Headphones

About: Headphones is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3140 publications have been published within this topic receiving 33762 citations. The topic is also known as: circumaural headphones & over-ear headphones.

Headphone simulation of free-field listening. II: Psychophysical validation

Abstract: Listeners reported the apparent spatial positions of wideband noise bursts that were presented either by loudspeakers in free field or by headphones. The headphone stimuli were digitally processed with the aim of duplicating, at a listener’s eardrums, the waveforms that were produced by the free‐field stimuli. The processing algorithms were based on each subject’s free‐field‐to‐eardrum transfer functions that had been measured at 144 free‐field source locations. The headphone stimuli were localized by eight subjects in virtually the same positions as the corresponding free‐field stimuli. However, with headphone stimuli, there were more front–back confusions, and source elevation seemed slightly less well defined. One subject’s difficulty with elevation judgments, which was observed both with free‐field and with headphone stimuli, was traced to distorted features of the free‐field‐to‐eardrum transfer function.

Athlete's gps-based performance monitor

Abstract: This invention is a Global Positioning System (GPS) based personal athletic performance monitor for providing an athlete with real time athletic performance feedback data such as elapsed exercise time, distance covered, average pace, elevation difference, distance to go, and/or advice for reaching preset targets. The monitor is integrated with an AM/FM/TV personal radio (607), and the athletic performance feedback is provided through a set of audio headphones (202) using an audio module (606). The monitor can be connected to an external personal computer (701) via a serial (118) or infrared port (124) for further data storage, for long term trend analysis, or to a remote computer via modem (613), where historical performance data is collected, and logically compiled from participating athletes worldwide. Results are then transferred to an Internet web site which displays comparison data representing the relative performances of two or more athletes, provides customized individual training advice, virtual competitions, and an opportunity for advertisers to reach highly well defined potential customers.

Wired, wireless, infrared, and powerline audio entertainment systems

Abstract: A method and system for communicating audio signals between an input device and an output device via a network. The output device can include loudspeakers and headphones. In some embodiments an output device, for example a center channel speaker, transmits audio signals to other output devices. In some embodiments, the output device is coupled to, or combined with, a speaker stand or speaker bracket. The network can be wireless, wired, infrared, RF, and powerline.

Three-dimensional (3D) video presentation system providing interactive 3D presentation with personalized audio responses for multiple viewers

Abstract: The system of the present invention provides actual interactive choices to members of an audience in the form of three dimensional (3D) objects in space, and after each member of the audience reaches out at, points at, or looks at the 3D object of choice, the system responds and alters the audio and/or video feedback to each member. Specifically, a 3D video production is presented on a screen and at several points during the presentation a character or person, appearing on the screen, requests each user to respond to a question by physically selecting one of several possible 3D objects, the 3D objects appearing through the 3D effect to be floating directly in front of each user. The 3D answer options could be three 3D characters, for example. Selection of one of these objects is facilitated through a unique user interface unit, embodied in either a helmet, gun, or wand configuration. Each of these alternative user interface units allow the interactive selection to be made by physical gestures. The user interface unit is comprised of a detection device, a processor and associated circuitry, and attached headphones. Immediately upon making a selection, the user interface unit determines the choice made by the user, matches the choice with a distinct prerecorded audio feedback response, and presents to the user a distinct and individualized audio response. These personalized feedback responses are seamlessly communicated to each user through a set of headphones, and thus, amount to minimally perceived alterations from the common audio presentation. Interactive realism is enhanced through the preferred lip synching of the audio feedback response to the video character's mouth movements.

Binaural Technique: Do We Need Individual Recordings?

Abstract: The localization performance was studied when subjects listened 1) to a real sound field and 2) to binaural recordings of the same sound field, made a) in their own ears and b) in the ears of other subjects. The binaural recordings were made at the blocked ear canal entrance, and the reproduction was carried out with individually equalized headphones. Eight subjects participated in the experiments, which took place in a standard listening room. Each stimulus (female speech) was emitted from one of 19 loudspeakers, and the subjects were to indicate the perceived sound source. When compared to real life, the localization performance was preserved with individual recordings. Nonindividual recordings resulted in an increased number of errors for the sound sources in the median plane, where movements were seen not only to nearby directions, but also to directions further away, such as confusion between sound sources in front and behind. The number of distance errors increased only slightly with nonindividual recordings. Earlier suggestions that individuals might localize better with recordings from other individuals found no support.