Automated user/sensor location recognition to customize audio performance in a distributed multi-sensor environment

A wireless device, comprising:

• a communication interface to communicate with one or more local external devices;
• and
• a processing circuit coupled to the communication interface, the processing circuit adapted to
• ascertain a relative location of a target user with respect to the wireless device and one or more external loudspeakers, where the location of the target user relative to the wireless device is arbitrary;
• and
• wirelessly send speaker-specific audio signals from the wireless device to the one or more external loudspeakers, each speaker-specific audio signal adapted to be played back at a corresponding external loudspeaker to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user.

A wireless device, comprising:

• means for communicating with one or more local external devices;
• means for ascertaining a relative location of a target user with respect to the wireless device and one or more external loudspeakers, where the location of the target user relative to the wireless device is arbitrary;
• and
• means for wirelessly sending speaker-specific audio signals from the wireless device to the one or more external loudspeakers, each speaker-specific audio signal adapted to be played back at a corresponding external loudspeaker to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user.

A method operational in a wireless device, comprising:

• automatically ascertaining the presence of one or more external loudspeakers;
• automatically ascertaining a relative location of a target user with respect to the one or more external loudspeakers;
• and
• steering first audio signals to the one or more external loudspeakers to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user.

A wireless device, comprising:

• a communication interface to communicate with one or more local external devices;
• and
• a processing circuit coupled to the communication interface, the processing circuit adapted to
• automatically ascertain the presence of one or more external loudspeakers;
• automatically ascertain a relative location of a target user with respect to the one or more external loudspeakers;
• and
• steer first audio signals to the one or more external loudspeakers to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user.

A wireless device, comprising:

• means for automatically ascertaining the presence of one or more external loudspeakers;
• means for automatically ascertaining a relative location of a target user with respect to the one or more external loudspeakers;
• and
• means for steering first audio signals to the one or more external loudspeakers to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user.

A processor-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:

• automatically ascertain the presence of one or more external loudspeakers;
• automatically ascertain a relative location of a target user with respect to the one or more external loudspeakers;
• and
• steer first audio signals to the one or more external loudspeakers to achieve a surround sound experience aimed at the target user.

A method operational in an external device, comprising:

• receiving a first instruction from a wireless device to activate a microphone and provide a first audio signal captured by the microphone to the wireless device in order to locate the external device relative to the wireless device;
• receiving a second instruction from the wireless device to play back a second audio signal through an external loudspeaker to assist in locating the external device relative to the wireless device;
• and
• receiving a third instruction from the wireless device to activate the microphone and send a third audio signal captured by the microphone to the wireless device in order to ascertain a location of a target user relative to the wireless device.

An external device, comprising:

• a communication interface to wirelessly communicate with a wireless device;
• a processing circuit coupled to the communication interface, the processing circuit adapted to
• receive a first instruction from a wireless device to activate a microphone and provide a first audio signal captured by the microphone to the wireless device in order to locate the external device relative to the wireless device;
• receive a second instruction from the wireless device to play back a second audio signal through an external loudspeaker to assist in locating the external device relative to the wireless device;
• and
• receive a third instruction from the wireless device to activate the microphone and send a third audio signal captured by the microphone to the wireless device in order to ascertain a location of a target user relative to the wireless device.

An external device, comprising:

• means for receiving a first instruction from a wireless device to activate a microphone and provide a first audio signal captured by the microphone to the wireless device in order to locate the external device relative to the wireless device;
• means for receiving a second instruction from the wireless device to play back a second audio signal through an external loudspeaker to assist in locating the external device relative to the wireless device;
• and
• means for receiving a third instruction from the wireless device to activate the microphone and send a third audio signal captured by the microphone to the wireless device in order to ascertain a location of a target user relative to the wireless device.

A processor-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:

• receive a first instruction from a wireless device to activate a microphone and provide a first audio signal captured by the microphone to the wireless device in order to locate the external device relative to the wireless device;
• receive a second instruction from the wireless device to play back a second audio signal through an external loudspeaker to assist in locating the external device relative to the wireless device;
• and
• receive a third instruction from the wireless device to activate the microphone and send a third audio signal captured by the microphone to the wireless device in order to ascertain a location of a target user relative to the wireless device.