CASE FOR PROVIDING IMPROVED AUDIO PERFORMANCE IN PORTABLE GAME CONSOLES AND OTHER DEVICES

• US 20110064254A1
• Filed: 09/10/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Yunhong, Nicholson, Guy K., Ma, Wei
• Application Number:
  US12/879,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20110064254A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/334
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• 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 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field

Abstract

A system includes a portable electronic device and a case configured to be placed in association with the portable electronic device. The case includes an interface configured to receive audio signals from the portable electronic device and a speaker array configured to generate audible sounds having one or more specified audio effects based on the audio signals. The case could also include an audio amplifier configured to amplify the audio signals and to provide the amplified audio signals to the speaker array. The audio amplifier could include a filter configured to filter the audio signals in order to produce the one or more specified audio effects. The case could further include a processor configured to (i) process the audio signals in order to produce the one or more specified audio effects and (ii) output the processed audio signals to the audio amplifier.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a case configured to be placed in association with a portable electronic device;

an interface associated with the case, the interface configured to receive audio signals from the portable electronic device; and

a speaker array associated with the case, the speaker array configured to generate audible sounds having one or more specified audio effects based on the audio signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an audio amplifier associated with the case, the audio amplifier configured to amplify the audio signals and to provide the amplified audio signals to the speaker array.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the audio amplifier comprises a filter configured to filter the audio signals in order to produce the one or more specified audio effects.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a processor configured to (i) process the audio signals in order to produce the one or more specified audio effects and (ii) output the processed audio signals to the audio amplifier.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more specified audio effects vary based on at least one of:

a content and a type of content presented by the portable electronic device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the interface is configured to receive information identifying the one or more specified audio effects.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more specified audio effects comprise at least one of:

beam forming and sound field enhancement.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the case comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portions configured to retain the portable electronic device between the first and second portions.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interface and the speaker array are mounted in or on the case.

10. A method comprising:

attaching a portable electronic device to a case;

providing audio signals from the portable electronic device to the case; and

generating audible sounds based on the audio signals using a speaker array of the case, the audible sounds having one or more specified audio effects.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

amplifying the audio signals; and

providing the amplified audio signals to the speaker array.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein amplifying the audio signals comprises filtering the audio signals in order to produce the one or more specified audio effects.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

processing the audio signals in order to produce the one or more specified audio effects; and

providing the processed audio signals for amplification.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving information from the portable electronic device identifying the one or more specified audio effects, the one or more specified audio effects varying based on at least one of;

a content and a type of content presented by the portable electronic device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein generating the audible sounds comprises generating audible sounds that appear, from a perspective of a listener, to originate from multiple virtual sound sources.

16. A system comprising:

a portable electronic device; and

a case configured to be placed in association with the portable electronic device, the case comprising;

an interface configured to receive audio signals from the portable electronic device; and

a speaker array configured to generate audible sounds having one or more specified audio effects based on the audio signals.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the case further comprises:

an audio amplifier configured to amplify the audio signals and to provide the amplified audio signals to the speaker array.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the audio amplifier comprises a filter configured to filter the audio signals in order to produce the one or more specified audio effects.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the case further comprises:

a processor configured to (i) process the audio signals in order to produce the one or more specified audio effects and (ii) output the processed audio signals to the audio amplifier.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more specified audio effects vary based on at least one of:

a content and a type of content being presented by the portable electronic device.