System and method for optimizing media center audio through microphones embedded in a remote control

• US 20060088174A1
• Filed: 10/26/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Green, Evan R., DeLeeuw, William C.
• Application Number:
  US10/975,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20060088174A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/96
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/024 Positioning of loudspeaker enclosures for spatial sound reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/307 Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system for optimizing media center audio through microphones embedded in a remote control are described. One embodiment of the method involves receiving a command to optimize audio of two or more speakers. Audio data is outputted on the two or more speakers in response to the command. The outputted audio data is collected via a left microphone and a right microphone in the remote control. The collected audio data is analyzed to determine adjustments to the audio data outputted by the two or more speakers in order to optimize the outputted audio data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a command to optimize audio of two or more speakers;

outputting audio data on the two or more speakers in response to the command;

collecting the outputted audio data via a left microphone and a right microphone in a remote control;

analyzing the collected audio data to determine adjustments to optimize audio data outputted by the two or more speakers; and

making the determined adjustments to the audio data outputted by the two or more speakers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjustments include at least one of delay, phase, equalization and volume.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the collected audio data includes:

building an optimizing audio model; and

comparing the collected audio data with the optimizing audio model to determine the adjustments to the audio data outputted by the two or more speakers to optimize audio data of the two or more speakers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the optimizing audio model represents what the collected audio data should sound like if the two or more speakers are balanced.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the adjustments reflect differences between the collected audio data and the optimizing audio model.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the optimizing audio model includes audio data related to a room style.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the room style is selected by a user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the command to optimize audio of the two or more speakers is initiated by a user via the remote control.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the command to optimize audio of the two or more speakers is initiated by a media center.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio data outputted on the two or more speakers is produced by an audio test file.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio data outputted on the two or more speakers is produced by data stored on a multi-channel audio source.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the multi-channel audio source is a digital versatile disc (DVD) movie soundtrack.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio data outputted on the two or more speakers is produced by either an audio test file or data stored on a multi-channel audio source, and wherein the audio data outputted may switch between the audio test file and the data stored on the multi-channel audio source.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio data outputted on the two or more speakers is produced by data stored on a multi-channel audio source, and wherein the data stored on the multi-channel audio source is read ahead and used to build an optimizing audio model.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the collected audio data further includes adjusting the collected audio data to compensate for the physical location of the remote control and a listener in a room environment when the audio data is collected via the left microphone and the right microphone in the remote control.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the collected audio data includes adjusting the collected audio data to compensate for the difference between the average distance between the right microphone and the left microphone and the average distance between a right ear and a left ear of a listener.

17. The method of claim 3, wherein analyzing the collected audio data further includes modeling the optimizing audio model to compensate for the physical location of the remote control and a listener in a room environment when the audio data is collected via the left microphone and the right microphone in the remote control.

18. The method of claim 3, wherein analyzing the collected audio data includes modeling the optimizing audio model to compensate for the difference between the average distance between the right microphone and the left microphone and the average distance between a right ear and a left ear of a listener.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more frequencies in the outputted audio data are adjusted to reduce the resonating of one or more objects in a room environment.

20. A system, comprising:

a media center;

two or more speakers coupled to the media center; and

a remote control coupled to the media center, wherein the media center receives a command to optimize audio of two or more speakers, wherein the two or more speakers outputs audio data in response to the command, wherein the remote control collects the outputted audio data via a left microphone and a right microphone, wherein the media center analyzes the collected audio data to determine adjustments to the audio data outputted by the two or more speakers to optimize audio data of the two or more speakers, and wherein the media center makes the determined adjustments to the audio data outputted by the two or more speakers.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein adjustments include at least one of delay, phase, equalization and volume.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the media center analyzes the collected audio data by building an optimizing audio model and comparing the collected audio data with the optimizing audio model to determine the adjustments to the audio data outputted by the two or more speakers to optimize audio data of the two or more speakers.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the optimizing audio model represents what the collected audio data should sound like if the two or more speakers are balanced.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the adjustments reflect differences between the collected audio data and the optimizing audio model.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the optimizing audio model includes audio data related to a room style.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the room style is user-selected.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the command to optimize audio of the two or more speakers is initiated by a user via the remote control.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein the command to optimize audio of the two or more speakers is initiated by a media center.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the audio data outputted on the two or more speakers is produced by an audio test file.

30. The system of claim 20, wherein the audio data outputted on the two or more speakers is produced by data stored on a multi-channel audio source.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the multi-channel audio source is a digital versatile disc (DVD) movie soundtrack.

32. The system of claim 20, wherein the audio data outputted on the two or more speakers is produced by either an audio test file or data stored on a multi-channel audio source, and wherein the audio data outputted may switch between the audio test file and the data stored on the multi-channel audio source.

33. The system of claim 20, wherein the audio data outputted on the two or more speakers is produced by data stored on a multi-channel audio source, and wherein the data stored on the multi-channel audio source is read ahead and used to build an optimizing audio model.

34. The system of claim 20, wherein the media center analyzes the collected audio data to adjust the collected audio data to compensate for the physical location of the remote control and a listener in a room environment when the audio data is collected via the left microphone and the right microphone in the remote control.

35. The system of claim 20, wherein the media center analyzes the collected audio data to adjust the collected audio data to compensate for the difference between the average distance between the right microphone and the left microphone and the average distance between a right ear and a left ear of a listener.

36. The system of claim 22, wherein analyzing the collected audio data further includes modeling the optimizing audio model to compensate for the physical location of the remote control and a listener in a room environment when the audio data is collected via the left microphone and the right microphone in the remote control.

37. The system of claim 22, wherein analyzing the collected audio data includes modeling the optimizing audio model to compensate for the difference between the average distance between the right microphone and the left microphone and the average distance between a right ear and a left ear of a listener.

38. The system of claim 20, wherein the media center adjusts one or more frequencies in the outputted audio data to reduce the resonating of one or more objects in a room environment.

39. A machine-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a command to optimize audio of two or more speakers;

outputting audio data on the two or more speakers in response to the command;

collecting the outputted audio data via a left microphone and a right microphone in a remote control;

analyzing the collected audio data to determine adjustments to the audio data outputted by the two or more speakers to optimize audio data of the two or more speakers; and

making the determined adjustments to the audio data outputted by the two or more speakers.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 39, wherein adjustments include at least one of delay, phase, equalization and volume.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 39, wherein analyzing the collected audio data includes:

building an optimizing audio model; and

comparing the collected audio data with the optimizing audio model to determine the adjustments to the audio data outputted by the two or more speakers.

42. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the optimizing audio model represents what the collected audio data should sound like if the two or more speakers are balanced.

43. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the adjustments reflect differences between the collected audio data and the optimizing audio model.

44. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the optimizing audio model includes audio data related to a room style.

45. The machine-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the room style is selected by a user.

46. The machine-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the command to optimize audio of the two or more speakers is initiated by a user via the remote control.