AUDIO OUTPUT CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20150131825A1
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Kyungtae, Lee, Seungeun, Park, Jeongmin, Hyun, Eunjung, Jin, Pyeonggyu
• Granted Patent: US 9,699,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers
• 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 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/07 Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/00 Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 5/00 Pseudo-stereo systems, e.g. in which additional channel signals are derived from monophonic signals by means of phase shifting, time delay or reverberation

Abstract

An audio output control method and apparatus using a wired/wireless communication system is provided. An audio output control method of an audio output device connected to at least one other audio output device according to the present disclosure includes converting specific audio data to at least one modified audio signal designated to the respective audio output devices, playing at least one of the modified audio signals through a channel designated to the specific audio data, and transmitting a remaining of the modified audio signals to the at least one other audio output device, wherein the modified audio signals include at least one of sound sources and channel characteristics of the specific audio data.

Claims

1. An audio output control method of an audio output device connected to at least one other audio output device, the method comprising:

converting specific audio data to at least one modified audio signal designated to respective audio output devices;

playing at least one of the modified audio signals through a channel designated to the specific audio data; and

transmitting a remaining of the modified audio signals to the at least one other audio output device,

wherein the modified audio signals comprise at least one of sound sources and channel characteristics of the specific audio data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting of the specific audio data comprises generating a plurality of conversion information for converting at least one of the channel characteristics of the specific audio source and the sound source, the at least one modified audio signal being generated based on the plurality of conversion information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of conversion information comprises conversion matrix information of the sound source.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of conversion information comprises information on channel configuration changed according to location information of the at least one other audio output device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the converting of the specific audio data comprises at least one of a conversion information-based filtering process, a sound source extraction and splitting process, and a signal mix process, to generate the at least one modified audio signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one modified audio signal comprises audio signals comprising one or more channels.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the converting of the specific audio data comprises:

transmitting, when the at least one audio output device has the specific audio data, the plurality of conversion information designated to the audio output device comprising the specific audio data in order for the respective audio output devices to generate the modified audio signals based on the plurality of conversion information; and

transmitting, when the at least one audio output device does not comprise the specific audio data, the plurality of conversion information and the specific audio data to the audio output device to which the plurality of conversion information is designated in order for the respective audio output devices to generate the modified audio signals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the playing of the at least one of the modified audio signal comprises playing the at least one of the modified audio signals in synchronization with playback timing of the modified audio signals transmitted to the at least one other audio output device.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the playing of the at least one of the modified audio signals comprises transmitting at least one of the specific audio data, the plurality of conversion information, and the at least one of the modified audio signals in a streaming mode, the at least one of the modified audio signals being converted and played in real time.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising, after the playing of the at least one of the modified audio signals:

reconfiguring, after a playback stop signal is issued by the at least one audio output device, the plurality of conversion information on the specific audio data in playback; and

regenerating the modified audio signals by converting the specific audio data based on the reconfigured plurality of conversion information.

11. A device comprising:

a speaker configured to output audio signals;

a communication unit configured to establish a connection for communication with at least one other audio output device;

a storage unit configured to store at least one of specific audio data and plurality of conversion information and modified audio signals for playing the specific audio data in collaboration with the at least one other audio output device; and

a control unit configured to control converting the specific audio data to at least one modified audio signal of the modified audio signals designated to the respective audio output devices, playing at least one of the modified audio signals through a channel designated to the specific audio data, and transmit a remaining of the modified audio signals to the at least one other audio output device,

wherein the modified audio signals comprise at least one of sound sources and channel characteristics of the specific audio data.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to control generating the plurality of conversion information for converting at least one of the channel characteristics of the specific audio source and the sound source, the at least one modified audio signals being generated based on the conversion information.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the plurality of conversion information comprises conversion matrix information of the sound source.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to control to perform at least one of a conversion information-based filtering process, a sound source extraction and splitting process, and a signal mix process, to generate the at least one modified audio signal.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one modified audio signal comprises audio signals having one or more channels.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to control transmitting, when the at least one audio output device comprises the specific audio data, the plurality of conversion information designated to the audio output device comprising the specific data in order for the respective audio output devices to generate the modified audio signals based on the plurality of conversion information, and transmitting, when the at least one audio output device does not comprise the specific audio data, the plurality of conversion information and the specific audio data to the audio output device to which the plurality of conversion information is designated in order for the respective audio output devices to generate the modified audio signals.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to control transmitting the plurality of conversion information and the specific audio data to the audio output device to which the plurality of conversion information is designated to generate the modified audio signals based on the plurality of conversion information.

19. The device of claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to control playing the modified audio signals in synchronization with playback timing of the modified audio signals transmitted to the at least one other audio output device.

20. The device of claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to control reconfiguring, when a playback stop signal is issued by the at least one audio output device after the playing of the at least one of the modified audio signal, the plurality of conversion information on the specific audio data in playback and regenerating the modified audio signals by converting the specific audio data based on the reconfigured plurality of conversion information.

14. The device of claim 21, wherein the control unit is configured to control generating information on channel configuration changed according to location information of the at least one other audio output device.