US 10,219,094 B2 · Acoustic detection of audio sources to facilitate reproduction of spatial audio spaces

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to electrical and electronic hardware, computer software, wired and wireless network communications, and wearable computing devices to facilitate production and/or reproduction of a spatial sound field and/or one or more audio spaces. More specifically, disclosed are systems, components and methods to determine acoustically positions of audios sources, such as vocal users, for providing audio spaces and spatial sound field reproduction for remote listeners. In one embodiment, a media device includes a housing, transducers disposed in the housing to emit audible acoustic signals into a region including one or more audio sources, acoustic probe transducers configured to emit ultrasonic signals and acoustic sensors configured to sense received ultrasonic signals reflected from an audio source. A controller can determine a position of the audio source.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a housing;
a plurality of transducers disposed in the housing and configured to emit audible acoustic signals into a region external to the housing, the region including one or more audio sources;
a plurality of acoustic probe transducers configured to emit ultrasonic signals, at least a subset of the acoustic probe transducers each is configured to emit a unique ultrasonic signal;
a plurality of acoustic sensors configured to sense received ultrasonic signals reflected from the one or more audio sources;
a controller configured to determine a position of at least one audio source of the one or more audio sources;
and
a signal modulator configured to generate the unique ultrasonic signal;
and
a driver configured to maintain an acoustic probe transducer at an approximate maximum displacement during a shift from a first characteristic to a second characteristic.

6 more elements

A method comprising:

generating unique ultrasonic signals, at least a unique ultrasonic signal being generated for emission from corresponding an acoustic probe transducer;
emitting the unique ultrasonic signal in a direction associated with an orientation of the acoustic probe transducer;
sensing reflected ultrasonic signals from one or more surfaces, a subset of surfaces being associated with an audio source;
determining a distance from a point in space incident with a local audio system to the audio source based on a sensed reflected ultrasonic signal from the subset of surfaces being associated with the audio source;
identifying a position of the audio source relative to the point m space as a function of the distance to the audio source;
transmitting data representing audio to a remote audio system at a remote location to reproduce the audio as spatially originating from the position of the audio source relative to the remote audio system;
filtering other reflected ultrasonic signals;
matching data representing the unique ultrasonic signal against the sensed reflected ultrasonic signals;
determining a match associated with a delay;
and
identifying a range based on the delay.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Acoustic detection of audio sources to facilitate reproduction of spatial audio spaces

Life of this patent

Acoustic detection of audio sources to facilitate reproduction of spatial audio spaces

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18