ORIENTATION BASED DYNAMIC AUDIO CONTROL

• US 20140314239A1
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Sonsino, Carey, Meyer, Mark E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,357,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/58
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/05 Detection of connection of loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• 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 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• 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

Abstract

Control of audio output characteristics of the device is contemplated. The control may correspond with modifying the audio output characteristics according to an orientation of the device or other positional relationships defined between the device, the output from the device and/or speaker positioning that may vary as a result of user manipulation or an environment within which the device is being used.

Claims

1. A method for controlling audio output characteristics of a device, the device including a plurality of speakers configured to output audio as a function of audio channels received from an audio driver, the method comprising:

determining orientation of the device to be one of at least a first orientation and a second orientation;

controlling the output characteristics of the device according to a first characteristic when the first orientation is determined, the first characteristic dividing audio channels between at least a first speaker and a second speaker of the plurality of speakers; and

controlling output characteristics of the device according to a second characteristic when the second orientation is determined, the second characteristic dividing the audio channels between the first and second speakers differently than the first characteristic.

2. The method claim 1 further comprising controlling the output characteristics such that when the audio channels include a left channel and a right channel and each speaker receives no more than one of the left and right channels:

the first characteristic corresponds with the first speaker receiving the left channel and the second speaker receiving the right channel; and

the second characteristic corresponds with the first speaker receiving the right channel and the second speaker receiving the left channel.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining the first orientation to correspond with a portrait position of the device and the second orientation to correspond with a landscape position of the device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining the first orientation to correspond with an upright position of the device;

determining the second orientation to correspond with a right-side position of the device, the right-side position corresponding with a 90°

rightward rotation of the device from the upright position;

determining a third orientation to correspond with a left-side position of the device, the left-side position corresponding with a 90°

leftward rotation of the device from the upright position; and

controlling output characteristics of the device according to a third characteristic when the third orientation is determined, the third characteristic dividing the audio signals between the first and second speakers differently than at least the second characteristic.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

determining a fourth orientation to correspond with an upside down position of the device, the upside down position corresponding with a 180°

rotation of the device from the upright position; and

controlling output characteristics of the device according to a fourth characteristic when the fourth orientation is determined, the fourth characteristic dividing the audio signals between the first and second speakers differently than the first characteristic.

6. The method claim 1 further comprising, when the audio channels include a left channel and a right channel and the device includes a third speaker and a fourth speaker and each speaker receives no more than one of the left and right channels, controlling the output characteristics such that:

the first characteristic corresponds with the first fourth speakers receiving the left channel and the second and third speakers receiving the right channel; and

the second characteristic corresponds with the first and second speakers receiving the right channel and the third and fourth speakers receiving the left channel.

7. The method claim 1 further comprising, when the audio channels include a left front channel, a left rear channel, a right front channel and a right rear channel and the device includes a third speaker and a fourth speaker and each speaker receives no more than one of the left front, left rear, right front and right rear channels, controlling the output characteristics such that:

the first characteristic corresponds with;

i) the first speaker receiving the left front channel;

ii) the second speaker receiving the right front channel;

iii) the third speaker receiving the right rear channel;

iv) the fourth speaker receiving the left rear channel; and

the second characteristic corresponds with;

i) the first speaker receiving the right front channel;

ii) the second speaker receiving the right rear channel;

iii) the third speaker receiving the left rear channel; and

iv) the fourth speaker receiving the left front channel.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining the first orientation to correspond with an upright position of the device; and

determining the second orientation to correspond with a right-side position of the device, the right-side position corresponding with a 90°

rightward rotation of the device from the upright position.

9. The method claim 8 further comprising:

determining a third orientation to correspond with a left-side position of the device, the left-side position corresponding with a 90°

leftward rotation of the device from the upright position; and

controlling output characteristics of the device according to a third characteristic when the third orientation is determined, the third characteristic dividing the audio signals such that;

i) the first speaker receives the left rear channel;

ii) the second speaker receives the left front channel;

iii) the third speaker receives the right front channel; and

iv) the fourth speaker receives the right rear channel.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining a fourth orientation to correspond with an upside down position of the device, the upside down position corresponding with a 180°

rotation of the device from the upright position; and

controlling output characteristics of the device according to a fourth characteristic when the fourth orientation is determined, the fourth characteristic dividing the audio signals such that;

i) the first speaker receives the right rear channel;

ii) the second speaker receives the left rear channel;

iii) the third speaker receives the left front channel; and

iv) the fourth speaker receives the right front channel.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising, when the audio channels include a center channel, controlling the output characteristics such that each of the first and second characteristics correspond with the first, second, third and fourth speakers each receiving at least a portion of the center channel.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising, when the audio channels include a left channel and a right channel and the device includes a third speaker and a fourth speaker and each speaker receives no more than one of the left and right channels:

determining the first orientation to correspond with an upright position of the device;

determining the second orientation to correspond with a right-side position of the device, the right-side position corresponding with a 90°

rightward rotation of the device from the upright position;

controlling the output characteristics of the device according to the first characteristic such that the first and fourth speakers receive the left channel and the second and third speakers receive the right channel; and

controlling output characteristics of the device according to the second characteristic such that the first and second speakers receive the right channel and the third and fourth speakers receive the left channel.

13. The method 12 further comprising:

determining a third orientation to correspond with a left-side position of the device, the left-side position corresponding with a 90°

leftward rotation of the device from the upright position; and

controlling output characteristics of the device according to a third characteristic when the third orientation is determined, the third characteristic dividing the audio signals such that the first and second speakers receive the left channel and the third and fourth speakers receive the right channel.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

determining a fourth orientation to correspond with an upside down position of the device, the upside down position corresponding with a 180°

rotation of the device from the upright position; and

controlling output characteristics of the device according to a fourth characteristic when the fourth orientation is determined, the fourth characteristic dividing the audio signals such that the first and fourth speakers receive the right channel and the second and third speakers receive the left channel.

15. A computer-readable medium having non-transitory instructions store thereon, which are operable to facilitate assigning a plurality of audio channels for output through one or more of a plurality of speakers included on a device, the computer-readable medium having non-transitory instructions sufficient to facilitate:

identifying one or more of the plurality of audio channels having left channel characteristics;

identifying one or more of the plurality of audio channels having right channel characteristics;

determining when the device is orientated in an upright position, a right-side position, an upside down position and a left-side position;

determining speakers, if any, positioned at a left side when the device is orientated in the upright position, the right-side position, the upside down position and the left-side position;

determining speakers, if any, positioned at a right side when the device is orientated in the upright position, the right-side position, the upside down position and the left-side position;

assigning each audio channel having left channel characteristics to speakers, if any, positioned at the left side when the device is orientated in each of the upright, right-side, upside down and left-side positions; and

assigning each audio channel having right channel characteristics to speakers, if any, positioned at the right side when the device is orientated in each of the upright, right-side, upside down and left-side positions.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising non-transitory instructions sufficient to facilitate:

determining speakers, if any, positioned at a center when the device is orientated in the upright position, the right-side position, the upside down position and the left-side position;

assigning one or more audio channels having left channel characteristics to one or more speakers, if any, positioned at the center when no speakers are determined to be positioned at the left side; and

assigning one or more audio channels having right channel characteristics to one or more speakers, if any, positioned at the center when no speakers are determined to be positioned at the right side.

17. A device configured to interface media with a user comprising:

a display;

an image processor operable to interface images associated with the media through the display, the image processor operating according to a portrait mode when the device is positioned in a portrait position and according to a landscape mode when the device is positioned in a landscape position, the landscape mode displaying the images with a greater width than the portrait mode;

a plurality of speakers;

an audio processor operable to interface a plurality of audio channels associated with the media through the plurality of speakers, the audio processor identifying at least one left speaker and at least one right speaker of the plurality of speakers when the device is in the portrait position and at least one left speaker and at least one right speaker of the plurality of speakers when the device is in the landscape position; and

wherein the audio processor is operable to selective direct left audio channels and right audio channels of the plurality of channels to the plurality of speakers depending in whether the device is in the portrait position and the landscape position, the at least one left speaker receiving the left audio channels and the at least one right speaker receiving the right audio channels.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein:

the plurality of speakers include a first speaker and a second speaker, the first speaker being positioned proximate a top-center of the device when in an upright position and the second speaker being positioned proximate a bottom-center of the device when in the upright position;

when the device is in the portrait position, the audio processor is operable to;

i) identify the first speaker as the at least one left speaker and the second speaker as the at least one right speaker;

or

ii) identify the first speaker as the at least one right speaker and the second speaker as the at least one left speaker; and

when the device is in the landscape position, the audio processor is operable to

i) identify one of the first speaker and the second speaker at a left of the display as the at least one left speaker; and

ii) identify one of the first speaker and the second speaker at a right of the display as the at least one right speaker.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein:

the plurality of speakers include a first speaker, a second speaker, a third speaker and a fourth speaker, the first speaker being positioned proximate a top left of the device when in an upright position, the second speaker being positioned proximate a top right of the device when in the upright position, the third speaker being positioned proximate a bottom right of the device when in the upright position, the four speaker being positioned proximate a bottom left of the device when in the upright position;

when the device is in the portrait position, the audio processor is operable to;

i) identify each of the first and fourth speakers as the at least one left speaker and each of the second and third speakers as the at least one right speaker;

or

ii) identify each of the first and fourth speakers as the at least one right speaker and each of the second and third speakers as the at least one left speaker; and

when the device is in the landscape position, the audio processor is operable to;

i) identify each of the first and fourth speakers or each of the second and third speakers at a left of the display as the at least one left speaker; and

ii) identify each of the first and fourth speakers or each of the second and third speakers at a rate of the display as the at least one right speaker.

20. The device of claim 17 further comprising an orientation element operable to determine whether the device is in the portrait and landscape positions.