Smart speakers

• US 7,379,552 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2003
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MMD Hong Kong Holding Limited
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Kortenoeven, Robert, Neervoort, Paulus Cornelis
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin; Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAO, LUN S
• Application Number:
  US10/527,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20060062401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 381 58- 60, 381/111, 381/81, 381/27, 381/77, 381/105, 381 1- 4, 381/30, 381/300, 381/311, 381/96, 381/82, 381 79- 80, 455/73, 455/3.06, 455/575.1, 455/150.1, 455/3.03
• US Class Current: 381/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/024 Positioning of loudspeaker enclosures for spatial sound reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

This invention relates to a method (and corresponding system) for providing location-aware media information and more specifically a method for providing location-aware audio content by an audio-presenting device capable of presenting audio content. On the audio source (401) comprising processing means (301) one or more sensors (404), may be positioned in order to locate the position(s) of one or more audio-presenting devices attached, close, or distant to said audio source. The sensors are used by receiving signal(s) to determine the location of the available audio-presenting devices. The audio-presenting device'"'"'s (402, 403) location relative to the user'"'"'s working position—in front of the display device (406)—may be estimated by the audio source (401) and thereby provides information items to the audio-presenting devices (402, 403) by the method according to the present invention so as to provide desired sound signals.

Claims

1. A method of providing location-aware media content by an audio-presenting device (101) capable of presenting audio content (106), the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining, in a processing unit (103), at least one location parameter representing the location of the audio-presenting device (101) using a wireless communication between the processing unit and the audio-presenting device;

processing, in said processing unit (103), current audio content on the basis of the obtained at least one location parameter in order to obtain a location-aware audio content being relative to the current audio content dependent on the at least one location parameter; and

presenting the obtained location-aware audio content by the audio-presenting device (101).

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit (103) comprises the steps of:

receiving the at least one location parameter from the audio-presenting device (101); and

transmitting the obtained location-aware audio content to the audio-presenting device (101) prior to presenting the same.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is comprised by an audio-presenting device (502, 503, 504, 505, 506), and comprises the steps of:

receiving the current audio content; and

presenting the obtained location-aware audio content by the audio-presenting device (502, 503, 504, 505, 506).

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one location parameter is determined as a parameter relative to a user'"'"'s workspace.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of processing audio content comprise processing by using audio reproduction capabilities of the audio-presenting device.

11. A computer-readable medium containing a program for making a processor carry out the method of claim 1.

6. A system for providing location-aware media content by an audio-presenting device (101) capable of presenting audio content (106), the system comprising means for:

obtaining, in a processing unit (103), at least one location parameter representing the location of the audio-presenting device (101) using a wireless communication between the processing unit and the audio-presenting device;

processing, in said processing unit (103), current audio content on the basis of the obtained at least one location parameter in order to obtain a location-aware audio content being relative to the current audio content dependent on the at least one location parameter; and

presenting the obtained location-aware audio content by the audio-presenting device (101).

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the processing unit (103) comprises means for:

receiving the at least one location parameter from the audio-presenting device (101); and

transmitting the obtained location-aware audio content to the audio-presenting device (101) prior to presenting the same.

8. A system according to claim 6, wherein the processing unit is comprised by an audio-presenting device (502, 503, 504, 505, 506), and comprises means for:

receiving the current audio content; and

presenting the obtained location-aware audio content by the audio-presenting device (502, 503, 504, 505, 506).

9. A system according to claim 6, wherein said at least one location parameter is determined as a parameter relative to a user'"'"'s workspace.

10. A system according to claim 6, wherein the steps of processing audio content comprise processing by using audio reproduction capabilities of the audio-presenting device.