Method of and apparatus for controlling sound field through array speaker

• US 20090154723A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jung-ho, Ko, Sang-chul, Choi, Jung-woo, Kim, Young-tae
• Granted Patent: US 8,045,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/002 Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field H04S7/30

Abstract

Provided are a method and apparatus for controlling a sound field through an array speaker. The method includes calculating a coefficient of a filter that controls sound pressure of an input signal, based on a sound pressure ratio of a suppression area that suppresses sound emitted from an array speaker and an emphasis area that emphasizes the sound, and sound pressure efficiency in the emphasis area, generating a plurality of output signals that focuses the sound to the emphasis area by filtering the input signal based on the calculated coefficient of the filter, and outputting a sound field controlled sound based on the generated plurality of output signals. Accordingly, a listener in a predetermined direction and distance from the array speaker can clearly hear sound, without wearing an earphone or a headset so as to focus the sound only to the listener.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a sound field, the method comprising:

calculating a coefficient of a filter that controls sound pressure of an input signal, based on a sound pressure ratio of a suppression area that suppresses sound emitted from an array speaker and/or an emphasis area that emphasizes the sound, and sound pressure efficiency in the emphasis area;

generating a plurality of output signals that focuses the sound to the emphasis area by filtering the input signal based on the calculated coefficient of the filter; and

outputting a sound field controlled sound based on the generated plurality of output signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating of the coefficient comprises controlling the sound pressure of the input signal by determining the coefficient by combining the sound pressure ratio and the sound pressure efficiency calculated from a response model between the array speaker and the suppression and emphasis areas.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the controlling of the sound pressure comprises:

calculating a cost function by controlling the sound pressure ratio and the sound pressure efficiency calculated from the response model by weighting the sound pressure ratio and the sound pressure efficiency; and

determining the coefficient based on the calculated cost function.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating of the coefficient comprises compensating the coefficient so that the output signal is not distorted.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the compensating of the coefficient comprises:

establishing a predetermined representative location in the emphasis area;

calculating a compensation value based on each frequency so that the frequency size of the sound pressure is uniform and the phase of the sound pressure is uniform or linear in the established predetermined representative location; and

multiplying the calculated compensation value to the determined coefficient.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising corresponding the compensated coefficient to a reference point of the output signal by transforming the compensated coefficient to a time domain and then delaying the compensated coefficient as a predetermined time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sound pressure ratio is a ratio of the sound pressure in the emphasis area to the sound pressure in the suppression area, and the sound pressure efficiency is a ratio of a size of the sound pressure in the emphasis area to a size of the input signal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing the suppression area and the emphasis area in areas around the array speaker.

9. A computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of claim 1.

10. An apparatus for controlling a sound field for an array apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a filter coefficient calculator, which calculates a coefficient of a filter that controls sound pressure of an input signal, based on a sound pressure ratio of a suppression area that suppresses sound emitted from the array speaker and an emphasis area that emphasizes the sound, and sound pressure efficiency in the emphasis area;

a signal generator, which generates a plurality of output signals that focuses the sound to the emphasis area by filtering the input signal based on the calculated coefficient of the filter; and

the array speaker, which outputs a sound field controlled sound using the generated plurality of output signals.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the filter coefficient calculator comprises a sound pressure controller, which controls the sound pressure of the input signal by determining the coefficient by combining the sound pressure ratio and the sound pressure efficiency calculated from a response model between the array speaker and the suppression and emphasis areas.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sound pressure controller calculates a cost function by controlling the sound pressure ratio and the sound pressure efficiency calculated from the response model by weighting the sound pressure ratio and the sound pressure efficiency, and determines the coefficient based on the calculated cost function.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the filter coefficient calculator comprises a compensator, which compensates the coefficient so that the output signal is not distorted.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the compensator establishes a predetermined representative location in the emphasis area, calculates a compensation value based on each frequency so that the frequency size of the sound pressure is uniform and the phase of the sound pressure is uniform or linear in the established predetermined representative location, and multiplies the calculated compensation value to the determined coefficient.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a transformer, which corresponds the compensated coefficient to a reference point of the output signal by transforming the compensated coefficient to a time domain and then delaying the compensated coefficient as a predetermined time.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sound pressure ratio is a ratio of the sound pressure in the emphasis area to the sound pressure in the suppression area, and the sound pressure efficiency is a ratio of a size of the sound pressure in the emphasis area to a size of the input signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a control area establisher, which establishes the suppression area and the emphasis area in areas around the array speaker.

18. (canceled)