Apparatus and method for driving an array of loudspeakers

A method for driving an array of loudspeakers with drive signals to generate one or more local wave fields at one or more audio zones, the method comprising:

• determining desired sound pressures at a plurality of control points, wherein the plurality of control points are located on one or more contours around the one or more audio zones;
• determining desired particle velocity vectors at the plurality of control points based on the desired sound pressures;
• computing sound pressures and particle velocity vectors at the plurality of control points based on a set of filter parameters;
• jointly optimizing the computed sound pressures and computed particle velocity vectors by varying the set of filter parameters to determine an optimum set of filter parameters;
• and
• generating the drive signals based on the optimum set of filter parameters.

A computer-readable storage medium storing program code that, when executed by a processor, causes a computing apparatus to perform the steps of:

• determining desired sound pressures at a plurality of control points, wherein the plurality of control points are located on one or more contours around the one or more audio zones;
• determining desired particle velocity vectors at the plurality of control points based on the desired sound pressures;
• computing sound pressures and particle velocity vectors at the plurality of control points based on a set of filter parameters;
• jointly optimizing the computed sound pressures and computed particle velocity vectors by varying the set of filter parameters to determine an optimum set of filter parameters;
• and
• generating the drive signals based on the optimum set of filter parameters.