Loudspeaker beamforming for improved spatial coverage
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsYuancheng Luo, Wontak Kim, Mihir Dhananjay Shetye
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system configured to improve spatial coverage of output audio and a corresponding user experience by performing upmixing and loudspeaker beamforming to stereo input signals. The system can perform upmixing to the stereo (e.g., two channel) input signal to extract a center channel and generate three-channel audio data. The system may then perform loudspeaker beamforming to the three-channel audio data to enable two loudspeakers to generate output audio having three distinct beams. The user may interpret the three distinct beams as originating from three separate locations, resulting in the user perceiving a wide virtual sound stage despite the loudspeakers being spaced close together on the device.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:
- receiving first audio data corresponding to a left channel;
- receiving second audio data corresponding to a right channel;
- determining magnitude difference data between the first audio data and the second audio data;
- determining phase difference data between the first audio data and the second audio data;
- using the magnitude difference data and the phase difference data to generate mapping data indicating a plurality of frequencies corresponding to a center channel;
- generating third audio data by combining the first audio data and the second audio data;
- generating fourth audio data using the third audio data and the mapping data, the fourth audio data corresponding to the center channel;
- applying first beamforming filter data to the fourth audio data to generate a first portion of first output audio data corresponding to a first loudspeaker;
- and
- applying second beamforming filter data to the fourth audio data to generate a first portion of second output audio data corresponding to a second loudspeaker.
A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:
- receiving first audio data corresponding to a left channel;
- receiving second audio data corresponding to a right channel;
- determining magnitude difference data between the first audio data and the second audio data;
- determining phase difference data between the first audio data and the second audio data;
- using the magnitude difference data and the phase difference data to generate mapping data indicating a plurality of frequencies corresponding to a center channel;
- generating third audio data by combining the first audio data and the second audio data;
- generating fourth audio data using the third audio data and the mapping data, the fourth audio data corresponding to the center channel;
- subtracting the fourth audio data from the first audio data to generate fifth audio data corresponding to the left channel;
- and
- subtracting the fourth audio data from the second audio data to generate sixth audio data corresponding to the right channel.
A system comprising:
- at least one processor;
- and
- memory including instructions operable to be executed by the at least one processor to cause the system to:
- receive first audio data corresponding to a left channel;
- receive second audio data corresponding to a right channel;
- determine magnitude difference data between the first audio data and the second audio data;
- determine phase difference data between the first audio data and the second audio data;
- use the magnitude difference data and the phase difference data to generate mapping data indicating a plurality of frequencies corresponding to a center channel;
- generate third audio data by combining the first audio data and the second audio data;
- generate fourth audio data using the third audio data and the mapping data, the fourth audio data corresponding to the center channel;
- subtract the fourth audio data from the first audio data to generate fifth audio data corresponding to the left channel;
- and
- subtract the fourth audio data from the second audio data to generate sixth audio data corresponding to the right channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.