Audio Playback System Monitoring
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring status of a set of N speakers in a playback environment, where N is a positive integer, said method including steps of:
- (a) playing back an audiovisual program whose soundtrack has N channels, including by emitting sound, determined by the program, from the speakers in response to driving each of the speakers with a speaker feed for a different one of the channels of the soundtrack;
(b) obtaining audio data indicative of a status signal captured by each microphone of a set of M microphones in the playback environment during emission of the sound in step (a), where M is a positive integer; and
(c) processing the audio data to perform a status check on each speaker of the set of N speakers, including by comparing, for each said speaker and each of at least one microphone in the set of M microphones, the status signal captured by the microphone and a template signal, wherein the template signal is indicative of response of a template microphone to playback by the speaker, in the playback environment at an initial time, of a channel of the soundtrack corresponding to said speaker.
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Abstract
In some embodiments, a method for monitoring speakers within an audio playback system (e.g., movie theater) environment. In typical embodiments, the monitoring method assumes that initial characteristics of the speakers (e.g., a room response for each of the speakers) have been determined at an initial time, and relies on one or more microphones positioned in the environment to perform a status check on each of the speakers to identify whether a change to at least one characteristic of any of the speakers has occurred since the initial time. In other embodiments, the method processes data indicative of output of a microphone to monitor audience reaction to an audiovisual program. Other aspects include a system configured (e.g., programmed) to perform any embodiment of the inventive method, and a computer readable medium (e.g., a disc) which stores code for implementing any embodiment of the inventive method.
141 Citations
55 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring status of a set of N speakers in a playback environment, where N is a positive integer, said method including steps of:
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(a) playing back an audiovisual program whose soundtrack has N channels, including by emitting sound, determined by the program, from the speakers in response to driving each of the speakers with a speaker feed for a different one of the channels of the soundtrack; (b) obtaining audio data indicative of a status signal captured by each microphone of a set of M microphones in the playback environment during emission of the sound in step (a), where M is a positive integer; and (c) processing the audio data to perform a status check on each speaker of the set of N speakers, including by comparing, for each said speaker and each of at least one microphone in the set of M microphones, the status signal captured by the microphone and a template signal, wherein the template signal is indicative of response of a template microphone to playback by the speaker, in the playback environment at an initial time, of a channel of the soundtrack corresponding to said speaker. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for monitoring audience reaction to an audiovisual program played back by a playback system including a set of N speakers in a playback environment, where M is a positive integer, wherein the program has a soundtrack comprising M channels, said method including steps of:
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(a) playing back the audiovisual program in the presence of an audience in the playback environment, including by emitting sound, determined by the program, from the speakers of the playback system in response to driving each of the speakers with a speaker feed for a different one of the channels of the soundtrack; (b) obtaining audio data indicative of at least one microphone signal generated by at least microphone in the playback environment during emission of the sound in step (a); and (c) processing the audio data to extract audience data from said audio data, and analyzing the audience data to determine audience reaction to the program, wherein the audience data are indicative of audience content indicated by the microphone signal, and the audience content comprises sound produced by the audience during playback of the program. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A system for monitoring status of a set of M speakers in a playback environment, where M is a positive integer, said system including:
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a set of M microphones positioned in the playback environment, where M is a positive integer; and a processor coupled to each of the microphones in the set, wherein the processor is configured to process audio data to perform a status check on each speaker of the set of speakers, including by comparing, for each said speaker and each of at least one microphone in the set of microphones, a status signal captured by the microphone and a template signal, wherein the template signal is indicative of response of a template microphone to playback by the speaker, in the playback environment at an initial time, of a channel of the soundtrack corresponding to said speaker, and wherein the audio data are indicative of a status signal captured by each microphone of the set of microphones during playback of an audiovisual program whose soundtrack has M channels, wherein said playback of the program includes emission of sound determined by the program from the speakers in response to driving each of the speakers with a speaker feed for a different one of the channels of the soundtrack. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A system for monitoring audience reaction to an audiovisual program played back by a playback system including a set of M speakers in a playback environment, where M is a positive integer, wherein the program has a soundtrack comprising M channels, said system including:
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a set of M microphones positioned in the playback environment, where M is a positive integer; and a processor coupled to at least one of the microphones in the set, wherein the processor is configured to process audio data to extract audience data from said audio data, and to analyze the audience data to determine audience reaction to the program, wherein the audio data are indicative of at least one microphone signal generated by said at least one of the microphones during playback of an audiovisual program in the presence of an audience in the playback environment, said playback of the program including emission of sound determined by the program from the speakers of the playback system in response to driving each of the speakers with a speaker feed for a different one of the channels of the soundtrack, and wherein the audience data are indicative of audience content indicated by the microphone signal, and the audience content comprises sound produced by the audience during playback of the program. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55)
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Specification