Switching Binaural Sound

Abstract

A method provides binaural sound to a person through electronic earphones. The binaural sound localizes to a sound localization point (SLP) in empty space that is away from but proximate to the person. When an event occurs, the binaural sound switches or changes to stereo sound, to mono sound, or to altered binaural sound.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . Headphones, comprising:
 speakers that play music in stereo to a listener wearing the headphones;   a plurality of microphones that capture environmental sound;   a processor that blocks at least a portion of the environmental sound that plays through the speakers; and   a sensor that senses a hand of the listener to an earphone,   wherein the headphones automatically increase a volume of the environmental sound that plays through the speakers and play the environmental sound as binaural sound in response to the sensor sensing the hand of the listener to the earphone.   
     
     
         22 . The headphones of  claim 21  further comprising:
 a sensor that senses when the headphones are removed from a head of the listener, wherein the headphones automatically stop playing the music through the speakers in response to the sensor sensing when the headphones are removed from the head of the listener. 
 
     
     
         23 . The headphones of  claim 21  further comprising:
 a sensor that senses when the headphones are removed from a head of the listener, wherein the headphones automatically switch sound to emanate from a speaker in a portable electronic device that is in wireless communication with the headphones in response to the sensor sensing the headphones are removed from the head of the listener. 
 
     
     
         24 . The headphones of  claim 21  further comprising:
 a proximity sensor and an accelerometer that sense when the headphones are removed from a head of the listener, wherein the headphones automatically pause playing the music through the speakers in response to the proximity sensor and the accelerometer sensing when the headphones are removed from the head of the listener. 
 
     
     
         25 . The headphones of  claim 21  further comprising:
 a network interface that receives a telephone call from a portable electronic device in wireless communication with the headphones; and 
 a sensor that senses when the headphones are removed from a head of the listener, wherein the headphones automatically switch the telephone call to the portable electronic device in response to the sensor sensing when the headphones are removed from the head of the listener. 
 
     
     
         26 . The headphones of  claim 21 , wherein the headphones notify the listener of increasing the volume of the environmental sound being played through the speakers by playing an alert of a non-naturally occurring sound through the speakers. 
     
     
         27 . The headphones of  claim 21 , wherein the headphones automatically play, in response to a detection being made that the listener wearing the headphones is walking, an audio alert through the speakers in the headphones to notify the listener of changing of the volume of the environmental sound that plays through the speakers. 
     
     
         28 . Headphones, comprising:
 speakers that play, to a listener wearing the headphones and during a telephone call, a voice of a person received from a portable electronic device in wireless communication with the headphones;   at least one microphone that captures environmental sound;   a processor that blocks a portion of the environmental sound that plays through the speakers; and   a sensor that senses when the headphones are removed from a head of the listener, wherein the headphones automatically switch the voice of the person to emanate from the portable electronic device that is in wireless communication with the headphones in response to the sensor sensing the headphones are removed from the head of the listener.   
     
     
         29 . The headphones of  claim 28  further comprising:
 a sensor that senses a hand of the listener to an earphone of the headphones, wherein the headphones automatically increase an amount of the environmental sound that plays through the speakers and play the environmental sound as binaural sound in response to the sensor sensing the hand of the listener to the earphone. 
 
     
     
         30 . The headphones of  claim 28 , wherein the headphones automatically pause music playing through the speakers in response to the sensor sensing the headphones are removed from the head of the listener. 
     
     
         31 . The headphones of  claim 28 , wherein the headphones play an alert of a non-naturally occurring sound through the speakers in order to notify the listener of changing a mode of operation that increases an amount of the environmental sound being played through the speakers. 
     
     
         32 . The headphones of  claim 28 , wherein the processor changes an amount of the environmental sound being blocked from playing through the speakers in response to one or more sensors determining the listener wearing the headphones is traveling on transport. 
     
     
         33 . The headphones of  claim 28 , wherein the speakers play, in response to detecting the listener wearing headphones is walking, an alert in order to notify the listener of switching a mode of operation that changes an amount of the environmental sound that passes through the speakers. 
     
     
         34 . The headphones of  claim 28 , wherein an accelerometer in a smartphone detects the listener is walking, and the headphones wirelessly communicate with the smartphone to change an amount of the environmental sound that plays through the speakers in response to the accelerometer detecting the listener is walking. 
     
     
         35 . Headphones, comprising:
 speakers that play, to a listener wearing the headphones, music received from a portable electronic device in wireless communication with the headphones;   a plurality of microphones that capture environmental sound;   a processor that blocks at least a portion of the environmental sound that plays through the speakers; and   at least one sensor that senses when the headphones are removed from a head of the listener, wherein the headphones automatically pause playing the music received from the portable electronic device in response to the at least one sensor sensing the headphones are removed from the head of the listener.   
     
     
         36 . The headphones of  claim 35 , wherein the speakers play a voice of a person during a telephone call received from the portable electronic device, and the voice of the person automatically switches to play from the portable electronic device that is in wireless communication with the headphones in response to the at least one sensor sensing the headphones are removed from the head of the listener. 
     
     
         37 . The headphones of  claim 35  further comprising:
 a sensor that senses a hand of the listener to an earphone, wherein the headphones automatically increase an amount of the environmental sound that plays through the speakers in response to the sensor sensing the hand of the listener to the earphone. 
 
     
     
         38 . The headphones of  claim 35 , wherein the processor processes the environmental sound into binaural sound and increases a volume of the binaural sound in response to the headphones sensing a hand of the listener at an earphone. 
     
     
         39 . The headphones of  claim 35 , wherein speakers play an alert of a non-naturally occurring sound to notify the listener of switching a mode of operation that changes how much of the environmental sound that plays through the speakers. 
     
     
         40 . The headphones of  claim 35 , wherein the headphones automatically change an amount of the environmental sound that plays through the speakers in response to a motion sensor in a portable electronic device with the listener sensing that the listener is moving, and the speakers play an audio alert to notify the listener of the change to the amount of the environmental sound that plays through the speakers.