AUDITORY PERCEPTION CONTROLLING DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20090016540A1
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The TC Group A/S (Music Group Services US Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TC Electronics A/S
• Inventors: Heningsen Nielsen, Soren, Skovenborg, Esben
• Application Number:
  US12/162,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20090016540A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/56
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 1/02 Remote control of amplification, tone or bandwidth combined with remote tuning or selection of resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/00 Indicating arrangements; Control arrangements, e.g. balance control

Abstract

“A method of automatically performing adjustment of audio control settings in an audio system, whereby at least a part of the audio control settings is adjusted according to automatic audio control setting adjustment routines via at least one remote control receiver of the audio system;

• an audio system including audio control settings and at least one remote control receiver, wherein an auditory perception controlling device is arranged for automatically adjusting at least a part of the audio control settings via at least one of the at least one remote control receiver;
• an auditory perception controlling device including at least one input means, a processing unit and an emitter, wherein the processing unit cooperates with the emitter to establish remote control signals upon fulfilment of predefined, user defined or dynamically determined conditions regarding data received by at least one of the at least one input means, wherein at least one of the at least one input means includes a receiver for receiving remote control signals, a microphone for measuring surrounding sound or an input connector for receiving an audio signal.”

Claims

1. Method of automatically performing adjustment of audio control settings in an audio system comprising at least one remote controllable audio subsystem, whereby at least a part of said audio control settings is adjusted according to automatic audio control setting adjustment routines via at least one remote control receiver of said audio system.

2. Method according to claim 1, whereby said audio control settings control an auditory perception of audio established by said audio system.

3. Method according to claim 1, whereby said method involves obtaining a predetermined auditory perception of sound established by said audio system by said adjustment of audio control settings.

7. Method according to claim 1, whereby said adjusting according to automatic audio control setting adjustment routines via said at least one remote control receiver is performed by an auditory perception controlling device.

8. Method according to claim 1, whereby said adjusting according to automatic audio control setting adjustment routines is at least partly based on data obtained by monitoring at least one input means, and whereby said auditory perception controlling device (10) comprises said input means.

11. Method according to claim 1, whereby said adjusting according to automatic audio control setting adjustment routines is at least partly based on acquired information about at least one user'"'"'s typical use of said audio system.

13. Method according to claim 1, whereby said adjusting according to automatic audio control setting adjustment routines is at least partly based on at least one of monitoring surrounding sound, monitoring a time, monitoring an audio signal from said audio system, or monitoring remote control signals from at least one remote control of said audio system.

18. Method according to claim 8, whereby said adjusting according to automatic audio control setting adjustment routines is at least partly based on monitoring user input via user input means.

19. Method according to claim 1, whereby said method comprises learning at least one behaviour of at least one user of said audio system, associating each of said at least one behaviour with at least one condition, monitoring fulfilment of said at least one condition, and upon fulfilment of at least one of said at least one condition automatically repeating said associated behaviour, whereby said repeating a behaviour comprises automatically performing adjustment of audio control settings in said audio system.

20. Method according to claim 1, whereby said method comprises monitoring surrounding sound and upon said sound fulfilling predefined or user defined conditions automatically performing adjustment of audio control settings in said audio system.

21. Method according to claim 1, whereby said method comprises monitoring an audio signal of said audio system and upon said audio signal fulfilling predefined or user defined conditions automatically performing adjustment of audio control settings in said audio system.

22. Method according to claim 1, whereby said method comprises continuously monitoring fulfilment of one or more conditions regarding remote control signals, surrounding sound, audio signals from said audio system, time and/or user input and upon fulfilment automatically performing said adjustment of audio control settings in said audio system.

23. Method according to claim 1, whereby said method comprises automatically controlling at least one of a loudness, an intelligibility and/or an annoyance of sound established by said audio system.

26. Method according to claim 1, whereby said audio control settings comprise gain settings, bass and treble settings, equalization settings, mute settings, mono, stereo or surround sound settings, and/or dynamic range control settings.

4-6. -6. (canceled)

9-10. -10. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

14-17. -17. (canceled)

24-25. -25. (canceled)

27-33. -33. (canceled)

34. Audio system comprising at least one remote controllable audio subsystem, audio control settings and at least one remote control receiver, wherein an auditory perception controlling device is arranged for automatically adjusting at least a part of said audio control settings via at least one of said at least one remote control receiver.

35. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein said auditory perception controlling device comprises a processing unit for performing said adjusting at least a part of said audio control settings according to automatic audio control setting adjustment routines.

36. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein said auditory perception controlling device comprises at least one emitter.

42. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein said auditory perception controlling device comprises at least one input means.

43. Audio system according to claim 42, wherein said at least one input means comprises at least one receiver, at least one infrared light receiver, at least one microphone, at least one input connector, and/or at least one keypad.

48. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein said adjusting at least a part of said audio control settings is performed according to automatic audio control setting adjustment routines.

49. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein said adjusting at least a part of said audio control settings is at least partly based on at least one of data obtained by monitoring at least one input means, acquired information about at least one user'"'"'s typical use of said audio system, predefined routines, monitoring surrounding sound, monitoring a time, monitoring an audio signal from said audio system, monitoring remote control signals from at least one remote control comprised by said audio system, or monitoring user input via user input means.

58. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein said audio system comprises at least one remote control and said auditory perception controlling device comprises a receiver, a processing unit and an emitter, wherein said receiver is arranged to cooperate with said at least one remote control, said emitter is arranged to cooperate with said remote control receiver, and said processing unit is arranged to learn at least one behaviour of at least one user of said audio system at least partly from data obtained by said receiver, to associate each of said at least one behaviour with at least one condition, to monitor fulfilment of said at least one condition, and upon fulfilment of at least one of said at least one condition to automatically repeat said associated behaviour at least partly by means of said emitter, wherein said repeating said associated behaviour comprises performing adjustment of said audio control settings in said audio system via said remote control receiver.

59. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein said auditory perception controlling device comprises a microphone, a processing unit and an emitter, wherein said microphone is arranged to measure surrounding sound, said emitter is arranged to cooperate with said remote control receiver, and said processing unit is arranged to automatically perform adjustment of said audio control settings in said audio system via said remote control receiver upon said surrounding sound fulfilling predefined or user defined conditions.

60. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein said auditory perception controlling device comprises an input connector, a processing unit and an emitter, wherein said input connector is arranged to receive an audio signal from said audio system, said emitter is arranged to cooperate with said remote control receiver, and said processing unit is arranged to automatically perform adjustment of said audio control settings in said audio system via said remote control receiver upon said audio signal fulfilling predefined or user defined conditions.

61. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein said auditory perception controlling device is arranged to continuously monitor fulfilment of one or more conditions regarding remote control signals, surrounding sound, audio signals from said audio system, time and/or user input and upon fulfilment automatically perform said adjustment of audio control settings in said audio system.

62. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein an auditory perception is controlled by controlling a loudness, an intelligibility and/or an annoyance of sound established by said audio system.

65. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein said audio control settings comprise gain settings, bass and treble settings, equalization settings, mute settings, mono, stereo or surround sound settings, and/or dynamic range control settings.

71. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein said auditory perception controlling device comprises a network interface.

72. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein said emitter and said remote control receiver comprise network interfaces.

73. Audio system according to claim 34, wherein said auditory perception controlling device is incorporated in a universal remote control.

37-41. -41. (canceled)

44-47. -47. (canceled)

50-57. -57. (canceled)

63-64. -64. (canceled)

66-70. -70. (canceled)

74. Auditory perception controlling device comprising at least one input means, a processing unit and an emitter, wherein said processing unit cooperates with said emitter to establish remote control signals upon fulfilment of predefined, user defined or dynamically determined conditions regarding data received by at least one of said at least one input means, wherein at least one of said at least one input means comprises a receiver for receiving remote control signals, a microphone for measuring surrounding sound or an input connector for receiving an audio signal.

75. Auditory perception controlling device according to claim 74, wherein said remote control signals comprises auditory perception controlling command signals suitable for adjusting audio control settings of an audio system.

76. Auditory perception controlling device according to claim 74, wherein said remote control signals are established according to automatic audio control setting adjustment routines.

77. Auditory perception controlling device according to claim 74, wherein said auditory perception controlling device comprises a time tracking means and said conditions at least partly regard a time as provided by said time tracking means.

78. Auditory perception controlling device according to claim 74, wherein said auditory perception controlling device comprises a universal remote control.

79. Auditory perception controlling device according to claim 74, wherein said auditory perception controlling device comprises network interface means.