DISTRIBUTED WIRELESS SPEAKER SYSTEM WITH AUTOMATIC CONFIGURATION DETERMINATION WHEN NEW SPEAKERS ARE ADDED

• US 20150208188A1
• Filed: 01/20/2014
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Richman, Steven Martin, Milne, James R., CARLSSON, GREGORY PETER
• Granted Patent: US 9,288,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/00 Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone

Abstract

In an audio speaker network, setup of speaker location, sound track or channel assignation, and speaker parameters is facilitated by an application detecting speaker locations and prompting a user to input rough room boundaries and a desired listener location in the room. Based on this, optimum speaker locations/frequency assignations/speaker parameters may be determined and output.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

at least one computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by a processor;

at least one processor configured for accessing the computer readable storage medium to execute the instructions to configure the processor for;

determining that one or more audio speakers are present on a network of audio speakers in a speaker arrangement, each speaker being associated with a respective network address so that each speaker may be addressed by a computer accessing the network;

prompting a user to input dimensions of at least one enclosure in which the network at least partially is disposed;

prompting the user to input at least a desired listening position and/or a number of listeners on which the acoustic model is to be based;

determining whether the speaker arrangement meets at least one acoustic requirement;

responsive to a determination that the speaker arrangement does not meet the acoustic requirement, indicating to the user that the speaker arrangement does not meet the acoustic requirement and prompting the user to adjust one or more of speaker location, orientation, frequency assignation, speaker parameters.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor when executing the instructions is further configured for, responsive to a determination that the speaker arrangement meets the acoustic requirement, establishing at least one speaker delay and/or volume based at least in part on the speaker arrangement.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor when executing the instructions is configured for determining whether a basic setup is complete, and responsive to a determination that the basic setup is complete, launching a speaker control interface.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the processor when executing the instructions is further configured for, responsive to a determination that the basic setup is not complete, determining whether one or more measurement microphones are available, and responsive to determining that one or more measurement microphones are available, outputting an interface guiding a user through a measurement routine.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the measurement routine includes causing at least one speaker to emit a test chirp, and determining a location of at least one speaker and/or at least one surface distanced from a speaker based at least in part on the test chirp.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor when executing the instructions is further configured for determining whether at least one speaker is to be used for multiple spaces, and responsive to a determination that the at least one speaker is to be used for multiple spaces, guiding a user through secondary assignments for the at least one speaker.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor when executing the instructions is further configured for receiving user input respective labels for each speaker.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the speaker arrangement meets at least one acoustic requirement is executed at least in part using wave interference analysis.

9. Method comprising:

presenting, on a video display, a user interface (UI); and

receiving input by way of the UI, the UI comprising;

at least one prompt to indicate at least one boundary of an enclosure in which an audio speaker network is to be used, the UI also prompting to indicate at least one location in the enclosure of a listener of the audio speaker network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the UI includes a prompt to name speakers in the audio speaker system.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the UI enables a user to define a frequency assignation for at least one speaker in the audio speaker network.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the UI enables a user to indicate an orientation of at least one speaker in the audio speaker network.

13. System comprising:

at least one computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by a processor which is configured for accessing the computer readable storage medium to execute the instructions to configure the processor for;

presenting on a display at least one user interface (UI); and

receiving from the UI at least one user input, the UI comprising;

an indication of a boundary of an enclosure for containing an audio speaker network; and

indications of speaker locations within the boundary.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the UI includes indications of identities of the speakers.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the UI is a first UI and the instructions when executed by the processor further configure the processor for presenting a second UI, the second UI including:

at least one prompt to activate at least one speaker to emit at least one test chirp.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one speaker is presented on the second UI as one of a group of speakers.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the UI includes a chirp selector element selectable by a user to activate the speaker to emit the at least one test chirp.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the UI is a first UI and the instructions when executed by the processor further configure the processor for presenting a second UI, the second UI including:

at least one prompt to select an additional space a speaker is to be used for in addition to the enclosure.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second UI includes a selector selectable to indicate that a speaker will be used for no additional spaces in addition to the enclosure.