Automatic equalization of loudspeaker array

• US 9,510,068 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2014
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Zartarian, Michael G., Santoro, Peter C., Siegel, Michael Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US14/246,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20150289038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 381/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/20 Automatic control H03G3/005 takes precedence; combined with volume compression or expansion H03G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/00 Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
• 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 2201/403 Linear arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

A loudspeaker includes a plurality of electro-acoustic drivers that are configured to be positioned so that an axis running through an acoustic center of the drivers is one of a substantially straight line, J-shape, reverse J-shape, and C-shape. The loudspeaker also includes at least one sensor to detect a configuration of the plurality of electro-acoustic drivers, and a processing device configured to automatically adjust one or more of an equalization and a gain applied to an audio signal output through the electro-acoustic drivers based on the detected configuration.

Claims

1. A loudspeaker comprising:

a plurality of electro-acoustic drivers configured to be positioned so that an axis running through an acoustic center of the electro-acoustic drivers is one of a substantially straight line, J-shape, reverse J-shape, and C-shape;

at least one sensor to detect a configuration of the plurality of electro-acoustic drivers; and

a processing device configured to automatically adjust one or more of an equalization and a gain applied to an audio signal output through the electro-acoustic drivers based on the detected configuration.

2. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to adjust the equalization by crossfading a first set of filter parameters to a second set of filter parameters over a predetermined period of time.

3. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to automatically adjust both the equalization and the gain applied to the audio signal based on the detected configuration.

4. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to adjust the gain by crossfading a first gain to a second gain over a predetermined period of time.

5. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the acoustic center of each electro-acoustic driver is the center of a dust cap disposed on each electro-acoustic driver.

6. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of:

an infrared sensor, photoelectric sensor, magnetic sensor, capacitive sensor, inductive sensor, Reed sensor, Hall effect sensor, and contact switch.

7. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the equalization applied to the audio signal is predetermined based on a configuration of the electro-acoustic drivers.

8. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the equalization applied to the audio signal is determined based on an acoustic measurement of a frequency response of the loudspeaker.

9. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the equalization and gain are automatically adjusted so that the audio signal sounds substantially the same regardless of the configuration of the electro-acoustic drivers.

10. A loudspeaker system comprising:

a first loudspeaker array comprising;

a first housing;

a first plurality of electro-acoustic drivers disposed in the first housing, wherein the first plurality of electro-acoustic drivers is configured to be positioned so that an axis running through an acoustic center of the electro-acoustic drivers is one of a substantially straight line, J-shape, reverse J-shape, and C-shape;

at least one sensor disposed in the first housing to detect a configuration of the first plurality of electro-acoustic drivers; and

a first processing device configured to automatically adjust one or more of an equalization and a gain applied to an audio signal output through the first plurality of electro-acoustic drivers based on the detected configuration.

11. The loudspeaker system of claim 10, wherein the first processing device is configured to adjust the equalization by crossfading a first set of filter parameters to a second set of filter parameters over a predetermined period of time.

12. The loudspeaker system of claim 10, wherein the first processing device is further configured to automatically adjust both the equalization and the gain applied to the audio signal based on the detected configuration.

13. The loudspeaker system of claim 10, wherein the first processing device is configured to adjust the gain by crossfading a first gain to a second gain over a predetermined period of time.

14. The loudspeaker system of claim 10, wherein the acoustic center of each electro-acoustic driver is the center of a dust cap disposed on each electro-acoustic driver.

15. The loudspeaker system of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor disposed in the first housing comprises at least one of:

an infrared sensor, photoelectric sensor, magnetic sensor, capacitive sensor, inductive sensor, Reed sensor, Hall effect sensor, and contact switch.

16. The loudspeaker system of claim 10, wherein the equalization applied to the audio signal is predetermined based on the configuration of the electro-acoustic drivers.

17. The loudspeaker system of claim 10, wherein the equalization applied to the audio signal is determined based on an acoustic measurement of a frequency response of the loudspeaker.

18. The loudspeaker system of claim 10, wherein the equalization and gain are automatically adjusted so that the audio signal sounds substantially the same regardless of the configuration of the electro-acoustic drivers.

19. The loudspeaker system of claim 10, further comprising:

a second loudspeaker array comprising;

a second housing;

a second plurality of electro-acoustic drivers disposed in the second housing, wherein the second plurality of electro-acoustic drivers is configured to be positioned so that the axis running through an acoustic center of the electro-acoustic drivers is one of a substantially straight line, J-shape, reverse J-shape, and C-shape;

at least one sensor disposed in the second housing to detect the configuration of the second plurality of electro-acoustic drivers; and

a second processing device configured to automatically adjust one or more of the equalization and the gain applied to an audio signal output through the second plurality of electro-acoustic drivers based on the detected configuration,

wherein the second loudspeaker array is configured to be attached to the first loudspeaker array in a manner that extends a height of the loudspeaker system while a width remains substantially the same.

20. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of electro-acoustic drivers configured to be positioned so that an axis running through an acoustic center of the electro-acoustic drivers is one of a substantially straight line, J-shape, reverse J-shape, and C-shape;

detecting a configuration of the plurality of electro-acoustic drivers; and

automatically adjusting one or more of an equalization and a gain applied to an audio signal output through the plurality of electro-acoustic drivers based on the detected configuration.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein automatically adjusting the equalization comprises crossfading a first set of filter parameters to a second set of filter parameters over a predetermined period of time.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising automatically adjusting both the equalization and the gain applied to the audio signal based on the detected configuration.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein automatically adjusting the gain comprises crossfading a first gain to a second gain over a predetermined period of time.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein detecting the configuration uses at least one of:

an infrared sensor, photoelectric sensor, magnetic sensor, capacitive sensor, inductive sensor, Reed sensor, Hall effect sensor, and contact switch.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the equalization and gain are automatically adjusted so that the audio signal sounds substantially the same regardless of the configuration of the electro-acoustic drivers.