g., headphones).

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A mobile electronic device, comprising:
 device orientation detection circuitry configured to determine a device orientation of said mobile electronic device with respect to a coordinate system; 
 user head orientation detection circuitry configured to determine user head orientation with respect to the mobile electronic device; and 
 audio adjustment circuitry configured to control the generation of an audio signal based on the device orientation and user head orientation; 
 
       wherein:
 the mobile electronic device is a mobile communication device or a mobile computing device; 
 the audio signal is configured to cause the generation of a sound field; and 
 the audio signal is configured to lock the sound field in a fixed perspective regardless of a change in said device orientation. 
 
     
     
       2. The mobile electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the mobile electronic device further comprises image capture circuitry; and 
 determining the user head orientation with respect to the mobile electronic device comprises capturing an image using the image capture circuitry, detecting a face of a user in the image and determining an orientation for the head of the user based on the detected user face. 
 
     
     
       3. The mobile electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein determining the user head orientation with respect to the mobile electronic device comprises detecting an orientation of an apparatus worn by a user and determining the user head orientation based on the orientation of the apparatus. 
     
     
       4. The mobile electronic device of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the mobile electronic device further comprises at least a wireless receiver; and 
 detecting the worn apparatus orientation comprises receiving position information from the apparatus via wireless communication. 
 
     
     
       5. The mobile electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein controlling the generation of the audio signal is based on the relative orientation of the mobile electronic device with respect to the coordinate system or the relative orientation of the user head with respect to the mobile electronic device. 
     
     
       6. The mobile electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein controlling the generation of the audio signal is based on the relative orientation of the mobile electronic device with respect to the coordinate system and the relative orientation of the user head with respect to the mobile electronic device. 
     
     
       7. The mobile electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the audio signal is a surround sound audio signal configured to simulate a three-dimensional (3-D) sound field. 
     
     
       8. The mobile electronic device of  claim 7 , wherein controlling the generation of the audio signal comprises changing the location of a simulated sound source within the 3-D sound field. 
     
     
       9. The mobile electronic device of  claim 8 , wherein changing the location of the simulated sound source within the 3-D sound field comprises changing the location of the simulated sound source to maintain the relative position of the simulated source within the coordinate system with respect to at least the user head orientation. 
     
     
       10. The mobile electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile electronic device further comprises at least a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the audio signal. 
     
     
       11. A method, comprising:
 determining a device orientation of a mobile electronic device with respect to a coordinate system; 
 determining user head orientation with respect to the mobile electronic device; and 
 controlling generation of an audio signal based on the device orientation and user head orientation; 
 
       wherein:
 the mobile electronic device is a mobile communication device or a mobile computing device; 
 the audio signal is configured to cause the generation of a sound field; and 
 the audio signal is configured to lock the sound field in a fixed perspective regardless of a change in said device orientation. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the user head orientation with respect to the mobile electronic device comprises capturing an image, detecting a face of a user in the image and determining an orientation for the head of the user based on the detected user face. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the user head orientation with respect to the mobile electronic device comprises detecting an orientation of an apparatus worn by a user and determining the user head orientation based on the orientation of the worn apparatus. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein detecting the worn apparatus orientation comprises receiving position information from the worn apparatus via wireless communication. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein controlling the generation of the audio signal is based on the relative orientation of the mobile electronic device with respect to the coordinate system or the relative orientation of the user head with respect to the mobile electronic device. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , wherein controlling the generation of the audio signal is based on the relative orientation of the mobile electronic device with respect to the coordinate system and the relative orientation of the user head with respect to the mobile electronic device. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the audio signal is a surround sound audio signal configured to simulate a three-dimensional (3-D) sound field. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein controlling the generation of the audio signal comprises changing the location of a simulated sound source within the 3-D sound field. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein changing the location of the simulated sound source within the 3-D sound field comprises changing the location of the simulated sound source to maintain the relative position of the simulated source within the coordinate system with respect to at least the user head orientation. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising transmitting the audio signal via wireless communication. 
     
     
       21. A system comprising at least one machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon, individually or in combination, instructions that when executed by one or more processors result in the following operations comprising:
 determining a device orientation of a mobile electronic device with respect to a coordinate system; 
 determining user head orientation with respect to the mobile electronic device; and 
 controlling generation of an audio signal based on the device orientation and user head orientation; 
 
       wherein:
 the mobile electronic device is a mobile communication device or a mobile computing device; 
 the audio signal is configured to cause the generation of a sound field; and 
 the audio signal is configured to lock the sound field in a fixed perspective regardless of a change in said device orientation. 
 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 21 , wherein determining the user head orientation with respect to the mobile electronic device comprises capturing an image, detecting a face of a user in the image and determining an orientation for the head of the user based on the detected user face. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 21 , wherein determining the user head orientation with respect to the mobile electronic device comprises detecting an orientation of an apparatus worn by a user and determining the user head orientation based on the orientation of the worn apparatus. 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 23 , wherein detecting the worn apparatus orientation comprises receiving position information from the worn apparatus via wireless communication. 
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 21 , wherein controlling the generation of the audio signal is based on the relative orientation of the mobile electronic device with respect to the coordinate system or the relative orientation of the user head with respect to the mobile electronic device. 
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 21 , wherein controlling the generation of the audio signal is based on the relative orientation of the mobile electronic device with respect to the coordinate system and the relative orientation of the user head with respect to the mobile electronic device. 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the audio signal is a surround sound audio signal configured to simulate a three-dimensional (3-D) sound field. 
     
     
       28. The system of  claim 27 , wherein controlling the generation of the audio signal comprises changing the location of a simulated sound source within the 3-D sound field. 
     
     
       29. The system of  claim 28 , wherein changing the location of the simulated sound source within the 3-D sound field comprises changing the location of the simulated sound source to maintain the relative position of the simulated source within the coordinate system with respect to at least the user head orientation. 
     
     
       30. The system of  claim 21 , further comprising transmitting the audio signal via wireless communication.