Sound reinforcement system having an echo suppressor and loudspeaker beamformer

Abstract

A sound reinforcement system (1) comprises several microphones (2), a microphone beamformer (5) coupled to the microphones (2), adaptive echo compensation (EC) means (4) coupled to the microphone beamformer (5) for generating an echo compensated microphone signal, and several loudspeakers (3) coupled to the adaptive EC means (4). The sound reinforcement system (1) further comprises an adaptive loudspeaker beamformer (11) coupled between the adaptive EC means (4) and the loudspeakers (3) for shaping the directional pattern of the loudspeakers (3). Advantageously the adaptive loudspeaker beamformer creates a beam pattern which is capable of creating a “null” in the direction of speaker(s) such that howling is effectively prevented. The loudspeaker beamformer (11) may for example be a Weighted Sum Beamformer, a Delay and Sum Beamformer or a Filtered Sum Beamformer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.