Method and system for time synchronizing multiple loudspeakers

• US 20060067536A1
• 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
• Application Number:
  US10/951,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20060067536A1
• 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 transmits one or messages that including a synchronizing protocol to the loudspeakers. The loudspeakers transmit one or more responses to the computing device in response to the messages. Through the transmission and receipt of messages and responses, the computing device synchronizes all of the speakers to a universal time.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computing device; and

multiple speakers connected to the computing device, wherein the computing device synchronizes the multiple speakers to a universal time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device synchronizes the multiple speakers by transmitting messages that include a time synchronizing protocol.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the time synchronizing protocol comprises a Network Time Protocol.

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 multiple speakers are connected to the computing device by a wired connection.

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

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

8. A loudspeaker, comprising:

a clock; and

a network system for receiving a time synchronizing protocol to synchronize the clock to a universal time.

9. The loudspeaker of claim 8, wherein the network system receives the time synchronizing protocol over a wireless connection.

10. The loudspeaker of claim 8, wherein the network system receives the time synchronizing protocol over a wired connection.

11. The loudspeaker of claim 8, wherein the time synchronizing protocol comprises a Network Time Protocol.

12. A method for synchronizing a plurality of loudspeakers, comprising:

a) transmitting to a loudspeaker one or more messages comprising a time synchronizing protocol;

b) receiving from the loudspeaker one or more responses to the one or more messages, wherein the one or more responses are used to synchronize the loudspeaker to a universal time; and

repeating a) and b) for all of the loudspeakers in the plurality of loudspeakers.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating the one or more messages comprising the time synchronizing protocol.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the time synchronizing protocol comprises a Network Time Protocol.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more responses from each loudspeaker are used to determine a time offset for each loudspeaker such that when an audio signal is emitted from each loudspeaker the audio signals emitted from the plurality of loudspeakers arrive at a listening position at substantially the same time.