Method and apparatus for automatically enabling subwoofer channel audio based on detection of subwoofer device

• US 7,792,311 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2004
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Lang, Jonathan P., MacFarlane, John L., Holmgren, Steve F., Bates, L. Dexter
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin; Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): MONIKANG, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US10/845,925
• Time in Patent Office: 2,306 Days
• Field of Search: 381/27, 381/63, 381/61, 381/387, 381/59, 381/56, 381/58, 381/307, 381/119, 381/85, 381/300, 381/303, 381 17- 19, 381/21, 381/23, 381/77, 381/22
• US Class Current: 381/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/05 Detection of connection of loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/03 Aspects of down-mixing multi-channel audio to configurations with lower numbers of playback channels, e.g. 7.1 -> 5.1 H04S2400/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/07 Generation or adaptation of the Low Frequency Effect [LFE] channel, e.g. distribution or signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/308 Electronic adaptation dependent on speaker or headphone connection

Abstract

Techniques for processing input signals in accordance with an output configuration are disclosed. According to one aspect of the techniques, a module implemented in a sound reproducing device is configured to determine whether a sound in the input audio source can be reproduced properly through speakers of an output configuration of the device by examining the sound effects in the input audio sound and the output channel in the output configuration, producing synthetically a sound effect if the number of sound channels is greater than the number of sound effects, or reducing synthetically a sound effect if the number of sound channels is less than the number of sound effects.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing input signals in accordance with an output configuration, the apparatus comprising:

a first module to determine whether a sound signal in an input audio source is reproduced properly with respect to an output configuration of speakers by comparing a number of sound channels in the input audio source to a number of sound channels in the output configuration, wherein the input audio source represented in data packets is selected from a controller and received via a network interface from another device over a data network;

a second module, in responding to the first module, configured to synthetically produce a sound effect from the input audio source if the number of sound channels in the output configuration is greater than the number of sound channels in the input audio source, or to synthetically reduce a sound effect from the input audio source if the number of sound channels in the output configuration is less than the number of sound channels in the input audio source; and

a network interface, coupled to the first module, reassembling the data packets received from the data network into the input audio source, wherein the apparatus is coupled to at least another device over the network, the network interface is capable of assembling an audio source into smaller packets to be transmitted over the data network to the another device, wherein the controller communicates with the apparatus via the network interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sound channels in the input audio source include a left channel effect and a right channel effect, and the output configuration includes a left speaker, a right speaker and a subwoofer, and wherein the sound channel produced synthetically includes respective portions of the left channel effect or the right channel effect in the input audio and is reproduced through the subwoofer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the respective portions of the left channel effect or the right channel effect in the input audio include frequencies below a predetermined frequency.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the left channel effect and the right channel effect originally in the input audio are respectively revised by removing the respective portions of the left channel effect and the right channel effect, and respectively reproduced in the left speaker and the right speaker.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sound channels in the input audio source include a left channel effect, a right channel effect and a subwoofer effect, and the output configuration includes a left speaker and a right speaker, and wherein the sound effect reduced synthetically is the subwoofer effect.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the left channel effect and the right channel effect originally in the input audio are respectively revised to include at least some of the subwoofer effect.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the revised left channel effect and the right channel effect are respectively reproduced in the left speaker and the right speaker.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input audio source is in digital format, and provided from the another device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network interface is compliant with a wireless protocol, and the another device is on the Internet.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an audio processing circuit and an amplifier, the audio processing circuit receiving the sound signal from the input audio source and processing the sound signal in accordance with the output configuration of speakers and subsequently producing analog signals that are then amplified in the amplifier to power the speakers.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a processor that executes a set of instructions to cause the first module and the second module to synthetically produce the sound effect if the number of sound channels in the output configuration is greater than the number of sound channels in the input audio source, or to synthetically reduce a sound effect if the number of sound channels in the output configuration is less than the number of sound channels in the input audio source.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a signal is generated when the number of sound channels in the output configuration is not equal to the number of sound channels in the input audio source, the signal is sent to the another device that is trigged to preprocess the sound signal so that the apparatus plays back the sound signal without processing the sound signal locally.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the signal is an UPnP message to be sent to still another device on a network so that the still another device having similar features of the apparatus preprocess the input signals.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a subwoofer detection module detecting presence or absence of a subwoofer in the output configuration.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the subwoofer detection module detects the subwoofer by reading a voltage in a tip-shunt connector for the subwoofer.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the subwoofer detection module detects the subwoofer by a physical presence thereof.

17. A method for processing input signals in accordance with an output configuration, the method comprising:

comparing a number of sound channels in a sound signal of an input audio source selected from a controller to a number of sound channels in the output configuration, wherein the sound signal is represented in a sequence of data packets, each of the data packets including an IP address and received via a network interface in accordance with an Internet protocol, wherein the network interface reassembles the data packets received from the data network into the input audio source, the apparatus is coupled to at least another device over the network, the network interface is capable of assembling an audio source into smaller packets to be transmitted over the data network to the another device, the controller communicates with the apparatus via the network interface;

determining whether a sound in the input audio source is reproducible properly through speakers of the output configuration;

producing synthetically a sound effect from the audio source if the number of sound channels in the input audio source is greater than the number of sound channels in the output configuration, or

reducing synthetically a sound effect from the audio source if the number of sound channels in the input audio source is less than the number of sound channels in the output configuration.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the sound channels include a left channel effect and a right channel effect, and the output configuration includes a left speaker, a right speaker and a subwoofer, and wherein the sound effect produced synthetically includes respective portions of the left effect or the right effect in the input audio, and is reproduced through the subwoofer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the respective portions of the left effect or the right effect in the input audio include frequencies below a predetermined frequency.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the left channel effect and the channel right effect originally in the input audio are respectively revised by removing the respective portions of the left channel effect and the right channel effect, and respectively reproduced in the left speaker and the right speaker.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the sound channels include a left channel effect, a right channel effect and a subwoofer effect, and the output configuration includes a left speaker and a right speaker, and wherein the sound effect reduced synthetically is the subwoofer effect.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the left effect and the right effect originally in the input audio are respectively revised to include at least some of the subwoofer effect.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the revised left effect and the right effect are respectively reproduced in the left speaker and the right speaker.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the input audio source is in digital format, and provided from another device.

25. The method of claim 17, further receiving the input audio source from the Internet or another device via a network interface.

26. The method of claim 17, further including executing a set of instructions to cause the first module and the second module to synthetically produce the sound effect if the number of sound channels in the input audio source is greater than the number of sound effects in the output configuration, and to synthetically reduce a sound effect if the number of sound channels in the input audio source is less than the number of sound effects in the output configuration.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein a signal is generated when the number of sound channels in the output configuration is not equal to the number of sound effects in the input source.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the signal is an UPnP message.

29. The method of claim 17, further detecting presence or absence of a subwoofer in the output configuration.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the subwoofer detection module detects the subwoofer by reading a voltage in a tip-shunt connector for the subwoofer.

31. A system for processing input signals in accordance with an output configuration, the system comprising:

a first player receiving a sound signal from an audio source represented in data packets via a network interface therein;

a second player operated to play the audio source from the first player, a module in the second player configured to perform operations of;

comparing a number of sound effects presented in the audio source to a number of sound channels in an output configuration thereof;

determining whether a sound in the input audio source can be reproduced properly through speakers of the output configuration; and

sending a message to the first player when the number of sound configured in the audio source does not equal to the number of sound channels, and

wherein the first player produces synthetically a sound effect if the number of sound channels is greater than the number of sound effects, or reduces synthetically a sound effect if the number of sound channels in the audio source is less than the number of sound channels in the output configuration,

wherein the first player and the second player are two separate devices and coupled to each other over a data network.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the message is an UPnP message.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the first and second players are coupled to a data network, both the first and second players communicate in accordance with a data communication protocol.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the sound signals is downloaded or streamed from the data network to the first player.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the sound signal is originated in the first player.