Sound system remote control with acoustic sensor

A method of automatically adjusting at least a predetermined one of a plurality of operating parameters in a stereo system that includes a main stereo module driving a pair of loudspeakers, a hand-held wireless remote control unit located at a desired listening location and capable of sending manually-entered control data to the main stereo module via a wireless link, and a command module responsive to the remote control unit for adjusting the parameters, the method comprising the steps of:

• causing the command module to supply a test signal to the loudspeakers for evaluating the predetermined parameter;
• sensing resultant acoustic signals from the loudspeakers with a microphone located in a housing of the wireless remote control unit;
• deriving, from signals sensed by the microphone, information relating to the predetermined parameter as sensed from each of the loudspeakers;
• transmitting the information from the wireless remote control unit to the main stereo module via a wireless transmission path;
• electronically analyzing the derived information to determine a corrective adjustment requirement relating to the predetermined parameter;
• communicating the corrective adjustment requirement to the command module so as to cause the command module to perform an appropriate corrective adjustment with regard to the predetermined parameter.

An automatic adjustment system in a stereo sound reproduction system having a plurality of associated loudspeaker units, a stereo amplifier operationally coupled to drive the loudspeaker units, a command module operationally coupled to control circuitry in the amplifier, the command module being operable via a wireless path from a hand-held wireless remote control unit that is located at a particular listening location, whereby any selected one of a plurality of adjustable operating parameters of the amplifier, including gain, may be controlled in response to commands entered manually on the remote control;

• said improvement, enabling automatic balancing of channel-to-channel delay time, comprising:
• electronic signal generator circuit means, controlled from the command module, having capability of delivering a designated audio test signal containing pulsed time markers selectively to the loudspeaker units upon receipt by the command module of a test-initiating signal from the remote control;
• a microphone, contained within a housing of the remote control unit, providing an output representing sound emanating from the loudspeaker units, the audio test signal being formulated so as to enable comparison of the delay time of the two channels as perceived by the microphone in the acoustic transmission paths from the speaker units;
• electronic audio processing circuit means, receiving as input an evaluation signal derived from the output of said microphone, for processing the evaluation signal in a manner to detect and evaluate unbalance of the delay time of the two channels, and, when such unbalance is found, to cause the command module to introduce a compensatory delay time in one of the channels so as to balance the delay time of the two channels as perceived by the microphone, thus enhancing sound quality from said sound reproduction system as perceived by a listener at the listening location by automatically balancing the delay times of the two channels.