US 12,170,885 B2Granted

Systems and methods of adjusting bass levels of multi-channel audio signals

AssigneeSonos, Inc.

InventorsHilmar Lehnert, Aurelio Ramos, Bob Dizon

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Abstract

Systems and methods for adjusting bass levels of a multi-channel audio signal include, among other features, (i) receiving the multi-channel signal via a playback device; (ii) separating, from the multi-channel signal, low-frequency signals comprising frequencies less than a threshold frequency; (iii) determining electrical energies of the low-frequency signals; (iv) determining a first energy by summing the electrical energies of the low-frequency signals; (v) consolidating the low-frequency signals into a consolidated low-frequency signal; (vi) determining a second energy by determining an electrical energy of the consolidated low-frequency signal; (vii) generating a gain-adjusted low-frequency signal by adjusting a gain of the consolidated low-frequency signal based on both (a) the first energy and (b) the second energy; (viii) generating a gain-adjusted multi-channel signal by mixing the gain-adjusted low-frequency signal back into the multi-channel signal; and (ix) using the gain-adjusted multi-channel signal to play back gain-adjusted multi-channel audio content via the playback device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

one or more processors;
tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising program instructions executable by the one or more processors such that the system is configured to:
receive a multi-channel audio signal comprising a first channel and a second channel;
for the first channel, (i) apply a low pass filter to the first channel to obtain a low-frequency component of the first channel, wherein the low-frequency component of the first channel comprises audio information below a threshold frequency, and (ii) determine an energy of the low-frequency component of the first channel;
for the second channel, (i) apply the low pass filter to the second channel to obtain a low-frequency component of the second channel, wherein the low-frequency component of the second channel comprises audio information below the threshold frequency, and (ii) determine an energy of the low-frequency component of the second channel;
sum the energies of the determined low-frequency components to obtain a sum of energies of the low-frequency components;
combine the determined low-frequency components of each channel into a consolidated low-frequency signal;
determine an electrical energy of the consolidated low-frequency signal;
generate a gain-adjusted low-frequency signal based on (i) the sum of the energies of the low-frequency components and (ii) the electrical energy of the consolidated low-frequency signal;
generate a gain-adjusted multi-channel audio signal comprising the gain-adjusted low-frequency signal;
and
cause playback of the gain-adjusted multi-channel audio signal via a plurality of audio drivers.

9 more elements

Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising program instructions executable by one or more processors such that a system is configured to perform functions comprising:

receiving a multi-channel audio signal comprising as first channel and a second channel;
for the first channel, (i) applying a low pass filter to the first channel to obtain a low-frequency component of the first channel, wherein the low-frequency component of the first channel comprises audio information below a threshold frequency, and (ii) determining an energy of the low-frequency component of the first channel;
for the second channel, (i) applying the low pass filter to the second channel to obtain a low-frequency component of the second channel, wherein the low-frequency component of the second channel comprises audio information below the threshold frequency, and (ii) determining an energy of the low-frequency component of the second channel;
summing the energies of the determined low-frequency components to obtain a sum of energies of the low-frequency components;
combining the determined low-frequency components of each channel into a consolidated low-frequency signal;
determining an electrical energy of the consolidated low-frequency signal;
generating a gain-adjusted low-frequency signal based on (i) the sum of the energies of the low-frequency components and (ii) the electrical energy of the consolidated low-frequency signal;
generating a gain-adjusted multi-channel audio signal comprising the gain-adjusted low-frequency signal;
and
causing playback of the gain-adjusted multi-channel audio signal via a plurality of audio drivers.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/332,387Filed 9 Jun 2023 · continuation
Priority: 21 Mar 2018
Published: US 2023/0328475 A112 Oct 2023
Granted: 17 Dec 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

H04S 7/307
Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field: frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control
G10L 21/0272
Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation: voice signal separating
G10L 25/21
Characterised by the type of extracted parameters: the extracted parameters being power information
H04R 5/02
Stereophonic arrangements: spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Family

Application15/927,981Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Mar 2018
Application16/582,942Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Sep 2019
US 10,462,599 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Oct 2019
Application17/135,358Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Dec 2020
US 10,880,671 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Dec 2020
US 2023/0328475 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 Oct 2023
US 11,700,501 B2Related patent
US 2019/0297449 A1Published application
US 2020/0084567 A1Published application
US 2021/0120362 A1Published application
US 12,170,885 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.