Method and system for automatically equalizing multiple loudspeakers

• US 20060067535A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Culbert, Michael, Lindahl, Aram, Rubinstein, Jon
• Application Number:
  US10/951,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20060067535A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/007 in which the audio signals are in digital form data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02

Abstract

A computing device generates an audio signal that includes a pattern and transmits the audio signal to the loudspeakers. A measuring device located at a listening position sequentially captures the signal and pattern reproduced by the speakers. The measuring device transmits each captured signal and pattern to the computing device. The computing device determines the frequency and impulse responses for each loudspeaker and equalizes the speakers for the listening position. Some or all of the speakers may be associated with additional listening positions. The computing device may then equalize the speakers based on each listening position. Alternatively, the computing device may calculate an average for some or all of the listening positions and equalize the speakers based on the average.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computing device; and

multiple speakers connected to the computing device, wherein the computing device automatically equalizes the multiple speakers.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a measuring device for capturing a signal emitted from each speaker and transmitting each captured signal to the computing device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device automatically equalizes the room by determining a frequency response and an impulse response for each speaker in the room.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple speakers are connected to the computing device by a wireless connection.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is implemented within one of the multiple speakers.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is implemented externally from the multiple speakers.

7. A loudspeaker, comprising:

one or more buffers for storing an audio signal;

a network system including a clock; and

an audio system for receiving at least a portion of the audio signal stored in the one or more buffers based on the timing of the clock in the network system.

8. The loudspeaker of claim 7, further comprising:

an amplifier for receiving the audio signal from the audio system; and

an audio driver for receiving the audio signal from the amplifier and for emitting the audio signal out of the loudspeaker.

9. The loudspeaker of claim 8, wherein the audio driver comprises at least one of a woofer, a tweeter, and a sub-woofer.

10. The loudspeaker of claim 7, further comprising an audio receiver for receiving the audio signal over a wireless connection.

11. The loudspeaker of claim 10, wherein the one or more buffers are implemented in the audio receiver.

12. A method for automatically equalizing a plurality of speakers, comprising:

a) emitting from one the plurality of speakers an audio signal including a pattern;

b) capturing the reproduced audio signal including the pattern; and

c) determining a frequency response and an impulse response for the speaker.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating the audio signal including a pattern.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising repeating a) through c) for all of the speakers in the plurality of speakers.

15. The method of claim. 14, wherein the plurality of speakers are associated with a first listening position.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising equalizing the plurality of speakers associated with the first listening position.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising repeating a) through c) for a second listening position.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising calculating an average of the impulse and frequency responses for the plurality of speakers associated with the first and second listening positions.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising equalizing the plurality of speakers associated with the first and second listening positions using the average.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting a listening position from the first and second listening positions; and

equalizing the plurality of speakers associated with the selected listening position.