Method and apparatus for controlling audio output

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016170707-A1
Application number	US-201314902666-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2013
Priority date	Jul 9, 2013
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to enhance the experience of a user of a computing device, such as a computing device having a plurality of speakers. In the context of a method, content is caused to be presented upon the display. The content is associated with a representation of an audio source. The method also includes determining a location of the representation of the audio source relative to the display. The method further includes preferentially directing audio signals generated by the audio source to one or more of a plurality of speakers that have different respective positions relative to the display. In this regard, the method may preferentially direct the audio signals by preferentially directing audio signals based upon the location of the representation of the audio source relative to the display and also based upon the respective positions of the speakers relative to the display.

First claim

1 - 32 . (canceled)

33 . A method comprising:
causing content to be presented upon a display, wherein the content is associated with a representation of an audio source; determining a location of the representation of the audio source relative to the display; and preferentially directing audio signals generated by the audio source to one or more of a plurality of speakers that have different respective positions relative to the display, wherein preferentially directing audio signals comprises preferentially directing audio signals based upon the location of the representation of the audio source relative to the display and respective positions of the speakers relative to the display.

34 . A method according to claim 33 , wherein preferentially directing audio signals comprises causing the audio signals to be output with greater volume by the one or more speakers that are closest to the representation of the audio source on the display.

35 . A method according to claim 34 , wherein causing the audio signals to be output with greater volume comprises causing the audio signals to only be output by a subset of the plurality of speakers such that one or more speakers that are further from the representation of the audio source on the display are not caused to output the audio signals.

36 . A method according to claim 34 , wherein causing the audio signals to be output with greater volume comprises causing the audio signals to be output by a plurality of speakers and causing the audio signals output by the plurality of speakers to have different volumes based upon the location of the representation of the audio source relative to the display and the respective positions of the plurality of speakers relative to the display.

37 . A method according to claim 36 , further comprising causing the content to be scrolled upon the display such that the location of the representation of the audio source relative to the display changes, and wherein preferentially directing audio signals comprises modifying the preferential directing of the audio signals as the location of the representation of the audio source relative to the display changes in response to scrolling of the content.

38 . A method according to claim 37 , wherein the representation of the audio source is not presented upon the display prior to causing content to be presented upon a display, and wherein preferentially directing audio signals further comprises causing the audio signals to be output with a volume that depends upon a distance that the content must be scrolled to cause the representation of the audio source to be presented upon the display and a direction in which the representation of the audio source is being scrolled relative to the display.

39 . A method according to claim 38 , wherein causing the audio signals to be output with the volume comprises causing the audio signals to be output with a volume that is inversely proportional to the distance that the content must be scrolled to cause the representation of the audio source to be presented upon the display.

40 . A method according to claim 33 , wherein the audio source comprises at least one of a media player, a music store application, an advertisement or a media clip.

41 . A method according to claim 33 , wherein the representation of the audio source comprises a user selectable tab associated with the content.

42 . A method according to claim 33 , wherein the content includes a plurality of audio sources, and wherein preferentially directing audio signals comprises causing audio signals from no more than a predetermined maximum number of audio sources to be concurrently output.

43 . An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
cause content to be presented upon a display, wherein the content is associated with a representation of an audio source; determine a location of the representation of the audio source relative to the display; and preferentially direct audio signals generated by the audio source to one or more of a plurality of speakers that have different respective positions relative to the display, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to preferentially direct audio signals by preferentially directing audio signals based upon the location of the representation of the audio source relative to the display and respective positions of the speakers relative to the display.

44 . An apparatus according to claim 43 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to preferentially directing audio signals by causing the audio signals to be output with greater volume by the one or more speakers that are closest to the representation of the audio source on the display.

45 . An apparatus according to claim 44 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to cause the audio signals to be output with greater volume by causing the audio signals to only be output by a subset of the plurality of speakers such that one or more speakers that are further from the representation of the audio source on the display are not caused to output the audio signals.

46 . An apparatus according to claim 44 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to cause the audio signals to be output with greater volume by causing the audio signals to be output by a plurality of speakers and causing the audio signals output by the plurality of speakers to have different volumes based upon the location of the representation of the audio source relative to the display and the respective positions of the plurality of speakers relative to the display.

47 . An apparatus according to claim 46 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to cause the content to be scrolled upon the display such that the location of the representation of the audio source relative to the display changes, and wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to preferentially direct audio signals by modifying a preferential direction of the audio signals as the location of the representation of the audio source relative to the display changes in response to scrolling of the content.

48 . An apparatus according to claim 47 , wherein the representation of the audio source is not presented upon the display prior to causing content to be presented upon a display, and wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to preferentially direct audio signals by causing the audio signals to be output with a volume that depends upon a distance that the content must be scrolled to cause the representation of the audio source to be presented upon the display and a direction in which the representation of the audio source is being scrolled relative to the display.

49 . An apparatus according to claim 48 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to cause the audio signals to be output with the volume by causing the audio signals to be output with a volume that is inversely proportional to the distance that the content must be scrolled to cause the representa

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Petainen Henna Katrina

Classifications

• H04R2430/01

  Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems · CPC title

• H04R2499/15

  Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops · CPC title

• H04R3/12

  for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} · CPC title

• G06F3/0485

  Scrolling or panning · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title