Multi-speaker audio system and automatic control method

A method for detecting a speaker layout configuration in an audio system including a plurality of speaker devices and a system controller connected to the plurality of speaker devices, an input audio signal being supplied to each of the plurality of speaker devices via a common transmission line, and each of the plurality of speaker devices generating a speaker signal to emit a sound therefrom in response to the input audio signal, the method comprising:

• a first step for capturing a sound produced at a location of a listener with a pickup unit mounted in each of the plurality of speaker devices and for transmitting an audio signal of the captured sound from each of the speaker devices to the system controller;
• a second step for analyzing the audio signal transmitted in the first step from each of the plurality of speaker devices to the system controller and for calculating a distance difference between a distance of the location of the listener to the speaker device closest to the listener and a distance of the location of the listener to each of the plurality of speaker devices;
• a third step for emitting a predetermined sound from one of the speaker devices in response to a command signal from the system controller;
• a fourth step for capturing the predetermined sound, emitted in the third step, with the pickup units of the speaker devices other than the speaker device that has emitted the predetermined sound and for transmitting an audio signal of the sounds to the system controller;
• a fifth step for analyzing the audio signal transmitted in the fourth step from the speaker devices other than the speaker device that has emitted the predetermined sound and for calculating a speaker-to-speaker distance between each of the speaker devices that have transmitted the audio signal and the speaker device that has emitted the predetermined sound;
• a sixth step for repeating the third step through the fifth step until all speaker-to-speaker distances and angles between the speakers of the plurality of speaker devices are obtained;
• and
• a seventh step for calculating a layout configuration of the plurality of speaker devices based on a distance difference of each of the plurality of speaker devices obtained in the second step, and speaker-to-speaker distances and angles between the speakers of the plurality of speaker devices obtained in the fifth step.

A method for detecting a speaker layout configuration in an audio system including a plurality of speaker devices, an input audio signal being supplied to each of the plurality of speaker devices via a common transmission line, and each of the plurality of speaker devices generating a speaker signal to emit a sound therefrom in response to the input audio signal, the method comprising:

• a first step for supplying a first trigger signal from one of the speaker devices that has first detected a sound produced at a location of a listener to the other speaker devices via the common transmission line;
• a second step for recording, in response to the first trigger signal as a start point, the sound produced at the location of the listener and captured by a pickup unit of each of the plurality of speaker devices that have received the first trigger signal;
• a third step for analyzing an audio signal of the sound recorded in the second step, and calculating a distance difference between a distance of the location of the listener to the speaker device that has supplied the first trigger signal and is closest to the listener location and a distance between each of the speaker devices and the location of the listener;
• a fourth step for transmitting information of the distance difference calculated in the third step from each of the speaker devices to the other speaker devices via the common transmission line;
• a fifth step for transmitting a second trigger signal from one of the plurality of speaker devices to the other speaker devices via the common transmission line and for emitting a predetermined sound from the one of the plurality of speaker devices;
• a sixth step for recording, in response to a time of reception of the second trigger signal as a start point the predetermined sound, emitted in the fifth step and captured by the pickup unit, with each of speaker devices other than the speaker device that has emitted the predetermined sound;
• a seventh step for analyzing an audio signal captured in the sixth step with each of the speaker devices other than the speaker device that has emitted the predetermined sound, and calculating a speaker-to-speaker distance between the speaker device that has emitted the predetermined sound and each of the speaker devices that have transmitted an audio signal of the predetermined sound;
• an eighth step for repeating the fifth step through the seventh step until all speaker-to-speaker distances and angles between the sneakers of the plurality of speaker devices are obtained;
• and
• a ninth step for calculating a layout configuration of the plurality of speaker devices based on distance differences of the plurality of speaker devices obtained in the third step and speaker-to-speaker distances of the plurality of speaker devices obtained in the repeatedly performed seventh steps.

An audio system comprising a plurality of speaker devices and a server apparatus that generates, from an input audio signal, a speaker signal to be supplied to each of the plurality of speaker devices in accordance with locations of the plurality of speaker devices,

• wherein each of the plurality of speaker devices comprises:
• a pickup unit for capturing a sound,
• means for transmitting a first trigger signal from one of the plurality of speaker devices to each of the other speaker devices and the server apparatus when a pickup unit of the one of the plurality of speaker devices detects a sound equal to or higher than a predetermined level without receiving the first trigger signal from the other speaker devices
• means for transmitting a second trigger signal to each of the other speaker devices and the server apparatus and for emitting a predetermined sound when a predetermined period of time has elapsed without receiving the second trigger signal from any of the other speaker devices subsequent to the reception of a command signal from the server apparatus, and
• means for recording an audio signal of the sound, captured by the pickup unit, in response to a time of reception of one of the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal as a start point and transmitting the audio signal to the server apparatus when the one of the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal from the other speaker devices is received;
• and
• wherein the server apparatus comprises:
• distance difference calculating means for analyzing the audio signal when the audio signal is received from each of the speaker devices without transmitting the command signal, and for calculating a distance difference between a distance of a source of the sound captured by the pickup unit to the speaker device that has generated the first trigger signal and the distance of each of the speaker devices to a sound source,
• means for supplying the command signal to the plurality of speaker devices;
• speaker-to-speaker calculating means for analyzing the audio signal when the audio signal is received from each of the speaker devices subsequent to the transmission of the command signal, and for calculating a speaker-to-speaker distance and a speaker-to-speaker angle between the speaker device that has transmitted the audio signal and the speaker device that has generated the second trigger signal,
• speaker layout configuration calculating means for calculating a speaker layout configuration of the plurality of speaker devices based on a calculation result of the distance difference calculating means and the speaker-to-speaker distance and speaker-to-speaker angle, and
• storage means for storing speaker layout information calculated by the speaker layout configuration calculating means.

An audio system comprising a plurality of speaker devices and a system controller connected to the plurality of speaker devices, an input audio signal being supplied to each of the plurality of speaker devices via a common transmission line, and each of the plurality of speaker devices generating a speaker signal to emit a sound therefrom in response to the input audio signal,

• wherein each of the plurality of speaker devices comprises:
• a pickup unit for capturing a sound,
• means for transmitting a first trigger signal from one of the speaker devices to each of the other speaker devices and the system controller when a pickup unit of the one of the speaker devices detects a sound equal to or higher than a predetermined level without receiving the first trigger signal from the other speaker devices,
• means for transmitting a second trigger signal to each of the other speaker devices and the system controller and for emitting a predetermined sound when a predetermined period of time has elapsed without receiving the second trigger signal from the other speaker devices subsequent to the reception of a command signal from the system controller, and
• means for recording an audio signal of the sound captured by the pickup unit in response to a time of reception of one of the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal as a start point and for transmitting the audio signal to the system controller when the one of the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal from the other speaker devices is received;
• and
• wherein the system controller comprises:
• distance difference calculating means for analyzing the audio signal when the audio signal is received from each of the speaker devices without transmitting the command signal, and for calculating a distance difference between a distance of a source of the sound captured by the pickup unit to the speaker device that has generated the first trigger signal and the distance of each of the speaker devices to a sound source,
• means for supplying the command signal to the plurality of speaker devices;
• speaker-to-speaker distance and angle calculating means for analyzing the audio signal when the audio signal is received from each of the speaker devices subsequent to the transmission of the command signal and for calculating a speaker-to-speaker distance and speaker-to-speaker angle between the speaker device that has transmitted the audio signal and the speaker device that has generated the second trigger signal,
• speaker layout configuration calculating means for calculating a speaker layout configuration of the plurality of speaker devices based on a calculation result of the distance difference calculating means and the speaker-to-speaker distance and speaker to speaker angle, and
• a storage means for storing information of the speaker layout configuration calculated by the speaker layout configuration calculating means.

An audio system comprising a plurality of speaker devices, an input audio signal being supplied to each of the plurality of speaker devices via a common transmission line, and each of the plurality of speaker devices generating a speaker signal to emit a sound therefrom in response to the input audio signal,

• wherein each of the plurality of speaker devices comprises:
• a pickup unit for capturing a sound;
• first transmitting means for transmitting a first trigger signal from one of the speaker devices to each of the other speaker devices when a pickup unit of the one of the speaker devices detects a sound equal to or higher than a predetermined level without receiving the first trigger signal from the other speaker devices via the common transmission line;
• sound emission means for transmitting a second trigger signal to each of the other speaker devices and for emitting a predetermined sound when a predetermined period of time has elapsed without receiving the second trigger signal from the other speaker devices via the common transmission line;
• distance difference calculating means for recording an audio signal of the sound, captured by the pickup unit, in response to a time of reception of the first trigger signal as a start point, for analyzing the audio signal, and for calculating a distance difference between a distance of a source of the sound captured by the pickup unit to the speaker device that emitted the first trigger signal and a distance of the speaker device to the sound source when the first trigger signal from the other speaker devices is received;
• second transmitting means for transmitting information of the distance difference calculated by the distance difference calculating means to other speaker devices via the common transmission line;
• speaker-to-speaker distance and angle calculating means for recording the audio signal of the sound, captured by the pickup unit, in response to a time of reception of the second trigger signal as a start point, analyzing the audio signal, and calculating a distance and an angle between the speaker device and the speaker device that has generated the second trigger signal when the second trigger signal is received from the other speaker devices;
• third transmitting means for transmitting information of the speaker-to-speaker distance calculated by the speaker-to-speaker distance calculating means to other speaker devices via the common transmission line;
• receiving means for receiving the information of the distance difference and the information of the speaker-to-speaker distance from the other speaker devices via the common transmission line;
• and
• speaker layout configuration calculating means for calculating a layout configuration of the plurality of speaker devices from the information of the distance difference and speaker-to-speaker distance and angle received by the receiving means.

A server apparatus generating a speaker signal from an input audio signal and supplying the speaker signal to each of a plurality of speaker devices in accordance with locations of the plurality of speaker devices, the server apparatus comprising:

• first receiving means for receiving a first trigger signal from a speaker device closest to a location of a listener;
• distance difference calculating means for analyzing a received audio signal when the audio signal is received from the plurality of speaker devices without transmitting a command signal, and for calculating a distance difference between a distance of a source of the sound at the location of the listener to a speaker device that has generated the first trigger signal and a distance of each of the speaker devices to the sound source;
• means for supplying the plurality of speaker devices with the command signal;
• second receiving means for receiving a second trigger signal transmitted from one of the plurality of speaker devices having received the command signal;
• speaker-to-speaker distance and angle calculating means for analyzing an audio signal that is received from each of the speaker devices subsequent to transmission of the command signal, and calculating a distance and an angle between the speaker device that has transmitted the audio signal and the speaker device that has generated the second trigger signal;
• speaker layout configuration calculating means for calculating a layout configuration of the plurality of speaker devices based on a calculation result of the distance difference calculating means and a calculation result of the speaker-to-speaker distance and angle calculating means;
• and
• a storage means for storing information of the layout configuration of the plurality of speaker devices calculated by the speaker layout configuration information calculating means.

A speaker device in an audio system including a plurality of speaker devices and a server apparatus, the server apparatus generating, from an audio input signal, a speaker signal to be supplied to each of the speaker devices, and each speaker device emitting a sound in response to the speaker signal, the speaker device comprising:

• a pickup unit for capturing a sound;
• means for transmitting a first trigger signal from one of the speaker devices to each of the other speaker devices and the server apparatus when a pickup unit of the one of the speaker devices detects a sound equal to or higher than a predetermined level without receiving the first trigger signal from the other speaker devices;
• means for transmitting a second trigger signal to each of the other speaker devices and the server apparatus and for emitting a predetermined sound when a predetermined period of time has elapsed without receiving the second trigger signal from the other speaker devices subsequent to the reception of a command signal from the server apparatus;
• and
• means for recording an audio signal of sound captured by the pickup unit in response to a time of reception of one of the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal as a start point and transmitting the audio signal to the server apparatus when the one of the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal is received from the other speaker devices.

A speaker device in an audio system including a plurality of speaker devices and a system controller, the speaker device being supplied with an input audio signal via a common transmission line common to the other speaker devices, and generating a speaker signal from the input audio signal to emit a sound therefrom, the speaker device comprising:

• a pickup unit for capturing a sound;
• means for transmitting a first trigger signal from one of the speaker devices to the other speaker devices and the system controller when a pickup unit of the one of the speaker devices detects a sound equal to or higher than a predetermined level without receiving the first trigger signal from the other speaker devices;
• means for transmitting a second trigger signal to the other speaker devices and the system controller and for emitting a predetermined sound when a predetermined period of time has elapsed without receiving the second trigger signal from the other speaker devices subsequent to reception of a command signal from the system controller;
• and
• means for recording an audio signal of a sound, captured by the pickup unit, in response to a time of reception of one of the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal as a start point and for transmitting the audio signal to the system controller when the one of the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal is received from the other speaker device.

A speaker device in an audio system including a plurality of speaker devices, the speaker device being supplied with an input audio signal via a common transmission line common to the other speaker devices, and generating a speaker signal from the input audio signal to emit a sound therefrom, the speaker device comprising:

• a pickup unit for capturing a sound;
• first transmitting means for transmitting a first trigger signal from one of the speaker devices to the other speaker devices when a pickup unit of the one of the speaker devices detects a sound equal to or higher than a predetermined level without receiving the first trigger signal from the other speaker devices via the common transmission line;
• sound emission means for transmitting a second trigger signal to each of the other speaker devices and for emitting a predetermined sound when a predetermined period of time has elapsed without receiving the second trigger signal from the other speaker devices via the common transmission line;
• distance difference calculating means for recording an audio signal of a sound, captured by the pickup unit, in response to a time of reception of the first trigger signal as a start point, analyzing the audio signal, and calculating a distance difference between a distance of a source of the sound captured by the pickup unit to the speaker device that has emitted the first trigger signal and a distance of the speaker device to the sound source when the first trigger signal is received from the other speaker device;
• second transmitting means for transmitting information of the distance difference calculated by the distance difference calculating means to other speaker devices via the common transmission line;
• speaker-to-speaker distance and angle calculating means for recording the audio signal of the sound, captured by the pickup unit, in response to a time of reception of the second trigger signal as a start point, analyzing the audio signal, and calculating a distance and angle between the speaker device and another speaker device that has generated the second trigger signal when the second trigger signal is received from the other speaker device;
• third transmitting means for transmitting information of the distance calculated by the speaker-to-speaker distance calculating means to other speaker devices via the common transmission line;
• receiving means for receiving the information of the distance difference and the information of the speaker-to-speaker distance from the other speaker device via the common transmission line;
• and
• speaker layout configuration calculating means for calculating a layout configuration of the plurality of speaker devices from the information of the distance difference and speaker-to-speaker distance and angle received by the receiving means.