US 2017/0374465 A1 · AUDIO SYSTEM WITH CONFIGURABLE ZONES

Abstract

An audio system is described that includes one or more speaker arrays that emit sound corresponding to one or more pieces of sound program content into associated zones within a listening area. Using parameters of the audio system (e.g., locations of the speaker arrays and the audio sources), the zones, the users, the pieces of sound program content, and the listening area, one or more beam pattern attributes may be generated. The beam pattern attributes define a set of beams that are used to generate audio beams for channels of sound program content to be played in each zone. The beam pattern attributes may be updated as changes are detected within the listening environment. By adapting to these changing conditions, the audio system is capable of reproducing sound that accurately represents each piece of sound program content in various zones.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A method for driving speaker arrays, comprising:

receiving one or more pieces of sound program content associated with one or more audio sources within an audio system, wherein each piece of sound program content is designated to be played in one zone of a plurality of zones within a listening area;
determining parameters describing the zones and the audio system;
generating one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes based on the determined parameters for the zones and the audio system;
and
driving corresponding speaker arrays of the audio system with the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes such that audio beams corresponding to one or more channels of the one or more pieces of sound program content are played in corresponding zones in the listening area.

2 more elements

A computing device for driving speaker arrays, comprising:

an interface for receiving one or more pieces of sound program content associated with one or more audio sources within an audio system, wherein each piece of sound program content is designated to be played by the audio system in one zone of a plurality of zones within a listening area;
a hardware processor;
and
a memory unit for storing instructions, which when executed by the hardware processor:
determine parameters describing the zones and the audio system;
generate one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes based on the determined parameters for the zones and the audio system;
and
generate one or more drive signals for driving corresponding speaker arrays of the audio system with the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes such that audio beams corresponding to one or more channels of the one or more pieces of sound program content are played in corresponding zones in the listening area.

5 more elements

An article of manufacture for driving speaker arrays to play one or more pieces of sound program content associated with one or more audio sources within an audio system, wherein each piece of sound program content is designated to be played by the audio system in one zone of a plurality of zones within a listening area, the article of manufacture comprising:

a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions which, when executed by a processor in a computer,
determine parameters describing the zones and the audio system;
generate one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes based on the determined parameters for the zones and the audio system;
and
generate one or more drive signals for driving corresponding speaker arrays of the audio system with the one or more sets of audio beam pattern attributes such that audio beams corresponding to one or more channels of the one or more pieces of sound program content are played in corresponding zones in the listening area.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Audio system with configurable zones

Life of this patent

Audio system with configurable zones

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24