Apparatus for multichannel sound reproduction system

• US 20070003067A1
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nitzpon, Hans-Juergen, Koerner, Andreas, Benz, Christoph, Gierl, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1661 Reduction of noise by manipulation of the baseband composite stereophonic signal or the decoded left and right channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/81 for stereo-monaural switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

The sound reproduction of a multichannel sound reproduction system with a plurality of speakers which is connected to the output of an FM stereo receiver is controlled by a control signal derived from the reception quality. Preferably, the control signal from the FM stereo receiver for controlling the stereo and mono components is also employed to control the multichannel sound reproduction system. For example, stereo, pseudo-stereo or mono reproduction are provided in the multichannel sound reproduction system in response to the stereo component within the output signal.

Claims

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23. An audio system that provides a plurality of speaker output signals to a plurality of loud speakers, the audio system comprising:

an FM receiver that receives an input signal and demodulates the input signal to provide an audio output signal, and also provides a control signal indicative of the reception quality of the audio output signal; and

a multichannel sound reproduction system that receives the audio output signal and the control signal, and provides the plurality of speaker output signals where the sound reproduction associated with the plurality of speaker output signals is set by the multichannel sound reproduction system as a function of the control signal, such that multichannel sound reproduction is provided when the control signal value is greater than a first threshold value, stereo reproduction is provided when the control signal value lies between the first threshold value and a second threshold value and pseudo-stereo reproduction is provided when the control signal value is less than the second threshold value, the first threshold value being greater than the second threshold value.

24. The audio system of claim 23, where the control signal is derived from a quality signal generated from a tuner of the FM receiver.

25. The audio system of claim 23, where the multichannel sound reproduction system provides mono reproduction when the control signal value lies below a third threshold value, and the second threshold value being greater than the third threshold value.

26. The audio system of claim 23, where the multichannel sound reproduction system provides at least six speaker output signals.

29. The audio system of claim 23, where the multichannel sound reproduction system provides at least six speaker output signals.

34. The audio system of claim 23, where the multichannel sound reproduction system provides at least six speaker output signals.

27. An multichannel sound reproduction system that provides a plurality of speaker output signals to a plurality of loud speakers, the system comprising:

an FM receiver that receives an input signal and demodulates the input signal to provide an audio output signal, and also provides a control signal indicative of the reception quality of the audio output signal; and

means responsive to the audio output signal and the control signal, for providing the plurality of speaker output signals where the sound reproduction associated with the plurality of speaker output signals is set as a function of the control signal, where multichannel sound reproduction is provided when the control signal value is greater than a first threshold value, stereo reproduction is provided when the control signal value lies between the first threshold value and a second threshold value and pseudo-stereo reproduction is provided when the control signal value is less than the second threshold value, the first threshold value being greater than the second threshold value.

28. The system of claim 27, where the control signal is derived from a quality signal generated from the tuner of the FM receiver.

32. The audio system of claim 27, where the control signal is indicative of the reception field strength of the input signal.

33. The audio system of claim 27, where the control signal is indicative of the reception level of the FM receiver.

30. An audio system, comprising:

an FM stereo receiver that provides an audio output signal and a control signal indicative of the reception quality of the audio output signal;

a multichannel sound reproduction system with a plurality of speakers which is connected to the output of an FM stereo receiver in which the stereo component and the mono component are controlled in the output signal in response to the reception signal, where the control signal derived from the reception quality is provided to control the sound reproduction of the sound reproduction system, such that multichannel sound reproduction is provided when the stereo component in the output signal of the FM stereo receiver is greater than a first threshold value, stereo reproduction is provided when the stereo component lies between the first threshold value and a second threshold value, and pseudo-stereo reproduction is provided when the stereo component is less than the second threshold value—

the first threshold value being greater than the second threshold value.

31. The multichannel sound reproduction system of claim 30, where the control signal to control the multichannel sound reproduction system is derived from a quality signal generated from the tuner of the FM receiver.