Stereo and filter control for multi-speaker device

• US 9,949,057 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mihelich, Ryan J., Holman, Tomlinson, Niemeyer, Alexander P., Sandrik, Timothy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Disler
• Application Number:
  US15/256,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20170070839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 381 17, 381 23, 381 26, 381300, 381303, 381304, 381306
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/07 Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• 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 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/307 Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes at least four speakers spaced apart from one another. An audio processor attenuates a high frequency portion of a left audio signal and a right audio signal to provide a processed left audio signal and a processed right audio signal. An audio router directs the left audio signal to only a first speaker, the right audio signal to only a second speaker, the processed left audio signal to a third speaker, and the processed right audio signal to a fourth speaker. The audio signals may be directed according to the orientation of the device. The cutoff frequency for attenuating the high frequency portion of the audio signals may be responsive to the orientation of the device. In other embodiments, the high frequency portion of the audio signals may be decorrelated to produce signals with high frequency portions for all speakers.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

at least four speaker components, each speaker component being spaced apart from the remaining speaker components;

an audio source configured to provide content that includes a left audio signal and a right audio signal;

an orientation sensor configured to sense the orientation of the portable electronic device;

an audio processor coupled to the audio source, the audio processor configured to attenuate a high frequency portion of each of the left audio signal and the right audio signal using a cutoff frequency based at least in part on the orientation of the portable electronic device to provide a processed left audio signal and a processed right audio signal; and

an audio router configured to direct the left audio signal to only a first speaker component, to direct the right audio signal to only a second speaker component, to direct the processed left audio signal to a third speaker component, and to direct the processed right audio signal to a fourth speaker component, where the audio signals are directed to speaker components selected according to the orientation of the portable electronic device.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the audio processor is configured to act as a low-pass filter.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the audio processor is configured to act as a shelf filter.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an equalizer coupled to the audio router to boost the high frequency portion of each of the left audio signal directed to the first speaker component and the right audio signal directed to the second speaker component.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a delay processor coupled to the audio router to delay audio signals to change a location where the speaker components reinforce one another to produce a maximum sound pressure level.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the audio processor adjusts the processing of the left audio signal and the right audio signal responsive to a frequency spectrum of the content.

7. A audio management system comprising:

an orientation sensor configured to sense the orientation of a portable electronic device that includes at least four spaced apart speaker components;

an audio processor coupled to an audio source that provides content that includes a left audio signal and a right audio signal, the audio processor configured to attenuate a high frequency portion of each of the left audio signal and the right audio signal using a cutoff frequency based at least in part on the orientation of the portable electronic device to provide a processed left audio signal and a processed right audio signal; and

an audio router configured to direct the left audio signal to only a first speaker component, to direct the right audio signal to only a second speaker component, to direct the processed left audio signal to a third speaker component, and to direct the processed right audio signal to a fourth speaker component, where the audio signals are directed to speaker components selected according to the orientation of the portable electronic device.

8. The audio management system of claim 7, wherein the audio processor is configured to act as a low-pass filter.

9. The audio management system of claim 7, wherein the audio processor is configured to act as a shelf filter.

10. The audio management system of claim 7, further comprising an equalizer coupled to the audio router to boost the high frequency portion of each of the left audio signal directed to the first speaker component and the right audio signal directed to the second speaker component.

11. The audio management system of claim 7, further comprising a delay processor coupled to the audio router to delay audio signals to change a location where the speaker components reinforce one another to produce a maximum sound pressure level.

12. The audio management system of claim 7, wherein the audio processor adjusts the processing of the left audio signal and the right audio signal responsive to a frequency spectrum of the content.

13. A portable electronic device comprising:

at least four speaker components, each speaker component being spaced apart from the remaining speaker components;

means for sensing the orientation of the portable electronic device;

means for providing content that includes a left audio signal and a right audio signal;

means for attenuating a high frequency portion of each of the left audio signal and the right audio signal using a cutoff frequency based at least in part on the orientation of the portable electronic device to provide a processed left audio signal and a processed right audio signal; and

means for directing the left audio signal to only a first speaker component, directing the right audio signal to only a second speaker component, directing the processed left audio signal to a third speaker component, and directing the processed right audio signal to a fourth speaker component, wherein the audio signals are directed to speaker components selected according to the orientation of the portable electronic device.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein the means for attenuating is configured to act as a low-pass filter.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein the means for attenuating is configured to act as a shelf filter.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 13, further comprising means for boosting the high frequency portion of each of the left audio signal directed to the first speaker component and the right audio signal directed to the second speaker component.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 13, further comprising means for delaying audio signals to change a location where the speaker components reinforce one another to produce a maximum sound pressure level.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 13, further comprising means for adjusting the processing of the left audio signal and the right audio signal by the means for providing content responsive to a frequency spectrum of the content.

19. A portable electronic device comprising:

an orientation sensor configured to sense the orientation of the portable electronic device;

an audio source configured to provide an audio signal that includes one or more channels;

for each of the one or more channels,

a plurality of speaker components for producing sound from the channel, each speaker component being spaced apart from the remaining speaker components; and

a low-pass filter to produce a low frequency portion of the channel using a cutoff frequency based at least in part on the orientation of the portable electronic device;

an audio router configured to direct each of the one or more channels to only one of the plurality of speaker components for producing sound from the channel, and to direct the low frequency portion of each of the one or more channel to the remaining of the plurality of speaker components for producing sound from the channel, where the one or more channels are directed to speaker components selected according to the orientation of the portable electronic device.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein each speaker component has similar sound reproduction capabilities.

21. A portable electronic device comprising:

an orientation sensor configured to sense the orientation of the portable electronic device;

an audio source configured to provide an audio signal that includes one or more channels;

for each of the one or more channels,

a plurality of speaker components for producing sound from the channel, each speaker component being coupled to an output of one of a plurality of speaker mixers, each speaker component being spaced apart from the remaining speaker components; and

a low-pass filter to produce a low frequency portion of the channel that is coupled to a first input of each of the plurality of speaker mixers,

a high-pass filter to produce a high frequency portion of the channel;

a decorrelation engine coupled to the high-pass filter for each of the one or more channels, the decorrelation engine to produce a plurality of decorrelated high frequency signals;

an audio router configured to couple each of the plurality of decorrelated high frequency signals to a second input of each of the plurality of speaker mixers for each of the one or more channels, where the plurality of decorrelated high frequency signals are coupled to speaker mixers selected according to the orientation of the portable electronic device.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 21, further comprising a bass mixer coupled to the low-pass filter for each of two or more channels, the bass mixer to combine the low frequency portions of the channels to produce a combined low frequency signal that is coupled to the first input of each of the plurality of speaker mixers.

23. The portable electronic device of claim 21, further comprising a decorrelation metric generator coupled to the high-pass filter for each of two or more channels and to the decorrelation engine, the decorrelation metric generator to compare outputs of the high-pass filter for each of the one or more channels and generate decorrelation metrics that are sent to the decorrelation engine to control decorrelation between the high frequency portion of the two or more channels.

24. The portable electronic device of claim 21, wherein the decorrelation engine includes a plurality of all-pass filters to produce the plurality of decorrelated high frequency signals by shifting phases of the high frequency portions of the one or more channels.