Spatial audio aggregation for multiple sources of spatial audio

• US 10,827,292 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2014
• Issued: 11/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jawbone Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: JAWB Acquisition LLC
• Inventors: Hall, James, Donaldson, Thomas Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bernardi, Brenda C
• Application Number:
  US14/215,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20140270188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,424 Days
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

Various embodiments relate generally to electrical and electronic hardware, computer software, wired and wireless network communications, and audio and speaker systems. More specifically, disclosed are an apparatus and a method for processing signals for optimizing audio, such as 3D audio, by adjusting the filtering for cross-talk cancellation based on listener position and/or orientation. In one embodiment, an apparatus is configured to include a plurality of transducers, a memory, and a processor configured to execute instructions to determine a physical characteristic of a listener relative to the origination of the multiple channels of audio, to cancel crosstalk in a spatial region coincident with the listener at a first location, to detect a change in the physical characteristic of the listener, and to adjust the cancellation of crosstalk responsive to detecting the change in the physical characteristic to establish another spatial region at a second location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data representing a position for a region in space adjacent a first media device including a first subset of transducers associated with a first channel and a second subset of transducers associated with a second channel;

determining a second media device adjacent to the region in space;

determining a location of the second media device;

selecting a filter configured to project spatial audio to the region in space;

aggregating the first subset of transducers and the second subset of transducers to propagate either the first channel or the second channel as a first aggregated channel; and

emitting the first aggregated channel from the first and the second subsets of transducers to the region in space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data representing the position comprises:

receiving data representing a first angle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating probe signals;

propagating a first subset of the probe signals via the first subset of transducers; and

propagating a second subset of the probe signals VIa the second subset of transducers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein generating the probe signals comprises:

generating acoustic probe signals including a first device identifier associated with the first media device.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving one or more subsets of data to determine the position as a function of the first and the second subsets of the probe signals.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving the one or more subsets of data via either an electronic communications link or an ultrasonic communications link, or both.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first subset of other probe signals and a second subset of other probe signals, the first and the second subsets of the other probe signals include a second device identifier associated with the second media device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining times at which the first subset of other probe signals and the second subset of other probe signals are received by the first media device; and

determining the location of the second media device based on the times.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a portion of a communication link at the first media device; and

receiving data representing the location of the second media device from the second media device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the data representing the location of the second media device comprises:

receiving data representing a second angle between the second media device and the position.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the data representing the location of the second media device comprises:

receiving data representing a third angle between a reference line of the second media device and the first media device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a portion of a communication link at the first media device; and

receiving data indicating that the second media device is configured to propagate the other of the first channel or the second channel as a second aggregated channel.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the filter comprises:

identifying the filter associated with the position; and

selecting the filter from a plurality of filters, each of which is associated with a different position.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting a change in the position to a next position;

determining a next angle associated with the next position; and

selecting a next filter.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a third media device adjacent to the region in space; and

determining the third media device is between the first media device and the second media device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining the third media device is equidistant to the first media device and the second media device,

wherein one of a first subset of transducers and a second subset of transducers of the third media device is configured to emit the first aggregated channel, and the other of the first subset of transducers and the second subset of transducers of the third media device is configured to emit a second aggregated channel.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a third media device adjacent to the region in space; and

determining the third media device is disposed on a second side of a plane passing through the region of space, the first media device and the second media device being disposed on a first side of the plane.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting the generation of one or more channels of rear-based spatial audio; and

propagating one of the one or more channels of the rear-based spatial audio from a first subset of transducers of the third media device; and

propagating the other of the one or more channels of the rear-based spatial audio from a second subset of transducers of the third media device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting a fourth media device adjacent to the region in space;

identifying the fourth media device is disposed on a second side of a plane passing through the region of space, the first media device and the second media device being disposed on a first side of the plane; and

detecting the generation of one channel of rear-based spatial audio to be emitted via from a first subset and a second subset of transducers of the third media device.

20. A media device comprising:

a plurality of transducers configured to emit acoustic signal into an adjacent region, at least a subset of the plurality of transducers oriented relative to a reference line;

a plurality of filters configured to project spatial audio to a portion of the region in space, each of the filters corresponding to a different portion of the region in space;

a position determinator configured to determine a position adjacent the media device; and

a controller configured to determine a location of a second media device adjacent to the region in space and to select a filter associated with the position to propagate the spatial audio to the position, the controller further configured to aggregate the first subset of transducers and the second subset of transducers to propagate either a first channel or a second channel of spatial audio as a first aggregated channel, and emit the first aggregated channel from the first and the second subsets of transducers to the region in space.