System and methods for television with integrated sound projection system

• US 8,279,357 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions America Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Naka, Masafumi, Mortensen, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): KOSTAK, VICTOR R
• Application Number:
  US12/544,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20100053466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 348/738, 348/569, 381/61, 381/300, 381/303, 381/307, 345/440, 345/440.1
• US Class Current: 348/738
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2203/12 Beamforming aspects for stereophonic sound reproduction with loudspeaker arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Systems and methods that facilitate the use and operation of a television with an integrated sound projection system. The sound projector preferably comprises an array of speakers configurable to project beams that reflect off the walls and ceiling to create surround sound. In one embodiment, sound can be projected and/or the television can be oriented automatically as a function of the location of the television remote control unit.

Claims

1. A television comprising

a display screen,

a sound projector,

a control system coupled to the display screen and sound projector, wherein the control system is configured to cause the sound projector to project one or more sound beams into a room toward a target location as a function of the location of a remote control unit positioned within the room;

wherein the interface prompts a user to input information using a menu-driven format; and

wherein the interface prompts the user to input viewing room parameters.

2. The television of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to display a graphical user interface on the screen, the graphical user interface including graphical representation of the projected path of the one or more sound beams and operable by a user to adjust the angles of the projected path of the one or more sound beams.

3. The television of claim 1, wherein the control system causes the output of sound in an output mode associated with a selected viewing activity.

4. The television of claim 1, wherein the menu-driven format includes one or more text entry areas and menu-driven choices.

5. The television of claim 1, wherein the viewing room parameters include a room size, a first wall size, a TV location on first wall, a second wall size, and a distance from the TV location to a sofa location.

6. The television of claim 1 further comprising a remote control unit and an IR signal direction detector circuit coupled to the control system.

7. A television comprising

a display screen,

a sound projector,

a control system coupled to the display screen and sound projector, wherein the control system is configured to cause the sound projector to project one or more sound beams into a room toward a target location as a function of the location of a remote control unit positioned within the room;

a remote control unit and an IR signal direction detector circuit coupled to the control system; and

wherein the IR signal direction detector circuit is configured to determine the angle ⊖

relative to the plane of the screen of the television that the IR signals or beams are being directed towards the television from the remote control unit.

8. The television of claim 7, wherein the remote control unit comprises a control system, an IR transmitter coupled to the control system, and a dedicated function key coupled to the control system, wherein when the function key is depressed the remote control unit sends IR codes comprising a series of instructions embedded therein to the television to cause the control system of the television to enter a mode of operation to determine the angle ⊖

relative to the plane of the screen of the television that the IR signals or beams are being directed towards the television from the remote control unit.

9. The television of claim 8 wherein the IR signal direction detector circuit includes N remote receiver units, wherein each of the N remote receiver units is oriented in a horizontal plane at an angle ⊖

from a normal ⊥

to the front of the television.

10. The television of claim 9 wherein the IR signal direction detector circuit further comprises a signal strength comparator coupled to each of the N remote receiver units, wherein the signal strength comparator is configured to receive a signal from each of the N remote receiver units and determines the angle ⊖

from which the remote control unit is pointing at the television.

11. The television of claim 10 wherein the includes M analog-to-digital converters (ADC) coupled to an amplitude comparator, wherein the amplitude comparator detects which input signal received from the remote receiver units has the largest amplitude.

12. The television of claim 7 wherein the control system is configured to orient the display screen at an angle directed toward a location as a function of the location of a remote control unit positioned within the room.

13. The television of claim 12, further comprising a motorized based coupled to the display screen and control system.

14. The television of claim 12, further comprising a motorized articulating mount coupled to the display screen and control system.

15. A television comprising

a display screen,

a sound projector,

a control system coupled to the display screen and sound projector, wherein the control system is configured to cause the sound projector to project one or more sound beams into a room toward a target location as a function of the location of a remote control unit positioned within the room;

and

a remote control unit having a control system, an IR transmitter coupled to the control system, a microphone, a high pass filter coupled to the microphone and the control system, and a dedicated function key coupled to the control system, wherein when the function key is depressed the remote control unit sends IR codes comprising a series of instructions embedded therein to the television to cause the control system of the television to enter a mode of operation to determine the angle ⊖

relative to the plane of the screen of the television at which the remote control unit is located within the room relative to the television.

16. A method of directing sound from a television to a target location within a viewing room comprising the steps of

receiving instructions from a remote control unit to determine an angle at which the remote control unit is located with a room relative to a television, and

determining the angle at which the remote control unit is located within the room relative to the television;

orienting the display screen of the television at an angle normal to the angle at which the remote control unit is located within the room relative to the television;

wherein the step of determining the angle includes

receiving a left burst trigger command from the remote control unit,

transmitting a sound burst from a left speaker component of the television,

detecting a first peak of the left sound burst at the remote control unit,

determining the time delta between transmission of the left burst trigger command and the detection of the first peak of the left sound burst,

receiving a right burst trigger command from the remote control unit,

transmitting a sound burst from a right speaker component of the television,

detecting a first peak of the right sound burst at the remote control unit,

determining the time delta between transmission of the right burst trigger command and the detection of the first peak of the right sound burst,

receiving an IR signal from the remote control unit that includes the delta for the left and right sound bursts, and

calculating the angle at which the remote control unit is located within the room

relative to the television as a function of the delta for the left and right sound bursts.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising directing one or more sound beams along the angle at which the remote control unit is located within the room relative to the television.

18. A method of directing sound from a television to a target location within a viewing room comprising the steps of

receiving instructions from a remote control unit to determine an angle at which the remote control unit is located with a room relative to a television, and

determining the angle at which the remote control unit is located within the room relative to the television;

orienting the display screen of the television at an angle normal to the angle at which the remote control unit is located within the room relative to the television;

wherein the step of determining the angle includes

receiving an IR direction signal from the remote control unit at N remote receiver units, wherein each of the N remote receiver units is oriented in a horizontal plane at an angle ⊖

from a normal ⊥

to the front of the television,

determining which of the N received IR direction signals has the largest amplitude, and

determining the angle at which the remote control unit is located within the room relative to the television as corresponding to the angle at which the remote receiver unit receiving the IR direction signal with the largest amplitude is oriented in a horizontal plane at an angle ⊖

from a normal ⊥

to the front of the television.