Home cinema system devices

• US 10,560,794 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Guldener, Rolf, Keller, Anton Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US15/911,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20180262855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 710 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/008 Multichannel audio signal coding or decoding using interchannel correlation to reduce redundancy, e.g. joint-stereo, intensity-coding or matrixing
• 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 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• 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 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4398 involving reformatting operations of audio signals details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• 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: 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 2400/05 Generation or adaptation of centre channel in multi-channel audio 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 3/008 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

Abstract

A television and a home cinema device work together in various embodiments to render an audio signal including at least a left channel, a right channel and a center channel. The left and right channels are rendered by left and right speakers coupled to the home cinema device, while the center channel is rendered by the left and right speakers of the television. The television can receive the audio signal, decode and render the center channel and send the audio, possibly reencoded left and right channels, to the home cinema device. The television can also send the audio to the home cinema device the returns the, possibly reencoded, center channel for rendering on the television. Alternatively, the home cinema device can receive the audio signal and provide the possibly reencoded center channel to the television. In an alternative, the center channel can be rendered by a soundbar coupled to the television.

Claims

1. A television configured for connection to a sound rendering device, the television comprising:

a decoder configured to;

decode a first audio signal comprising at least a left channel, a right channel and a center channel; and

provide a decoded center channel for rendering on first speakers; and

an encoder for encoding a decoded left channel and a decoded right channel to obtain a second audio signal for output to the sound rendering device for rendering sound on second speakers.

2. The television of claim 1, further comprising a digital sound processor unit for sound processing of audio channels to be provided to the first speakers.

3. The television of claim 1, wherein the first speakers comprise internal left and right speakers of the television.

4. The television of claim 1, wherein the first speakers comprise left and right speakers of a soundbar external to the television.

5. The television of claim 1, wherein the first audio signal or the second audio signal further comprises a bass channel to be rendered on a bass speaker among the first speakers.

6. A television configured for connection to a sound rendering device, the television comprising:

a decoder configured to;

decode an audio signal comprising at least a left channel, a right channel and a center channel; and

provide a decoded center channel for rendering on first speakers; and

an output interface configured to output the audio signal to the sound rendering device for rendering sound on second speakers.

7. A sound rendering device configured for connection to a television, the sound rendering device comprising:

a decoder configured to;

receive a first audio signal comprising at least a left channel, a right channel and a center channel;

decode the first audio signal to obtain the channels; and

provide the left channel and the right channel to a left speaker and a right speaker coupled to the sound rendering device; and

an encoder configured to encode the center channel into a second audio signal for output to the television.

8. The sound rendering device of claim 7, wherein the decoder is configured to receive the first audio signal from the television.

9. The sound rendering device of claim 7, wherein the decoder is further configured to receive a video signal and wherein the encoder is further configured to provide the video signal to the television.

10. The sound rendering device of claim 9, wherein the decoder is configured to receive the video signal and the first audio signal from a source other than the television.