Balancing loudspeakers for multiple display users

• US 8,631,327 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2012
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Nobukazu, Amendolagine, James, Nguyen, Djung
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, TING ZHOU
• Application Number:
  US13/357,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/727, 381/74, 381/59, 381/300, 381/310
• US Class Current: 715/727
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Abstract

A method consistent with the present invention involves displaying a window on a computer monitor; at one or more programmed processors, determining a position of the window on the computer monitor; at the one or more programmed processors, deducing a user position for a user of the window with the window based on the position of the window on the computer monitor; and steering audio signals from an application running in the window to a loudspeaker in an array of loudspeakers, where the loudspeaker is a loudspeaker in the array of loudspeakers closer to the deduced user position than another loudspeaker in the array. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying a window on a computer monitor;

at one or more programmed processors, determining a position of the window on the computer monitor by determining a position of at least one edge of the window, where determining the position further comprises determining an orientation of the window;

at the one or more programmed processors, deducing a user position for a user of the window with the window based on the position and orientation of the window on the computer monitor; and

steering audio signals from an application running in the window to a loudspeaker in an array of loudspeakers, where the loudspeaker is a loudspeaker in the array of loudspeakers closer to the deduced user position than another loudspeaker in the array.

2. The method according to claim 1, where the steering comprises causing the audio signals to be directed to a single loudspeaker situated closest to the deduced user position.

3. The method according to claim 1, where the steering comprises causing the audio signals to be directed to a pair of loudspeakers situated closest to the left and right of the deduced user position.

4. The method according to claim 3, where the steering further comprises causing psycho-acoustically processing the audio signals to center the audio signal at the deduced user position.

5. The method according to claim 1, where determining the position further comprises determining a central position of a bottom edge of the window.

6. The method according to claim 1, where determining the position further comprises determining a central position of a bottom edge of the window.

7. The method according to claim 1, where the determining, deducing and steering are iterated for another window displayed on the display.

8. A computer display system, comprising:

a computer monitor displaying a window;

an array of loudspeakers; and

one or more programmed processors programmed to;

determine a position of the window on the computer monitor by determining a position of at least one edge of the window, where determining the position further comprises determining an orientation of the window;

deduce a user position of a user of the window with the window based on the position and orientation of the window on the computer monitor;

steer audio signals from an application running in the window to a loudspeaker in the array of loudspeakers, where the loudspeaker is a loudspeaker in the array of loudspeakers closer to the deduced user position than another of the loudspeakers in the array.

9. The system according to claim 8, where the steering comprises causing the audio signals to be directed to a single loudspeaker situated closest to the deduced user position.

10. The system according to claim 8, where the steering comprises causing the audio signals to be directed to a pair of loudspeakers situated closest to the left and right of the deduced user position.

11. The system according to claim 10, where the steering comprises causing psycho-acoustically processing the audio signals to center the audio signal at the deduced user position.

12. The system according to claim 8, where determining the position further comprises determining a central position of a bottom edge of the window.

13. The system according to claim 8, where the processor iterates the determining, deducing and steering for another window displayed on the display.

14. A computer display system, comprising:

a computer monitor displaying a window;

an array of loudspeakers; and

one or more programmed processors programmed to;

determine an orientation of the window on the computer monitor;

determine a position of the window on the computer monitor by determining a position of a center of a bottom of the window;

deduce a user position for a user of the window with the window based on the position and orientation of the window on the computer monitor;

steer audio signals from an application running in the window to a loudspeaker in the array of loudspeakers, where the loudspeaker is a loudspeaker in the array of loudspeakers closer to the deduced user position than another loudspeaker in the array of loudspeakers.

15. The system according to claim 14, where steering comprises causing the audio signals to be directed to a single loudspeaker situated closest to the deduced user position.

16. The system according to claim 14, where the steering comprises causing the audio signals to be directed to a pair of loudspeakers situated closest to the left and right of the deduced user position.

17. The system according to claim 16, where the steering further comprises causing psycho-acoustically processing the audio signals to center the audio signal at the deduced user position.

18. The system according to claim 16, where the processor iterates the determining, deducing and steering for another window displayed on the display.

19. A method, comprising:

displaying a window on a computer monitor;

at one or more programmed processors, determining a position of the window on the computer monitor by determining a position of at least one edge of the window, where determining the position further comprises determining an orientation of the window;

at the one or more programmed processors, deducing a user position associated with the window based on the position and orientation of the window on the computer monitor;

steering audio from an application running in the window to a headphone jack in an array of headphone jacks, where the headphone jack is a headphone jack in the array of headphone jacks closest to the deduced user position.

20. The method according to claim 19, where determining the position further comprises determining a central position of a bottom edge of the window.

21. The method according to claim 19, where determining the position further comprises determining a central position of a bottom edge of the window.

22. The method according to claim 19, where the determining, deducing and steering are iterated for another window displayed on the display.

23. A computer display system, comprising:

a computer monitor displaying a window;

an array of headphone jacks; and

one or more programmed processors programmed to;

determine a position of the window on the computer monitor by determining a position of at least one edge of the window, where determining the position further comprises determining an orientation of the window;

deduce a user position associated with the window based on the position and orientation of the window on the computer monitor; and

steer audio from an application running in the window to a headphone jack in an array of headphone jacks, where the headphone jack is a headphone jack in the array of headphone jacks closest to the deduced user position.

24. The system according to claim 23, where determining the position further comprises determining a central position of a bottom edge of the window.

25. The system according to claim 23, where determining the position further comprises determining a central position of a bottom edge of the window.

26. The system according to claim 23, where the processor iterates the determining, deducing and steering for another window displayed on the display.