Audio device

• US 10,362,422 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven Jay Borne
• Original Assignee: Steven Jay Borne
• Inventors: Borne, Steven Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ganmavo, Kuassi A
• Application Number:
  US14/813,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20160037279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0356 for synchronising with other signals, e.g. video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• 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 2400/01 Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/03 Aspects of down-mixing multi-channel audio to configurations with lower numbers of playback channels, e.g. 7.1 -> 5.1 H04S2400/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/05 Generation or adaptation of centre channel in multi-channel audio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/07 Generation or adaptation of the Low Frequency Effect [LFE] channel, e.g. distribution or signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/09 Electronic reduction of distortion of stereophonic sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/002 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 3/006 in which a plurality of audio signals are transformed in a combination of audio signals and modulated signals, e.g. CD-4 systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/008 in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone

Abstract

A method and system dynamically adjusts the audio of an audio and video signal to improve its overall sound quality and dialog intelligibility. Some embodiments use gain, equalization, audio signal compression and spatial enhancement (reverb) on individual channels of a multichannel audio signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a multichannel audio signal including a center channel;

processing each channel of the multichannel audio signal to enhance intelligibility of dialog in the multichannel audio signal upon playback of the multichannel audio signal, including;

processing a the center channel of the multichannel audio signal by adjusting equalization of the center channel by raising the center channel'"'"'s signal level in an audio frequency range of human speech in comparison to the center channel'"'"'s signal level outside the audio frequency range of human speech, and in parallel with said processing of the center channel, clearing the audio frequency range of human speech in a second channel of the multichannel audio signal by attenuating the second channel'"'"'s signal level in the audio frequency range of human speech in comparison to the second channel'"'"'s signal level outside the audio frequency range of human speech; and

passing the processed audio channels to a device;

wherein processing the center channel of the multichannel audio signal further includes raising the dialog'"'"'s lowest level and lowering the dialog'"'"'s loudest level by compressing the center channel'"'"'s dynamic range by a first ratio.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising downmixing the processed audio channels to a two channel audio signal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising passing the two channel audio signal to the device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising delaying a video signal to sync the video signal with the processed audio channels and passing the delayed video to the device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating the multichannel audio signal to determine an overall audio level and using the overall audio level to ensure unity gain with the processed audio channels.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the center channel of the multichannel audio signal further includes adjusting gain of the center channel by raising the gain of the center channel, and processing the second channel of the multichannel audio signal further includes adjusting gain of the second channel by lowering the gain of the second channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the second channel of the multichannel audio signal further includes compressing the second channel'"'"'s dynamic range by a second ratio, the second ratio being higher than the first ratio.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second ratio is any ratio between and including 2.5 to 1 and 3.5 to 1 that is not equal to the first ratio.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising performing a panning evaluation process on the multichannel audio signal, and adjusting the at least one other channel'"'"'s dynamic range based on the performed panning evaluation process.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting one of a plurality of pre-defined different adjustment configurations for processing the multichannel audio signal.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the device is a playback device.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the device is a storage device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the multichannel audio signal has at least three channels.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the multichannel audio signal is a 5.1 channel audio signal.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the multichannel audio signal is a 7.1 channel audio signal.

16. The method of claim 1 further including, taking a sample of overall sound in a listening environment, analyzing the sample to detect ambient noise, and increasing overall gain of the processed audio channels to compensate for ambient noise.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the amount of increase in overall gain of the processed audio channels to compensate for ambient noise is user selectable.

18. The method of claim 1 further including, comparing output of the device from a known audio test signal, to an ideal frequency map of the known audio test signal, and adjusting overall equalization of the processed audio channels to match the ideal frequency map.

19. The method of claim 1 further including, adjusting overall equalization of the processed audio channels based on known playback attributes of the device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first ratio is any ratio between and including 1.5 to 1 and 2.5 to 1.

21. A system for processing an audio signal comprising:

an input for receiving a multichannel audio signal including a center channel;

a plurality of processing modules, each processing module individually processing a channel of the multichannel audio signal to enhance intelligibility of dialog in the multichannel audio signal upon playback of the multichannel audio signal;

a first processing module configured to process a center channel of the multichannel audio signal by adjusting equalization of the center channel by raising the center channel'"'"'s signal level in an audio frequency range of human speech in comparison to the center channel'"'"'s signal level outside the audio frequency range of human speech;

a second processing module, in parallel with the first processing module, configured to clear the audio frequency range of human speech in a second channel of the multichannel audio signal by attenuating the second channel'"'"'s signal level in the audio frequency range of human speech in comparison to the second channel'"'"'s signal level outside the audio frequency range of human speech; and

an output for passing the processed audio channels to a device further comprising a third processing module configured to raise the dialog'"'"'s lowest level and lower the dialog'"'"'s loudest level by compressing the center channel'"'"'s dynamic range by a first ratio.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a multichannel to stereo downmixer for downmixing the processed audio channels to a two channel audio signal.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the output passes the two channel audio signal to the device.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising a video delay compensation module for delaying a video signal to sync the video signal with the processed audio channels and for passing the delayed video to the output, wherein the output passes the delayed video to the device.

25. The system of claim 21, further comprising an audio stream evaluation module for evaluating the multichannel audio signal to determine an overall audio level and using the overall audio level to ensure unity gain with the processed audio channels.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the third processing module is further configured to process the center channel of the multichannel audio signal by adjusting gain in the center channel by raising the gain in the center channel;

and further comprising a fourth processing module configured to process the second channel of the multichannel audio signal by adjusting gain in the second channel by lowering the gain in the second channel.

27. The system of claim 21, further comprising a fourth processing module configured to compress the second channel'"'"'s dynamic range by a second ratio, wherein the second ratio is higher than the first ratio.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the second ratio is any ratio between and including 2.5 to 1 and 3.5 to 1 that is not equal to the first ratio.

29. The system of claim 27, further comprising a digital audio stream evaluation module configured to perform a panning evaluation process on the multichannel audio signal and cause the fourth processing module to adjust the at least one other channel'"'"'s dynamic range based on the performed panning evaluation process.

30. The system of claim 21, further including a preset module configured to apply one of a plurality of pre-defined different adjustment configurations for each processing module of the plurality of processing modules based on a user selection.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein the device is a playback device.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein the device is a storage device.

33. The system of claim 21, wherein the multichannel audio signal has at least three channels.

34. The system of claim 21, wherein the multichannel audio signal is a 5.1 channel audio signal.

35. The system of claim 21, wherein the multichannel audio signal is a 7.1 channel audio signal.

36. The system of claim 21 further including:

a microphone for taking a sample of overall sound in a listening environment;

a background noise detection module for analyzing the sample to detect ambient noise; and

a background noise equalization module for increasing overall gain of the processed audio channels to compensate for ambient noise.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the amount of increase in overall gain of the processed audio channels to compensate for ambient noise is user selectable.

38. The system of claim 21 further including:

a microphone for listening to a known audio test signal being played through the device;

an audio return analysis module for comparing the known audio test signal being played through the device to an ideal frequency map of the known audio test signal; and

a master equalization module for adjusting overall equalization of the processed audio channels to match the ideal frequency map.

39. The system of claim 38 further including, an equalization preset module for storing equalization presets based on known playback attributes of the device, wherein the equalization preset module signals the master equalization module to adjust the overall equalization of the processed audio channels to match one of the equalization presets.

40. The system of claim 21, wherein the first ratio is any ratio between and including 1.5 to 1 and 2.5 to 1.