Audio system with configurable zones

• US 10,609,484 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2017
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Family, Afrooz, Bidmead, Anthony P., Wang, Erik L., Geaves, Gary P., Johnson, Martin E., Brown, Matthew I., Howes, Michael B., Choisel, Sylvain J., Holman, Tomlinson M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhang, Leshui
• Application Number:
  US15/684,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20170374465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 381300-308, 381 61, 381 59, 381 77, 381 80, 381 31, 381 82, 381 83, 381 85, 381 86, 381 87, 381 89, 381332, 381333, 381336, 381111, 381116, 381117, 381118, 381119, 381123, 700 94, 455566, 345173
• 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: 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 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

An audio system is described that includes one or more speaker arrays that emit sound corresponding to one or more pieces of sound program content into associated zones within a listening area. Using parameters of the audio system (e.g., locations of the speaker arrays and the audio sources), the zones, the users, the pieces of sound program content, and the listening area, one or more beam pattern attributes may be generated. The beam pattern attributes define a set of beams that are used to generate audio beams for channels of sound program content to be played in each zone. The beam pattern attributes may be updated as changes are detected within the listening environment. By adapting to these changing conditions, the audio system is capable of reproducing sound that accurately represents each piece of sound program content in various zones.

Claims

1. A method of driving speaker arrays, comprising:

receiving a first sound program content and a second sound program content associated with respective audio sources within an audio system, wherein the first sound program content is designated to be played in a first zone within a listening area and the second program content is designated to be played in a second zone within the listening area;

determining a layout of a first speaker array and a second speaker array, wherein the first speaker array and the second speaker array have respective speaker cabinets and are movable relative to each other within the listening area;

generating one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes based on the determined layout; and

driving the first speaker array and the second speaker array with the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes such that each speaker array directs respective audio beams corresponding to one or more channels of the first sound program content and the second program content to the first zone and the second zone in the listening area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each set of the audio beam pattern attributes in the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes includes one or more of gain values, delay values, beam type pattern values, or beam angle values that are used to generate corresponding audio beams for each channel of the first sound program content and the second sound program content.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising,

determining one or more parameters describing the audio system, wherein the one or more parameters describing the audio system include 1) a location of each of the speaker arrays relative to each zone and 2) a location of each audio source relative to corresponding zones, and wherein the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes are based on the one or more parameters describing the audio system.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining parameters for the first sound program content and the second sound program content, wherein the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes are generated based on the parameters for the first sound program content and the second sound program content, wherein the parameters for the first sound program content and the second sound program content include one or more of the number of channels in each of the first sound program content add the second sound program content, a frequency range of each of the first sound program content and the second sound program content, or a content type of each of the first sound program content and the second sound program content.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining parameters for the listening area, wherein the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes are generated based on the parameters for the listening area, wherein the parameters for the listening area include one or more of

     1) a size and a geometry of the listening area;

     2) reverberation characteristics of the listening area;

or

     3) a location of users in the listening area.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

defining each of the first zone and the second zone in the listening area, wherein the definition of each zone includes one or more of a location of the zone in the listening area, a size of the zone, shape of the zone, or a piece of sound program content from the respective sound program content designated to be played in the respective zone.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the first zone and the second zone is defined based on one or more of 1) a location of one or more of the users in the listening area or 2) a location of one or more of the audio sources in the listening area.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a change to the zones or the audio system;

determining, in response to detecting the change to the zones or the audio system, parameters describing the zones and the audio system;

generating one or more new sets of audio beam pattern attributes based on the determined parameters for the zones and the audio system; and

driving the first speaker array and the second speaker array with the one or more new sets of audio beam pattern attributes such that each speaker array directs respective audio beams corresponding to one or more channels of the first sound program content and the second program content to the first zone and the second zone in the listening area.

9. A computing device for driving speaker arrays, comprising:

an interface for receiving a first sound program content and a second sound program content associated with respective audio sources within an audio system, wherein the first sound program content is designated to be played by the audio system in a first zone within a listening area and the second program content is designated to be played in a second zone within the listening area;

a hardware processor; and

a memory unit for storing instructions, which when executed by the hardware processor;

determine a layout of a first speaker array and a second speaker array, wherein the first speaker array and the second speaker array have respective speaker cabinets and are moveable relative to each other within the listening area;

generate one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes based on the determined layout; and

generate one or more drive signals for driving the first speaker array and the second speaker array with the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes such that each speaker array directs respective audio beams corresponding to one or more channels of the first sound program content and the second program content to the first zone and the second zone in the listening area.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein each set of the audio beam pattern attributes in the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes includes one or more of gain values, delay values, beam type pattern values, or beam angle values that are used to generate corresponding audio beams for each channel of the first sound program content and the second sound program content.

11. The computing device of claim 9 further comprising:

determining one or more parameters describing the audio system, wherein the one or more parameters describing the audio system include

     1) a location of each of the speaker arrays relative to each zone and

     2) a location of each audio source relative to corresponding zone, and wherein the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes are based on the one or more parameters describing the audio system.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the memory unit includes further instructions which when executed by the hardware processor:

determine parameters for the first sound program content and the second sound program content, wherein the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes are generated based on the parameters for the first sound program content and the second sound program content, wherein the parameters for the first sound program content and the second sound program content include one or more of a number of channels in each of the first sound program content and the second sound program content, a frequency range of each of the first sound program content and the second sound program content, or a content type of each of the first sound program content and the second sound program content.

13. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the memory unit includes further instructions which when executed by the hardware processor:

determine parameters for the listening area, wherein the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes are generated based on the parameters for the listening area, wherein the parameters for the listening area include one or more of

     1) a size and a geometry of the listening area;

     2) reverberation characteristics of the listening area;

or

     3) a location of users in the listening area.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the memory unit includes further instructions which when executed by the hardware processor:

define each of the first zone and the second zone in the listening area, wherein the definition of each zone includes one or more of a location of the zone in the listening area, a size of the zone, a shape of the zone, or a piece of sound program content from the respective sound program content designated to be played in the respective zone.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein each of the first zone and the second zone is defined based on one or more of 1) a location of one or more of the users in the listening area or 2) a location of one or more of the audio sources in the listening area.

16. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the memory unit includes further instructions which when executed by the hardware processor:

detect a change to the zones or the audio system;

determine, in response to detecting the change to the zones or the audio system, parameters describing the zones and the audio system;

generate one or more new sets of audio beam pattern attributes based on the determined parameters for the zones and the audio system; and

generate one or more drive signals for driving the first speaker array and the second speaker array with the one or more new sets of audio beam pattern attributes such that each speaker array directs respective audio beams corresponding to one or more channels of the first sound program content and the second program content to the first zone and the second zone in the listening area.

17. An article of manufacture for driving speaker arrays to play one or more pieces of sound program content associated with one or more audio sources within an audio system, wherein each piece of sound program content is designated to be played by the audio system in one zone of a plurality of zones within a listening area, the article of manufacture comprising:

a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions which, when executed by a processor in a computer,

determine a layout of a first speaker array and a second speaker array, wherein the first speaker array and the second array have respective speaker cabinets and are movable relative to each other within the listening area;

generate one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes based on the determined layout; and

generate one or more drive signals for driving the first speaker array and the second speaker array with the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes such that each speaker array directs respective audio beams corresponding to one or more channels of the one or more pieces of sound program content in the listening area.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein each set of the audio beam pattern attributes in the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes includes one or more of gain values, delay values, beam type pattern values, or beam angle values that are used to generate corresponding audio beams for each channel of the one or more pieces of sound program content.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17 further comprising:

determining one or more parameters describing the audio system, wherein the one or more parameters describing the audio system include

     1) a location of each of the speaker arrays relative to each zone and

     2) a location of each audio source relative to corresponding zones, and wherein the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes are based on the one or more parameters describing the audio system.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium stores further instructions which, when executed by the processor:

determine parameters for the one or more pieces of sound program content, wherein the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes are generated based on the parameters for the one or more pieces of sound program content, wherein the parameters for the one or more pieces of sound program content include one or more of a number of channels in each piece of sound program content, a frequency range of each piece of sound program content, or a content type of each piece of sound program content.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium stores further instructions which, when executed by the processor:

determine parameters for the listening area, wherein the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes are generated based on the parameters for the listening area, wherein the parameters for the listening area include one or more of

     1) a size and a geometry of the listening area;

     2) reverberation characteristics of the listening area;

or

     3) a location of users in the listening area.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium stores further instructions which, when executed by the processor:

define each of the plurality of zones in the listening area, wherein the definition of each zone includes one or more of a location of the zone in the listening area, a size of the zone, a shape of the zone, or a piece of sound program content from the one or more pieces of sound program content associated with the zone.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein each zone is defined based on one or more of 1) a location of one or more of the users in the listening area or 2) a location of one or more of the audio sources in the listening area.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium stores further instructions which, when executed by the processor:

detect a change to the zones or the audio system;

determine, in response to detecting the change to the zones or the audio system, parameters describing the zones and the audio system;

generate one or more new sets of audio beam pattern attributes based on the determined parameters for the zones and the audio system; and

generate one or more drive signals for driving the first speaker array and the second speaker array with the one or more new sets of audio beam pattern attributes such that audio beams corresponding to one or more channels of the one or more pieces of sound program content are played in corresponding zones in the listening area.