# US 11,115,771 B2 · Virtual simulation of spatial audio characteristics > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,771 B2 - Document ID: US11115771B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/880,623 - Filed: 2020-05-21 - Published: 2020-11-12 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-13 - Assignees: Crutchfield Corporation - Applicants: Crutchfield Corporation - Inventors: William G Crutchfield, Jr.; Richard I Wright - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115771B2 ## CPC - H04S 7/30: {Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field} - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - H04R 29/001: {for loudspeakers (H04R29/007 takes precedence)} - H04R 29/002: {Loudspeaker arrays} - H04S 5/00: Pseudo-stereo systems, e.g. in which additional channel signals are derived from monophonic signals by means of phase shifting, time delay or reverberation - H04S 7/40: {Visual indication of stereophonic sound image} - H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and method for demonstrating spatial performance of a demonstration speaker model to consumers in order to evaluate different speakers. The system and method comprise a microphone array for recording the output of the demonstration speaker model. The system and method comprise acoustic input samples for processing to an acoustic output and a processor for determining characteristics of each microphone recording, and processing an acoustic input sample and characteristics of each microphone recording corresponding to a selected demonstration speaker model. The system and method further comprise a reference speaker model for outputting an acoustic signal based on the result of the processing. The processing compensates for the performance characteristic of the reference speaker and the performance characteristic of the selected demonstration speaker so as to mimic the spatial characteristics of the demonstration speaker while avoiding bias from the reference speaker. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for simulating acoustic performance of speakers, comprising: at least one reference speaker for simulating the acoustic performance of demonstration speakers; a user interface; a storage medium storing electronic data representing three-dimensional spatial audio characteristics of at least one demonstration speaker reflecting acoustic responses of the at least one demonstration speaker measured at multiple points in three-dimensional space; and a computer processor or digital signal processor (DSP) configured to: receive, via said user interface, a first user selection of a first demonstration speaker; retrieve, from said storage medium, electronic data representing three-dimensional spatial audio characteristics of said first demonstration speaker; simulate acoustic performance of said selected first demonstration speaker by applying said three-dimensional spatial audio characteristics of said first demonstration speaker to an acoustic sample to generate a first simulated acoustic output; and output said first simulated acoustic output via said at least one reference speaker. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional audio characteristics are measured in three-dimensional points in space using a microphone array comprising a plurality of microphones substantially disposed in a plane. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional audio characteristics are measured in three-dimensional points in space using microphone arrays comprising a plurality of microphones, there being multiple microphone arrays arranged across multiple planes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional audio characteristics are measured in three-dimensional points in space using a plurality of planar microphone arrays set off from the demonstration speaker at different distances. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional audio characteristics are measured in three-dimensional points in space using a curvilinear array of microphones. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional audio characteristics are measured in three-dimensional points in space using a plurality of curvilinear arrays of microphones. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one reference speaker is a set of headphones. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the selected demonstration speaker is headphones. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one reference speaker is a speaker array. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one reference speaker is at least one free-standing speaker. ### Claim 11 A computer-implemented method of providing an audio simulation of a speaker, comprising: providing a demonstration speaker; providing a microphone array having multiple microphones; stimulating said demonstration speaker with an acoustic input; receiving the acoustic wave output of the demonstration speaker at the microphone array; processing the acoustic signal outputs of the microphone array at a signal processor; determining the three-dimensional spatial audio characteristics of said demonstration speaker based on processing the acoustic signal outputs of the microphone array representing measurements at multiple points in three-dimensional space; storing the determined three-dimensional spatial audio characteristics of said demonstration speaker in a storage medium; retrieving said determined three-dimensional spatial audio characteristics; processing said retrieved three-dimensional spatial audio characteristics and an acoustic signal input stimulus and inputting the result to a reference speaker; and delivering an acoustic wave output from said reference speaker based on said processing, thereby providing a simulated acoustic performance of the demonstration speaker using the reference speaker and the three-dimensional spatial audio characteristics measured in multiple points in space. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein a plurality of different three-dimensional spatial audio characteristics are determined for a plurality of different demonstration speakers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein a plurality of different three-dimensional spatial audio characteristics are determined for a plurality of different demonstration speakers, further comprising stimulating the reference speaker with acoustic signal inputs and applying different three-dimensional spatial audio characteristics for comparing the simulated acoustic performance of the different demonstration speakers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the three-dimensional audio characteristics are measured in three-dimensional points in space using a microphone array comprising a plurality of microphones substantially disposed in a plane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the three-dimensional audio characteristics are measured in three-dimensional points in space using microphone arrays arranged across multiple planes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the three-dimensional audio characteristics are measured in three-dimensional points in space using a plurality of planar microphone arrays set off from the demonstration speaker at different distances. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the three-dimensional audio characteristics are measured in three-dimensional points in space using a curvilinear array of microphones. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the three-dimensional audio characteristics are measured in three-dimensional points in space using a plurality of curvilinear arrays of microphones. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the reference speaker is a set of headphones. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the reference speaker is at least one free-standing speaker.