Entertainment audio processing

• US 10,057,681 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Vautin, Jeffery R., Dublin, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Islam, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US15/225,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20180035205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 2201/307 being radio frequency signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3005 in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3026 the gain being discontinuously variable, e.g. controlled by switching
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/002 Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems

Abstract

An entertainment audio processing system includes a music limiter configured to receive an audio signal, volume control information for music, and volume control information for announcement. The music limiter is further configured to calculate a gain parameter based on a music-to-announcement ratio. In another aspect, an entertainment audio processing system includes a mixer configured to substantially match a left audio signal channel and a right audio signal channel. The entertainment audio processing system further includes an equalizer configured to introduce magnitude and phase changes between the left audio signal channel and the right audio signal channel.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a music limiter configured to;

receive an audio signal, volume control information for music, and volume control information for announcement, wherein the audio signal comprises a left audio signal channel and a right audio signal channel;

calculate a gain parameter based on a music-to-announcement ratio;

apply the gain to the audio signal; and

output a modified audio signal that includes the applied gain;

a mixer coupled to the music limiter, the mixer configured to collapse the left audio signal channel to mono and to collapse the right audio signal channel to mono; and

an equalizer coupled to the mixer and configured to change a spatial perception of a listener by introducing magnitude and phase differences between the left audio signal channel and the right audio signal channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the music-to-announcement ratio is an indication of how much quieter or louder the music is relative to the announcement.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the music-to-announcement ratio is based on a particular application.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application of the gain parameter to the audio signal corresponds to an adjustment of signal level of the music relative to signal level of the announcement.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the music limiter is further configured to dynamically adjust the music-to-announcement ratio based on a change in the volume control information for the music and a change in the volume control information for the announcement.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mixer coupled to the music limiter and configured to substantially match the left audio signal channel and the right audio signal channel.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the magnitude and phase differences are based on a particular application.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an x-fade configured to select between a processed audio signal and an unprocessed audio signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the x-fade is further configured to receive an announcement trigger signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fixed attenuator coupled to the music limiter and configured to reduce a level of the audio signal based on a particular amount.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein collapsing the left audio signal channel further includes partially or completely collapsing the left audio signal channel to mono.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a mixer configured to substantially match a left audio signal channel and a right audio signal channel by collapsing the left audio signal channel to mono and collapsing the right audio signal channel to mono;

an equalizer coupled to the mixer and configured to introduce magnitude and phase differences between the left audio signal channel and the right audio signal channel to change a spatial perception of a listener;

a music limiter configured to calculate a gain parameter based on a music-to-announcement ratio; and

at least one speaker configured to output the left and right audio signal channels.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the magnitude and phase differences are based on a particular application.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the music limiter is configured to receive volume control information for music and volume control information for announcement.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the music limiter is coupled to the equalizer.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the left audio signal channel and the right audio signal channel comprises at least one of an audio music signal or an audio announcement signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an x-fade configured to select between a first audio signal processed by at least one of the mixer or the equalizer and a second audio signal not processed by the at least one of the mixer or the equalizer.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the x-fade is further configured to receive an announcement trigger signal.

18. A method comprising:

receiving an audio signal, the audio signal comprising at least one of an audio music signal and an audio announcement signal, wherein the audio signal comprises a left audio signal channel and a right audio signal channel;

adjusting a level of the audio music signal relative to a level of the audio announcement signal based on a music-to-announcement ratio;

changing a spatial perception of a listener by collapsing the left audio signal channel to mono and collapsing the right audio signal channel to mono to make the left audio signal channel similar to the right audio signal channel;

introducing magnitude and phase differences between the left audio signal channel and the right audio signal channel; and

outputting a modified audio signal that includes the adjusted level of audio music signal.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising performing spatial signal processing in response to adjusting the level of the audio music signal relative to the level of the audio announcement signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the spatial signal processing comprises:

substantially matching the left audio signal channel and the right audio signal channel; and

introducing magnitude and phase differences between the left audio signal channel and the right audio signal channel.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining an input signal to a downstream processor prior to introducing the magnitude and phase differences between the left audio signal channel and the right audio signal channel.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising selecting between a processed audio signal and an unprocessed audio signal based on an announcement trigger signal.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising reducing a level of the audio signal based on a particular amount prior to adjusting the level of the audio music signal relative to the level of the audio announcement signal.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein collapsing the left audio signal channel further includes partially or completely collapsing the left audio signal channel to mono.