Audio output control method and apparatus

• US 9,699,562 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Jeongmin, Jin, Pyeonggyu, Kim, Kyungtae, Hyun, Eunjung, Lee, Seungeun
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ojo, Oyesola C
• Application Number:
  US14/541,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20150131825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 381300, 381307, 381 77, 381 80, 381 85
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/05 Detection of connection of loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/07 Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/00 Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 5/00 Pseudo-stereo systems, e.g. in which additional channel signals are derived from monophonic signals by means of phase shifting, time delay or reverberation

Abstract

An audio output control method and apparatus using a wired/wireless communication system is provided. An audio output control method of an audio output device connected to at least one other audio output device according to the present disclosure includes converting specific audio data to at least one modified audio signal designated to the respective audio output devices, playing at least one of the modified audio signals through a channel designated to the specific audio data, and transmitting a remaining of the modified audio signals to the at least one other audio output device, wherein the modified audio signals include at least one of sound sources and channel characteristics of the specific audio data.

Claims

1. An audio output control method of an audio output device connected to at least one other audio output device, the method comprising:

establishing a connection for communication with at least one other audio output device through a wireless communication unit;

identifying a respective location of the connected at least one other audio output device based on a location of the audio output device;

generating at least two separated audio signals designated to respective audio output devices using conversion information generated according to the identified respective location of the connected at least one other audio output device, by splitting audio data into a plurality of sound sources;

in response to a playback request for the audio data, playing one of the at least two separated audio signals generated corresponding to the location of the audio output device among the at least two separated audio signals; and

transmitting other audio signal generated corresponding to a respective location of the at least one other audio output device to the connected at least one other audio output device,

wherein the at least two separated audio signals comprise at least one of sound sources selected among the plurality of sound sources according to channel characteristics of the respective audio output devices and the location of the respective audio output devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversion information comprises information on channel configuration changed according to location information of the at least one other audio output device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the at least two separated audio signals comprises at least one of a conversion information-based filtering process, a sound source extraction and splitting process, and a signal mix process, to generate at least one modified audio signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two separated audio signals comprises audio signals comprising respective channel information corresponding to respective audio output devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the at least two separated audio signals comprises:

transmitting, when the at least one other audio output device has specific audio data, the conversion information designated to the other audio output device comprising the specific audio data in order for the respective audio output devices to generate the at least two separated audio signals based on the conversion information; and

transmitting, when the at least one other audio output device does not comprise the specific audio data, the conversion information and the audio data to the other audio output device to which the conversion information is designated in order for the respective audio output devices to generate the at least two separated audio signals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the playing of the one of the at least two separated audio signal comprises playing separated other audio signals in synchronization with playback timing of modified audio signals transmitted to the at least one other audio output device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the playing of one of the at least two separated audio signals further comprises transmitting the audio data, the conversion information, and the other audio signals in a streaming mode, the at least two separated audio signals being converted and played in real time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the playing of the at least one of the at least two separated audio signals:

reconfiguring, after a playback stop signal is issued by the at least one audio output device, the conversion information on the audio data in playback; and

regenerating the at least two separated audio signals based on the audio data and the reconfigured conversion information.

9. A audio output device comprising:

a speaker configured to output audio signals;

a communication unit configured to establish a connection for communication with at least one other audio output device;

a storage unit configured to store at least one of audio data and conversion information and at least two separated audio signals for playing the audio data in collaboration with the at least one other audio output device; and

a control unit configured to control identifying, when the audio output device is connected with at least one other audio output device, a respective location of the connected at least one other audio output device based on a location of the audio output device, generating at least two separated audio signals designated to the respective audio output devices using conversion information generated according to the identified respective location of the connected at least one other audio output device, by splitting the audio data into a plurality of sound sources, in response to a playback request for the audio data, playing one of the at least two separated audio signals generated corresponding to the location of the audio output device among the at least two separated audio signals, and transmit the other audio signals generated corresponding to a respective location of the other audio output device to the connected at least one other audio output device,

wherein the at least two separated audio signals comprise at least one of sound sources selected among the plurality of sound sources according to channel characteristics of the respective audio output devices and the location of the respective audio output devices.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control generating information on channel configuration changed according to location information of the at least one other audio output device.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control to perform at least one of a conversion information-based filtering process, a sound source extraction and splitting process, and a signal mix process, to generate the at least two separated audio signals.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein at least one modified audio signal comprises audio signals having respective channel information corresponding to respective audio output devices.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control transmitting, when the at least one other audio output device comprises the audio data, the conversion information designated to the other audio output device comprising the audio data in order for the respective audio output devices to generate the at least two separated audio signals based on the conversion information, and transmitting, when the at least one other audio output device does not comprise the audio data, the conversion information and the audio data to the audio output device to which the conversion information is designated in order for the respective audio output devices to generate the at least two separated audio signals.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control playing the one audio signal in synchronization with playback timing of the at least two separated audio signals transmitted to the at least one other audio output device.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control reconfiguring, when a playback stop signal is issued by the at least one audio output device after the playing of one of the at least two separated audio signal, the conversion information on the audio data in playback and regenerating the at least two separated audio signals based on the audio data and the reconfigured conversion information.