Acoustic device for streaming audio data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9788114-B2
Application number	US-201514665367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2015
Priority date	Mar 23, 2015
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

The technology described in this document can be embodied in a first acoustic device that includes an input port configured to receive an input signal representing audio from a media device, and one or more acoustic transducers. The first acoustic device also includes one or more processors configured to generate, from the input signal, a first signal for producing an acoustic output from the one or more transducers, and a second signal for producing an acoustic output from a second acoustic device. The first and second signals are generated from the input signal based on a feedback signal received from the second acoustic device. The first acoustic device also includes an output port for providing a portion of the second signal to the second acoustic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A first acoustic device comprising:
an input port configured to receive an input signal representing audio from a media device;
one or more acoustic transducers;
a receptacle configured to detachably engage a second acoustic device for charging a battery of the second acoustic device;
one or more processors configured to:
generate, from the input signal, a first signal for producing an acoustic output from the one or more transducers, and a second signal for producing an acoustic output from the second acoustic device, wherein the first and second signals are generated from the input signal based on a feedback signal received from the second acoustic device, the feedback signal including information indicative of a distance of the second acoustic device from the first acoustic device,
determine that the distance of the second acoustic device from the first acoustic device satisfies a threshold condition,
responsive to determining that the distance of the second acoustic device from the first acoustic device satisfies a threshold condition, adjust the first and second signals such that the acoustic output from the second acoustic device is adjusted in accordance with the acoustic output from the one or more transducers; and

an output port for providing a portion of the second signal to the second acoustic device.

2. The first acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the media device is a television.

3. The first acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the input port comprises a receptacle for detachably engaging a wire from the media device.

4. The first acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the input port is configured to receive a wireless signal as the input signal.

5. The first acoustic device of claim 1 comprising multiple transducers.

6. The first acoustic device of claim 5 , wherein the first signal is configured to produce acoustic outputs from the multiple transducers.

7. The first acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the second signal is configured to produce acoustic outputs from multiple speaker devices.

8. The first acoustic device of claim 7 , wherein the acoustic output from one of the multiple speaker devices is different from the acoustic output from another of the multiple speaker devices.

9. The first acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the output port comprises a transmitter for transmitting the second signal to the second acoustic device.

10. The first acoustic device of claim 9 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the second signal in accordance with a Bluetooth® standard.

11. The first acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the feedback signal comprises information on a relative position of the second acoustic device with respect to the first acoustic device.

12. The first acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to use beamforming techniques in generating the first and second signals.

13. A method comprising:
receiving, at a first speaker device that includes one or more processing devices, an input signal representing audio from a media device;
receiving, at the first speaker device, a feedback signal from a second speaker device, the feedback signal comprising information indicative of a distance of the second speaker device with respect to the first speaker device;
processing the input signal based on the information from the feedback signal to generate an output signal configured to produce an acoustic output from the second speaker device, wherein processing the input signal comprises:
determining that the distance of the second speaker device from the first speaker device satisfies a threshold condition, and
responsive to determining that the distance of the second speaker device from the first speaker device satisfies a threshold condition, adjusting the output signal such that the acoustic output from the second acoustic device is adjusted in accordance with the acoustic output from the first speaker device; and

providing the output signal to the second speaker device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the feedback signal further comprises information on a user preference associated with an acoustic output of the second speaker device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising generating the output signal also based on the user preference.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the user preference indicates an acoustic intelligibility of the user.

17. A system comprising:
a speaker device; and
a docking device configured to detachably engage with the speaker device, the docking device comprising:
a charging connector configured to provide an electrical connection with a charging port of the speaker device,
an input port configured to receive an input signal representing audio from a media device,
one or more transducers configured to produce acoustic output, one or more processors configured to:
generate, from the input signal, a first signal for producing an acoustic output from the one or more transducers, and a second signal for producing an acoustic output from the speaker device, wherein the second signal is generated based on a feedback signal from the speaker device, the feedback signal including information indicative of a distance between the speaker device and the docking device
responsive to determining that the distance of the speaker device from the docking device satisfies a threshold condition, adjust the first and second signals such that the acoustic output from the speaker device is adjusted in accordance with the acoustic output from the one or more transducers, and

an output connector for providing the second signal to the speaker device.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to use beamforming techniques in generating the first and second signals.

19. The first acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to extract the information indicative of the distance of the second acoustic device from the first acoustic device based on a power of the feedback signal received at the first acoustic device.

20. The first acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein a modulated infra-red (IR) radiation signal includes the feedback signal, and the one or more processors are configured to extract the information indicative of the distance of the second acoustic device from the first acoustic device based on analyzing one or more characteristics of the IR radiation.

21. The first acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein determining that the distance of the second acoustic device from the first acoustic device satisfies the threshold condition comprises determining that the distance of the second acoustic device from the first acoustic device is larger than a predetermined distance.

22. The first acoustic device of claim 21 , wherein the first and second signals are adjusted such that the acoustic output from the second acoustic device is substantially same as the acoustic output from the first acoustic device.

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04R2430/01

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

• H04S7/301

  Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone · CPC title

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title

• H04R2205/024

  Positioning of loudspeaker enclosures for spatial sound reproduction · CPC title