ORIENTATION-BASED AUDIO

• US 20130129122A1
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Martin E., Goel, Ruchi, Hadley, Darby E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,879,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• 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: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/00 Two-channel systems H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for outputting audio based on an orientation of an electronic device, or video shown by the electronic device. The audio may be mapped to a set of speakers using either or both of the device and video orientation to determine which speakers receive certain audio channels.

Claims

1. A method for outputting audio from a plurality of speakers associated with an electronic device, comprising:

determining an orientation of video displayed by the electronic device;

using the determined orientation of video to determine a first set of speakers generally on a left side of the video being displayed by the electronic device;

using the determined orientation of video to determine a second set of speakers generally on a right side of the video being displayed by the electronic device;

routing left channel audio to the first set of speakers for output therefrom; and

routing right channel audio to the second set of speakers for output therefrom.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the operations of:

determining an orientation of the electronic device;

using the determined orientation of the electronic device in addition to the orientation of video to determine the first set of speakers and second set of speakers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the operations of:

determining an orientation of the electronic device;

using the determined orientation of the electronic device instead of the orientation of video to determine the first set of speakers and second set of speakers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a video orientation is locked;

in the event the video orientation is locked, determining an orientation of the electronic device; and

using the determined orientation of the electronic device instead of the orientation of video to determine the first set of speakers and second set of speakers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mixing a left front audio channel and a left rear audio channel to form the left channel audio; and

mixing a right front audio channel and a right rear audio channel to form the right channel audio.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a speaker is near a center axis of the electronic device;

in the event a speaker is near the center axis of the electronic device, designating the speaker as a center speaker; and

further in the event a speaker is near the center axis of the electronic device, routing center channel audio to the center speaker.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the operation of, in the event there is no speaker near the center axis of the electronic device, suppressing the center channel audio.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the operation of, in the event there is no speaker near the center axis of the electronic device, routing the center channel audio to the first and second sets of speakers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a first number of speakers in the first set of speakers is not equal than a second number of speakers in the second set of speakers; and

if the first number of speakers does not equal the second number of speakers, applying a gain to one of the left channel audio or right channel audio.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the gain is determined by a ratio of the first number of speakers to the second number of speakers.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the first set of speakers is closer to a user than the second set of speakers;

in the event that the first set of speakers is closer to the user, modifying a volume of one of the left channel audio or right channel audio.

12. An apparatus for outputting audio, comprising:

a processor;

an audio processing router operably connected to the processor;

a first speaker operably connected to the audio processing router;

a second speaker operably connected to the audio processing router;

a video output operably connected to the processor, the video output operative to display video;

an orientation sensor operably connected to the audio processing router and operative to output an orientation of the apparatus;

wherein

the audio processing router is operative to employ at least one of the orientation of the apparatus and an orientation of the video displayed on the video output to route audio to the first speaker and second speaker for output.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the audio processing router is operative to create a first audio map, based on at least one of the orientation of the apparatus and an orientation of the video displayed on the video output, to map at least one audio channel to each of the first and second speakers.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the audio processing router is software executed by the processor.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the audio processing router is further operative to mix together a first and second audio channel, thereby creating a mixed audio channel for output by the first speaker.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the audio processing router is further operative to apply a gain to the mixed audio channel, the gain dependent upon an orientation of the apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the audio processing router is further operative to apply a gain to the mixed audio channel, the gain dependent upon a distance of the first speaker from a listener.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a presence detector operatively connected to the audio processing router and providing a presence output;

wherein

the audio processing router further employs the presence output to determine the gain.

19. A method for outputting audio from an electronic device, comprising:

determining a first orientation of the electronic device;

based on the first orientation, routing a first audio channel to a first set of speakers;

based on the first orientation, routing a second audio channel to a second set of speakers;

determining that the electronic device is being re-oriented from the first orientation to a second orientation;

based on the determination that the electronic device is being re-oriented, transitioning the first audio channel to a third set of speakers; and

based on the determination that the electronic device is being re-oriented, transitioning the second audio channel to a fourth set of speakers;

wherein

the first set of speakers is different from the third set of speakers;

the second set of speakers is different from the fourth set of speakers; and

during the operation of transitioning the first set of audio, playing at least a portion of the first audio channel and the second audio channel from at least one of the first set of speakers and third set of speakers.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the operation of:

during the operation of transitioning the second set of audio, playing at least a portion of the first audio channel and the second audio channel from at least one of the second set of speakers and fourth set of speakers.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising matching the transitioning of the first audio channel to a third set of speakers to a rate of rotation.