System and method for playback in a speaker system

• US 9,900,692 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: McCoy, Charles, Xiong, True, Van Aeken, Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee, Md S
• Application Number:
  US14/326,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 381 17, 381 79, 707626, 370338, 455 411- 413, 4555561, 700 94
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Various aspects of a system and a method for playback in a wireless speaker system are disclosed herein. Each of a plurality of speakers in the system is operable to wirelessly receive one or more audio files from one or more audio source devices. The one or more audio source devices transmit the one or more audio files to at least one of the plurality of speakers in response to receipt of an acknowledgement of availability of at least one of the plurality of speakers.

Claims

1. A system for playback of one or more audio files, comprising:

a plurality of speakers, each of said plurality of speakers is configured to wirelessly receive said one or more audio files from one or more audio source devices,

wherein at least one of said plurality of speakers is configured to directly broadcast a wireless message to said one or more audio source devices,

wherein said wireless message indicates availability of said at least one of said plurality of speakers for play back of said one or more audio files,

wherein said at least one of said plurality of speakers is configured to;

broadcast said wireless message based on a direct wireless discovery request from said one or more audio source devices to said plurality of speakers,

generate a first inverse signal corresponding to a second audio file from said one or more audio files and a second inverse signal corresponding to a first audio file from said one or more audio files,

wherein said first inverse signal and said second inverse signal are used for noise cancellation, and

concurrently playback said first audio file from said one or more audio files in a first direction based on said noise cancellation that uses said first inverse signal, and said second audio file from said one or more audio files in a second direction based on said noise cancellation that uses said second inverse signal, and

wherein said one or more audio source devices are configured to discover said availability of said at least one of said plurality of speakers based on said broadcasted wireless message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of speakers is further configured to playback a plurality of audio files concurrently.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of speakers is further configured to:

playback a first frequency component of a third audio file from a first audio source device of said one or more audio source devices; and

playback a second frequency component of a fourth audio file from a second audio source device of said one or more audio source devices,

wherein said first frequency component and said second frequency component are played back concurrently.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of speakers is further configured to:

playback a first frequency component of a third audio file; and

playback a second frequency component of a fourth audio file,

wherein said third audio file and said fourth audio file are transmitted from a same audio source device of said one or more audio source devices, and

wherein said first frequency component and said second frequency component are played back concurrently.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of speakers is further configured to receive said direct wireless discovery request broadcast from said one or more audio source devices to discover said availability of said at least one of said plurality of speakers.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more audio files are received by said plurality of speakers from said one or more audio source devices in absence of connection between said at least one of said plurality of speakers and said one or more audio source devices.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more audio source devices are further configured to delay transmission of said one or more audio files based on a distance of said at least one of said plurality of speakers from said one or more audio source devices.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of speakers is further configured to receive metadata associated with said one or more audio files, and wherein said metadata comprises information of an audio file format of said one or more audio files.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one of said plurality of speakers is an audio source device among said one or more audio source devices.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more audio source devices are further configured to transmit said one or more audio files to said at least one of said plurality of speakers based on receipt of an acknowledgement of said availability of said at least one of said plurality of speakers.

11. A method for playback of one or more audio files, said method comprising:

in a speaker system comprising a plurality of speakers;

directly broadcasting a wireless message to one or more audio source devices,

wherein said wireless message indicates availability of at least one of said plurality of speakers for playing back said one or more audio files,

wherein said wireless message is broadcasted based on a direct wireless discovery request broadcast from said one or more audio source devices to said plurality of speakers, and

wherein said one or more audio source devices are configured to discover said availability of said at least one of said plurality of speakers based on said broadcasted wireless message;

receiving said one or more audio files from said one or more audio source devices based on said broadcasted wireless message;

generating a first inverse signal corresponding to a second audio file from said one or more audio files and a second inverse signal corresponding to a first audio file from said one or more audio files,

wherein said first inverse signal and said second inverse signal are used for noise cancellation; and

concurrently playing back said first audio file from said one or more audio files in a first direction based on said noise cancellation that uses said first inverse signal, and said second audio file from said one or more audio files in a second direction based on said noise cancellation that uses said second inverse signal, by said at least one of said plurality of speakers.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

playing back a first frequency component of a third audio file from a first audio source device of said one or more audio source devices; and

playing back a second frequency component of a fourth audio file from a second audio source device of said one or more audio source devices,

wherein said first frequency component and said second frequency component are played back concurrently.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving said direct wireless discovery request broadcast from said one or more audio source devices for discovering said availability of said at least one of said plurality of speakers.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising delaying transmission of said one or more audio files based on a distance of said at least one of said plurality of speakers from said one or more audio source devices.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving metadata associated with said one or more audio files, wherein said metadata comprises information of an audio file format of said one or more audio files.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one of said plurality of speakers is an audio source device among said one or more audio source devices.

17. A speaker, comprising:

one or more circuits, in a transceiver, wherein said one or more circuits are configured to;

directly broadcast a wireless message to one or more audio source devices,

wherein said wireless message indicates availability of said speaker for playing back one or more audio files,

wherein said wireless message is broadcasted based on a direct wireless discovery request broadcast from said one or more audio source devices to said speaker, and

wherein said one or more audio source devices are configured to discover said availability of said speaker based on said broadcasted wireless message;

receive said one or more audio files from said one or more audio source devices based on said broadcasted wireless message;

generate a first inverse signal corresponding to a second audio file from said one or more audio files and a second inverse signal corresponding to a first audio file from said one or more audio files, said first inverse signal and said second inverse signal are used for noise cancellation; and

concurrently playback said first audio file from said one or more audio files in a first direction based on said noise cancellation that uses said first inverse signal, and said second audio file from said one or more audio files in a second direction based on said noise cancellation that uses said second inverse signal.

18. The speaker of claim 17, wherein said speaker is configured to:

receive a third audio file from a first audio source device of said one or more audio source devices, and

receive a fourth audio file from a second audio source device of said one or more audio source devices,

wherein an order to play said third audio file and said fourth audio file is based on round-robin scheduling or queuing.