Audio system, audio apparatus, and control method for audio apparatus

• US 10,390,138 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2018
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Shirai, Masakazu, Suemitsu, Yuki, Kohara, Osamu, Muronaga, Futoshi, Iwashita, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhu, Qin
• Application Number:
  US15/921,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20190075398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• 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 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: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• 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

Abstract

An audio system includes a first audio apparatus that receives a first audio signal with a first number of channels and a second audio apparatus connected to the first audio apparatus via a network. The first audio apparatus includes a signal processing unit configured to generate, on the basis of the first audio signal received from the outside of the first audio apparatus, a second audio signal with a second number of channels larger than the first number of channels, and a communication unit configured to transmit a third audio signal corresponding to a part of the channels in the second audio signal generated by the signal processing unit to the second audio apparatus.

Claims

1. An audio system comprising:

a first audio apparatus that receives a first audio signal with a first number of channels;

a second audio apparatus connected to the first audio apparatus via a network, wherein

the first audio apparatus includes;

a signal processing unit configured to generate, on the basis of the first audio signal received from an outside of the first audio apparatus, a second audio signal with a second number of channels larger than the first number of channels; and

a communication unit configured to transmit a third audio signal corresponding to a part of the channels in the second audio signal generated by the signal processing unit to the second audio apparatus, wherein the signal processing unit generates a fourth audio signal for the first audio apparatus and the third audio signal for the second audio apparatus on the basis of the second audio signal; and

a third audio apparatus, a fourth audio apparatus, and a fifth audio apparatus connected to the first audio apparatus and the second audio apparatus via the network wherein

the third audio apparatus transmits the first audio signal received from the outside of the third audio apparatus to the first audio apparatus and the fourth audio apparatus,

the first audio apparatus transmits the third audio signal to the second audio apparatus and the fifth audio apparatus,

the first audio apparatus calculates a first distribution time of the first audio signal from the third audio apparatus to the first audio apparatus, a second distribution time of the third audio signal from the first audio apparatus to the second audio apparatus, and a third distribution time of the third audio signal from the first audio apparatus to the fifth audio apparatus, determines, as a maximum distribution time, a longer distribution time of the calculated second distribution time and the calculated third distribution time and notifies the third audio apparatus of a total distribution time obtained by totaling the calculated first distribution time and the determined maximum distribution time,

the fourth audio apparatus notifies the third audio apparatus of a fourth distribution time of the first audio signal from the third audio apparatus to the fourth audio apparatus,

the third audio apparatus further calculates, on the basis of the total distribution time, the fourth distribution time, and a processing time required from when the third audio apparatus receives the first audio signal until the third audio apparatus reproduces the first audio signal, a first delay time for the first audio apparatus to reproduce the fourth audio signal, a second delay time for the fourth audio apparatus to reproduce the first audio signal, and a third delay time for the third audio apparatus to reproduce the first audio signal, and

the first audio apparatus further calculates, on the basis of the first delay time and the maximum distribution time, a fourth delay time for the second audio apparatus to reproduce the third audio signal and a fifth delay time for the fifth audio apparatus to reproduce the third audio signal.

2. The audio system according to claim 1, wherein

the first audio apparatus reproduces the first audio signal after a total time obtained by totaling the first delay time and the maximum distribution time elapses from the reception of the first audio signal from the third audio apparatus,

the second audio apparatus reproduces the third audio signal after a time obtained by subtracting the second distribution time from the total time elapses from the reception of the third audio signal from the first audio apparatus,

the fifth audio apparatus reproduces the third audio signal after a time obtained by subtracting the third distribution time from the total time elapses from the reception of the third audio signal from the first audio apparatus,

the fourth audio apparatus reproduces the first audio signal after the second delay time elapses from the reception of the first audio signal from the third audio apparatus, and

the third audio apparatus reproduces the first audio signal after the third delay time elapses from the reception of the first audio signal.

3. The audio system according to claim 1, wherein

when the fourth distribution time is longest among the fourth distribution time, the total distribution time, and the processing time, the third audio apparatus determines the second delay time as “

0”

, determines the first delay time as a time obtained by subtracting the total distribution time from the fourth distribution time, and determines the third delay time as a time obtained by subtracting the processing time from the fourth distribution time,

when the total distribution time is longest among the fourth distribution time, the total distribution time, and the processing time, the third audio apparatus determines the first delay time as “

0”

, determines the second delay time as a time obtained by subtracting the fourth distribution time from the total distribution time, and determines the third delay time as a time obtained by subtracting the processing time from the total distribution time, and

when the processing time is longest among the fourth distribution time, the total distribution time, and the processing time, the third audio apparatus determines the third delay time as “

0”

, determines the first delay time as a time obtained by subtracting the first distribution time from the processing time, and determines the second delay time as a time obtained by subtracting the fourth distribution time from the processing time.

4. The audio system according to claim 3, further comprising a sixth audio apparatus to which the third audio signal is input from the first audio apparatus, wherein

the audio system performs surround reproduction with the first audio apparatus, the second audio apparatus, the fifth audio apparatus, and the sixth audio apparatus, and

the first audio apparatus, the second audio apparatus, the third audio apparatus, the fourth audio apparatus, the fifth audio apparatus, and the sixth audio apparatus reproduce same content in synchronization.

5. The audio system according to claim 1, further comprising an operation terminal that receives, from a user, operation for selecting an audio apparatus to reproduce content and content to be reproduced.

6. The audio system according to claim 1, further comprising an audio apparatus on the outside connected to the first audio apparatus via the network, wherein

the first audio apparatus transmits the third audio signal to the second audio apparatus and transmits the first audio signal to the audio apparatus on the outside.

7. The audio system according to claim 2, wherein

when the fourth distribution time is longest among the fourth distribution time, the total distribution time, and the processing time, the third audio apparatus determines the second delay time as “

0”

, determines the first delay time as a time obtained by subtracting the total distribution time from the fourth distribution time, and determines the third delay time as a time obtained by subtracting the processing time from the fourth distribution time,

when the total distribution time is longest among the fourth distribution time, the total distribution time, and the processing time, the third audio apparatus determines the first delay time as “

0”

, determines the second delay time as a time obtained by subtracting the fourth distribution time from the total distribution time, and determines the third delay time as a time obtained by subtracting the processing time from the total distribution time, and

when the processing time is longest among the fourth distribution time, the total distribution time, and the processing time, the third audio apparatus determines the third delay time as “

0”

, determines the first delay time as a time obtained by subtracting the first distribution time from the processing time, and determines the second delay time as a time obtained by subtracting the fourth distribution time from the processing time.

8. The audio system according to claim 7, further comprising a sixth audio apparatus to which the third audio signal is input from the first audio apparatus, wherein

the audio system performs surround reproduction with the first audio apparatus, the second audio apparatus, the fifth audio apparatus, and the sixth audio apparatus, and

the first audio apparatus, the second audio apparatus, the third audio apparatus, the fourth audio apparatus, the fifth audio apparatus, and the sixth audio apparatus reproduce same content in synchronization.