Stereo and filter control for multi-speaker device

• US 10,645,521 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mihelich, Ryan J., Holman, Tomlinson, Niemeyer, Alexander P., Sandrik, Timothy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Disler
• Application Number:
  US15/942,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20180249278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 381300, 381303-304
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/07 Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection
• 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 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• 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 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/307 Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes several speakers spaced apart from one another on opposite sides of the device. An audio processor attenuates high frequency portions of a first audio signal and a second audio signal to provide a processed first audio signal and a processed second audio signal. An audio router directs the first audio signal to only a first speaker on a first side of the device, and directs the second audio signal to only a second speaker on a second side of the device. The audio signals may be directed according to an orientation of the device.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a plurality of speakers on a left side and a right side of the portable electronic device, wherein at least two of the plurality of speakers are on the left side and at least two of the plurality of speakers are on the right side when the portable electronic device is in a first orientation and a second orientation, and wherein a distance between speakers on respective sides of the portable electronic device is different in the first orientation and the second orientation;

an audio source configured to provide a left audio signal and a right audio signal, wherein the audio signals have respective high frequency portions and low frequency portions;

an audio processor coupled to the audio source, the audio processor configured to attenuate the high frequency portions of the left audio signal and the right audio signal to produce a processed left audio signal and a processed right audio signal responsive to detecting a change in the distance between speakers on respective sides of the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device moves from the first orientation to the second orientation; and

an audio router configured to direct the left audio signal having the high frequency portion of the left audio signal to only one of the speakers on the left side and the processed left audio signal having only the low frequency portion of the left audio signal to all of the speakers on the left side except for the only one speaker on the left side, and to direct the right audio signal having the high frequency portion of the right audio signal to only one of the speakers on the right side and the processed right audio signal having only the low frequency portion of the right audio signal to all of the speakers on the right side except for the only one speaker on the right side.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the speakers on the left side are a first pair of speakers when the portable electronic device is in the first orientation, and wherein the speakers on the left side are a second pair of speakers when the portable electronic device is in the second orientation.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1 further comprising an orientation sensor configured to sense an orientation of the portable electronic device, and wherein the audio processor is configured to set a cutoff frequency for attenuating the high frequency portions based at least in part on the orientation.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the left audio signal is a left audio channel signal, and wherein the right audio signal is a right audio channel signal.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein each speaker is located at a respective corner of the portable electronic device.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 5, wherein the at least two speakers on the left side is two speakers, and wherein the at least two speakers on the right side is two speakers.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the audio processor includes a low-pass filter to attenuate the high frequency portions.

8. An audio management system comprising:

an audio processor coupled to an audio source that provides an audio program having a first audio signal and a second audio signal, the audio processor configured to attenuate a high frequency portion of each of the first audio signal and the second audio signal responsive to detecting a change in a distance between speakers on respective sides of a portable electronic device when the portable electronic device moves from a first orientation to a second orientation to provide a processed first audio signal and a processed second audio signal; and

an audio router configured to limit the high frequency portion of the first audio signal to a single speaker on a first side of the portable electronic device, to limit the high frequency portion of the second audio signal to a single speaker on a second side of the portable electronic device, to direct the processed first audio signal having only a low frequency portion of the first audio signal to all of a first plurality of speakers that are on the first side of the portable electronic device except for the single speaker on the first side of the portable electronic device, and to direct the processed second audio signal having only the low frequency portion of the second audio signal to all of a second plurality of speakers that are on the second side of the portable electronic device except for the single speaker on the second side of the portable electronic device.

9. The audio management system of claim 8, wherein the speakers on the first side are a first pair of speakers when the portable electronic device is in the first orientation, and wherein the speakers on the first side are a second pair of speakers when the portable electronic device is in the second orientation.

10. The audio management system of claim 8 further comprising an orientation sensor configured to sense an orientation of the portable electronic device, and wherein the audio processor is configured to set a cutoff frequency for attenuating the high frequency portions based at least in part on the orientation.

11. The audio management system of claim 8, wherein the first audio signal is a left audio channel signal, and wherein the second audio signal is a right audio channel signal.

12. The audio management system of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of speakers is two speakers, and wherein the second plurality of speakers is two speakers.

13. An electronic device comprising:

a display screen mounted in a housing having corners;

a plurality of speakers mounted at respective corners on a first side and a second side of the housing, wherein at least two of the plurality of speakers are on the first side and at least two of the plurality of speakers are on the second side when the electronic device is in a first orientation and a second orientation, and wherein a distance between speakers on respective sides of the electronic device is different in the first orientation and the second orientation;

an audio source configured to provide a first audio signal and a second audio signal, wherein the audio signals have respective high frequency portions and low frequency portions;

an audio processor coupled to the audio source, the audio processor configured to attenuate the high frequency portions of the first audio signal and the second audio signal to provide a processed first audio signal and a processed second audio signal responsive to detecting a change in a distance between speakers on respective sides of the electronic device when the electronic device moves from the first orientation to the second orientation; and

an audio router configured to direct the first audio signal having the high frequency portion of the first audio signal to only one speaker on the first side and the processed first audio signal having only the low frequency portion of the first audio signal to all of the speakers on the first side except for the one speaker, and to direct the second audio signal having the high frequency portion of the second audio signal to only one speaker on the second side and the processed second audio signal having only the low frequency portion of the second audio signal to all of the speakers on the second side except for the one speaker.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the speakers on the first side are a first pair of speakers when the electronic device is in the first orientation, and wherein the speakers on the first side are a second pair of speakers when the electronic device is in the second orientation.

15. The electronic device of claim 13 further comprising an orientation sensor configured to sense an orientation of the electronic device, and wherein the audio processor is configured to set a cutoff frequency for attenuating the high frequency portions based at least in part on the orientation.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the first audio signal is a left audio channel signal, and wherein the second audio signal is a right audio channel signal.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the at least two speakers on the first side is two speakers, and wherein the at least two speakers on the second side is two speakers.

18. A portable electronic device comprising:

a first speaker, a second speaker, a third speaker, and a fourth speaker, wherein when the portable electronic device is in a first orientation the first speaker and the second speaker are on a left side of a vertical centerline of the portable electronic device and the third speaker and the fourth speaker are on a right side of the vertical centerline, wherein when the portable electronic device is in a second orientation the second speaker and the third speaker are on the left side and the first speaker and the fourth speaker are on the right side, wherein a distance between the first speaker and the second speaker is different than a distance between the second speaker and the third speaker, and wherein a distance between the third speaker and the fourth speaker is different than a distance between the first speaker and the fourth speaker;

an audio source configured to provide a left audio signal and a right audio signal, wherein the audio signals have respective high frequency portions and low frequency portions;

an audio processor coupled to the audio source, the audio processor configured to attenuate, responsive to detecting a change in the distance between speakers on respective sides of the vertical centerline when the portable electronic device moves from the first orientation to the second orientation, the high frequency portions of the left audio signal and the right audio signal to produce a low frequency left audio signal and a low frequency right audio signal; and

an audio router configured to

when the portable electronic device is in the first orientation, direct the left audio signal to only the first speaker, the low frequency left audio signal to only the second speaker, the low frequency right audio signal to only the third speaker, and the right audio signal to only the fourth speaker, and

when the portable electronic device is in the second orientation, direct the left audio signal to only the second speaker, the low frequency left audio signal to only the third speaker, the low frequency right audio signal to only the fourth speaker, and the right audio signal to only the first speaker.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 18 further comprising a display screen, wherein the vertical centerline is a vertical centerline of the display screen in the first orientation and the second orientation.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 18 further comprising an orientation sensor configured to sense an orientation of the portable electronic device, wherein the audio processor is configured to set a cutoff frequency for attenuating the high frequency portions based at least in part on the orientation.

21. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein the left audio signal is a left audio channel signal, and wherein the right audio signal is a right audio channel signal.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein each speaker is located at a respective corner of the portable electronic device.