Smart hub

• US 10,057,700 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2017
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proctor Consulting LLP
• Original Assignee: Proctor Consulting LLP
• Inventors: Proctor, Jr., James A., Proctor, III, James Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Springer, James E
• Application Number:
  US15/400,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20170180899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 709238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/00 Indicating arrangements; Control arrangements, e.g. balance control
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An intelligent hub for interfacing with other devices and performing smart audio or video source selection.

Claims

1. An intelligent hub for communicating with a mobile device comprising:

a Bluetooth radio for transmitting Bluetooth beacons;

a signal generator for providing a plurality of audio information signals;

an audio information interface for providing the plurality of audio information signals for use in the generation of respective acoustic signals by a plurality of respective loudspeakers; and

a processor configured to;

provide beacon information to the Bluetooth radio,

provide the plurality of audio information signals to the audio information interface, wherein each of the audio information signals comprises a respective unique sounding signal and respective media content at the same time,

determine that the mobile device is proximal to the intelligent hub, based upon both (a) the mobile device detecting at least one of the Bluetooth beacons and upon (b) the detection of the respective unique sounding signals,

wherein the respective unique sounding signals are utilized to determine a plurality of respective channel impulses or channel frequency responses of the acoustic channels between each respective loudspeaker and the mobile device, and

perform acoustic equalization on each of a plurality of subsequent audio signals provided to the plurality of respective loudspeakers, based, at least in part, upon the determined plurality of respective channel impulses or channel frequency responses.

2. The intelligent hub of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of loudspeakers is co-located with at least one associated microphone.

3. The intelligent hub of claim 2 where the respective sounding signals broadcasted from each loudspeaker are detected by the associated microphones of each respective other loudspeakers of the plurality of loudspeakers.

4. The intelligent hub of claim 2 wherein the detection of the respective sounding signals by each of the associated microphones allow for the determination of a relative geometrical distance between at least two of the plurality of loudspeakers.

5. The intelligent hub of claim 4 wherein the acoustic signals are detected at the mobile device, and are used in combination with the relative geometrical distance between at least two of the plurality of loudspeakers to determine position information related to the mobile device.

6. The intelligent hub of claim 1, wherein the respective sounding signals comprise one or more of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multplex (OFDM) codes, Zadoff-Chu codes, CAZAC codes, Walsh codes, barker codes, and CCK codes.

7. The intelligent hub of claim 1, wherein the processor is additionally configured to:

determine a propagation delay from the acoustic channel propagation characteristics between each respective loudspeaker and the mobile device.

8. The intelligent hub of claim 7, wherein the unique sounding signals are respective acoustic signals and are inaudible signals embedded in other audio signals broadcast by the respective speakers.

9. The intelligent hub of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

orthogonalize subsequent audio signals broadcast by the loudspeakers using the acoustic channel propagation characteristics between each respective loudspeaker and the mobile device.

10. The intelligent hub of claim 1 wherein related information is communicated to the mobile device including content information based on profile settings and media content available to the intelligent hub.

11. The intelligent hub of claim 1 wherein each unique sounding signal is correlated with known reference versions of the sounding signals to determine each respective channel impulse or channel frequency response of the acoustic channel.

12. The intelligent hub of claim 1 wherein each unique sounding signal is a source signal, and the source signals for each speaker are orthogonal signals allowing for the separation of each in a received collected signal at the mobile device.

13. The intelligent hub of claim 1 wherein each unique sounding signal is a respective source signal associated with a respective orthogonal code.

14. The intelligent hub of claim 13 wherein each respective orthogonal code is utilized for the separation of a respective acoustic channel state information from that of other simultaneously transmitted source signals having respective other orthogonal codes, from within the received collected audio signal detected at a microphone at the mobile device.

15. The intelligent hub of claim 1 wherein each unique sounding signal is associated with a individually detectable respective orthogonal code within a received collected audio signal at the mobile device.

16. The intelligent hub of claim 15, wherein the received collected audio signal at the mobile device comprises acoustic channel state information for each acoustic channel between each loud speaker associated with each respective sounding signal at the mobile device.

17. An intelligent hub for communicating with a mobile device comprising:

a Bluetooth radio for transmitting Bluetooth beacons;

a signal generator for providing a plurality of audio information signals;

an audio information interface for providing the plurality of audio information signals for use in the generation of respective acoustic signals by a plurality of respective loudspeakers; and

a processor configured to;

provide beacon information to the Bluetooth radio,

provide the plurality of audio information signals to the audio information interface, wherein each of the audio information signals comprises a respective unique audio code and respective media content at the same time, and

determine that the mobile device is proximal to the intelligent hub, based upon both (a) the mobile device detecting at least one of the Bluetooth beacons and upon (b) the detection of the respective unique sounding signals,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

maintain information concerning a geometry of speaker arrangement in a room,

when there are two or fewer speakers in the room,

resolve location ambiguity using both the acoustic signal and Bluetooth beacon, and

when a geometry of the speaker arrangement is not known,

determine whether the user is in the room by comparing the result of Bluetooth beacon ranging and detection of at least one acoustic signal which is known to not propagate through walls of the room.

18. The intelligent hub of claim 17 additionally wherein

each of the audio information signals further comprises a respective media content at the same time as the each of the respective unique sounding signals;

the respective unique sounding signals are utilized to determine a plurality of respective channel impulses or channel frequency responses of the acoustic channels between each respective loudspeaker and the mobile device; and

the processor is further configured to;

perform acoustic equalization on each of a plurality of subsequent audio signals provided to the plurality of respective loudspeakers, based, at least in part, upon the determined plurality of respective channel impulses or channel frequency responses.