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US 7,443,987 B2Granted
Discrete surround audio system for home and automotive listening
AssigneeHarman International Industries, Incorporated
InventorDavid H. Griesinger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sound processing system increases the robustness of surround sound in various playback situations. The system may process an incoming signal, such as a five channel surround sound signal, with a first and a second matrix. The first and second matrices produce outputs signals from the input incoming signals. At least one of the output signals may be combined before being sent to the speakers.
Claims77
A sound processing system for receiving a plurality of input signals and for generating output signals for a plurality of output channels, the sound processing system comprising:
- a first matrix generates first output signals for the plurality of output channels in response to at least two first input signals, the first matrix having first dimensions for a number of inputs to a number of outputs, the number of inputs for the first matrix comprising at least two inputs;
- a second matrix generates at least one second output signal for at least one of the plurality of output channels in response to at least two second input signals, the second matrix having second dimensions for a number of inputs to a number of outputs, the number of inputs for the second matrix comprising at least two inputs, where the first matrix and the second matrix operate in parallel to one another;
- and
- at least one combiner in communication with the first matrix and the second matrix, the combiner generates signals for at least some of the plurality of the output channels for the sound processing system in response to the first output signals and the second output signals,
- where the first matrix generates a first signal for output on a particular output channel;
- where the second matrix generates a second signal for output on the same particular output channel;
- where none of the one or more input signals used to generate the first signal are used to generate the second signal;
- where the combiner combines the first signal for output on the particular output channel from the first matrix with the second signal for output on the particular output channel from the second matrix in order to generate a signal for the particular output channel;
- and
- where a sum of the number of outputs of the first matrix and the number of outputs of the second matrix is greater than a number of all of the plurality of the output channels of the sound processing system.
7 more elements
A sound processing system comprising:
- a first matrix decoder generates at least one first output signal in response to at least two first input signals, the first matrix decoder having first dimensions for a number of inputs to a number of outputs, the number of inputs for the first matrix decoder comprising at least two inputs;
- a second matrix decoder generates at least one second output signal in response to at least two second input signals, the second matrix decoder having second dimensions for a number of inputs to a number of outputs, the number of inputs for the second matrix decoder comprising at least two inputs where the first matrix decoder and the second matrix decoder operate in parallel to one another;
- and
- at least one summer in communication with the first matrix decoder and the second matrix decoder, the summer generates a speaker signal in response to the at least one first output signal and the at least one second output signal,
- where at least part of the first dimensions is different from at least part of the second dimensions,
- where at least one of the at least two first input signals and at least one of the at least two second input signals.
3 more elements
A sound processing system comprising:
- a first matrix that operates on an input left front signal and an input right front signal to produce a first set of outputs;
- a second matrix that operates on an input surround left signal and an input surround right signal to produce a second set of outputs, with the second matrix not operating on any input signals that are input to the first matrix, where the first matrix and the second matrix operate in parallel to one another;
- and
- where the first matrix generates a first signal for output on a particular output channel;
- where the second matrix generates a second signal for output on the same particular output channel;
- where none of the signals used to generate the first signal are used to generate the second signal;
- where the first signal for output on the particular output channel from the first matrix is combined with the second signal for output on the particular output channel from the second matrix in order to generate a signal for the particular output channel,
- where a sum of a number of the first set of outputs from the first matrix and a number of the second set of outputs from the second matrix is greater than a number of all of the plurality of the output channels of the sound processing system.
5 more elements
A sound processing system comprising:
- a first two-channel to multi-channel matrix that operates on an input left front signal and an input right front signal to produce a first set of outputs;
- a second two-channel to multi-channel matrix that operates on an input surround left signal and an input surround right signal to produce a second set of outputs, with the second two-channel matrix not operating on the input left front signal or the input right front signal where the first two-channel to multi-channel matrix and second two-channel to multi-channel matrix operate in parallel to one another;
- and
- at least one combiner combines the first set of outputs with at least one of the second set of outputs to produce a third set of outputs for at least one of a plurality of output channels for the sound processing system,
- where the first two-channel to multi-channel matrix generates a first signal for output on a particular output channel;
- where the second two-channel to multi-channel matrix generates a second signal for output on the same particular output channel;
- where none of the signals used to generate the first signal are used to generate the second signal;
- where the combiner combines the first signal for output on the particular output channel from the first matrix with the second signal for output on the particular output channel from the second matrix in order to generate a signal for the particular output channel;
- and
- where a sum of a number of the first set of outputs from the first two-channel to multi-channel matrix and a number of the second set of outputs from the second two-channel to multi-channel matrix is greater than a number of all of the plurality of the output channels of the sound processing system.
7 more elements
A method for providing audio output signals for a sound processing system comprising:
- producing a first set of outputs in response to an input front left signal and an input front right signal, at least one of the first set of outputs for a particular output channel;
- producing, in parallel with the production of the first set of outputs, a second set of outputs in response to an input surround left signal and an input surround right signal, the second set of outputs not being dependent on the input front left signal or the input front right signal, at least one of the second set of outputs for the same particular output channel, where none of the signals used to produce the one of the first set of outputs are used to generate the one of the second set of outputs;
- and
- combining the first set of outputs and the second set of outputs to produce a third set of outputs for at least some of a plurality of output channels for the sound processing system with the one of the first set of outputs for the particular output channel being combined with the one of the second set of outputs for the particular output channel,
- where a sum of a number of the first set of outputs and a number of the second set of outputs is greater than a number of all of the plurality of the output channels of the sound processing system.
2 more elements
A sound processing system comprising:
- a least one matrix, the matrix receives an input front left signal and an input front right signal and to output a first set of output signals, and receives an input side left signal and an input side right signal and to output a second set of output signals, the second set of output signals not being dependent on the input front left signal or input front right signal;
- and
- at least one combiner combines the first set of output signals with the second set of output signals to generate signals for at least some of a plurality of output channels for the surround sound system,
- where a sum of the number of the first set of output signals and the second set of output signals is greater than a number of all of the plurality of the output channels of the sound processing system,
- where at least one of the first set of output signals comprises a first signal for output on a particular output channel;
- where at least one of the second set of output signals comprises a second signal for output on the same particular output channel;
- where none of the signals used to generate the first signal are used to generate the second signal;
- and where the second set of output signals is produced in parallel with the first set of output signals.
5 more elements
A method for providing audio output signals for a sound processing system comprising:
- generating, using a first matrix, at least one first output signal for a particular output channel in response to at least two first input signals, the first matrix having first dimensions for a number of inputs to a number of outputs, the number of inputs for the first matrix comprising at least two inputs;
- generating, in parallel to generating the at least one first output signal using a second matrix, at least one second output signal for the same particular output channel in response to at least two second input signals, the second matrix having second dimensions for a number of inputs to a number of outputs, the number of inputs for the second matrix comprising at least two inputs;
- and
- combining the at least one first output signal and the at least one second output signal to generate at least one speaker signal for the particular output channel for the sound processing system,
- where none of the input signals used to generate the at least one first output signal are used to generate the at least one second output signal;
- where a sum of the number of outputs of the first matrix and the number of outputs of the second matrix is greater than a number of all of the plurality of the output channels of the sound processing system.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.