EQUALIZATION PROFILES FOR DYNAMIC EQUALIZATION OF AUDIO DATA

• US 20120063615A1
• Filed: 11/18/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Crockett, Brett Graham, Seefeldt, Alan J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,929,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/98
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0364 for improving intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands

Abstract

Apparatuses for and methods of carrying out dynamic equalization processing of an audio signal, and apparatuses for and methods of controlling such equalization processing of the audio signal to dynamically adjust the time-varying spectrum of an audio signal to more closely match a user specified target time-invariant perceived audio signal spectrum while preserving the original dynamic range of the audio signal. The dynamic equalization is carried out according to a user-defined spectral profile specified by a control interface that allows a user to define, create, modify and/or apply the user-defined spectral profile.

Claims

1. A method of operating an audio signal processing apparatus to process an audio signal, the method comprising:

accepting an audio signal;

selecting a predefined dynamic equalization (DEQ) spectral profile from a plurality of predefined spectral profiles that are locally stored or that have been remotely stored;

processing the audio signal using the audio signal processing apparatus according to the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile to generate a processed audio signal, the processing including determining a spectral measure that is modified, including carrying out perceptual domain dynamic equalization, to dynamically adjust the time-varying spectral profile of the audio signal to more closely match a time invariant spectral profile according to the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile, the processed audio signal being for playback in a reproduction environment using a reproduction apparatus-,

wherein the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile includes one or more of;

a device-specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize for one or more characteristics of the reproduction apparatus, or one or more characteristics of the reproduction environment, or characteristics of both the reproduction environment and the reproduction apparatus,

a content-specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize according to the content or type of content represented by the audio signal, and

an equalization-type specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize according to a type of equalization effect.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile includes a device-specific DEQ spectral profile that takes into account the age of one or more components of the reproduction apparatus.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of predefined DEQ spectral profile includes at least one device-classification-specific DEQ, and wherein the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile includes a device-classification-specific DEQ spectral profile that takes into account a classification of the reproduction apparatus into one of a plurality of device classifications.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the reproduction apparatus classification is one of a set of reproduction apparatus classifications that includes at least one of an amplifier type, a loudspeaker type, a small headphone reproduction apparatus, a small loudspeaker reproduction apparatus, and a full bass response speaker reproduction apparatus.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of predefined DEQ spectral profile includes at least one environment-type-specific DEQ, and wherein the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile includes an environment-type-specific DEQ spectral profile that takes into account a type of reproduction environment.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile includes an equalization-type specific DEQ spectral profile, and wherein the type of equalization effect is one of type boost treble equalization, boost bass equalization, or flatten equalization.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selecting includes automatically selecting, the automatically selecting at least one of:

automatically selecting according to one or more characteristics of the reproduction apparatus, and

automatically selecting a content-specific DEQ spectral profile according to the content or type of content represented by the audio signal.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selecting includes accepting user input from a control interface included in the audio signal processing apparatus.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selecting includes accepting from a control interface a user-defined DEQ spectral profile based on a blending of at least the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile and one or more other DEQ spectral profiles, the blending based on a set of one or more blending parameters, wherein the control interface provides a mechanism for a user to set the one or more blending parameters, wherein the processing of the audio signal is according to the user-defined DEQ spectral profile.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

presenting the control interface to the user, the control interface including one or more control elements configured to accept a user input including values for at least some of the set of one or more blending parameters.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the control interface further includes at least one control element for selecting or otherwise defining the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile and if one or more other DEQ spectral profiles are used, for selecting or otherwise defining the other one or more other DEQ spectral profiles.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the blending is of one or more pairs of selected predefined DEQ spectral profiles, and wherein the control interface includes a control element for setting one or more blending parameters to determine the respective relative amounts of blending of respective one or more pairs of the selected predefined DEQ spectral profiles to form the user-defined DEQ spectral profile used for the processing of the audio signal.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the audio signal processing apparatus is coupled to a network to which a serving processing system is coupled, serving processing system including or coupled to a storage subsystem in which a set of predefined DEQ spectral profiles is stored, wherein the plurality of predefined spectral profiles are stored in the storage subsystem of the serving processing system, the method further comprising:

sending a request to the serving processing system for a particular predefined DEQ spectral profile; and

receiving the requested particular predefined DEQ spectral profile to be used as the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the particular predefined spectral profile includes authentication information and spectral data, the method further comprising:

ascertaining whether the particular predefined DEQ spectral profile is usable as the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile by comparing the authentication information to a function of the spectral data.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the authentication information is encrypted by an encryption method that can identify the creator or manufacturer of the profile, and wherein the ascertaining includes decrypting the authentication information.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the audio signal processing apparatus is coupled to a network to which an authentication processing system is coupled, the authenticating processing system including or coupled to a storage subsystem in which a set of authentication parameters is stored, the method further comprising:

sending a request to the authentication processing system to authenticate a particular predefined DEQ spectral profile; and

receiving an authenticity parameter from the authentication processing system, and

ascertaining whether the particular predefined DEQ spectral profile is usable as the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile according to the received authenticity parameter.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising playing back the processed audio signal in the reproduction environment using the reproduction apparatus.

18. A system for providing predefined DEQ spectral profiles for use by client processing systems, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

a storage subsystem;

a network interface coupled to a network, such that the system can communicate with one or more audio signal processing apparatuses that are coupled to the network;

wherein the storage system stores a set of predefined dynamic equalization (DEQ) spectral profiles,

wherein the one or more processors are operative to send directly, or indirectly via a different processing system, one or more of the set of stored predefined DEQ spectral profiles to at least one audio signal processing apparatus coupled to the network, such that a particular audio signal processing apparatus, as a result of receiving a selected predefined DEQ spectral profile, is able to process an accepted audio signal according to the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile to generate a processed audio signal, the processing including determining a spectral measure that is modified, including carrying out perceptual domain dynamic equalization, to dynamically adjust the time-varying spectral profile of the audio signal to more closely match a time invariant spectral profile according to the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile, the processed audio signal being for playback in a reproduction environment using a reproduction apparatus;

wherein each stored predefined DEQ spectral profile includes one or more of;

a device-specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize for one or more characteristics of a reproduction apparatus, or one or more characteristics of a reproduction environment in which the reproduction apparatus operated, or characteristics of both the reproduction environment and the reproduction apparatus,

a content-specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize according to the content or type of content represented by the audio signal to be processed, and

an equalization-type specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize according to a type of equalization effect.

19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are operative to receive a request from the particular audio signal processing apparatus coupled to the network for the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile, and in response to the request to send to the particular audio signal processing apparatus the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile, such that the audio signal processing apparatus, as a result of receiving the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile, processes the accepted audio signal according to the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile to generate the processed audio signal.

20. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the set of predefined DEQ spectral profiles includes at least one environment-specific DEQ spectral profile that takes into account a type of reproduction environment.

21. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the system comprises or is coupled to an authentication processing system that includes or is coupled to an authentication storage subsystem in which a set of authentication parameters is stored, and wherein each predefined spectral profile includes authentication information, such that the particular audio signal processing apparatus is able to request the system to authenticate a particular predefined DEQ spectral profile;

and the system can, by connecting to the authentication processing system ascertain the authenticity of a particular predefined DEQ spectral profile.

22. An apparatus for selecting and using a predefined DEQ spectral profile to process an audio signal, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a storage subsystem configured with code that when executed on at least one of the processors, causes the apparatus to;

process the audio signal according to a selected predefined dynamic equalization (DEQ) spectral profile to generate a processed audio signal, the processing including determining a spectral measure that is modified, including carrying out perceptual domain dynamic equalization, to dynamically adjust the time-varying spectral profile of the audio signal to more closely match a time invariant spectral profile according to the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile, the processed audio signal being for playback in a reproduction environment using a reproduction apparatus;

wherein the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile is selected from a plurality of predefined DEQ spectral profiles that are locally stored, or that have been remotely stored, and

wherein the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile includes one or more of;

a device-specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize for one or more characteristics of the reproduction apparatus, or one or more characteristics of the reproduction environment, or characteristics of both the reproduction environment and the reproduction apparatus,

a content-specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize according to the content or type of content represented by the audio signal, and

an equalization-type specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize according to a type of equalization effect.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, further comprising a storage subsystem operative to store a set of predefined DEQ spectral profiles, and wherein the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile is one of the stored set of predefined DEQ spectral profiles.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the one or more processors are operative to automatically select the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile according to one or more characteristics of the reproduction apparatus.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, further comprising a control interface operative to accept user input of the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile.

26. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

a network interface coupled to a network,

wherein the one or more processors are operative to retrieve at least a particular predefined DEQ spectral profile from a serving processing system coupled to the network, the serving processing system including or coupled to a server storage subsystem in which a server set of predefined DEQ spectral profiles is stored, the retrieving comprising sending a request to the serving processing system for the particular predefined DEQ spectral profile; and

receiving the requested particular predefined DEQ spectral profile, and

wherein the one or more processors are operative to send a request to an authentication processing system coupled to the network, the request being to authenticate the particular predefined DEQ spectral profile, the authenticating processing system including or coupled to an authentication storage subsystem in which a set of authentication parameters is stored, and

wherein the one or more processors are further operative to receive an authenticity parameter from the authentication processing system, and to ascertain whether the particular predefined DEQ spectral profile is usable as the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile according to the received authenticity parameter.

27. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

a network interface coupled to a network,

wherein the one or more processors are operative to send a request to an authentication processing system coupled to the network, the request being to authenticate a particular predefined DEQ spectral profile, the authenticating processing system including or coupled to an authentication storage subsystem in which a set of authentication parameters is stored, and

wherein the one or more processors are further operative to receive an authenticity parameter from the authentication processing system, and to ascertain whether the particular predefined DEQ spectral profile is usable as the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile according to the received authenticity parameter.

28. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the selected predefined spectral profile includes authentication information and spectral data, and wherein the one or more processors are operative to:

ascertain whether the particular predefined DEQ spectral profile is usable as the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile by comparing the authentication information to a function of the spectral data.

29. An apparatus as recited in claim 28, wherein the authentication information is encrypted by an encryption method that can identify the creator or manufacturer of the profile, and wherein the ascertaining includes decrypting the authentication information.

30. A method of operating a processing system for providing predefined dynamic equalization (DEQ) spectral profiles for use by client processing systems, the processing system comprising one or more processors, a storage subsystem, and a network interface coupled to a network, such that the processing system can communicate with one or more audio signal processing apparatuses that are coupled to the network, the method comprising:

storing a set of predefined DEQ spectral profiles in the storage subsystem,

distributing directly, or via another processing system indirectly, one or more of the stored predefined DEQ spectral profiles to one or more audio signal processing apparatuses coupled to the network, such that a particular audio signal processing apparatus coupled to the network, as a result of receiving a selected predefined DEQ spectral profile, can process an accepted audio signal according to the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile to generate a processed audio signal, the processing including determining a spectral measure that is modified, including perceptual domain dynamic equalization to dynamically adjust the time-varying spectral profile of the audio signal to more closely match a time invariant spectral profile according to the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile, the processed audio signal being for playback in a reproduction environment using a reproduction apparatus;

wherein each stored predefined DEQ spectral profile includes one or more of;

a device-specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize for one or more characteristics of a reproduction apparatus, or one or more characteristics of a reproduction environment in which the reproduction apparatus, or characteristics of both the reproduction environment and the reproduction apparatus,

a content-specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize according to the content or type of content represented by the audio signal to be processed, and

an equalization-type specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize according to a type of equalization effect.

31. A computer-readable storage medium configured with instructions that when executed by one or more processors of a processing system, cause carrying out a method of process an audio signal, the method comprising:

accepting an audio signal;

automatically selecting, or accepting a from a user a selection of a predefined dynamic equalization (DEQ) spectral profile from a plurality of predefined spectral profiles that are locally stored or that have been remotely stored;

processing the audio signal using the audio signal processing apparatus according to the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile to generate a processed audio signal, the processing including determining a spectral measure that is modified, including perceptual domain dynamic equalization to dynamically adjust the time-varying spectral profile of the audio signal to more closely match a time invariant spectral profile according to the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile, the processed audio signal being for playback in a reproduction environment using a reproduction apparatus,

wherein the selected predefined DEQ spectral profile includes one or more of;

a device-specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize for one or more characteristics of the reproduction apparatus, or one or more characteristics of the reproduction environment, or characteristics of both the reproduction environment and the reproduction apparatus,

a content-specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize according to the content or type of content represented by the audio signal, and

an equalization-type specific DEQ spectral profile to equalize according to a type of equalization effect.