Automatic audio system equalizing

• US 20030179891A1
• Filed: 03/25/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Lehnert, Hilmar, Martin, Keith D., Kulkarni, Abhijit, Rabinowitz, William M., Arnold, Finn, Saffran, Richard E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,483,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/103
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/024 Positioning of loudspeaker enclosures for spatial sound reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/002 Loudspeaker arrays
• 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 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/307 Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

An automated process for equalizing an audio system and an apparatus for implementing the process. An audio system includes a microphone unit, for receiving the sound waves radiated from a plurality of speakers, acoustic measuring circuitry, for providing frequency response measurement signals; a memory, for storing characteristic data signals representative of the loudspeaker units and further for storing the frequency response measurement signals; and equalization calculation circuitry, for providing an equalization pattern signal responsive to the frequency response measurement signals and responsive to the characteristic data signals representative of the plurality of loudspeaker units. Also described is an automated equalizing system including acoustic measuring circuitry including a microphone for providing frequency signals representative of responses at a plurality of locations; a memory, for storing the signals representative of frequency responses at the plurality of locations; and equalization calculation circuitry responsive to the signals representative of the frequency responses for providing an equalization pattern signal.

Claims

1. An audio system, comprising:

a source of audio signals;

signal processing circuitry coupled to said source for processing said audio signals to produce processed audio signals;

a plurality of loudspeaker units, coupled to said signal processing circuitry, constructed and arranged to be deployed about a room, for radiating sound waves responsive to said processed audio signals;

a microphone unit, for receiving said sound waves and for transducing said sound waves to electrical signals;

acoustic measuring circuitry, for receiving said electrical signals and providing frequency response signals;

a memory, coupled to said acoustic measuring circuitry, for storing characteristic data signals of said loudspeaker units and further for storing said frequency response signals; and

equalization calculation circuitry, coupled to said memory, for providing an equalization pattern signal responsive to said frequency response signals and said characteristic data signals of said plurality of loudspeaker units.

2. An audio system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said signal processing circuitry and said equalization calculation circuitry share circuit elements.

3. An audio system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the coupling path between said microphone unit and said acoustic measuring circuitry comprises electrically conductive wire free of wireless portions.

4. An audio system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the coupling path between said microphone unit and said equalization calculation circuitry comprises a bi-directional jack.

5. An audio system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising crossover circuitry coupling said signal processing circuitry and said plurality of loudspeaker units, wherein said memory is further for storing characteristic data signals representative of said crossover circuitry, and wherein said equalization calculation circuitry is further for furnishing an equalization pattern signal responsive to said characteristic data signals representative of said crossover circuitry.

6. An audio system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said microphone unit is constructed and arranged to be mounted on a device that is mountable on a user'"'"'s body.

7. An audio system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said body mountable device is a headband.

8. An audio system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said microphone unit comprises a plurality of microphones.

9. An audio system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said equalization calculation circuitry is constructed and arranged to determine an equalization pattern that is substantially continuous with regard to frequency.

10. An audio system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said equalization calculation circuitry comprises a microprocessor running a software program.

11. An audio system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said equalization calculation circuitry comprises a link to a remote memory for storing said software program.

12. An audio system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said microprocessor is physically remote from said equalization calculation circuitry.

13. An audio system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said software program comprises code for causing audible instructions for said user to be radiated by at least one of said plurality of loudspeaker units.

14. An audio system in accordance with claim 10, said audio system further comprising a video device, wherein said software system comprises code for causing visual instructions for said user to be displayed by said video device.

15. An audio system in accordance with claim 1,

wherein said microphone unit is adapted to be moved about said room to a plurality of positions, to transduce said sound waves received at each of said plurality of positions to produce a corresponding plurality of sets of frequency response measurement signals;

wherein said memory is further for storing said plurality of sets of frequency response measurement signals;

and wherein said equalization calculation circuitry is further for providing an equalization pattern signal responsive to said plurality of sets of frequency response measurement signals.

16. An audio system in accordance with claim 15, wherein said equalization pattern signal is representative of the energy average of said frequency response measurements.

17. An audio system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said audio processing circuitry comprises low latency filters.

18. An audio system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of loudspeaker units comprises a plurality of acoustic driver units, and wherein said memory is further for storing characteristic data signals representative of said acoustic driver units.

19. An audio system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said equalization calculating circuitry is constructed and arranged to control an operating parameter of said audio system.

20. An audio system in accordance with claim 19, wherein said operating parameters include at least one of volume setting and tone setting.

21. An audio system in accordance with claim 19, wherein said equalizing calculating circuitry is constructed and arranged so that said equalizing calculating circuitry has exclusive control over said operating parameter and so that user accessible controls of said operating parameters are disabled.

22. An audio system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said audio system is constructed and arranged to broadcast verbal instructions for operating said audio system to a user.

23. An audio system, comprising:

a source of audio signals;

signal processing circuitry coupled to said source for processing said audio signals to produce processed audio signals;

a plurality of loudspeaker units, coupled to said signal processing circuitry, constructed and arranged to be deployed about a room, for radiating sound waves responsive to said processed audio signals;

acoustic measuring circuitry, including a microphone, for receiving said sound waves and providing signals representative of frequency response at a plurality of locations;

a memory, coupled to said acoustic measuring circuitry, for storing said signals representative of frequency response at said plurality of locations; and

equalization calculation circuitry responsive to said signals representative of frequency response at said plurality of locations, for providing an equalization pattern signal.

24. An audio system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said equalization calculation circuitry is constructed and arranged to provide said signals representative of frequency responses at said plurality of locations for each of said loudspeaker units singly.

25. An audio system, in accordance with claim 23

wherein said memory is further for storing characteristic data signals representative of said loudspeaker units;

and

where said equalization calculation circuitry is further for providing said equalization pattern signal responsive to said characteristic data signals representative of said plurality of loudspeaker units.

26. An audio system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said signal processing circuitry and said equalization calculation circuitry share circuit elements.

27. An audio system in accordance with claim 23, further comprising crossover circuitry coupling said signal processing circuitry and said plurality of loudspeaker units, wherein said memory is further for storing characteristic data signals representative of said crossover circuitry, and wherein said equalization calculation circuitry is further for providing an equalization pattern signal responsive to said characteristic data signal representative of said crossover circuitry.

28. An equalizing system for developing equalization patterns for an audio system, said audio system comprising a source of audio signals, signal processing circuitry coupled to said source for processing said audio signals to produce processed audio signals, a plurality of loudspeaker units, coupled to said signal processing circuitry, constructed and arranged to be deployed about a room, for radiating sound waves responsive to said processed audio signals, said equalizing system comprising:

acoustic measuring circuitry, including a microphone unit, for receiving and transducing said sound waves and for providing signals representative of frequency responses at a plurality of locations;

a memory, coupled to said acoustic measuring circuitry, for storing said signals representative of frequency responses at said plurality of locations; and

equalization calculation circuitry, responsive to said signals representative of frequency responses at a plurality of locations, for providing an equalization pattern signal.

29. An equalizing system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said audio system comprises crossover circuitry coupling said signal processing circuitry and said plurality of loudspeaker units, and wherein said memory is further for storing characteristic data signals representative of said crossover circuitry, and wherein said equalization calculation circuitry is further for providing an equalization pattern signal responsive to said signals representative of characteristic data of said crossover circuitry.

30. An equalizing system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said microphone unit is constructed and arranged to be mounted on a device that is mountable on a user'"'"'s body.

31. An equalizing system in accordance with claim 30, wherein said device is a headband.

32. An equalizing system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said microphone unit comprises a plurality of microphones.

33. An equalizing system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said equalization calculation circuitry is constructed and arranged to provide an equalization pattern signal that is substantially continuous with regard to frequency.

34. An equalizing system in accordance with claim 28, wherein said equalization calculation circuitry comprises a microprocessor running a software program.

35. An equalizing system in accordance with claim 34, wherein said equalization calculation circuitry comprises a link to a remote memory for storing said software program.

36. An equalizing system in accordance with claim 34, wherein said microprocessor is physically remote from said equalization circuitry.

37. An equalizing system in accordance with claim 34, wherein said software program comprises code for causing audible instructions for said user to be radiated by at least one of said plurality of loudspeaker units.

38. An equalizing system in accordance with claim 28,

wherein said equalization pattern signal is representative of the energy average of said frequency responses at said plurality of locations.

39. An audio system, comprising:

a storage medium for storing digitally encoded information signals;

signal processing circuitry coupled to said storage medium to produce audio signals;

a plurality of loudspeaker units, coupled to said signal processing circuitry, constructed and arranged to be deployed about a room, for radiating sound waves responsive to said audio signals;

a microphone unit, for receiving said sound waves and transducing said sound waves to electrical signals; and

a microprocessor electronically coupled to said storage medium and to said microphone, for providing an equalization pattern signal responsive to said electrical signals;

wherein said digitally encoded information signals includes digitally encoded signals representing instructions to a user.

40. An audio system in accordance with claim 39, wherein said storage medium is a compact disk.

41. An audio system in accordance with claim 39, wherein said digitally encoded information signals further includes an encoded computer program for generating an equalization pattern signals.

42. An audio system in accordance with claim 41, wherein said computer program controls parameters of said audio system.

43. An audio system in accordance with claim 39, wherein said digitally encoded information signals represent audio signals representing audible instructions for said user.

44. An audio system in accordance with claim 39, said audio system further comprising a video display device, wherein said digitally encoded information signals represent video signals representing instructions for said user, said instructions displayable on said video display device.

45. A process for generating an equalization pattern signal in an audio system having a first microphone and a loudspeaker unit, comprising:

testing, by said audio system, said microphone to determine if said microphone is functional over a frequency range; and

in the event said microphone is not functional over said frequency range, generating a message to a user.

46. A process for generating an equalization pattern in an audio system in accordance with claim 45, wherein said message is radiated as sound waves from said loudspeaker unit.

47. A process for generating an equalization pattern in an audio system in accordance with claim 45, wherein said audio system comprises a second microphone, further comprising:

testing whether said second microphone and said first microphone are matched within a predetermined tolerance; and

in the event that said first microphone and said second microphone are not matched within said predetermined tolerance, generating a message to said user that said first microphone and said second microphone are not matched.

48. A process for generating an equalization pattern in an audio system operating in a listening area, said listening area having an ambient noise level, said process comprising:

radiating a sound at an amplitude into said listening area;

measuring, by said audio system, the signal to noise ratio in said listening area; and

in the event that said signal to noise ratio is below a predetermined threshold ratio, increasing said signal to noise ratio.

49. A process for generating an equalization pattern in an audio system in accordance with claim 48, wherein said increasing signal to noise ratio includes the step of instructing a user to decrease said ambient noise.

50. A process for generating an equalization pattern in an audio system in accordance with claim 48, wherein said increasing signal to noise ratio includes the step of increasing said amplitude of said radiated sound.

51. A process for generating an equalization pattern in an audio system having a loudspeaker device and a microphone, comprising:

radiating, by said loudspeaker device a sound wave;

receiving, by a microphone, said sound wave;

measuring the amplitude of said received sound wave to determine if said amplitude is within a predetermined range of amplitudes; and

in the event that said amplitude is not within said predetermined range of amplitudes, changing said amplitude so that said amplitude is within said predetermined range.

52. A process for generating an equalization pattern in an audio system in accordance with claim 51, wherein said amplitude is increasable by an equalization calculation circuit and is not increasable by a user.

53. A process for generating an equalization pattern for an audio system having a loudspeaker device and a microphone, said audio system operating in a listening space, said process comprising:

a first positioning said microphone at a first location;

a first radiating, by said loudspeaker device, of a sound wave;

a first receiving, by said microphone, of said sound wave;

responsive to said receiving, a first measuring of a first frequency response of said audio system;

a second positioning said microphone at a second location;

a second radiating, by said loudspeaker device, a sound wave;

a second receiving, by said microphone said sound wave;

responsive to said second receiving, a second measuring of a second frequency response of said audio system;

comparing said first frequency response with said second frequency response to determine the difference between said first frequency response and said second frequency response; and

in the event that said difference is less than a predetermined amount, generating a message.

54. A process for generating an equalization pattern in an audio system in accordance with claim 53, wherein said message is radiated as sound waves from said loudspeaker unit.

55. A process for generating an equalization pattern in an audio system in accordance with claim 53, wherein said message directs a user to move to a different location.

56. A process for generating an equalization pattern for an audio system having a loudspeaker device, comprising:

storing in a memory operating limits of said loudspeaker device;

generating an equalization pattern signal;

comparing said equalization pattern signal with said operating limits to determine if execution of said equalization pattern signal could cause said operating limits to be exceeded; and

in the event that said execution would cause said limits to be exceeded, modifying said equalization pattern signal.

57. An automated process for generating an equalization pattern signal for an audio system, comprising:

an initiating step, executed by a user of said audio system;

a responding to said initiating step, by said audio system, wherein said responding step is selected from a predetermined plurality of responses; and

generating a message to said user by said audio system, said message directing said user to perform an action.

58. An automated process for generating an equalization pattern signal for an audio system in accordance with claim 57, wherein said generating includes radiating through said loudspeaker units, a message to said user.

59. An automated process for generating an equalization pattern signal for an audio system in accordance with claim 57, wherein said initiating step comprises placing a compact disk in a compact disk player.

60. A process for generating an equalization pattern for an audio system in accordance with claim 57, wherein said initiating step causes said audio system to be reconfigured.

61. A process for generating an equalization pattern form an audio system, comprising:

an indicating, by a user, that the user is at an intended listening location;

selecting, by said audio system, of a next step, wherein said next step is selected from a plurality of possible next steps; and

generating by said audio system, a message to said user, said message including the next step to be taken by the user.