Method and system for creating a plurality of sound zones within an acoustic cavity

A system for creating a plurality of sound zones within an acoustic cavity, comprising:

• a plurality of actuators within the acoustic cavity, each configured to generate a respective acoustic output in response to a respective drive signal,
• an adaptive filter operatively connected to each of the plurality of actuators, configured to receive a respective input signal, and generate a respective output signal,
• wherein each of the adaptive filters is provided with at least one filter coefficient,
• a plurality of error sensors within the acoustic cavity, each configured to generate a respective error signal e, representing a respective sound detected by the respective error sensor,
• a control unit, configured to:
• receive an audio data signal x(n) for generating a desired sound in a desired sound zone of the plurality of sound zones, and
• provide, for the desired sound zone, a set of actuator generation coefficients kgk, a set of actuator exclusion coefficients kek, wherein k refers to a kth actuator, k=1, 2, 3 . . . , and a set of sensor weighting coefficients mem wherein m refers to a mth error sensor, m=1, 2, 3 . . . ;
• wherein each of the adaptive filters is configured to receive the provided audio data signal x(n) as the input signal, and to generate a respective output signal y(n) based on the input signal and the at least one filter coefficient;
• the control unit is further configured to:
• provide, for each of the plurality of actuators, the respective drive signal for generating the respective acoustic output, wherein the control unit is further configured to:
• generate a respective generation input signal, based on the set of actuator generation coefficients kgk, and the provided audio data signal x(n);
• generate a respective exclusion input signal, based on the set of actuator exclusion coefficients kek, and the respective output signal y(n);
• generate the respective drive signal based on the respective generation input signal and the respective exclusion input signal;
• and
• generate, for each of the adaptive filters, at least one respective updated filter coefficient;
• generate a respective weighted error signal, based on the set of sensor weighting coefficients mem and the respective error signal e;
• generate a reference signal x′(n) based on the provided audio data signal x(n), the set of actuator exclusion coefficients kek, and a secondary sound path model Ŝ representing a plurality of acoustic transmission paths from each of the plurality of actuators to each of the plurality of error sensor;
• and
• generate the respective updated filter coefficient based on the respective weighted error signal and the reference signal x′(n), to reduce the respective weighted error signal.