Augmenting existing acoustic profiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9736614-B2
Application number	US-201514665396-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2015
Priority date	Mar 23, 2015
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

The technology described in this document can be embodied in a method that includes receiving, at a processing device, a feedback signal from a recording device, and generating, based on the feedback signal, a control signal for adjusting an acoustic output of a speaker device to achieve a target acoustic distribution within the environment. The feedback signal can indicate an acoustic characteristic of an environment in which a speaker device is located. The method also includes providing the control signal to the speaker device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a processing device, a feedback signal generated based on capturing of audio output from a first speaker device by a microphone disposed in a second speaker device, wherein the feedback signal indicates one or more acoustic characteristics of the audio output from the first speaker device as received at an environment in which the second speaker device is located;
processing the feedback signal to determine a first acoustic distribution at the environment in which the second speaker device is located, the first acoustic distribution resulting from, at least in part, the audio output of the first device;
generating a control signal for adjusting an acoustic output of the second speaker device to achieve a target acoustic distribution within the environment, wherein the target acoustic distribution augments the first acoustic distribution at the environment; and
providing the control signal to the second speaker device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first speaker device includes a television speaker.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first speaker device includes a speaker associated with a media playing device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control signal comprises information on filter coefficients of an adaptive filter that controls the acoustic output of the second speaker device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing a verification that the feedback signal substantially matches an expected template signal.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the verification comprises determining a similarity measure between the feedback signal and the expected template signal.

7. A method comprising:
recording, using a microphone disposed in a second speaker device, an audio signal from a remote first speaker device;
transmitting a feedback signal based on the audio signal recorded using the microphone disposed in the second speaker device, the feedback signal being indicative of a first acoustic distribution at an environment in which the second speaker device is located, the first acoustic distribution resulting from, at least in part, the audio signal from the first speaker device as received at the environment;
receiving a control signal responsive to transmitting the feedback signal, wherein the control signal is configured to adjust an acoustic transducer of the second speaker device in accordance with a target acoustic distribution that augments the first acoustic distribution; and
performing an adjustment of the acoustic transducer based on the received control signal such that an acoustic output of the acoustic transducer is changed due to the adjustment.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the audio signal comprises audio output of a television speaker.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the audio signal comprises audio output of a media playing device.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the control signal comprises information on filter coefficients of an adaptive filter that controls the acoustic output of the acoustic transducer.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the adjustment comprises updating the adaptive filter based on the information on the filter coefficients.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the adjustment comprises:
obtaining a new version of the adaptive filter using the information on the filter coefficients; and
transitioning an audio stream from a previous version of the adaptive filter to the new version of the adaptive filter.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein transitioning the audio stream comprises a crossfading from the previous version of the adaptive filter to the new version of the adaptive filter.

14. A system comprising:
an input port configured to receive an input signal representing audio from a media device;
a receiver device configured to receive a feedback signal from a second speaker device, wherein the feedback signal indicates one or more acoustic characteristics of audio output from a first speaker device as received at an environment in which the second speaker device is located;
one or more processors configured to:
process the feedback signal to determine a first acoustic distribution at the environment in which the second speaker device is located, the first acoustic distribution resulting from, at least in part, the audio output of the first device, and
generate a control signal for adjusting an acoustic output of the second speaker device to achieve a target acoustic distribution within the environment, wherein the target acoustic distribution augments the first acoustic distribution at the environment; and

an output port for providing the control signal to the second speaker device.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the feedback signal is acoustic, and the receiver device comprises a microphone for recording the feedback signal.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the receiver device is configured to receive a signal transmitted in accordance with a wireless transmission standard.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the wireless transmission standard is Bluetooth®.

18. The system of claim 14 , further comprising one or more transducers configured to produce an acoustic output.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising an adaptive filter that controls the acoustic output produced by the one or more transducers.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the control signal comprises information on filter coefficients for updating the adaptive filter.

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Kofman Igor
• Crist David Rolland
• Mulhearn Christopher James
• Belge Matthew
• Tiene Michael
• Mayman Avrum G

Classifications

• H04R2499/15

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

• H04R2205/021

  Aspects relating to docking-station type assemblies to obtain an acoustical effect, e.g. the type of connection to external loudspeakers or housings, frequency improvement · CPC title

• H04R5/04

  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 title

• H04R3/12

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

• H04S7/303 Primary

  Tracking of listener position or orientation · CPC title