System and method for creating personalized sound zones
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A sound system for creating personalized sound zones, comprising:
- one or more audio sources;
speakers each of which is related to one or more sound zones that are associated with a space;
a transducer operative to pick up noise in a particular sound zone, the picked up noise including undesired audio from any of the audio sources and/or the voice of an occupant in another sound zone;
a noise suppressor operative to produce a noise suppression value from a correlation between any noise picked up in the particular sound zone and audio input from the audio sources for that sound zone and, based on a desired sound level of the audio input in that sound zone, to apply the noise suppression value for suppressing the picked up noise and rendering that sound zone substantially free of the picked up noise, wherein the noise suppressor is operative to selectively recognize voice sounds external to that sound zone and prevent the noise suppression value from including the voice sounds such that a voice from outside that sound zone is audible within the sound zone while other noise is suppressed; and
an audio router with a control element and one or more channels for routing audio inputs from the audio sources to the one or more sound zones; and
one or more consoles with display and user interface for selecting audio inputs from among the audio sources and a destination from one or more sound zones, said user interface including a zones control that enables a selection of pre-determined sound zone configurations designating the particular sound zones that will become the destination for the audio sources selected for the particular sound zones.
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Abstract
Speakers deployed in a space and divided into groups associated with different zones produce a mix of sounds that create internal noise pollution and, combined with external noise, an unpleasant environment for occupants. The present invention contemplates sound systems and methods for creating personalized sound zones to address these and related problems.
66 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A sound system for creating personalized sound zones, comprising:
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one or more audio sources; speakers each of which is related to one or more sound zones that are associated with a space; a transducer operative to pick up noise in a particular sound zone, the picked up noise including undesired audio from any of the audio sources and/or the voice of an occupant in another sound zone; a noise suppressor operative to produce a noise suppression value from a correlation between any noise picked up in the particular sound zone and audio input from the audio sources for that sound zone and, based on a desired sound level of the audio input in that sound zone, to apply the noise suppression value for suppressing the picked up noise and rendering that sound zone substantially free of the picked up noise, wherein the noise suppressor is operative to selectively recognize voice sounds external to that sound zone and prevent the noise suppression value from including the voice sounds such that a voice from outside that sound zone is audible within the sound zone while other noise is suppressed; and an audio router with a control element and one or more channels for routing audio inputs from the audio sources to the one or more sound zones; and one or more consoles with display and user interface for selecting audio inputs from among the audio sources and a destination from one or more sound zones, said user interface including a zones control that enables a selection of pre-determined sound zone configurations designating the particular sound zones that will become the destination for the audio sources selected for the particular sound zones. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A sound system for creating personalized sound zones, comprising:
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one or more audio sources producing audio inputs; speakers each of which being related to one or more sound zones that are associated with a space; a mixer operative to mix one or more audio inputs such that each of the one or more sound zones has a virtual mixer for mixing audio inputs associated therewith; a transducer operative to pick up noise in a particular sound zone; a noise suppressor operative to leverage audio inputs to the particular sound zone for suppressing the picked up noise and rendering that sound zone substantially free of the picked up noise, wherein the noise suppressor is operative to selectively suppress the picked up noise such that select picked up noise from outside the particular sound zone can be heard within the sound zone while other of the picked up noise cannot be heard within the particular sound zone; and an audio router with a control element and one or more channels for routing audio inputs from the audio sources to the one or more sound zones; and one or more consoles with display and user interface for selecting audio inputs form among the audio sources and a destination from one or more sound zones, said user interface including a zones control that enables a selection of pre-determined sound zone configurations designating the particular sound zones that will become the destination for the audio sources selected for the particular sound zones. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method in a sound system for creating personalized sound zones, comprising:
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configuring a space to have one or more sound zones; selecting a desired audio signal for the one or more sound zones on one or more consoles having a display, wherein at least one of the one or more consoles includes a display having a graphical representation of at least two different predefined sound zones; picking up noise in a particular sound zone, the picked up noise including undesired audio from any audio source in the space and/or the voice of an occupant in another sound zone; leveraging an audio input to the particular sound zone for suppressing the picked up noise in that zone, including by; producing a correlation coefficient from a correlation between the picked up noise in the particular sound zone and the audio input for that sound zone, and applying the correlation coefficient based on a desired sound level of the audio input in that sound zone. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification