Audio processing device

• US 10,187,723 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2012
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Devialet
• Original Assignee: Devialet
• Inventors: Sannie, Antoine, De La Fuente, Manuel, Calmel, Pierre-Emmanuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sellers, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/980,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20140003619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,560 Days
• Field of Search: 381 81
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/022 Plurality of transducers corresponding to a plurality of sound channels in each earpiece of headphones or in a single enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/308 Electronic adaptation dependent on speaker or headphone connection

Abstract

The invention relates to an audio processing device (1) including:

• • at least one connector (2, 7), suitable for receiving data defining an input sound signal;
  • a processing module (5, 6) suitable for determining at least one signal intended for a loudspeaker (12, 13) as a function of said defining data,
  • a communication module (8, 9) for communicating with at least one other audio processing device, according to claim 1;
    said device being characterized in that it furthermore includes a detection module (4) suitable for detecting the proximity of another device according to claim 1 and in that the processing module is suitable for determining said signal intended for the loudspeaker as a function furthermore of a number of other detected device(s).

Claims

1. An audio processing device comprising:

at least one connector that receives data defining an input sound signal corresponding to a plurality of audio channels;

a processing module that determines at least one signal intended for a loudspeaker as a function of said defining data, and

a detection module that detects the proximity of another audio processing device, wherein the processing module is capable of determining said signal intended for the loudspeaker as a function of a number of other detected device(s); and

wherein said determining of the signal by the processing module comprises;

i selecting a channel from a plurality of audio channels corresponding to the defining data of the input sound signal as a function of an absolute distance between the device and another detected device compared to a distance threshold;

ii combining different audio channels from a plurality of channels corresponding to the defining data of the input sound signal as a function of an absolute distance between the device and another detected device compared to a distance threshold; and

iii selecting frequencies of a combination of different audio channels from a plurality of channels corresponding to the defining data of the input sound signal as a function of an absolute distance between the device and another detected device compared to a distance threshold,

and wherein the audio processing device further comprises an audio retrieval system comprising one or more loudspeakers, each loudspeaker capable of receiving and restoring the determined signal for said loudspeaker by said processing module.

2. An audio processing device according to claim 1, comprising a communication module for communicating with at least one other audio processing device, according to claim 1.

3. The audio processing device according to claim 2, wherein the communication means comprise a radio transceiver module and in which the detection module detects the proximity of another audio processing device if a radio signal emitted by the other processing device is received by the radio processing device at a level above a given threshold.

4. The audio processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing module is determines a plurality of signals intended for respective loudspeakers, each of said signals being determined as a function of said defining data and the number of other device(s) detected.

5. The audio processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing module further determines the signal intended for a loudspeaker of the other detected audio processing device as a function furthermore of the number of other detected device(s).

6. The audio processing device according to claim 1, wherein the detection module also estimates:

its own spatial position; and

/or

a rotation that it undergoes; and

/or

the relative spatial position of the other detected device(s); and

/or

the distance between the detected device and at least one other detected device;

and in which the processing module determines the signal intended for the loudspeaker furthermore as a function of its own estimated position and/or the estimated rotation and/or said estimated relative position and/or said estimated distance.

7. The audio processing device according to claim 1, wherein said determination of the signal comprises selecting frequencies, as a function of the relative positions of the device and the other detected device, of a channel or of a combination of channels.

8. The audio processing device according to claim 1, wherein the detection module estimates a relative height position of audio processing devices and determines the signal intended for the loudspeaker as a function of said estimated position.

9. The audio processing device according to claim 1, wherein the audio processing device emits a notification to a user when the proximity of another device is detected, and for waiting for a command from the user to determine the signal intended for the loudspeaker furthermore as a function of a number of other detected device(s).

10. The audio processing device according to claim 9, wherein the command corresponds to the detection by the detection module of an impact applied to the audio processing device.

11. The audio processing device according to claim 1, wherein, after detecting another nearby audio processing device, the device selects a state from among a master device state and a slave device state, a master device providing a slave device with the defining data of an input sound signal as a function of which the signal intended for a loudspeaker in the slave device will be defined.

12. The audio processing device according to claim 11, wherein the device selects a state selected from the group consisting of a master device state and a slave device state as a function of the detection or non-detection by the detection module of an impact applied to the audio processing device.

13. The audio processing device according to claim 1, wherein the connector houses a source device and for interfacing with said housed source device to collect said data.

14. The audio processing device according to claim 1, wherein the audio processing device comprises a microphone that records the sound defined by another nearby audio processing device and means for synchronizing the signal determined by the processing module intended for a loudspeaker, as a function of the comparison between at least one portion of the recorded sound and a portion of the signal determined by the processing module intended for a loudspeaker.

15. An audio processing device comprising:

at least one connector that receives data defining an input sound signal corresponding to a plurality of audio channels;

a processing module that determines at least one signal intended for a loudspeaker as a function of said defining data,

wherein the device further comprises a detection module that detects the proximity of another similar audio processing device, and the processing module determines said signal intended for the loudspeaker as a function furthermore of a number of other detected device(s);

wherein said determination of the signal done by the processing module comprises;

i selecting a channel from among a plurality of audio channels corresponding to the defining data of the input sound signal as a function of an absolute distance between the device and another detected device compared to a distance threshold; and

/or

ii combining different audio channels from among a plurality of channels corresponding to the defining data of the input sound signal as a function of an absolute distance between the device and another detected device compared to a distance threshold; and

/or

iii selecting frequencies of said combination;

wherein the detection module estimates a relative height position of audio processing devices and determining the signal intended for the loudspeaker as a function of said estimated position.