Audio system with mixed rendering audio enhancement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12302076-B2
Application number	US-202318522724-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2023
Priority date	Jun 8, 2022
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

Various implementations include audio systems and methods for mixed rendering to enhance audio output. Certain implementations include an audio system having: at least one far-field speaker configured to output a first portion of an audio signal; and a pair of non-occluding near-field speakers configured to output a second portion of the audio signal in synchrony with the output of the first portion of the audio signal, where the second portion of the audio signal increases intelligibility of the speech content within the audio signal.

First claim

We claim:

1. An audio system comprising:
at least one far-field speaker configured to output a first portion of an audio signal; and
a pair of non-occluding near-field speakers configured to output a second portion of the audio signal in synchrony with the output of the first portion of the audio signal,
wherein the first portion of the audio signal and the second portion of the audio signal include distinct frequency ranges from the audio signal, wherein the first portion of the audio signal has a larger frequency range than the frequency range of the second portion of the audio signal, and
wherein the second portion of the audio signal enhances speech content within the audio signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the audio signal and the second portion of the audio signal include distinct channels of common content,
wherein the second portion of the audio signal is binaurally encoded and increases externalization of content in the audio signal when output in synchrony with the output of the first portion of the audio signal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the second portion of the audio signal enhances speech content within the audio signal it increases intelligibility of the speech content within the audio signal.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the audio signal does not include speech content and wherein the second portion of the audio signal includes speech content.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the second portion of the audio signal enhances speech content within the audio signal it allows a language of the speech content to be selectable.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one far-field speaker is housed in a soundbar.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one far-field speaker is configured to output a third portion of the audio signal when not providing output in synchrony with the pair of non-occluding near-field speakers, the third portion of the audio signal distinct from the first portion of the audio signal.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein either:
the enhancement of speech content within the audio signal for the second portion of the audio signal is user-configurable, or
the second portion of the audio signal is automatically customized based on detection of a type of device housing at least one of the pair of non-occluding near-field speakers.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pair of non-occluding near-field speakers are configured to output the second portion of the audio signal in synchrony with the output of the first portion of the audio signal in response to a trigger, the trigger including at least one of:
detecting directional alignment between the pair of non-occluding near-field speakers and the at least one far-field speaker, or
detecting a threshold proximity between the pair of non-occluding near-field speakers and the at least one far-field speaker.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first device housing the at least one far-field speaker and a second device including the pair of non-occluding near-field speakers, wherein at least one of:
a) the first device is configured to transmit either the audio signal or the second portion of the audio signal to the second device that includes the pair of non-occluding near-field speakers, wherein the transmission includes playback timing data to enable the second portion of the audio signal to be output in synchrony with the first portion of the audio signal,
b) the first device and the second device receive the audio signal from a common source device, or
c) the first device receives the first portion of the audio signal from a first source device and the second device receives the second portion of the audio signal from a second source device.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first device housing the at least one far-field speaker and a second device including the pair of non-occluding near-field speakers, wherein the first device and the second device receive the audio signal from a common source device, wherein the audio signal includes audio content accounting for surround effects and height effects, and wherein outputting the audio signal at the first device and the second device enhances externalization of the output audio signal for a user relative to outputting the audio signal at only the first device or only the second device.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the audio signal and the second portion of the audio signal include distinct frequency ranges from the audio signal, wherein the second portion of the audio signal excludes frequencies below a predetermined threshold.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one far-field speaker includes multiple far-field speakers configured to output at least left, right, and center channels of the audio signal.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein in response to determining that the at least one far-field speaker is located a minimum distance from the pair of non-occluding near-field speakers, the audio signal is provided with audio content that accounts for surround effects and height effects, such that outputting the first portion of the audio signal and the second portion of the audio signal excites a room housing the at least one far-field speaker and the pair of non-occluding near-field speakers.

15. A method comprising:
outputting a first portion of an audio signal using at least one far-field speaker; and
outputting a second portion of the audio signal, using a pair of non-occluding near-field speakers, in synchrony with the output of the first portion of the audio signal,
wherein the second portion of the audio signal enhances speech content within the audio signal, and
wherein in response to determining that the at least one far-field speaker is located a minimum distance from the pair of non-occluding near-field speakers:
providing the audio signal with audio content that accounts for surround effects and height effects, such that outputting the first portion of the audio signal and the second portion of the audio signal excites a room housing the at least one far-field speaker and the pair of non-occluding near-field speakers.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first portion of the audio signal and the second portion of the audio signal include distinct channels of common content, wherein the second portion of the audio signal is user-configurable, and wherein the first portion of the audio signal does not include speech content.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second portion of the audio signal is binaurally encoded, and wherein the second portion of the audio signal increases externalization of content in the audio signal when output in synchrony with the output of the first portion of the audio signal.

18. An audio system comprising:
at least one far-field speaker configured to output a first portion of an audio signal; and
a pair of non-occluding near-field speakers configured to output a second portion of the audio signal in synchrony with the output of the first portion of the audio signal,
wherein the first portion of the audio signal and the second portion of the audio signal include distinct frequency ranges from the audio signal, wherein the second portion of the audio signal excludes frequencies below a predetermined threshold, and wherein the second portion of the audio signal enhances speech content within the audio signal.

19. The audio system of claim 18 , wherein the at least one far-field speaker

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Tracey James Walter
• Torio Guy Anthony
• Freeman Eric John
• Blagrove Nathan
• Carvajal Santiago

Classifications

• H04S7/30

  Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field · CPC title

• H04R2430/20

  Processing of the output signals of the acoustic transducers of an array for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic (H04R2203/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title

• H04R2420/03

  Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers · CPC title

• H04R2205/024

  Positioning of loudspeaker enclosures for spatial sound reproduction · CPC title