Networked speaker system with LED-based wireless communication and object detection

• US 9,854,362 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Milne, James R., Carlsson, Gregory Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Curs, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US15/298,591
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/502 LED transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/024 Positioning of loudspeaker enclosures for spatial sound reproduction
• 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 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 2400/03 Aspects of down-mixing multi-channel audio to configurations with lower numbers of playback channels, e.g. 7.1 -> 5.1 H04S2400/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/008 in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• 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

Abstract

A networked speaker system communicates using Li-Fi. The LEDs implementing the Li-Fi may also have modes in which they are used to map the walls of a room in which the speakers are located, detect the locations of speakers in the room, and detect and classify listeners in the room. Based on this, waveform analysis may be applied to input audio to establish equalization and delays that are optimal for the room geometry, speaker locations, and listener locations.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

at least one computer medium that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

control at least a first light emitting diode (LED) associated with at least a first audio speaker assembly to communicate with at least a second audio speaker assembly using strobing wireless LED-based communication;

control the first LED to emit a detection signal detectable by at least one receiver outputting an indication of the detection to at least one processor for determining a location of at least a second audio speaker assembly in an enclosure in which the first audio speaker assembly is located;

determine plural time differences between respective times of receipt of plural received returns from respective return locations of respective detection signals, and respective transmission times of the respective detection signals;

correlate the plural time differences to corresponding distances;

determine that first ones of the plural received returns have amplitudes satisfying a threshold;

determine that second ones of the plural received returns have amplitudes not satisfying the threshold;

based at least in part on the first ones of the plural received returns having amplitudes satisfying the threshold, output a speaker assembly location based on at least one of the plural distances associated with the first ones of the plural received returns; and

based at least in part on the second ones of the plural received returns not having amplitudes satisfying the threshold, not output a speaker assembly location based on distances associated with the second ones of the plural received returns.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is integral to the first audio speaker assembly.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is disposed in a module separate from the first speaker assembly and configured for association with the first speaker assembly.

4. The device of claim 1, comprising the processor.

5. The device of claim 1, comprising the first LED.

6. The device of claim 1, comprising the receiver.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to:

based at least in part on a speaker assembly location, establish at least one setting of at least one of the audio speaker assemblies.

8. A method, comprising:

using at least a first light emitter to communicate with a receiver using a bidirectional wireless communication technology comprising plural light emitting diodes (LEDs) to establish LED-based bidirectional wireless strobing communication;

using the first light emitter to detect at least a first audio speaker in an enclosure in which the light emitter is located;

determining plural time differences between respective times of receipt of plural received returns from respective return locations of respective detection signals, and respective transmission times of the respective detection signals;

correlating the plural time differences to corresponding distances;

determining that first ones of the plural received returns have amplitudes satisfying a threshold;

determining that second ones of the plural received returns have amplitudes not satisfying the threshold;

based at least in part on the first ones of the plural received returns having amplitudes satisfying the threshold, outputting a speaker location based on at least one of the plural distances associated with the first ones of the plural received returns; and

based at least in part on the second ones of the plural received returns not having amplitudes satisfying the threshold, not outputting a speaker assembly location based on distances associated with the second ones of the plural received returns.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising using the first light emitter to communicate with at least one speaker in a network of speakers.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising associating the light emitter with at least a second speaker in the network of speakers.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising integrating the first light emitter into the second speaker.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising integrating the first light emitter into a module separate from and associated with the second speaker.

13. The method of claim 8, comprising:

based at least in part on the speaker location, establishing at least one setting of at least one of the speakers.

14. A system, comprising:

plural audio speakers at least some of which are associated with respective light emitting diode (LED)-based assemblies for wirelessly communicating data between at least some of the audio speakers; and

at least one processor configured for;

determining, using reflections of signals from at least a first one of the assemblies, a location of at least one audio speaker in an enclosure in which at least some of the audio speakers are located;

based at least in part on the location of the at least one audio speaker, establishing at least one setting of at least one of the audio speakers;

determining plural time differences between respective times of receipt of plural received returns from respective return locations of respective detection signals, and respective transmission times of the respective detection signals;

correlating the plural time differences to corresponding distances;

determining that first ones of the plural received returns have amplitudes satisfying a threshold;

determining that second ones of the plural received returns have amplitudes not satisfying the threshold;

based at least in part on the first ones of the plural received returns having amplitudes satisfying the threshold, outputting a speaker assembly location based on at least one of the plural distances associated with the first ones of the plural received returns; and

based at least in part on the second ones of the plural received returns not having amplitudes satisfying the threshold, not outputting a speaker assembly location based on distances associated with the second ones of the plural received returns.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is integral to at least one of the audio speakers.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is disposed in a module separate from the audio speakers and associable with at least a first one of the audio speakers.

17. The system of claim 14, comprising plural light receivers and plural light emitting diodes (LED) establishing the assemblies.