Patent Application
20200221217
This disclosure relates generally to sound systems featuring multiple speakers whose drivers may be automatically adjusted to vary the relative orientations between the drivers, and more specifically, the relative rotational orientations of the driver median axes.
Advances in audio technology have led to the development of home theater sound systems that seek to replicate the experience of watching a movie in a theatre. In such systems, sound is propagated in all three dimensions, with speakers in front of, behind, and overhead of the listener. The sound is encoded into digital audio source signals which are subsequently decoded into multiple channels. Each channel is an independent electrical signal that may be amplified and transmitted to one or more speaker drivers. The speaker drivers are transducers that convert the electrical signals into sound waves and may be placed at different locations and/or in different orientations throughout the listening area. Drivers include woofers, tweeters, and subwoofers, each of which has a different frequency response. A channel's electrical signal may be fed to multiple drivers and selectively filtered to make maximum use of each type of driver's frequency response.
Home systems have been developed to replicate the theater experience, and some systems include overhead speakers. However, overhead speakers can be unwieldy or unattractive in the home. In certain cases, ceilings are too high to make their use practical.
To simulate the use of overhead speakers, “reflected sound” or “up-firing” speakers have been developed. “Up-firing” speakers are those in which the median axis of the speaker driver is not parallel to the floor or other surface the speaker rests on. Up-firing speakers are located at or near ground level and include up-firing drivers, i.e., drivers facing straight up (sometimes referred to as “top firing”) or at an upward facing angle relative to a horizontal plane (such as the plane defined by a floor, table, the Earth, or a bottom surface of the up-firing speaker housing). In limiting cases with top-firing drivers, the median axis of the driver is perpendicular to the floor and/or the ceiling. However, in other cases the median axis is oriented at an angle that intersects the ceiling at a desired point of reflection. In some cases, the up-firing speakers are provided in a “soundbar” which is a lengthwise array of speakers. The soundbar may comprise part of a sound system that includes speakers firing in directions different than the up-firing speakers, and the content of the audio signals provided to the various channels associated with each speaker may be varied to achieve a desired listening experience. The sound bar may also be used in connection with separate speakers such as a subwoofer or satellite speakers placed behind the listener.
In known sound systems with up-firing speakers, the various speakers comprising the system have drivers that are oriented in different directions relative to one another. For example, the median axis of front firing speakers will be substantially parallel to a plane defined by the Earth, whereas the median axis of up-firing speakers will typically be oriented at angle that is not parallel to the Earth but which is from greater than zero degrees to 90 degrees relative to the plane defined by the Earth. The up-firing speakers will also typically be associated with their own audio channels.
However, in known sound systems that include up-firing speakers, the relative orientations between the speaker drivers are typically not adjustable. In addition, if a particular movie or program lacks up-firing content, the up-firing speakers are typically not used.
Dolby's ATMOS® technology uses up-firing speakers with a fixed degree of up-firing relative to a horizontal reference plane and any associated forward-firing speakers. Instead of encoding the digital sound data to a specific channel, ATMOS® audio signal content typically includes a metadata file that defines the assignment of the audio signal data to channels during decoding. Some of the ATMOS® channels may be up-firing channels depending on the desires of the specific content creator. One scenario in which up-firing content would be used is one in which the listener would expect sounds to emanate from overhead, such as airplane sounds.
As mentioned previously, the reason for providing up-firing speakers is to simulate overhead speakers and deliver sounds to the listener's ears from above. This requires rotating the up-firing speakers by an angle of rotation that ensures that the emitted sound will reflect off of the ceiling and travel to the listener's ears. However, especially in larger rooms and/or rooms with higher ceilings, the position of the listener relative to the sound system may vary, causing the optimum angle of rotation to vary as well.
It is desirable to provide a speaker system in which the relative orientations of the speaker drivers comprising the system are automatically adjustable, in particular, to a user selected angle of rotation between the up-firing and forward-firing speakers or based on the position of the listener relative to the sound system and/or the room geometry.
Thus, a need has arisen for a sound system that addresses one or more of the foregoing issues.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present disclosure, a sound system is provided. The sound system comprises a plurality of speakers, wherein a relative orientation between a first subset of speakers in the plurality of speakers and a second subset of speakers in the plurality of speakers is automatically adjustable.
In accordance with a first example, the sound system comprises at least one up-firing audio channel and at least one forward-firing audio channel, the second subset of speakers comprises at least one adjustable up-firing speaker operatively connected to the at least one up-firing audio channel, and the first subset of speakers comprises at least one forward-firing speaker operatively connected to the at least one forward-firing channel.
In the same or other examples, the relative orientation is an angle of rotation that is dynamically adjustable. In certain implementations, the sound system is configured to calculate a desired angle of rotation for the adjustable up-firing speakers based on at least one of room geometry information and listener location information.
In the same or other examples, the system further comprises a computer readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon, wherein when executed by the processor, the computer executable instructions cause a motor controller to rotate the second subset of speakers about a rotational axis relative to the first subset of speakers when up-firing content is detected in an audio source signal operatively connected to the processor. In the same or other implementations, the listener can set the angle of rotation of the at least one adjustable up-firing speaker to a desired value.
In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operating a sound system comprising a plurality of speakers is provided. The method comprises receiving an audio source signal, detecting up-firing content in the audio source signal, automatically adjusting an orientation of a second subset of speakers in the plurality of speakers relative to a first subset of speakers in the plurality of speakers, and transmitting an up-firing content signal corresponding to the up-firing content to the second subset of speakers. In a first example, the method further comprises receiving a first distance value for a first distance from the sound system to a listener and a second distance value for a second distance from the sound system to a ceiling, and calculating an angle of rotation between the second subset of speakers and the first subset of speakers, wherein the step of automatically adjusting the orientation of the second subset of speakers relative to the first subset of speakers comprises rotating the second subset of speakers about a rotational axis to the calculated angle of rotation.
As discussed below, the present disclosure provides sound systems with a set of speakers which may be automatically adjusted to different rotational orientations relative to one another to provide a desired listening experience. Certain known systems, such as those using Dolby ATMOS® technology, provide different audio data from an audio data stream or signal to differently oriented speakers in order to enhance the listening experience. However, the orientations of the various known speakers are not individually adjustable by the user. For example, one subset of speakers may be oriented with the median axes of their drivers aimed toward the ceiling (“up-firing”) while other subsets may be oriented with the median axes of their drivers parallel to the ceiling and the floor (“front firing” or “side firing”). Different sound data from an audio signal may be provided to the different speakers to enhance the listening experience. As used herein, the term “subset” refers to a speaker or set of speakers with orientations that are adjusted in a common fashion with one another, or for which their orientations are not adjusted.
As used herein, the term “up-firing speaker” refers to a speaker with a fixed or adjustable up-firing driver. The term “speaker” means one or more drivers in a unitary enclosure. Speakers may include up-firing, front-firing, downward firing, and/or side-firing drivers. They may also include frequency specific drivers such as woofers, tweeters, subwoofers, and full-range drivers.
The term “driver” means a single electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio input signal. Typical speaker drivers include cone, horn, and ribbon transducer speaker drivers. The driver includes a median axis which is a reference axis used to gauge the spatial distribution of sound from the driver. If the median axis points upward (i.e., has a positive angle relative to a horizontal plane such as would be defined by a floor), the speaker is said to be “up-firing.” In a limiting case, the positive angle is ninety degrees upward relative to the horizontal plane, in which case the up-firing speaker is said to also be “top firing.” One commercially available audio platform that is designed to utilize up-firing speakers is the Dolby Atmos® platform.
Front-firing and side-firing drivers project their sound in different (but sometimes overlapping) directions in the horizontal plane. Their median axes are typically substantially parallel to the horizontal plane or close enough to parallel that they could not intersect the ceiling of the room in which the speakers are placed. The “horizontal plane” is typically defined by a floor in the room in which the sound system is provided. However, there is typically some surface of the sound system housing that is a resting surface that sits on a floor, table, cabinet, etc. That resting surface will have a planar portion that serves as a reference plane and which is typically parallel to the floor, tabletop, cabinet, etc. upon which the sound system sits. In the case of a wall-mounted sound system, the median axes of the front-firing and side-firing drivers are typically perpendicular to the wall on which the sound system is mounted.
Referring to
Sound system 24 comprises a sound bar that includes a plurality of speakers 30, 32, and 34 which are adjacent one another along a length axis l. Sound system 24 includes HDMI input(s) and at least one HDMI ARC output (discussed below). Speaker 30 comprises a first subset of the plurality of speakers and speakers 32 and 34 comprise a second subset (or respective second and third subsets) of the plurality of speakers. Because the speaker 30, 32, and 34 enclosures are cylindrical, they also define a radial axis r. Although not depicted, sound system 24 also includes a processor (not shown) and a computer readable memory (not shown) within housing 40 which have computer executable instructions stored thereon. When executed by the processor, the computer executable instructions cause adjustable up-firing drivers within the plurality of speakers 30, 32, and 34 to rotate relative to front-firing drivers within the plurality of speakers 30, 32, and 43. The rotation may be triggered by the processor detecting up-firing content from an audio source signal. Alternatively, or in addition, the rotation may be triggered by a user action, such as by depressing a button on a remote control or on housing 40 of sound system 24. The processor also executes a decoder program for decoding audio source signal data as well as other known components such as digital to analog converters and power amplifiers for converting the decoded data to electrical signals transmitted to the drivers of speakers 30, 32, and 34.
End speakers 32 and 34 are spaced apart from one another along the sound system 24 length axis l and are separated by central sound bar speaker 30. Each speaker 30, 32, and 34 may have one or more drivers along the length axis l. End speakers 32, 34 have drivers located behind perforations 42 and 44 in their respective cylindrical enclosures 41, 43. Central sound bar speaker 30 has similar perforations that are covered by a cloth. The central sound bar speaker 30 may include one or more drivers. In certain examples, right, center, and left front-firing drivers are included, each of which corresponds to an independent sound system 24 audio channel. In the same or other examples, each end speaker 32, 34 also corresponds to its own respective up-firing audio channel. The nature of the sounds transmitted by each driver are dictated by the particular audio source signal being played and the manner in which the content creator chose to distribute it as among the various audio channels.
Power button 46 activates the sound system 24. A remote control may also be provided with a power button. The length of the sound system 24 along the length axis l is defined by the spacing between first length axis end 36 and second length axis end 38. A base 45 is also provided to allow for resting the sound system 24 on a tabletop or other horizontal surface. Base 45 is also configured to allow for mounting the sound system 24 on a wall 26 as shown in
As mentioned above, each speaker 30, 32, and 34 includes a unitary enclosure that may enclose one or more drivers. As used herein, the “orientation” of a speaker refers to the rotational orientation of the median axes of its drivers (or of any one driver). In certain examples, the axis of rotation is defined by the axis along which the various drivers are arranged. The arrows in
Unlike known sound systems, sound system 24 allows for automatic adjustment of the relative orientation of the median axes of the drivers in the various speakers 30, 32, and 34. In particular, the cylindrical housings 41, 43 of end speakers 32 and 34 are rotatable about the lengthwise axis l of sound system 24 to rotate their respective drivers about a rotational axis parallel to the sound system 50 lengthwise axis l. This rotation adjusts the orientation of the median axes of their respective drivers relative to the median axes of the drivers in central sound bar speaker 30. Each cylindrical housing 41, 43 of end speakers 32 and 34 is operatively connected to a motor that rotates the housing 41, 43 and the drivers within it about the sound system 24 length axis l.
The relative angles between the median axes of the speaker drivers in speakers 32 and 34 and those in speaker 30 may be a variety of angles other than 0 degrees and 90 degrees. In addition, the up-firing and front firing orientations may be reversed. For example, if sound system 24 is wall mounted with its central sound bar speaker 30 oriented so that its driver median axes face upward toward a ceiling (or the sky) (either straight upward or at an angle), then speaker 30 would be said to be in an “up-firing” orientation. In that case, speakers 32 and 34 could be rotated so that their driver median axes are in a front firing orientation. Also, speakers 32 and 34 could be configured to rotate sideways (toward and away from central sound bar speaker 30) or to rotate through 360 degrees. They could also be rotated differently from one another. However, in the illustrated examples, they are rotated in synchronization with one another. In other examples, some speakers may be adjustable through various side firing angles while others may be adjustable through various upward firing angles.
A variety of known angular orientation detector technologies may be used to determine the orientation of the driver median axes of speaker 30 and speakers 32 and 34 relative to a reference plane. For example, gyroscopes may be used. In addition, accelerometers may be used alone or in combination with gyroscopes. Alternatively, mechanical stops may be provided to define a reference rotational orientation for speakers 32 and 34. Switches may also be provided which are activated when the stops are reached to indicate to any programs executed by the processor that the speakers 32, 34 have reached a reference orientation used as the basis for any subsequent rotation. The motor actuation increments may be correlated to angular rotations so that the speakers 32 and 34 may be rotated to a specified degree of rotation without actually measuring or sensing that degree of rotation.
The sound system 24 also preferably has any necessary computer executable instructions stored on its computer readable medium for performing audio processing calculations and determining the angular orientations of the end speakers 32 and 34. The motors used to rotate end speakers 32 and 34 also preferably include controllers which receive actuation signals from the processor to rotate the end speakers 32 and 34 about the rotation axis.
As mentioned previously, in certain known systems, speakers with different orientations are provided (e.g., up-firing and top firing), and different audio data is provided from an audio signal to the differently oriented speakers. For example, in a war movie, it may be desirable to hear airplanes from overhead, in which case airplane sounds may come from an up-firing speaker instead of a front firing speaker. In certain examples, the audio signal or the data carried by it are used to determine whether the recipient sound system is one in which multiple speaker orientations are used. For example, if the audio source signal data is associated with speaker orientation data, that would indicate that the intended sound system is one with multiple speaker orientations. In other examples, the audio source signal data may associate particular audio data with particular channels, some of which are up-firing channels, which tells the processor to rotate the end speakers 32 and 34 to a desired degree of rotation about the axis of rotation (which is parallel to the lengthwise axis l).
If such multiple speaker orientations are used, then the relative orientations of the speakers may be adjusted to a default configuration in which different speakers are oriented differently. In one example, the configuration of
In one example, sound system 24 receives audio source signal data that is digitally encoded to one or more channels, each of which is operatively connected to one or more drivers within the various speakers 30, 32, 34. When the decoder decodes the audio source signal data, the processor will detect whether any audio data is associated with the channels operatively connected to adjustable up-firing speakers 32 and 34. If such data is detected, the processor will issue commands to the motor controllers associated with speakers 32 and 34 to rotate them about a rotation axis parallel to the lengthwise axis l to a specified degree of rotation relative to the front-firing center speaker 30. In one example, the specified degree of rotation is not user adjustable and is preferably from about 60 to about 80 degrees, more preferably from about 65 to about 85 degrees, and still more preferably from about 68 to about 72 degrees upward relative to the median axes of center speaker 30. In another example, and as described further below, the specified degree of rotation is dynamically determined by the sound system 24 based on a first distance along a horizontal axis from the speakers 32 and 34 to a listener in a room and/or a second distance along a vertical axis from the speakers 32 and 34 to the room's ceiling. An assumed or user-entered vertical distance from the ceiling to the user's ears may also be used. In accordance with the example, computer executable instructions are stored on the sound system's computer readable medium, and when executed by a processor, the instructions cause the processor to calculate a degree of rotation of the adjustable up-firing speakers 32, 34 relative to the center speaker 30. Details of the dynamic calculation are described further below with reference to
Referring to
Sound system 50 is preferably connected to receive an audio source signal such as that included in an HDMI signal from a smart TV, or a DVD or Blu-ray video signal. The term “audio source signal” includes audio data with content directed to forward-firing speakers and upward-firing speakers, as well as any metadata defining channel assignments for the audio data.
Sound system 50 needs to receive the audio source signal (including the up-firing content and forward-firing content) separated from any accompanying video signals. In one example known as “HDMI ARC” (HDMI “audio return channel”) the sound system 50 sends HDMI signals to the TV, and the TV returns the audio signal portion thereof to the sound system 50. The sound system 50 may receive HDMI signals from Blu-ray players, DVD players, or cable boxes. If the TV is streaming HD video, it may receive the HD video signal from an Internet router and then transmit the audio signal portion to the sound system 50. In a preferred example, the sound system 50 receives Dolby ATMOS® audio source signals which may include both up-firing and forward-firing content.
Referring to
Driver 60 is a full-range driver, and driver 68 is a woofer. The left end adjustable up-firing speaker 58 is configured similarly but is not shown in
In
Up-firing drivers 60 and 68 are automatically adjustable to a rotational orientation relative to the drivers comprising center speaker 54 and relative to the bottom surface 55 of housing 52. Motor 70 is located adjacent to driver 60 and is operatively connected to drivers 60 and 68. Thus, motor 70 is operable to change the rotational orientation of drivers 60 and 68 about a rotational axis parallel to the length axis l of the sound system 50 relative to housing bottom surface 55 and the center speaker 54 drivers. A motor controller (not shown) is operatively connected to the motor and to a processor in housing 52 such that the processor can transmit signals to the motor controller to rotate the drivers 60, 68 to a desired degree of rotation relative to the forward-firing drivers in center speaker 54. An end-cap 69 with a position indicating logo 71 on it also rotates with the drivers 60, 68. The orientation of the logo corresponds to the rotational orientation of drivers 60, 68. A similar end-cap may be provided on the opposite end of the sound system 50 for indicating the rotational orientation of the left end adjustable up-firing speaker 58 adjustable up-firing drivers. Rear enclosure 59 houses acoustic cavities and circuit boards.
In certain examples, the right-end speaker 56 and left-end speaker 58 are rotatable to a fixed degree of rotation. In other words, either the speaker is in a forward-firing orientation or a single up-firing orientation. In certain such examples, θ is fixed and ranges from about 60 to about 80 degrees, preferably from about 65 to about 75 degrees, and more preferably from about 68 to about 72 degrees. In some examples, the user can determine whether to rotate the right-end speaker 56 and left-end speaker 58 to an up-firing orientation using a remote control or controls on the sound system housing 52. At the same time, or alternatively, a program resident in sound system 50 detects whether an audio source signal includes up-firing content (i.e., content that the content creator designated for use with an up-firing speaker). The detection of up-firing content may be carried out by determining whether any content has been assigned to up-firing channels. If up-firing content is present, the program causes the motor 70 controller to rotate the drivers 60 and 68 to an up-firing orientation, and the up-firing content designated for drivers 60 and 68 is converted to corresponding up-firing content electrical signals and transmitted to drivers 60 and 68, while up-firing content designated for drivers comprising left-end speaker 58 is converted to corresponding up-firing electrical signals and transmitted to its drivers (not shown).
Channels 102 and 110 are left and right up-firing channels. Channel 102 is connected to the drivers in adjustable up-firing left-end speaker 58 (
Subwoofer system 82 may also be provided and used with sound system 50. In the example of
Satellite speakers 112 and 114 are typically placed behind the listener, and subwoofer 82. In addition to converting its own decoded audio data to electrical signals and ultimately to sound, the subwoofer 82 converts the decoded audio signals for the satellite speakers 112 and 114 into electrical signals and transmits the electrical signals to the satellite speakers 112 and 114 through wired connections.
In certain examples, the sound system 50 is configured to dynamically determine the angle of rotation θ of the up-firing drivers 60, 68, etc. relative to the front-firing drivers. Up-firing drivers are used to simulate overhead speakers, and the ideal degree of up-firing depends on the room geometry and the position of the listener relative to the up-firing drivers. In certain implementations, the sound system 50 is preferably configured to determine the angle of rotation θ based on one or more of the distance of the up-firing drivers from the room ceiling along a vertical axis, the distance of the up-firing drivers from the listener along a horizontal axis, and a distance from the listener's ear to the up-firing drivers along the vertical axis.
Referring to
A=x(tan θ) (1)
Equation (1) may be substituted for the variable A in equation (2) to yield:
Thus, in the case of a listener sitting z=10 feet from the sound system 50 in a room with an x+y=15 foot ceiling, where the listener's ear is y=2 feet above the soundbar,
The sound system 50 preferably has a computer readable medium with instructions stored thereon which, when executed by processor 80, carry out the foregoing calculations. In one implementation, the sound system includes a program that generates a user interface on a connected visual display, and the listener can enter values for x, y, and z. In another implementation, the listener can go to a website that is linked to sound system 50 and input values for x, y, and z.
In another example, sound system 50 is configured to determine values for x, y, and z. For example, sound system 50 may include a transmitter configured to transmit a horizontal distance determination signal from sound system 50 to a remote control held by the listener. The remote control would have a receiver or sensor for receiving the transmitted horizontal distance determination signal. The remote would be configured to allow the user to initiate the transmission of the distance determination signal. A program resident on a computer readable medium in the remote control or in the sound system 50 would be executed by the corresponding processor to determine the elapsed time between the transmission and the receipt of the horizontal distance determination signal, and would use known techniques to determine a value for the horizontal distance from the upward firing drivers 60, 68 (and those comprising part of left-end speaker 58 drivers) to determine the elapsed time between the transmission of the signal and the receipt of the signal by the remote.
At the same time, or in another example, the sound system 50 is configured to transmit a vertical distance determination signal to ceiling 118. A transmitter may be provided on housing 52 to transmit the signal. The signal would reflect off the ceiling and downward to a sensor also placed on housing 52. A remote control could be configured to initiate the transmission. Known distance determination signals may be used, for example, ultrasonic or infrared signals. In this case, the elapsed time between transmission and sensing would correspond to 2(x+y). In another implementation, the remote control would be configured to generate a vertical distance determination signal by being placed proximate the listener's ear and activated to initiate the signal. A sensor on the remote would determine when the reflected signal is received. The elapsed time would correspond to 2x and would be used to calculate the value of y based on the previously determined value of x+y. Alternatively, the user could enter a value for y in the manner described above for entering manual values of x, y, and z.
A method of using a sound system such as system 50 to play audio content will now be described with reference to
In step 1012 the processor 80 determines if the incoming audio data in audio source signal 84 (
Content designated for the center channel 106 is transmitted to that channel in step 1024 and ultimately to a center driver in center speaker 54. In certain examples, when up-firing content is first detected, the left and right end adjustable up-firing speakers 56, 58 will rotate to the desired degree of rotation and will remain rotated for the duration of the program or movie being watched. However, at any given time, the adjustable up-firing speakers 56, 58 may not play any audio if at that given time, there is no up-firing audio content in the audio source signal. Thus, the up-firing speakers 56, 58 are preferably rotated no more than once during the playing of any one piece of content as opposed to being rotated back and forth as the presence of up-firing content varies.
If the audio source signal 84 includes up-firing content, in step 1014 the processor 80 receives values for x, y, and z as defined with respect to
In step 1026 the left and right channel up-firing content is transmitted to its respective channels 102 and 110. In steps 1028 and 1030 content designated for the left, center, and right channels 104, 106, and 108 is transmitted to those channels and ultimately to their corresponding drivers, which in the case of channel 108 are drivers 72 and 74.
In step 1018, the method may further include detecting a current rotational orientation of the drivers comprising left end and right end adjustable up-firing speakers 56 and 58 so that the final angle of rotation is equal to θ. This would be particularly useful if the sound system 50 were configured to allow the user to specify an angle of rotation because in that event the method of
Alternatively, mechanical stops may be provided which limit the range of rotation of the up-firing drivers 60, 68 (and those of left end adjustable up-firing speaker 58). A switch may be provided and positioned to be activated when the stops are reached.
When the stops are reached a switch may be activated to indicate to processor 80 that the end of travel has been reached so that the closing of the switch will correspond to a defined rotational orientation. Any subsequent rotation would then be carried out using that end of travel orientation as a reference orientation. In that case, if the method of
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/789,964, filed on Jan. 8, 2019, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62789964 | Jan 2019 | US |
