Spatial placement of audio and video streams in a dynamic audio video display device

• US 9,602,926 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2016
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AirBNB Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Keen, Martin G., Lection, David B., Rakshit, Sarbajit K., Wilson, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhao, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US14/994,467
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/323 for loudspeakers H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/04 Plane diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/26 Damping by means acting directly on free portion of diaphragm or cone air damping H04R1/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/063 using a plurality of acoustic drivers H04R1/24 and H04R1/403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/066 using the principle of inertia

Abstract

A system includes a video display screen configured to display selected portions of video content on a main portion of the video display screen and on one or more extended portions of the video display screen. The system also includes an audio portion configured to dynamically create one or more sound radiating speaker elements at one or more spatially selected locations with respect to the displayed selected portions of the video content. A method is also provided that provides the video display screen and the audio portion of the system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a video display screen configured to display selected regions of video content on a main portion of the video display screen and on one or more extended portions of the video display screen, wherein the one or more extended portions of the video display screen are not overlapping with the main portion of the video display screen; and

an audio system configured to dynamically create a plurality of sound radiating speaker elements at a corresponding plurality of spatially selected locations with respect to the displayed selected regions of the video content;

wherein each one of the plurality of sound radiating speaker elements includes;

an outer frame;

a stretchable membrane material enclosed at least in part by the outer frame;

a plurality of movable actuator devices disposed perpendicular to and on one side of the membrane material, each one of the actuator devices being connected to one side of the membrane material; and

a controller configured to control creation of one or more radiating speaker elements at a controller selected instance in time and at corresponding one or more locations at the membrane material by controlling movement of a selected one or more of the movable actuator devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the selected regions of the video content includes a speaking dialog between at least two persons.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the video display screen is configured to display one of the at least two persons on a portion of the main portion of the video display screen and also on one of the one or more extended portions of the video display screen.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the audio system is configured to dynamically create at least one of the plurality of sound radiating speaker elements at one of the corresponding plurality of spatially selected locations with respect to the displayed at least one of the at least two persons.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the movement of a selected one or more of the movable actuator devices causes a portion of the membrane material connected to the one or more of the movable actuator devices undergoing movement to form a speaker cone that produces sound in response to an applied audio signal to the selected one or more of the movable actuator devices undergoing movement.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio system is configured to dynamically create the plurality of sound radiating speaker elements during any one particular instance in time at the corresponding plurality of spatially selected locations with respect to the displayed selected regions of the video content, and wherein the audio system is configured to dynamically create one or more subwoofer sound radiating speaker elements during the any one particular instance in time at one or more spatially selected more locations where the audio system is not dynamically creating the plurality of sound radiating speaker elements, wherein the dynamically created one or more subwoofer sound radiating speaker elements are grouped together and driven with a common audio signal.

7. A method comprising:

providing a video display screen configured to display selected regions of video content on a main portion of the video display screen and on one or more extended portions of the video display screen, wherein the one or more extended portions of the video display screen are not overlapping with the main portion of the video display screen; and

providing an audio system configured to dynamically create a plurality of sound radiating speaker elements at a corresponding plurality of spatially selected locations with respect to the displayed selected regions of the video content;

wherein each one of the plurality of sound radiating speaker elements includes;

an outer frame;

a stretchable membrane material enclosed at least in part by the outer frame;

a plurality of movable actuator devices disposed perpendicular to and on one side of the membrane material, each one of the actuator devices being connected to one side of the membrane material; and

a controller configured to control creation of one or more radiating speaker elements at a controller selected instance in time and at corresponding one or more locations at the membrane material by controlling movement of a selected one or more of the movable actuator devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the selected regions of the video content includes a speaking dialog between at least two persons.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the video display screen is configured to display one of the at least two persons on a portion of the main portion of the video display screen and also on one of the one or more extended portions of the video display screen.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the audio system is configured to dynamically create at least one of the plurality of sound radiating speaker elements at one of the corresponding plurality of spatially selected locations with respect to the displayed at least one of the at least two persons.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the movement of a selected one or more of the movable actuator devices causes a portion of the membrane material connected to the one or more of the movable actuator devices undergoing movement to form a speaker cone that produces sound in response to an applied audio signal to the selected one or more of the movable actuator devices undergoing movement.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the audio system is configured to dynamically create the plurality of sound radiating speaker elements during any one particular instance in time at the corresponding plurality of spatially selected locations with respect to the displayed selected regions of the video content, and wherein the audio system is configured to dynamically create one or more subwoofer sound radiating speaker elements during the any one particular instance in time at one or more spatially selected locations where the audio system is not dynamically creating the plurality of sound radiating speaker elements, wherein the dynamically created one or more subwoofer sound radiating speaker elements are grouped together and driven with a common audio signal.

13. A system comprising:

a video display screen configured to display a selected region of video content on a main portion of the video display screen and at least one extended portion of the video display screen, wherein the at least one extended portion of the video display screen is not overlapping with the main portion of the video display screen; and

an audio subsystem configured to dynamically create a plurality of sound radiating speaker elements at a corresponding plurality of spatially selected locations with respect to the displayed selected region of the video content;

wherein each one of the plurality of sound radiating speaker elements includes;

an outer frame;

a stretchable membrane material enclosed at least in part by the outer frame;

a plurality of movable actuator devices disposed perpendicular to and on one side of the membrane material, each one of the actuator devices being connected to one side of the membrane material; and

a controller configured to control creation of one or more radiating speaker elements at a controller selected instance in time and at corresponding one or more locations at the membrane material by controlling movement of a selected one or more of the movable actuator devices.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the selected region of the video content includes a speaking dialog between at least two persons.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the video display screen is configured to display one of the at least two persons on a portion of the main portion of the video display screen and also on the extended portion of the video display screen.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the audio subsystem is configured to dynamically create the plurality of sound radiating speaker elements at the corresponding plurality of spatially selected locations with respect to the displayed at least one of the at least two persons.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the movement of a selected one or more of the movable actuator devices causes a portion of the membrane material connected to the one or more of the movable actuator devices undergoing movement to form a speaker cone that produces sound in response to an applied audio signal to the selected one or more of the movable actuator devices undergoing movement.