SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING SURROUND SOUND USING SPEAKERS AND HEADPHONES

• US 20090304214A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kulkarni, Prajakt, Xiang, Pei
• Granted Patent: US 9,445,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/307
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/024 Positioning of loudspeaker enclosures for spatial sound reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/09 Non-occlusive ear tips, i.e. leaving the ear canal open, for both custom and non-custom tips H04R2460/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/01 Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/07 Generation or adaptation of the Low Frequency Effect [LFE] channel, e.g. distribution or signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/11 Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field H04S2420/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/01 Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

A mobile device may include at least one processor configured to generate a first set and second set of processed audio signals for use in a surround sound system. The mobile device may also include at least one output port adapted to provide the first set of processed audio signals for use in the surround sound system to at least two speakers. The mobile device may also include an output port adapted to provide the second set of processed audio signals for use in the surround sound system to headphone speakers.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

at least one processor configured to generate a first set and second set of processed audio signals for use in a surround sound system;

at least one output port adapted to provide the first set of processed audio signals for use in the surround sound system to at least two speakers; and

an output port adapted to provide the second set of processed audio signals for use in the surround sound system to headphone speakers.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first set of processed audio signals are audio signals designated for the at least two speakers located in front of a user.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first set of processed audio signals are output from a front channel processing module.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the second set of processed audio signals are output from a surround channel processing module.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor comprises processing modules that are configured to process audio signals in multiple audio channels, the multiple audio channels comprising front audio channels and surround audio channels.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the processing modules comprise front channel processing modules that are configured to process the audio signals in the front audio channels so that the front audio channels are produced in speaker channels.

7. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the processing modules comprise surround channel processing modules that are configured to process the audio signals in the surround audio channels so that the surround audio channels are produced in headphone channels.

8. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the multiple audio channels further comprise a low frequency effects channel, and wherein the processing modules comprise surround channel processing modules that are configured to process the audio signals in the low frequency effects channel so that the low frequency effects channel is produced in headphone channels.

9. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the front audio channels comprise a left audio channel and a right audio channel, and wherein the processing modules comprise a crosstalk cancellation component that is configured to process the audio signals in the left audio channel and the right audio channel for crosstalk cancellation.

10. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the processing modules comprise a binaural processing component that is configured to process the audio signals in the surround audio channels using binaural processing techniques.

11. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the processing modules comprise a delay component that is configured to add a delay to a headphone channel path to compensate for an acoustic delay from the at least two speakers to a user'"'"'s ears.

12. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising digital-to-analog converters that perform digital-to-analog conversion for both speaker channels and headphone channels.

13. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising at least one digital-to-analog converter that performs digital-to-analog conversion for the first set of processed audio signals, wherein the second set of processed audio signals are provided as analog data to a headset, and wherein digital-to-analog conversion for the second set of processed audio signals is performed by the headset.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein there is a wireless link between the mobile device and the headset.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein communication between the mobile device and the headset occurs in accordance with a Bluetooth®

protocol.

16. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein communication between the mobile device and the headset occurs in accordance with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers wireless communication protocol.

17. A method for providing surround sound using speakers and headphones, comprising:

producing a first set and second set of processed audio signals for use in a surround sound system;

having at least two speakers play the first set of processed audio signals for use in the surround sound system; and

having headphones play the second set of processed audio signals for use in the surround sound system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least two speakers are located in front of a user.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first set of processed audio signals are output from a front channel processing module.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the second set of processed audio signals are output from a surround channel processing module.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein producing the first set and the second set of processed audio signals comprises processing audio signals in multiple audio channels, the multiple audio channels comprising front audio channels, surround audio channels, and a low frequency effects channel.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein processing the audio signals in the multiple audio channels comprises:

processing the audio signals in the front audio channels so that the front audio channels are produced in speaker channels;

processing the audio signals in the surround audio channels so that the surround audio channels are produced in headphone channels; and

processing the audio signals in the low frequency effects channel so that the low frequency effects channel is produced in the headphone channels.

23. A mobile device comprising:

means for generating a first set and second set of processed audio signals for use in a surround sound system;

means for providing the first set of processed audio signals for use in the surround sound system to at least two speakers; and

means for providing the second set of processed audio signals for use in the surround sound system to headphone speakers.

24. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the first set of processed audio signals are audio signals designated for the at least two speakers located in front of a user.

25. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the first set of processed audio signals are output from a front channel processing module.

26. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the second set of processed audio signals are output from a surround channel processing module.

27. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the means for generating the first set and the second set of processed audio signals comprises means for processing audio signals in multiple audio channels, the multiple audio channels comprising front audio channels, surround audio channels, and a low frequency effects channel.

28. The mobile device of claim 27, wherein the means for processing the audio signals in the multiple audio channels comprises:

means for processing the audio signals in the front audio channels so that the front audio channels are produced in speaker channels;

means for processing the audio signals in the surround audio channels so that the surround audio channels are produced in headphone channels; and

means for processing the audio signals in the low frequency effects channel so that the low frequency effects channel is produced in the headphone channels.

29. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for providing surround sound using speakers and headphones, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

generate a first set and second set of processed audio signals for use in a surround sound system;

provide the first set of processed audio signals for use in the surround sound system to at least two speakers; and

provide the second set of processed audio signals for use in the surround sound system to headphone speakers.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the first set of processed audio signals are audio signals designated for the at least two speakers located in front of a user.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the first set of processed audio signals are output from a front channel processing module.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the second set of processed audio signals are output from a surround channel processing module.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein generating the first set and the second set of processed audio signals comprises processing audio signals in multiple audio channels, the multiple audio channels comprising front audio channels, surround audio channels, and a low frequency effects channel.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein processing the audio signals in the multiple audio channels comprises:

processing the audio signals in the front audio channels so that the front audio channels are produced in speaker channels;

processing the audio signals in the surround audio channels so that the surround audio channels are produced in headphone channels; and

processing the audio signals in the low frequency effects channel so that the low frequency effects channel is produced in the headphone channels.

35. An integrated circuit for providing surround sound using speakers and headphones, the integrated circuit being configured to:

generate a first set and second set of processed audio signals for use in a surround sound system;

provide the first set of processed audio signals for use in the surround sound system to at least two speakers; and

provide the second set of processed audio signals for use in the surround sound system to headphone speakers.

36. The integrated circuit of claim 35, wherein the first set of processed audio signals are audio signals designated for the at least two speakers located in front of a user.

37. The integrated circuit of claim 35, wherein the first set of processed audio signals are output from a front channel processing module.

38. The integrated circuit of claim 35, wherein the second set of processed audio signals are output from a surround channel processing module.

39. The integrated circuit of claim 35, wherein generating the first set and the second set of processed audio signals comprises processing audio signals in multiple audio channels, the multiple audio channels comprising front audio channels, surround audio channels, and a low frequency effects channel.

40. The integrated circuit of claim 39, wherein processing the audio signals in the multiple audio channels comprises:

processing the audio signals in the front audio channels so that the front audio channels are produced in speaker channels;

processing the audio signals in the surround audio channels so that the surround audio channels are produced in headphone channels; and

processing the audio signals in the low frequency effects channel so that the low frequency effects channel is produced in the headphone channels.