METHOD TO DETERMINE LOUDSPEAKER CHANGE OF PLACEMENT

• US 20170280265A1
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Po, Bruce C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,567,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/025 Transducer mountings or cabinet supports enabling variable orientation of transducer of cabinet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/405 Non-uniform arrays of transducers or a plurality of uniform arrays with different transducer spacing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• 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 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field
• 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 system and method is described for determining whether a loudspeaker device has relocated, tilted, rotated, or changed environment such that one or more parameters for driving the loudspeaker may be modified and/or a complete reconfiguration of the loudspeaker system may be performed. In one embodiment, the system may include a set of sensors. The sensors provide readings that are analyzed to determine 1) whether the loudspeaker has moved since a previous analysis and/or 2) a distance of movement and/or a degree change in orientation of the loudspeaker since the previous analysis. Upon determining the level of movement is below a threshold value, the system adjusts previous parameters used to drive one or more of the loudspeakers. By adjusting previous parameters instead of performing a complete recalibration, the system provides a more efficient technique for ensuring that the loudspeakers continue to produce accurate sound for the listener.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting drive parameters for one or more loudspeakers, comprising:

driving, by an audio source, the one or more loudspeakers to output sound based on a first set of drive parameters;

detecting a change to one loudspeaker of the one or more loudspeakers based on one or more sensors integrated within a cabinet of the one loudspeaker;

adjusting, in response to the detected change, the first set of drive parameters to account for the change of the one loudspeaker, wherein the adjustment produces a second set of drive parameters; and

driving, by the audio source, the one or more loudspeakers to output sound based on the second set of drive parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the change is a movement of the one loudspeaker, the method further comprising:

determining if a level of movement of the one loudspeaker is above a threshold level, wherein the adjustment of the first drive parameters to produce the second drive parameters is performed in response to determining that the level of movement is below the threshold level.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors includes one or more of a video camera, a still image camera, a compass, an accelerometer, a light sensor, a wireless antenna, a thermometer, a current and voltage monitor, a microphone, a gyroscope, and a pressure monitor.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

capturing, by a camera integrated on a top or bottom surface of the one loudspeaker, a first image representing an area above or an area below the one loudspeaker at a first point in time;

capturing, by the camera, a second image representing the area above or an area below the one loudspeaker at a second point in time;

detecting a pattern in the first image at a first location;

detecting the pattern in the second image at a second location; and

determining the level of movement and a direction of movement of the one loudspeaker based on the distance between the first location in the first image and the second location in the second image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the change to the one loudspeaker describes a change to the environment surrounding the one loudspeaker, including one or more of an ambient light level, an ambient temperature level, a barometric pressure level, a voltage or current level provided to the one loudspeaker, and radio-frequency signals proximate to the one loudspeaker.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement describes one or more of vertical movement, horizontal movement, tilt movement, and rotational movement of the one loudspeaker.

3. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

performing a full recalibration of the one or more loudspeakers in response to determining that the level of movement is above the threshold level, wherein performing the full recalibration includes use of a device separate from the one or more loudspeakers and the audio source for determining the location and environment of the one or more loudspeakers.

8. A loudspeaker, comprising:

a cabinet forming a structure of the loudspeaker;

one or more transducers integrated within the cabinet;

one or more sensors to produce sensor signals corresponding to detected physical quantities associated with the loudspeaker; and

an orientation and positioning unit to determine movement or change to an environment of the loudspeaker based on the sensor signals and generate new drive parameters used to drive the one or more transducers in response to detected movement of the loudspeaker.

9. The loudspeaker of claim 8, wherein if a level of movement of the one loudspeaker is above a threshold level, the generation of the new drive parameters by the orientation and positioning unit is based on adjustment of old drive parameters based on a level and direction of the detected movement.

10. The loudspeaker of claim 9, wherein if a level of movement of the one loudspeaker is above a threshold level, the generation of the new drive parameters by the orientation and positioning unit is based on a full recalibration of the loudspeaker, wherein the full recalibration includes use of a device separate from the loudspeaker.

11. The loudspeaker of claim 8, wherein the one or more sensors includes one or more of a video camera, a still image camera, a compass, an accelerometer, a light sensor, a wireless antenna, a thermometer, a current and voltage monitor, a microphone, a gyroscope, and a pressure monitor.

12. The loudspeaker of claim 9, further comprising:

a camera integrated on a top or bottom surface of the one loudspeaker to capture

     1) a first image representing an area above or an area below the loudspeaker at a first point in time and

     2) a second image representing the area above or an area below the loudspeaker at a second point in time,

wherein the orientation and positioning unit

     1) detects a pattern in the first image at a first location;

     2) detects the pattern in the second image at a second location; and

     3) determines the level of movement and the direction of movement of the loudspeaker based on the distance between the first location in the first image and the second location in the second image.

13. The loudspeaker of claim 9, wherein the change to the environment surrounding the loudspeaker includes one or more of an ambient light level, an ambient temperature level, a barometric pressure level, a voltage or current level provided to the loudspeaker, and radio-frequency signals proximate to the loudspeaker.

14. The loudspeaker of claim 9, wherein the movement describes one or more of vertical movement, horizontal movement, tilt movement, and rotational movement of the loudspeaker.

15. An article of manufacture for adjusting drive parameters for one or more loudspeakers, comprising:

a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions which, when executed by a processor in a computer,

drive, by an audio source, the one or more loudspeakers to output sound based on a first set of drive parameters;

detect a change to one loudspeaker of one or more loudspeakers based on one or more sensors integrated within the one loudspeaker; and

adjust, in response to the detected change, a first set of drive parameters used to drive the one or more loudspeakers to account for the change of the one loudspeaker, wherein the adjustment produces a second set of drive parameters,

wherein the second set of drive parameters are used to drive the one or more loudspeakers to output sound.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the change is a movement of the one loudspeaker, the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium stores further instructions which, when executed by the processor:

determine if a level of movement of the one loudspeaker is above a threshold level, wherein the adjustment of the first drive parameters to produce the second drive parameters is performed in response to the level of movement being below the threshold level.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium stores further instructions which, when executed by the processor:

trigger the performance of a full recalibration of the one or more loudspeakers, in response to the level of movement being above the threshold level, wherein the full recalibration includes use of a device separate from the one or more loudspeakers for determining the location and environment of the one or more loudspeakers.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the one or more sensors includes one or more of a video camera, a still image camera, a compass, an accelerometer, a light sensor, a wireless antenna, a thermometer, a current and voltage monitor, a microphone, a gyroscope, and a pressure monitor.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium stores further instructions which when executed by the processor:

detect a pattern in a first image at a first location, wherein the first image is captured by a camera integrated on a top or bottom surface of the one loudspeaker and the first image represents an area above or an area below the one loudspeaker at a first point in time;

detect the pattern in a second image at a second location, wherein the second image is captured by the camera integrated on a top or bottom surface of the one loudspeaker and the second image represents the area above or the area below the one loudspeaker at a second point in time; and

determine the level of movement and a direction of movement of the one loudspeaker based on the distance between the first location in the first image and the second location in the second image.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the change to the one loudspeaker describes a change to the environment surrounding the one loudspeaker, including one or more of an ambient light level, an ambient temperature level, a barometric pressure level, a voltage or current level provided to the one loudspeaker, and radio-frequency signals proximate to the one loudspeaker.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the movement describes one or more of vertical movement, horizontal movement, tilt movement, and rotational movement of the one loudspeaker.