Determining Loudspeaker Layout Using Visual Markers

• US 20120113224A1
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Andy, Nguyen, Djung, Dunn, Ted, Sugiyama, Nobukazu, Wingo, Lobrenzo
• Application Number:
  US13/223,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113224A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/22 Source localisation; Inverse modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/55 from multiple images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

A method consistent with certain implementations involves at a listening position, capturing a plurality of photographic images with a camera of a corresponding plurality of loudspeakers forming part of an audio system; determining from the plurality of captured images, a geometric configuration representing a positioning of the plurality of loudspeakers connected to the audio system; and outputting the geometric configuration of the plurality of loudspeakers to the audio system. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a listening position, capturing a plurality of photographic images with a camera of a corresponding plurality of loudspeakers forming part of an audio system;

determining from the plurality of captured images, a geometric configuration representing a positioning of the plurality of loudspeakers connected to the audio system; and

outputting the geometric configuration of the plurality of loudspeakers to the audio system.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining at least one loudspeaker characteristic from the images.

3. The method according to claim 2, where the at least one loudspeaker characteristic comprises a category of physical size of the loudspeaker.

4. The method according to claim 2, where the at least one loudspeaker characteristic comprises a loudspeaker speaker model.

5. The method according to claim 2, where the loudspeaker characteristic is encoded in a visual indicator affixed to the loudspeaker and captured in the photographic image.

6. The method according to claim 1, where the geometric configuration of each of the plurality of loudspeakers is characterized by a position in three-dimensional space.

7. The method according to claim 1, where the geometric configuration of each of the plurality of loudspeakers is characterized by a position in two-dimensional space.

8. The method according to claim 1, where data associated with each of the plurality of loudspeakers is encoded by a visual indicator affixed to each loudspeaker.

9. The method according to claim 8, where the visual indicator comprises a two dimensional bar code.

10. The method according to claim 9, where the two dimensional bar code comprises a quick response (QR) code.

11. The method according to claim 8, where the visual indicators include information identifying an estimate of a frequency response characteristic of the loudspeakers.

12. The method according to claim 11, where the estimate is represented as a loudspeaker size indicator.

13. The method according to claim 1, where the geometric configuration is deduced at least in part from a distance measurement generated by the camera'"'"'s autofocus mechanism.

14. The method according to claim 1, where the geometric configuration is deduced at least in part from global positioning system information determined by the camera.

15. The method according to claim 1, where the geometric configuration is deduced at least in part from directional information generated by the camera.

16. The method according to claim 1, where the geometric configuration is deduced at least in part from size estimates generated by the camera'"'"'s pixel information.

17. The method according to claim 1, where the camera forms a part of a telephone, and where the method is carried out using an application running on a programmed processor forming a part of the telephone.

18. A method, comprising:

at a listening position, capturing a plurality of photographic images with a camera of a corresponding plurality of loudspeakers forming part of an audio system;

determining from the plurality of captured images, a geometric configuration representing a positioning in three-dimensional space of the plurality of loudspeakers connected to the audio system;

determining at least one loudspeaker characteristic from the images, where data associated with each of the plurality of loudspeakers is encoded by with a quick response code serving as a visual indicator affixed to each of the plurality of loudspeakers; and

outputting the geometric configuration of the plurality of loudspeakers to the audio system.

19. The method according to claim 18, where the at least one loudspeaker characteristic comprises at least one of a category of physical size of the loudspeaker and a loudspeaker speaker model.

20. The method according to claim 18, where the geometric configuration is deduced at least in part from at least one of a distance measurement generated by the camera'"'"'s autofocus mechanism, global positioning system information determined by the camera, directional information generated by the camera, and size estimates generated by the camera'"'"'s pixel information.

21. A method, comprising:

at a listening position, capturing a plurality of photographic images with a camera of a corresponding plurality of loudspeakers forming part of an audio system;

determining from the plurality of captured images, a geometric configuration representing a positioning in three-dimensional space of the plurality of loudspeakers connected to the audio system;

where the geometric configuration is deduced at least in part from at least one of a distance measurement generated by the camera'"'"'s autofocus mechanism, global positioning system information determined by the camera, directional information generated by the camera, and size estimates generated by the camera'"'"'s pixel information;

determining at least one loudspeaker characteristic from the images, where data associated with each of the plurality of loudspeakers is encoded with a quick response code serving as a visual indicator affixed to each of the plurality of loudspeakers;

where the at least one loudspeaker characteristic comprises at least one of a category of physical size of the loudspeaker and a loudspeaker speaker model; and

outputting the geometric configuration of the plurality of loudspeakers to the audio system.

22. A camera device, comprising:

a processor;

a camera adapted to capture an image of a loudspeaker;

the processor being programmed to;

determine from a plurality of captured images of loudspeakers, a geometric configuration representing a positioning of the plurality of loudspeakers forming part of an audio system; and

output the geometric configuration of the plurality of loudspeakers to the audio system.

23. The camera device according to claim 22, where the processor is further programmed to determine at least one loudspeaker characteristic from the images.

24. The camera device according to claim 23, where the at least one loudspeaker characteristic comprises a category of physical size of the loudspeaker.

25. The camera device according to claim 23, where the at least one loudspeaker characteristic comprises a loudspeaker speaker model.

26. The camera device according to claim 23, where the loudspeaker characteristic is encoded in a visual indicator affixed to the loudspeaker and captured in the photographic image.

27. The camera device according to claim 22, where the geometric configuration of each of the plurality of loudspeakers is characterized by a position in three-dimensional space.

28. The camera device according to claim 22, where the geometric configuration of each of the plurality of loudspeakers is characterized by a position in two-dimensional space.

29. The camera device according to claim 22, where data associated with each of the plurality of loudspeakers is encoded with a visual indicator affixed to each loudspeaker.

30. The camera device according to claim 29, where the visual indicator comprises a two dimensional bar code.

31. The camera device according to claim 30, where the two dimensional bar code comprises a quick response (QR) code.

32. The camera device according to claim 29, where the visual indicators include information identifying an estimate of a frequency response characteristic of the loudspeakers.

33. The camera device according to claim 32, where the estimate is represented as a loudspeaker size indicator.

34. The camera device according to claim 22, where the geometric configuration is deduced at least in part from a distance measurement generated by the camera'"'"'s autofocus mechanism.

35. The camera device according to claim 22, where the geometric configuration is deduced at least in part from global positioning system information determined by the camera.

36. The camera device according to claim 22, where the geometric configuration is deduced at least in part from directional information generated by the camera.

37. The camera device according to claim 22, where the geometric configuration is deduced at least in part from size estimates generated by the camera'"'"'s pixel information.

38. The camera device according to claim 22, where the camera forms a part of a telephone, and where the method is carried out using an application running on a programmed processor forming a part of the telephone.

39. A tangible computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when carried out on one or more programmed processors forming a part of a camera device carry out a method, comprising:

determining from a plurality of captured images, a geometric configuration representing a positioning of the plurality of loudspeakers forming part of an audio system; and

outputting the geometric configuration of the plurality of loudspeakers to the audio system.

41. The storage medium according to claim 39, where the instructions further comprise instruction that determine at least one loudspeaker characteristic from the images.

42. The storage medium according to claim 41, where the at least one loudspeaker characteristic comprises a category of physical size of the loudspeaker.

43. The storage medium according to claim 41, where the at least one loudspeaker characteristic comprises a loudspeaker speaker model.

44. The storage medium according to claim 41, where the loudspeaker characteristic is encoded in a visual indicator affixed to the loudspeaker and captured in the photographic image.