WO2020225765A1

WO2020225765A1 - A headphone system with a visual display

Info

Publication number: WO2020225765A1
Application number: PCT/IB2020/054335
Authority: WO
Inventors: Richard Voaden; Daniel VOADEN
Original assignee: Richard Voaden; Voaden Daniel
Priority date: 2018-09-05
Filing date: 2020-05-07
Publication date: 2020-11-12
Also published as: GB201815223D0; GB2576966A; GB2576966B; GB201814468D0; GB201906517D0

Abstract

A headphone system with visual display is provided having at least one set of headphones having at least one loudspeaker and at least one display screen on the outside of the headphones and visible to passers-by, an audio signal input for delivering audio content, a memory module for storing visual materials and audible information related to the visual materials; the system further comprising, an information management module configured to deliver the stored visual materials to the display of the headphones and to deliver audio signals to the loudspeaker, wherein the information management module is configured to route audio content from the audio signal input to the loudspeaker and also to deliver the audible information related to the visual material to the loudspeaker.

Description

A HEADPHONE SYSTEM WITH VISUAL DISPLAY

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to audio-visual systems, particularly for displaying visual material in public.

Description of Related Art

Headphones are used to deliver sound directly into the ears of a user. They can be of the“bud” type, which fit inside the ear or can be of the“over-ear” type. The over-ear type includes a pair of loudspeakers enclosed in a housing and joined by a headband. The exterior surface of the housing of the over-ear type of headphones offers useful space to convey information. European patent application EP3048804 describes a headphone system that includes screens for displaying the name of music being played or other information. However, the user does not know what is being displayed on the screen without checking the screen itself or another screen associated with a control device.

The exterior surface of the housing is visible to the public and could be used for advertising. However, there are currently no systems for efficiently managing this advertising space.

It is an object of the invention to overcome these problems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention therefore provides a headphone system with visual displays, comprising at least one set of headphones each having at least one loudspeaker and at least one display screen on the outside of the headphones visible to passers-by, an audio signal input for delivering audio content to the loudspeakers, a memory module for storing visual materials and audible information related to the visual materials; the system further comprising, an information management module configured to deliver the stored visual materials to the display of the headphones and to deliver audio signals to the loudspeaker, wherein the information management module is configured to route audio content from the audio signal input to the loudspeaker and also to deliver the audible information related to the visual material to the loudspeaker.

The information management module may have a user interface configured to allow a user to choose the visual material stored in the memory module and further arranged to retrieve the selected visual material from the memory module and communicate it to the screen of the headphones.

The system may include a user characteristic data module in communication with the memory module and arranged to store one or more characteristics of the user, such as social media profile, shopping habits or current geographic location.

The memory module may be configured to be accessible by a plurality of vendors/ merchants for depositing visual materials such as adverts and meta data associated with the visual materials, wherein the user interface of the information management module is arranged to allow a user to select visual material for display on the screen of the headphones from one or more of the vendors’ visual materials.

The system may further include a vendor interface arranged to allow vendors to select which visual materials, if any, they allow a particular user or class of users access to, on the basis of the characteristics stored in the user characteristic data module.

The meta-data may include value information representing a value to the vendor for the display of the visual material on the screen of the headphones. Values may be positive or negative, i.e. reward the user for display or charge the user for the privilege. The meta-data may include a code for display with the visual material, the code being able to be read by third parties, either visually or electronically, and communicated to the vendor to track whether the visual information displayed has been seen.

An accumulator may be provided for accumulating the values associated with the visual material as it is sequentially displayed over time, the information management module further having an audio synthesis unit arranged to generate audible information to indicate to the user the value accumulated.

Other aspects of the invention are as disclosed in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a view of a set of headphones in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the components of the headphones shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the elements of a handheld computational device suitable to running the control software of the headphones shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the components of the overall system of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between software elements in the computational handheld device of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the functional elements of the system in an embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Figure 1 shows a set of headphones 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. They comprise a pair of pods, a left pod 101 a and a right pod 101 b, joined by a sprung band 102. Each pod is designed to sit over an ear of a user and has a cushion 103 for comfort and to reduce external noise. Each pod has a loud speaker 104a,b. Each pod has an external screen 105a,b. Each pod has a processor, a rechargeable power source and a receiver, connected as shown in Figure 2. The receiver 201 is enabled to receive short- range data signals using a suitable protocol such as Bluetooth™. The receiver 201 is connected to the processor 202. The processor 202 is arranged to receive signals from the receiver 201. The processor 202 is connected to the power source 203. The processor is arranged to send signals to the left and right speakers 104a,b and to the left and right screens 105a,b.

Signals are transmitted to the receiver 201 of the headphones 100 from a handheld computational device, such as a smartphone or tablet, equipped with a short-range data transmitter running a transmission protocol such as Bluetooth™. Figure 3 shows the arrangement of a suitable handheld computational device 300. A short-range transmitter 301 is arranged to receive signals from a processor 302. The processor 302 is powered by a rechargeable power source 303. Software is stored in a permanent Read Only Memory (ROM) 304 and in a volatile Random Access Memory (RAM) 305. The processor is able to load the software for execution from the ROM 304 into the RAM 305 and execute the software. A long-range transmitter and receiver 306 is arranged to connect the handheld computational device 100 to a data network and the internet 307. The processor 302 is connected to the long-range transmitter and receiver and can send and receive data from the internet.

Overall management of the service is handled by software running on a remote server 401 , as shown in Figure 4. The server 401 is connected to the internet 307 where it can receive and transmit signals from the handheld computational device 300 and also from other computational devices 402, 403 belonging to other users. The server 401 has a memory structure for storing the operating software. This can be provided to the computational handheld device 300 and to other computational devices 402, 403 upon request. The server 401 also runs software for managing data flow around the system.

The processor 302 of the handheld computational device 300 is able to execute a plurality of software programs, as shown schematically in Figure 5. The processor 302 runs an operating system to support the running of other programs, which include standard software for providing audio content, i.e. music 501 or spoken word 502. The audio content itself may be stored in the handheld device 300 or streamed from the internet 307, where the music and spoken word software modules 501 , 502 are in communication with the long- range receiver 306. In an embodiment, the processor 300 also runs headphone management software 503, which is in communication with the short-range transmitter 301. Music and spoken word signals from modules 501 , 502 are sent to the headphones 100 via the headphone management software 503.

The headphone management software 503 is arranged to allow a user to choose what they hear through the loud speakers 104a,b and control the sound in the same way as a conventional music control system. The software 503 is also arranged to let the user select the material that is displayed on the screens 105a. In an embodiment of the invention the selection can be third- party material that the third party wishes to be disseminated in the environment that the wearer of the headphones is currently in. This selection can be semi-automated in that the user selects a particular third party that they may have an affinity with or a class of material and the software determines exactly which material is selected, either randomly or in relation to other factors such as previous user behaviour or geographic location. The user may be rewarded by the third party for displaying their material on the screens of the headphones.

The headphone management software 503 is arranged to audibly inform the user of the current status of the display and, if so desired, their current reward level. This information is delivered to the user audibly through the loud speakers 104a,b. The display and reward status is delivered intelligently, so that it does not interrupt the listening experience of the user. For example, the status update is delivered between musical tracks or at the end of a chapter of a book and the pause between tracks or chapters can be extended to accommodate the audible information. The headphone management software 503 listens to the incoming audio signal and detects a suitable place to interject the notification. The visual materials for display may be stored locally in the RAM 305 of the handheld device 300 or remotely on the server 401. The arrangement of the headphone management software is shown in Figure 6. The software includes an Information Management Module 601 , which may access the memory 602 where the visual materials and audible information related to the visual materials are stored, either locally in the RAM 305 of the handheld device 300 or remotely on the server 401 , as shown. The Information Management Module 601 is configured to deliver the stored visual materials to the displays 105a,b of the headphones 100 and to deliver audio signals to the loudspeakers 104a,b. The Information Management Module 601 is configured to route audio content from the audio signal input 603 to the loudspeakers and also to deliver the audible information related to the visual material to the loudspeakers. The audio signal input can be audio signal from either the software for playing music 501 or the software for playing the spoken word 502 or any other audio signal source.

The Information Management Module 601 has an Audio Management Unit 604 that is arranged to receive the audio content from the audio signal input 603 and the audible information from the memory 602 via a user interface 605 and to relay both to the loudspeakers 104a,b of the headphones 100. The Audio Management Unit 604 has an audible information buffer to store the audible information until it can be delivered at a convenient point in the audio content, for example during a pause between tracks in the music or between chapters of a book. The Audio Management Unit 604 therefore has a monitoring subroutine to detect pauses in the audio content. Not every pause will be required for notification purposes so the frequency of the pauses selected for notification can be pre-set or user-defined. The Audio Management Unit 604 is also equipped with an audio content buffer and an audible information duration detector, so that it can lengthen the pause in the audio content to match the length of the audible information to be delivered.

The user interface 605 of the Information Management Module 601 is configured to allow a user to choose which visual material stored in the memory module 602 is to be displayed on the headphones. The user interface 605 can then retrieve the selected visual material from the memory module 602 and communicate it to the displays 105a,b of the headphones.

In an embodiment, the memory module 602 is located on the remote server 401. The software running on the server also includes a Vendor Interface 606, which allows vendors to store data representing the visual material. The visual material could be adverts or logos. Each item of visual material can be accompanied by meta-data that may include audible information relating to the visual material. The audible information is replayed through the loudspeakers 104a,b by the Audio Management Unit 604 when the visual material is retrieved and displayed by the user interface 605.

The meta-data may include value information representing a value to the vendor for the display of the visual material on the screen of the headphones. This value may be positive or negative, i.e. if the value is positive, this represents a reward for the user for displaying the advert. If the value is negative then this represents a charge to the user for the privilege of displaying a brand. The user interface 605 presents the user with a choice of particular adverts and their associated values or brands and their associated costs. The rewards can be redeemed in conventional ways such as credits for spending with the vendor or cash deposited in the user’s account.

The meta-data may include categories of visual material, for example the user can select all adverts relating to shoes, or all adverts relating to music. The meta-data may include a code for display with the visual material, the code being able to be read by third parties, either visually or electronically, and communicated to the vendor for the vendor to be able to track whether the visual information displayed has been seen. The code may have a value associated with it that triggers an increase in the value of the visual material if it is successfully communicated to the vendor by a third party.

The Information Management Module 601 is arranged to display the selection of visual materials over a period of time. The user will therefore accumulate credit as more adverts are displayed. The Information Management Module 601 has an accumulator 607 for adding up the values associated with the visual material sequentially displayed over time. The Audio Management Module 604 has an audio synthesis unit arranged to periodically poll the accumulator 607 to retrieve the accumulated values and convert the values into audible information to tell the user how much they have made by displaying the visual materials. This information can be communicated during pauses in the audio content at a frequency defined by the user.

The Vendor Interface 606 allows access by a plurality of vendors to the memory module 602 to deposit visual materials and meta-data. The user interface 605 of the Information Management Module 601 is arranged to allow a user to select visual material for display on the screen of the headphones from one or more vendors. The server software 401 includes a User Characteristic Data Module 608 in communication with the user interface 605 and arranged to store one or more characteristics of the user in the memory module 602. The User Characteristic Data Module 608 is arranged to allow the characteristics of the user to be entered by the user, or to connect to an online social media profile for the user, or to connect to a database containing previous purchase histories of the user or to detect the geographic location of the user. Vendors can then access user characteristic data via the Vendor Interface 606 and select which visual materials stored in the memory module, if any, they allow a particular user or class of users access to, on the basis of the characteristics stored in the User Characteristic Data Module 608.

The system is operated as follows:

A user downloads the headphone management software 503 to their handheld device 300 from the server 401.

The user sets their characteristics and preferences in the User Characteristic Data Module 608, which may be by connecting the software to their social media profile or turning on a geo-location feature.

The user characteristics of many users are stored in the memory module 602. Meanwhile, one or more vendors access the Vendor Interface 606, which may be via a web browser, and deposits visual materials, i.e. adverts. The Vendor Interface 606 formats the visual materials suitable for display on the headphones. The screen sizes may vary between headphone types so the formatting should take this into account. Meta-data is also deposited and associated with the visual materials, which could include audible descriptions of the adverts, the vendor name and value to the vendor for having the advert displayed.

The vendor sets criteria for where and how they wish their adverts to be displayed, which filters users according to the characteristics set in the User Characteristic Data Module 608.

The user then accesses the User Interface 605 to browse the stored adverts or categories of adverts. The adverts visible to the user are those that are a match to the user characteristics requested by the vendor.

The user then puts on the headphones and accesses their music or spoken word via the User Interface 605. The User Interface 605 then retrieves the first advert from the memory module 602 that meets the user’s criteria and displays it on the headphone screens 105a,b for a period of time. The associated meta-data is retrieved too. The audible information identifying the advert is sent to the buffer in the Audio Management Unit 604. The Audio Management Unit 604 detects a suitable pause in the audio stream and interjects audible information relating to the nature of the advert to inform the user of what is currently being displayed. The value of the advert is added to the accumulator. The current total of the value in the accumulator may also be sent to the Audio Management Unit 604 to audibly notify the user of the value that they have accumulated by displaying adverts.

After a period of time the next advert is displayed and the meta-data processed as above.

Claims

1. A headphone system with visual display comprising;

at least one set of headphones each having at least one loudspeaker and at least one display screen on the outside of the headphones and visible to passers-by,

an audio signal input for delivering audio content;

a memory module for storing visual materials and audible information related to the visual materials; the system further comprising,

an information management module configured to deliver the stored visual materials to the display of the headphones and to deliver audio signals to the loudspeaker,

wherein the information management module is configured to route audio content from the audio signal input to the loudspeaker and also to deliver the audible information related to the visual material to the loudspeaker.

2. The headphone system of claim 1 , wherein the information management module has an audio management unit that is arranged to receive the audio content from the audio signal input and the audible information from the memory and to relay both to the loudspeaker, the audio management unit being further arranged to detect pauses in the audio content and to deliver the audible information during the pause.

3. The headphone system of claim 2, wherein the audio management unit is arranged to lengthen the pause to match to the length of the audible information delivered.

4. The headphone system of any preceding claim, wherein the information management module has a user interface configured to allow a user to choose the visual material stored in the memory module and further arranged to retrieve the selected visual material from the memory module and communicate it to the screen of the headphones.

5. The headphone system of any preceding claim, wherein the memory module for storing the visual material is arranged to allow a vendor to store data representing visual material.

6. The headphone system of any preceding claim, wherein the memory module is arranged to store meta-data associated with the visual material.

7. The headphone system of claim 6, wherein the meta-data includes audible information relating to the visual material.

8. The headphone system of claim 6 or 7, wherein the meta-data includes value information representing a value to the vendor for the display of the visual material on the screen of the headphones.

9. The headphone system of any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the meta data includes categories of visual material.

10. The headphone system of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the meta data includes a code for display with the visual material, the code being able to be read by third parties, either visually or electronically, and communicated to the vendor for the vendor to be able to track whether the visual information displayed has been seen.

11. The headphone system of any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the code has a value associated with it that triggers an increase in the value of the visual material when returned to the vendor by a third party.

12. The headphone system of any preceding claim, wherein the information management module is arranged to display the selection of visual materials over a period of time.

13. The headphone system of claim 12, the information management module further having an accumulator for accumulating the values associated with the visual material as it is sequentially displayed over time, the information management module further having an audio synthesis unit arranged to generate audible information to indicate to the user the value accumulated by displaying the visual materials.

14. The headphone system of any preceding claim, wherein the memory module is configured to be accessible by a plurality of vendors for depositing visual materials and meta-data, wherein the user interface of the information management module is arranged to allow a user to select visual material for display on the screen of the headphones from one or more of the vendor visual materials.

15. The headphone system of any preceding claim, wherein the system includes a user characteristic data module in communication with the memory module and arranged to store one or more characteristics of the user.

16. The headphone system of claim 15, wherein the user characteristic data module is arranged to allow the characteristics of the user to be entered by the user.

17. The headphone system of claim 15 or 16, wherein the user characteristic data module is arranged to connect to an online social media profile for the user.

18. The headphone system of claims 15 to 17, wherein the user characteristic data module is arranged to connect to a database containing previous purchase histories of the user.

19. The headphone system of claims 15 to 18, wherein the user characteristic data module is arranged to detect the geographic location of the user.

20. The headphone system of any preceding claim, further including a vendor interface arranged to allow vendors to select which visual materials they have stored in the memory module, if any, they allow a particular user or class of users access to, on the basis of the characteristics stored in the user characteristic data module.

21. The headphone system of any preceding claim, wherein the headphones are physically separate from the information management module and connected by a short-range wireless communication system.

22. The headphone system of any preceding claim, wherein the information management module and the memory unit are physically separated and connected by a long-range telecommunication network and/ or the internet.

23. The headphone system of claims 20 to 22, wherein the memory unit, the user characteristic data module and the vendor interface are located on the same server connected to the internet.

24. A method of operating the headphone system with visual display of claims 1 to 23, comprising;

depositing visual material in a memory module,

selecting visual material,

displaying the selected visual material on a screen on the headphones.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of;

storing audible information with the visual material,

playing the audible information through the loudspeakers of the headphones while the visual material is being displayed.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the steps of;

allowing only particular deposited materials to be available for selection based on criteria relating to user characteristics.

27. The method of claim 25 or 26 comprising the step of buffering audible information and replaying it during a pause in the audio content.

28. The method of any one of claims 25 to 27 comprising the step of buffering audio content to increase the duration of a pause.