Method and apparatus for multi-channel sound system calibration

Apparatus for calibrating a sound system that includes a plurality of loudspeakers, the apparatus comprising:

• means for mapping the plurality of loudspeakers into a virtual loudspeaker system representation displayable to a user;
• means for activating at least one calibration function that creates a calibration signal that is reproduced by one or more of the plurality of loudspeakers to produce a calibration sound perceivable by the user;
• means for modifying the virtual loudspeaker system representation to include a virtual calibration indicator that indicates a characteristic of the calibration signal;
• and
• means for adjusting the virtual calibration indicator based on a user input, wherein when the virtual calibration indicator is adjusted, a corresponding adjustment is made to the characteristic of the calibration signal until a selected calibration sound is achieved.

Apparatus for calibrating a sound system that includes a plurality of loudspeakers, the apparatus comprising:

• a display;
• an input device operable by a user;
• a sound generator coupled to the loudspeakers, the sound generator generates at least one calibration signal that has at least one characteristic, the at least one calibration signal is reproduced by one or more of the loudspeakers to produce a calibration sound that is perceivable by the user;
• and
• a processor coupled to the display, the input device and the sound generator, the processor operable to:
• map the plurality of loudspeakers into a virtual loudspeaker system representation that is displayable to the user on the display;
• activate the sound generator to generate the at least one calibration signal;
• modify the virtual loudspeaker system representation to include a virtual calibration indicator that indicates the at least one characteristic of the at least one calibration signal;
• and
• adjust the virtual calibration indicator based on a user input from the input device, wherein when the virtual calibration indicator is adjusted, a corresponding adjustment is made to the characteristic of the calibration signal until a selected calibration sound is achieved.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor in a multi-channel loudspeaker system, cause the processor to:

• map a plurality of loudspeakers into a virtual loudspeaker system representation displayable to a user;
• receive a user input that activates at least one calibration function that creates a calibration signal that is reproduced by one or more of the plurality of loudspeakers to produce a calibration sound perceivable by the user;
• modify the virtual loudspeaker system representation to include a virtual calibration indicator that indicates a characteristic of the calibration signal;
• and
• adjust the virtual calibration indicator based on a user input, wherein when the virtual calibration indicator is adjusted, a corresponding adjustment is made to the characteristic of the calibration signal until a selected calibration sound is achieved.

A method for calibrating a sound system that includes a plurality of loudspeakers, the method comprising steps of:

• mapping the plurality of loudspeakers into a virtual loudspeaker system representation displayable to a user;
• modifying the virtual loudspeaker system representation to represent a physical arrangement of the plurality of loudspeakers with respect to a listening position;
• and
• determining calibration parameters based on the modified virtual loudspeaker representation, wherein the sound system is calibrated with the calibration parameters.