Method and system for audio sharing

Abstract

The present invention provide a method and system of audio sharing aimed to revolutionize the way people listen and share music and to give multiple uses to a wireless headphone referred to as HEDphone. A communication protocol referred to as HEDtech protocol is used in a HED system to allow users to share music amongst a plurality of HEDphones while using a single audio source. A wireless connection is established between the HEDphone and a mobile device including an audio source while simultaneously having the capability of allowing other HEDphone users to join wirelessly and listen to the same audio source. A feature of Super Human Hearing (SHH) goes beyond conventional ANR (ambient noise reduction) with additional features that allow the user to control their aural environment by being able to directionally increase or decrease selective frequencies.

1 . A first headphone enabling a user to chat with one or more second headphones while the first headphone outputs audio sound waves, the first headphone comprising:
 a first module configured to communicate with a first audio device, the first module further configured to receive first audio data from the first audio device;   a set of one or more first speakers configured to output first audio sound waves based on the first audio data;   at least one microphone configured to receive first voice sound waves from a user and to generate first voice data based on the first voice sound waves while the set of one or more first speakers is outputting the first audio sound waves, the first voice data being different than the first audio data;   an antenna configured to establish a wireless network to communicate with one or more second headphones over one or more unicast communication channels; and   a first processor configured to stream the first voice data over a respective unicast communication channel of the one or more unicast communication channels over the wireless network to each of the one or more second headphones, each of the one or more second headphones configured to output a respective instance of the first voice sound waves based on the first voice data while each of the one or more second headphones is respectively outputting second audio sound waves, the first processor further configured to receive over the wireless network second voice data from at least one of the one or more second headphones, the set of one or more first speakers further configured to output second voice sound waves based on the second voice data while the set of one or more first speakers is outputting the first audio sound waves, the first headphone being configured to receive configuration data from an application, the application providing a graphical user interface for receiving configuration settings from the user.   
     
     
         2 . The first headphone of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless network is a Wi-Fi network. 
     
     
         3 . The first headphone of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless network includes a mesh network. 
     
     
         4 . The first headphone of  claim 1 , wherein the first audio device is a mobile device. 
     
     
         5 . The first headphone of  claim 1 , wherein the first module is configured to communicate with the first audio device using a Bluetooth protocol. 
     
     
         6 . The first headphone of  claim 1 , wherein the first module is configured to communicate with the first audio device over a wire. 
     
     
         7 . The first headphone of  claim 1 , wherein the first audio device sources the first audio data from a music server or service. 
     
     
         8 . The first headphone of  claim 1 , further comprising an array of second microphones, the array of second microphones being arranged to attenuate or amplify audio coming from a selected direction, the second microphones of the array of second microphones being pointed in various directions to achieve a 360° audio image of an environment around the user. 
     
     
         9 . The first headphone of  claim 8 , wherein the second microphones are MEMS microphones configured to provide active noise cancelling. 
     
     
         10 . The first headphone of  claim 1 , further comprising a chassis including a pair of ear cups, the pair of ear cups containing the set of one or more first speakers. 
     
     
         11 . The first headphone of  claim 10 , wherein one or more batteries are housed in the chassis. 
     
     
         12 . The first headphone of  claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to sense when the first headphone is removed from a head of the user. 
     
     
         13 . The first headphone of  claim 12 , wherein the first headphone is turned off automatically if the sensor senses that the first headphone has been removed from the head of the user. 
     
     
         14 . The first headphone of  claim 1 , wherein the first headphone is configured to allow a particular second headphone to override the first headphone and stream second audio data from a particular second audio device to the first headphone and to any other of the one or more second headphones connected to the wireless network. 
     
     
         15 . The first headphone of  claim 1 , wherein the first headphone is configured to allow the user to stream the first audio data over the wireless network to each of the one or more second headphones connected to the wireless network. 
     
     
         16 . The first headphone of  claim 15 , wherein the first headphone is configured to allow the user to switch the first audio device to a different audio device to stream different audio data over the wireless network to each of the one or more second headphones connected to the wireless network. 
     
     
         17 . A first headphone enabling a user to chat with one or more second headphones while the first headphone outputs audio sound waves, the first headphone comprising:
 at least one processor;   memory storing computer instructions, the computer instructions when executed by the at least one processor, configured to cause the first headphone to perform:
 receiving configuration data from an application, the application providing a graphical user interface for receiving configuration settings; 
 receiving first audio data from a first audio device; 
 outputting on a set of one or more first speakers first audio sound waves based on the first audio data; 
 receiving by a first microphone first voice sound waves from a user; 
 generating first voice data based on the first voice sound waves while the set of one or more first speakers is outputting the first audio sound waves, the first voice data being different than the first audio data; 
 establishing a wireless network to communicate with one or more second headphones over one or more unicast communication channels; 
 streaming the first voice data over a respective unicast communication channel of the one or more unicast communication channels over the wireless network to each of the one or more second headphones, each of the one or more second headphones configured to output a respective instance of the first voice sound waves based on the first voice data while each of the one or more second headphones is respectively outputting second audio sound waves; 
 receiving over the wireless network second voice data from at least one of the one or more second headphones; and 
 outputting on the set of one or more first speakers second voice sound waves based on the second voice data while the set of one or more first speakers is outputting the first audio sound waves. 
   
     
     
         18 . The first headphone of  claim 17 , wherein the computer instructions when executed by the at least one processor are further configured to cause the first headphone to allow a particular second headphone to override the first headphone and stream second audio data from a particular second audio device to the first headphone and to any other of the one or more second headphones connected to the wireless network. 
     
     
         19 . The first headphone of  claim 17 , wherein the computer instructions when executed by the at least one processor are further configured to cause the first headphone to allow the user to stream the first audio data over the wireless network to each of the one or more second headphones connected to the wireless network. 
     
     
         20 . The first headphone of  claim 15 , wherein the computer instructions when executed by the at least one processor are further configured to cause the first headphone to allow the user to switch the first audio device to a different audio device to stream different audio data over the wireless network to each of the one or more second headphones connected to the wireless network.