Method and a system of providing information to a user

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9532153-B2
Application number	US-201314013550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2013
Priority date	Aug 29, 2012
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A method and system for providing information to a user positioned in a room with two independent listening areas where, in one area, an audio signal is output compensating for the sound from the other area, and where a position between the two areas is indicated to a user. When the user moves about, the position and size of one listening area may change, and the user may be made aware of any conflict with the other listening area. The areas may be defined by boundaries where a compensation quality is at a threshold quality.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of providing information to a user, the method comprising:
sensing a second audio signal in a first area, the second audio signal being provided in a second area, wherein,
the first and second areas are non-overlapping areas in a space, and
the first and second areas are configured to be provided with separate signals of the second audio signal and a first audio signal, respectively,

providing, in the first area, the first audio signal generated on the basis of the sensed second audio signal, the first audio signal including a compensation signal generated based on the sensed second audio signal, the compensation signal being configured to compensate for crosstalk between the first audio signal and the second audio signal in the first area, and
indicating, to the user, a position that is in the space and between the first and second areas based on the first audio signal and the second audio signal, the position being a position at which crosstalk between the first and second audio signals is equal to or greater than a high crosstalk threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the providing of the first audio signal comprises one or more sound providers providing the first audio signal, and wherein the generating the first audio signal comprises accessing a target audio signal, generating a feed signal by adapting the target audio signal on the basis of the determined/sensed second audio signal and feeding the feed signal to one or more sound generators.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the indicating the position comprises determining a position between the first and second areas where the first audio signal fulfils a parameter.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the indicating the position comprises determining a position between the first and second areas where the second audio signal fulfils a parameter.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining a first position of a user in the second area.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the indicating the position comprises indicating the position, when the first position is within a distance of the position.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the indicating the position comprises altering the second audio signal, when the first position is within a distance of the position.

8. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising the providing the second audio signal to the second area and adapting the second audio signal to the determined position of the user.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising outputting, by a second sound generator, the second audio signal in the second area, where the second sound generator is moved around in the second area, and wherein the adapting is performed continuously or intermittently.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the indicating the position comprises launching radiation toward the position.

11. A system for providing information to a user, the system comprising:
one or more first loudspeakers provided in or directed toward a first area of a space,
a first processor configured to sense a second audio signal in the first area, the second audio signal being provided in a second area, wherein
the first and second areas are non-overlapping areas in a space, and
the first and second areas are configured to be provided with separate signals of the second audio signal and a first audio signal, respectively,

output, on the basis of the sensed signal, a feed signal to the one or more first loudspeaker(s), the feed signal including the first audio signal and a compensation signal generated based on the sensed second audio signal, the compensation signal being configured to compensate for crosstalk between the first audio signal and the second audio signal in the first area, and
an indicator configured to indicate, to the user, a position that is in the space and between the first and second areas based on the first audio signal and the second audio signal, the position being a position at which crosstalk between the first and second audio signals is equal to or greater than a high crosstalk threshold.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive a target signal, output, as the feed signal, a signal based also on the target signal.

13. The system according to claim 11 , further comprising one or more additional loudspeakers configured to output a first audio signal, and wherein the indicator is configured to indicate the position between the first and second areas where the combined first audio signal and a signal output by the additional loudspeakers when fed with the feed signal fulfils a parameter.

14. The system according to claim 11 , further comprising one or more additional loudspeakers configured to output the second audio signal in the second area, and wherein the indicator is configured to indicate a position between the first and second areas where the combined second audio signal and a signal output by the additional loudspeakers when fed with the feed signal fulfils a parameter.

15. The system according to claim 11 , further comprising a first position determining unit configured to determine a first position of a user in the second area.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the indicator is configured to indicate the position, when the first position is within a distance of the position.

17. The system according to claim 15 , further comprising one or more second loudspeakers positioned in or directed at the second area, wherein the indicator is configured to output a second feed signal to the second loudspeakers to output the second audio signal, and wherein the indicator is configured to alter the second feed signal, when the first position is within a distance of the position.

18. The system according to claim 15 , further comprising one or more second loudspeakers positioned in or directed at the second area as well as a second processor configured to receive a second input signal and output a corresponding second feed signal to the second loudspeakers, the second processor being configured to adapt the second feed signal to the determined position of the user.

19. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the first processor is configured to determine/sense the second audio signal and output the feed signal continuously or intermittently.

20. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the indicator comprises a radiation emitter configured to launch radiation toward the position.

Assignees

• Bang & Olufsen As

Inventors

• Olsen Martin
• Møller Martin Bo
• Jensen Søren Borup

Classifications

• H04R29/00 Primary

  Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements {(for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308)} · CPC title

• H04N1/0049

  providing a visual indication to the user, e.g. using a lamp (H04N1/00408 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R2499/13

  Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles · CPC title

• H04S1/007

  in which the audio signals are in digital form (data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02) · CPC title

• H04S2400/09

  Electronic reduction of distortion of stereophonic sound systems · CPC title