Virtual multichannel speaker system
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a speaker array comprising two or more speakers, said two or more speakers comprising a plurality of acoustic transducers, each of said speakers comprised of one or more acoustic transducers of the plurality of acoustic transducers;
a measuring device to determine one or more physical relational characteristics of said speakers and to supply said determined physical relational characteristics, said physical relational characteristics comprising characteristics of a respective speaker relative to at least one other speaker of said two or more speakers;
at least one signal processor to apply acoustic processing to signals driving said plurality of acoustic transducers; and
an input circuit that receives from the measuring device said physical relational characteristics determined and supplied by the measuring device and provides one or more parameters derived from said physical relational characteristics of said speakers to said signal processors,wherein said acoustic processing is responsive to at least one of said parameters.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A virtual multichannel sound system is presented to improve audio reproduction by statically or dynamically conforming signal processing to specific speaker characteristics and/or arrangements. According to one such aspect, one or more dynamic signal processing algorithms driving two or more speakers are altered in response to the relative physical characteristics or arrangements of these speakers, where parameter information for these algorithms is either factory set, user input, or automatically supplied to the processor. Examples of such relative speaker differences include speaker spacing or alignment, speaker or enclosure compliance, and enclosure configuration. Another aspect is to alter the processing algorithms in response to common speaker characteristics for certain conditions of input signals. An example of this aspect is to alter the signal processing to improve bass response as a function of bass content in the signals being presented to the speakers and speaker size as well as relative speaker position.
35 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a speaker array comprising two or more speakers, said two or more speakers comprising a plurality of acoustic transducers, each of said speakers comprised of one or more acoustic transducers of the plurality of acoustic transducers; a measuring device to determine one or more physical relational characteristics of said speakers and to supply said determined physical relational characteristics, said physical relational characteristics comprising characteristics of a respective speaker relative to at least one other speaker of said two or more speakers; at least one signal processor to apply acoustic processing to signals driving said plurality of acoustic transducers; and an input circuit that receives from the measuring device said physical relational characteristics determined and supplied by the measuring device and provides one or more parameters derived from said physical relational characteristics of said speakers to said signal processors, wherein said acoustic processing is responsive to at least one of said parameters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of processing audio signals for use in a plurality of speakers for acoustic reproduction of aural information, wherein some of the reproduced aural information appears to a listener to emanate from a virtual source that is spaced from the plurality of speakers, wherein said plurality of speakers are held within one or more enclosures, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of audio signals; providing one or more input parameters, wherein at least one of said input parameters is derived from relative physical characteristics of said plurality of speakers determined by a measurement device in a respective enclosure of the one or more enclosures, said relative physical characteristics comprising characteristics of a respective speaker relative to at least one other speaker of said plurality of speakers; and producing a plurality of enhanced output signals for use in said plurality of speakers, wherein said plurality of enhanced output signals are derived from said plurality of audio signals in response to said one or more input parameters. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A sound reproduction system comprising:
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a first speaker array comprising; a pair of essentially identical speakers, each of said pair of speakers comprising a single acoustic transducer, wherein a first of said pair of speakers is responsive to a first input signal and a second of said pair of speakers is responsive to a second input signal; and an enclosure to hold said pair of speakers in a specified physical relation, wherein said enclosure includes one or more sensors configured to determine said specified physical relation and to provide data based on said specified physical relation as an output signal; and a first signal processor for providing said first and second input signals, comprising; an audio input circuit to receive a plurality of audio signals; a parameter circuit to provide one or more first input parameters, wherein at least one of said first input parameters is derived from said output signal provided by said one or more sensors; and an output circuit coupled to said parameter circuit to provide said first and second input signals, wherein said first and second input signals are derived by said output circuit from said plurality of audio signals in response to said one or more first input parameters. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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15. A sound reproduction system, wherein some of the reproduced sound appears to a listener to emanate from a virtual source which is spaced from the speakers, comprising:
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a first speaker array comprising; a plurality of speakers, wherein said plurality of speakers are responsive to one or more of a plurality of input signals; and a locator to provide data derived from a spatial relation of said first speaker array; and a first signal processor for providing said plurality of input signals, comprising; an audio input circuit to receive a plurality of audio signals; a parameter input circuit to provide one or more first input parameters, wherein at least one of said first input parameters is derived from relative physical characteristics of said first speaker array, said relative physical characteristics comprising characteristics of a respective speaker relative to at least one other speaker of said plurality of speakers, wherein said relative physical characteristics include a relative position of said plurality of speakers, wherein said relative position of said plurality of speakers is derived from said data received by the parameter input circuit from the locator; and an output circuit coupled to said parameter input circuit to provide said plurality of input signals, wherein said plurality of input signals are enhanced signals derived by said output circuit from said plurality of audio signals in response to said one or more first input parameters; wherein the plurality of speakers output reproduced sound, and some of the reproduced sound appears to a listener to emanate from a virtual source that is spaced from the plurality of speakers. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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26. A sound reproduction system for providing acoustic display reproduction of aural information, to a listener, wherein some of the reproduced aural information appears to said listener to emanate from a virtual source which is spaced from the speakers, comprising:
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a pair of front speakers held in an enclosure and placed in front of a listening area, wherein a first of said front speakers is responsive to a first front input signal and a second of said front speakers is responsive to a second front input signal, wherein said enclosure includes a measurement device; a pair of rear speakers placed to the rear of said listening area, wherein a first of said rear speakers is responsive to a first rear input signal and a second of said rear speakers is responsive to a second rear input signal; and at least one signal processor to supply said front and rear input signals, wherein said front and rear input signals are enhanced signals derived by said at least one signal processor from a plurality of audio signals in response to relative physical characteristics of said speakers, wherein said relative physical characteristics comprise relative positions of said speakers, wherein said relative physical characteristics of the pair of front speakers are determined by and received from the measurement device; wherein the front speakers and rear speakers output reproduced sound, and some of the reproduced sound appears to a listener in listening area to emanate from a virtual source that is spaced from the front speakers and rear speakers. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification