Robust crosstalk cancellation using a speaker array

A method for generating a beam pattern matrix that causes a speaker array to provide a beam pattern corresponding to a particular audio frequency, comprising:

• positioning a first set of microphones in a room, wherein the first set of microphones are positioned to simulate a location of the left ear of a listener;
• positioning a second set of microphones in the room, wherein the second set of microphones are positioned to simulate a location of the right ear of the listener;
• positioning a third set of microphones in the room separate from the first and second sets of microphones;
• driving a speaker array with a left audio channel and a right audio channel;
• determining a set of beam patterns that (1) maximize the left audio channel and minimizes the right audio channel at the first set of microphones, (2) maximize the right audio channel and minimizes the left audio channel at the second set of microphones, (3) and minimizes sound sensed by the third set of microphones;
• determining a transfer function for the room;
• and
• generating the beam pattern matrix to represent the beam patterns as a set of real values for driving the speaker array for a particular frequency, utilizing the transfer function during the generation of the beam pattern matrix to compensate for effects caused by the right audio channel and the left audio channel propagating through the room.

A system for generating a beam pattern matrix that causes a speaker array to provide a beam pattern corresponding to a particular audio frequency, comprising:

• a first set of microphones representing the left ear of a listener, wherein the listener is located in a room;
• a second set of microphones representing the right ear of the listener;
• a third set of microphones representing other areas of a room in which the listener is located;
• and
• an audio processor for determining a set of beam patterns for a speaker array that produce a left audio channel at the first set of microphones and a right audio channel at the second set of microphones while minimizing sound sensed by the third set of microphones, wherein the audio processor determines a transfer function for the room, generates the beam pattern matrix to represent the beam patterns as a set of real values for driving the speaker array, and utilizes the transfer function during the generation of the beam pattern matrix to compensate for effects caused by the right audio channel and the left audio channel propagating through the room.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions which, when executed by a processor in a computing device,
• identify a location of a listener in a room;
• retrieve a previously stored beam pattern matrix corresponding to the identified location of the listener from a storage that contains a plurality of beam pattern matrices, each of the plurality of beam pattern matrices corresponding to a particular audio frequency, and each of the plurality of beam pattern matrices having been compensated for effects caused by test sounds propagating through the room during the generation of the plurality of beam pattern matrices using a transfer function for the room;
• and
• drive a speaker array to produce a set of beam patterns based on the retrieved beam pattern matrix, wherein the retrieved beam pattern matrices cause the beam patterns to (1) increase a left channel and decrease a right channel of a piece of sound program content at the left ear of the listener, (2) increase the right channel and decrease the left channel at the right ear of the listener, and (3) minimizes sound in all other areas of the room.

A non-transitory machine readable medium storing executable instructors which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method of performing crosstalk cancellation, the method comprising:

• identifying a location of a listener in a room;
• retrieving a previously stored set of beam pattern matrices corresponding to the identified location of the listener from a storage that contains the set of beam pattern matrices, each of the plurality of beam pattern matrices corresponding to a particular audio frequency, and each of the plurality of beam pattern matrices having been compensated for effects caused by test sounds propagating through the room during the generation of the plurality of beam pattern matrices using a transfer function for the room;
• and
• driving a speaker array to produce a set of beam patterns based on the retrieved set of beam pattern matrices, wherein the retrieved set of beam pattern matrices cause the beam patterns to (1) increase a left channel and decrease a right channel of a piece of sound program content at the left ear of the listener, (2) increase the right channel and decrease the left channel at the right ear of the listener, and (3) decrease sound power in all other areas of the room.