Non-planar beamforming loudspeaker for display device

Abstract

A display device includes a first surface supporting a display and a second surface disposed opposite the first surface. The first speaker module is supported by the second surface and includes a first speaker arranged to face a first direction with respect to the display device and a second speaker arranged to face a second direction with respect to the display device, the second direction being different from the first direction. The second speaker module is supported by the rear surface and includes a third speaker arranged to face the first direction and a fourth speaker arranged to face the second direction. Acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker module and the second speaker module is beamformed by a filter, the design of which takes into account the effects of sound reflection from a surface adjacent to the display device.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the following priority applications: U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 353,142, filed on June 17, 2022, and European Application No. 22179604.8, filed on June 17, 2022, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Background Art 1. Technical Field

[0003] The present application generally relates to speaker modules for display devices such as televisions, and methods for designing speaker modules for display devices such as televisions, monitors, and other flat screen devices. Summary of the invention

[0004] Largely for aesthetic purposes, industrial designers do not allow televisions or other flat screen display devices to include speakers that face forward. As a result, televisions typically include speakers that emit sound energy in a direction away from the viewer rather than toward the viewer. The emission of sound by the speaker driver in a direction away from the viewer reduces the quality of sound experienced by the viewer. Therefore, it is desirable to have a speaker design for televisions and other display devices that improves the viewer's listening experience by directing the emitted sound energy toward the viewer.

[0005] Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to speaker modules, systems, and methods for designing speaker modules for display devices such as televisions.

[0006] In one exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a display device is provided, the display device comprising a first surface supporting a display and a second surface disposed opposite to the first surface. A first speaker module is supported by the second surface and comprises a first speaker arranged to face a first direction relative to the display device and a second speaker arranged to face a second direction relative to the display device, the second direction being different from the first direction. A second speaker module is supported by a rear surface and comprises a third speaker arranged to face the first direction and a fourth speaker arranged to face the second direction.

[0007] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a method for designing a filter for use with a speaker module for a display device is provided. The speaker module includes a first speaker oriented to face a first direction, a second speaker oriented to face a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, a first filter connected to the first speaker, and a second filter connected to the second speaker. The method includes: obtaining a three-dimensional computer model of the speaker module, the three-dimensional computer model including a model of the first speaker and a model of the second speaker; determining a first complex-pole frequency response of the first speaker based on the computer model of the speaker module; and determining a second complex-pole frequency response of the second speaker based on the computer model of the speaker module. The method further includes: defining a target response for a combined output of the first speaker and the second speaker; determining a first set of parameters for the first filter based on the target response and the first complex-pole frequency response and the second complex-pole frequency response; and determining a second set of parameters for the second filter based on the target response and the first complex-pole frequency response and the second complex-pole frequency response.

[0008] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions is provided, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations for designing a filter for use with a speaker module for a display device. The speaker module includes a first speaker oriented to face a first direction, a second speaker oriented to face a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, a first filter connected to the first speaker, and a second filter connected to the second speaker. The method includes: obtaining a three-dimensional computer model of the speaker module, the three-dimensional computer model including a model of the first speaker and a model of the second speaker; determining a first complex-pole frequency response of the first speaker based on the computer model of the speaker module; and determining a second complex-pole frequency response of the second speaker based on the computer model of the speaker module. The method further includes: defining a target response for a combined output of the first speaker and the second speaker; determining a first set of parameters for the first filter based on the target response and the first complex-pole frequency response and the second complex-pole frequency response; and determining a second set of parameters for the second filter based on the target response and the first complex-pole frequency response and the second complex-pole frequency response. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] These and other more detailed and specific features of various examples are more fully disclosed in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1illustrates example perspective views of televisions according to various aspects of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 2 illustrates example perspective views of televisions according to various aspects of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 3 illustrates an example rear view of a television according to various aspects of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 4 illustrates an exploded view of an example speaker module according to various aspects of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 5 illustrates a circuit diagram of an example speaker module according to various aspects of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 6 illustrates a circuit diagram of an example speaker module according to various aspects of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 7 illustrates a side view of a television according to various aspects of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 8 illustrates example perspective views of televisions according to various aspects of the present disclosure;

[0018] Fig. 9 illustrates a side view of a television according to various aspects of the present disclosure;

[0019] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B illustrates the acoustic summation of acoustic energy emitted by a speaker according to various aspects of the present disclosure;

[0020] Fig.11 A method of designing a loudspeaker filter according to various aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0021] Fig.12 illustrates a block diagram of a computing device according to various aspects of the present disclosure;

[0022] Fig.13 illustrates complex frequency response evaluation points according to various aspects of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 14A to FIG. 14B illustrates corresponding example spatial sound pressure radiation patterns of a non-beamformed rear-firing speaker and a non-beamformed lower-firing speaker according to various aspects of the present disclosure; and

[0024] Fig.15 Example spatial sound pressure radiation patterns of a beamforming speaker module according to various aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The present disclosure and its aspects may be embodied in various forms, including hardware or circuits controlled by: computer-implemented methods, computer program products, computer systems and networks, user interfaces and application programming interfaces; as well as hardware-implemented methods, signal processing circuits, memory arrays, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc. The foregoing summary is intended only to give a general idea of ​​the various aspects of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0026] In the following description, many details (such as details about display devices, speaker configurations, digital filters, etc.) are set forth to provide an understanding of one or more aspects of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these specific details are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application.

[0027] Furthermore, while the present disclosure focuses primarily on examples where the display device is a television positioned in front of a wall and / or above a support surface, it should be understood that this is merely one example of an implementation. It will be further understood that the disclosed systems and methods may be used for other types of flat screen display devices, such as computer monitors, provided that the distance between the flat screen display device and an adjacent surface (e.g., a rear wall, a surface below the display device, a floor, a ceiling, etc.) is known or can be measured. When the respective distances between the display device and the rear wall behind the display device and / or the surface below the display device are known, the beamforming filter included in the display device may be designed off-site prior to mounting the display device.

[0028] In addition, it should be understood that the disclosed system and method can be used for display devices even if the distance between the display device and the adjacent surface (e.g., the rear wall, the surface below the display device, the floor, the ceiling, etc.) is unknown before the display device is installed. In such an instance, the corresponding distance between the display device and the adjacent surface can be measured, and the beamforming filter for the display device speaker can be designed on-site at the installation location. For example, a cloud-based finite element method (FEM) / boundary element method (BEM) model and optimization program can be used to design the beamforming filter. In this example, the user uses a three-dimensional (3-D) scanner (such as a smart phone (e.g., a smart phone with 3-D scanning capabilities) including a camera with a depth sensing measurement device) to measure and scan the geometry of the display device, the speaker, and the surrounding objects. The 3-D geometric scan is then provided to the FEM / BEM model for simulating the display device speaker within a 3-D model that accurately represents the playback environment in which the display device is located. In another example, the complex spatial frequency response of the display device speaker can be measured on-site using a large microphone array or a microphone supported by a mobile surface (e.g., a robot arm or a turntable). In such an example, the measured complex spatial frequency response of the display device speaker can be used to design the beamforming filter on-site. Thus, in some instances, on-site design of the beamforming filter can allow the filter to be more accurately tuned to the specific acoustic environment in which the display device is installed, thereby eliminating the need for a standardized and / or predefined wall-to-display device distance.

[0029] Speaker module design

[0030] As described above, display devices such as televisions typically include speakers that emit acoustic energy in a direction away from the viewer rather than toward the viewer. When the display device speakers emit acoustic energy in one or more directions away from the viewer, the acoustic energy is directed toward adjacent surfaces, such as walls behind or to the sides of the display device, support surfaces (such as tables and cabinets) located below the display device, floors, and / or ceilings. The acoustic energy reflected from these surfaces combines with the acoustic energy that reaches the viewer via a direct path, thereby causing constructive and destructive interference, thereby causing undesirable peaks and / or valleys in the complex frequency response of the acoustic energy at the viewer's location.

[0031] To address these undesirable acoustic interferences, some speakers employ large equalization (EQ) gains to the acoustic energy they emit. However, applying large EQ gains to the emitted acoustic energy means that even more of the acoustic energy is directed into adjacent boundaries, exacerbating the problems caused by constructive and destructive interference and further enhancing the natural reverberant quality of the room. Therefore, to reduce the need for over-equalization, the speakers and speaker modules proposed herein are designed to reduce the amount of acoustic energy directed toward surfaces adjacent to the display device, and conversely increase the amount of acoustic energy directed toward a viewer of the display device.

[0032] Reducing the amount of sound energy directed to tables, cabinets, walls, floors and ceilings provides an additional benefit of reducing the amplitude of late copies of direct sound at the viewer's position, which negatively affects the spatial perception of sound and speech intelligibility. The key component of speech intelligibility requires that any short, silent gaps between speech consonants remain quiet relative to the speech level. However, if the direct-to-reverberation sound energy ratio of sound energy at the viewer's position is too low, the "gap" will be filled with the reverberation from the previous consonant. The above-mentioned constructive and destructive interference caused by the sound energy reflected from the surface adjacent to the display device causes the direct-to-reverberation sound energy ratio at the viewer's position to decrease, and therefore reduces the speech intelligibility of the sound energy emitted by the displacement display. Therefore, the speaker and speaker module proposed herein further improve the direct-to-reverberation sound energy ratio experienced at the viewer's position by directing the acoustic sum of the emitted sound energy away from adjacent surfaces and toward the viewer of the display device.

[0033] Figures 1 to 3 A perspective view and a rear view of a display device 100 including a proposed speaker design according to some examples of the present disclosure are illustrated. Although the display device 100 is illustrated as a television, it should be understood that the description of the display device 100 is equally applicable to other types of flat screen display devices including speakers, such as computer monitors.

[0034] The display device 100 includes a rear surface 105 that is connected to a front surface 110 (eg, a television screen) supporting a display. Figures 5 to 7 ) are arranged opposite to each other. As shown, the rear surface 105 supports a first speaker module 115A and a second speaker module 115B. In particular, the first speaker module 115A is supported on a first side of the rear surface 105 of the display device 100. The second speaker module 115B is supported on a second side of the rear surface 105 of the display device 100 opposite to the first side. For example, with respect to Figures 1 to 3, the first speaker module 115A is supported on the lower left side of the rear surface 105, and the second speaker module 115B is supported on the lower right side of the rear surface 105. In some instances, the first speaker module 115A and the second speaker module 115B are mounted to the rear surface 105. In other instances, the first speaker module 115A and the second speaker module 115B are integrated into the rear surface 105. For example, in such an instance, the first speaker module 115A can be flush with the rear surface 105 and / or the bottom surface of the display device 100. As another example, the second speaker module 115B can be flush with the rear surface 105 and / or the bottom surface of the display device 100. Although described as including two speaker modules 115A, 115B, it should be understood that the display device 100 may include more or less than two speaker modules 115. In some instances, the mounting positions of the speaker modules 115A, 115B vary relative to the surface area of ​​the rear surface 105. That is, in some examples, the speaker modules 115A, 115B are mounted at other locations on the rear surface 105 .

[0035] In some examples, the first speaker module 115A and the second speaker module 115B are identical in construction, and therefore, each of the first speaker module 115A and the second speaker module 115B may be referred to hereinafter as a “speaker module 115 ”. Figure 4 An exploded view of a single speaker module 115 is illustrated. The speaker module 115 includes a housing 120 that supports a first transducer or speaker 125 and a second transducer or speaker 130. As shown, the first speaker 125 is oriented to face a first direction 135 relative to the display device 100, and the second speaker 130 is oriented to face a second direction 140 relative to the display device 100. In the illustrated example, the first direction 135 facing the first speaker 125 is orthogonal to the second direction 140 facing the second speaker 130. Thus, the first speaker 125 is oriented to emit acoustic energy in a direction (e.g., the first direction 135) that is orthogonal to the direction in which the second speaker 130 emits acoustic energy (e.g., the second direction 140). About Figures 1 to 4 , the first direction 135 is along the y-axis, and the second direction 140 is along the z-axis. In some embodiments, the housing 120 further includes an inner wall 142 that separates the rear radiation cavities of the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130. The inner wall 142 ensures that the back pressure of one speaker (e.g., the first speaker 125) does not affect the movement of the other speaker (e.g., the second speaker 130).

[0036] Although the direction facing the first speaker 125 is described above as being orthogonal to the direction facing the second speaker 130, in some instances, the first speaker 125 is oriented at a different angle relative to the second speaker 130. That is, in some instances, the first speaker 125 may be oriented to face a direction that is not orthogonal to the direction facing the second speaker 130. Thus, in such instances, the direction in which the first speaker 125 faces and emits acoustic energy may not be orthogonal to the direction in which the second speaker 130 faces and emits acoustic energy. For example, the first speaker 125 may be oriented to face and / or emit acoustic energy in a direction that differs by an angle greater than or less than 90 degrees (e.g., 85 degrees, 75 degrees, 50 degrees, etc.) from the direction in which the second speaker 130 faces and / or emits acoustic energy. Thus, the orthogonal orientation of the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 is merely one possible implementation described herein.

[0037] Figure 5 An exemplary circuit diagram included in the speaker module 115 is illustrated. As shown, the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 are included in a separately driven speaker circuit. That is, the first speaker 125 is included in the first speaker circuit 145, and the second speaker 130 is included in the second speaker circuit 150. In addition, although the mechanical housing of the first speaker 125 (e.g., the portion of the speaker module housing 120 containing the first speaker 125) is connected to the mechanical housing of the second speaker (e.g., the portion of the speaker module housing 120 containing the second speaker 130), the corresponding mechanical housings of the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 are acoustically independent. That is, the first speaker 125 operates in a rear cavity that is separated from the acoustic rear cavity of the second speaker 130. For example, the separate acoustic rear cavities of the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 are achieved by including an inner wall 142 in the housing 120.

[0038] It should be understood that the configuration of the first speaker circuit 145 is provided as an example and is not intended to limit the implementation of the proposed speaker module 115 in any way. In addition, it should be understood that in practice, the number and orientation of components included in the first speaker circuit 145 may be different. In the illustrated example, the first speaker circuit 145 is configured to convert one or more input signals 155 into a first drive signal 160 for driving the first speaker 125. The one or more input signals 155 may be, for example, a signal including audio content to be played by the first speaker 125, an input power signal, and / or other types of signals.

[0039] In the illustrated example, the first speaker circuit 145 includes a first digital-to-analog (DA) converter 165, a first amplifier (amp) 170, and a first beamforming (BF) filter 175. In operation, the first BF filter 175 applies one or more phase shifts and / or complex gains to the input signal 155. The first DA converter 165 converts the digital signal output by the first BF filter 175 into an analog signal, which is amplified by the first amp 170 before being provided to the first speaker 125 as the first drive signal 160. Although the first speaker circuit 145 is illustrated as being contained within the housing of the speaker module 115, it should be understood that in some instances, one or more components included in the first speaker circuit 145 are contained within the display device 100 and electrically connected to the first speaker 125.

[0040] In the illustrated example, the first speaker circuit 145 further includes a first digital signal processor (DSP) 180. Although the first DSP 180 is illustrated as being contained within the housing of the speaker module 115, it should be understood that in some instances, the first DSP 180 is contained within the display device 100 and is electrically connected to the first speaker circuit 145. In some instances, the first DSP 180 and the second DSP 210 described herein are implemented as a single DSP that is configured to drive the first speaker circuit 145 and the second speaker circuit 150 individually and independently. In some instances, one or more components of the first speaker circuit 145 are included in the first DSP 180 or are otherwise implemented by the first DSP. For example, in some instances, one or more of the first DA converter 165, the first amp 170, and the first BF filter 175 are included in the first DSP 180 or are otherwise implemented by the first DSP.

[0041] In the illustrated example, the first BF filter 175 is implemented as a digital filter, such as a finite impulse response (FIR) filter, included in the first DSP 180. As will be described in more detail below, the first BF filter 175 is configured to apply one or more frequency-dependent phase shifts and / or frequency-dependent gains to the signal used to drive the first speaker 125. Hereinafter, applying a frequency-dependent phase shift and / or a frequency-dependent gain to the signal used to drive the first speaker 125 may be referred to as applying a frequency-dependent phase shift and / or a frequency-dependent gain to the acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker 125. In some instances, the first BF filter 175 is implemented in the frequency domain and uses a complex gain to modify the audio content to be played back by the first speaker 125. As will be described in more detail below, the first BF filter 175 is configured to apply one or more frequency-dependent phase shifts and / or frequency-dependent gains to the acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker 125, so that the acoustic sum of the acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 is directed toward a viewer of the display device 100 in a target beam.

[0042] Similar to the first speaker circuit 145, it should be understood that the illustrated configuration of the second speaker circuit 150 is provided as an example and is not intended to limit the implementation of the proposed speaker module 115 in any way. In addition, it should be understood that in practice, the number and orientation of components included in the second speaker circuit 150 may be different. In the illustrated example, the second speaker circuit 150 is configured to convert one or more input signals 185 into a second drive signal 190 for driving the second speaker 130. The one or more input signals 185 may be, for example, a signal including audio content to be played by the second speaker 130, an input power signal, and / or other types of signals.

[0043] In the illustrated example, the second speaker circuit 150 includes a second DA converter 195, a second amplifier (amp) 200, and a second BF filter 205. In operation, the second BF filter 205 applies one or more frequency-dependent phase shifts and / or frequency-dependent gains to the input signal 185. The second DA converter 195 converts the digital signal output by the second BF filter 205 into an analog signal, which is amplified by the second amp 200 before being provided as the second drive signal 190 to the second speaker 130. Although the second speaker circuit 150 is illustrated as being contained within the housing of the speaker module 115, it should be understood that in some instances, one or more components included in the second speaker circuit 150 are contained within the display device 100 and electrically connected to the second speaker 130.

[0044] In the illustrated example, the second speaker circuit 150 further includes a second DSP 210. Although the second DSP 210 is illustrated as being contained within the housing of the speaker module 115, it should be understood that in some instances, the second DSP 210 is contained within the display device 100 and is electrically connected to the second speaker circuit 150. As described above, in some instances, the first DSP 180 and the second DSP 210 described herein are implemented as a single DSP that is configured to drive the first speaker circuit 145 and the second speaker circuit 150 separately. In some instances, one or more components of the second speaker circuit 150 are included in the second DSP 210 or are otherwise implemented by the second DSP. For example, in some instances, one or more of the second DA converter 195, the second amp 200, and the second BF filter 205 are included in the second DSP 210 or are otherwise implemented by the second DSP.

[0045] In the illustrated example, the second BF filter 205 is implemented as a digital filter, such as a FIR filter, included in the second DSP 210. As will be described in more detail below, the second BF filter 205 is configured to apply one or more frequency-dependent phase shifts and / or frequency-dependent gains to the signal used to drive the second speaker. Hereinafter, applying a frequency-dependent phase shift and / or a frequency-dependent gain to the signal used to drive the second speaker 130 may be referred to as applying a frequency-dependent phase shift and / or a frequency-dependent gain to the acoustic energy emitted by the second speaker 130. In some instances, the second BF filter 205 is implemented in the frequency domain and uses a complex gain to modify or filter the audio content to be played back by the second speaker 130. As will be described in more detail below, the second BF filter 205 is configured to apply one or more frequency-dependent phase shifts and / or frequency-dependent gains to the acoustic energy emitted by the second speaker 130, so that the acoustic sum of the acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 is directed toward the viewer of the display device 100 with a target beam.

[0046] Although the speaker module 115 is Figure 5 1 and described as including a single first speaker 125 oriented to face a first direction 135 and a single second speaker 130 oriented to face a second direction 140, but it should be understood that in some examples, the speaker module 115 includes a plurality of first speakers 125A-125N or an array thereof and a plurality of second speakers 130A-135N or an array thereof (see Figure 6). Therefore, it should be understood that the example of a speaker module 115 including a single first speaker 125 and a single second speaker 130 described herein is also applicable to a speaker module 115 including multiple first speakers 125A-125N and multiple second speakers 130A-130N. Therefore, hereinafter, the speaker module 115 may sometimes be described as including (multiple) first speakers 125 (e.g., one or more first speakers 125) and (multiple) second speakers 130 (e.g., one or more second speakers 130). Regardless of how many first speakers 125A-125N are included in the speaker module 115, it should be understood that each of the multiple first speakers 125A-125N is independently driven and independently filtered. Similarly, regardless of how many second speakers 130A-130N are included in the speaker module 115, it should be understood that each of the multiple first speakers 130A-130N is independently driven and independently filtered.

[0047] In some instances, each of the plurality of first speakers 125A-125N is oriented to face the same direction, such as the first direction 135. In some instances, each of the plurality of first speakers 125A-125N is oriented to face different directions. In some instances, only some of the plurality of first speakers 125A-125N are oriented to face the same direction. In one example, the plurality of first speakers 125A-125N are arranged to face equal multiple directions around an arc (such as a quarter circle), wherein the angles spaced apart between each of the plurality of first speakers 125A-125N are increased. In this example, if the speaker module 115 includes six first speakers 125A-125F, the six first speakers 125A-125F can be oriented to sound at 0 degrees, 18 degrees, 36 degrees, 54 degrees, 72 degrees, and 90 degrees around a quarter circle, respectively.

[0048] Similarly, in some instances, the plurality of second speakers 130A-130N are oriented to face the same direction, such as the second direction 140. In some instances, the plurality of second speakers 130A-130N are oriented to face different directions. In some instances, only some of the plurality of second speakers 130A-130N are oriented to face the same direction. In one example, the plurality of second speakers 130A-130N are arranged to face equal multiple directions around an arc (such as a quarter circle), wherein the angles spaced apart between each of the plurality of second speakers 130A-130N are increased. In this example, if the speaker module 115 includes six second speakers 130A-130F, the six second speakers 130A-130F can be oriented to sound at 0 degrees, 18 degrees, 36 degrees, 54 degrees, 72 degrees, and 90 degrees around a quarter circle, respectively.

[0049] like Figure 6 As further shown in the illustrated example, each of the plurality of first speakers 125A-125N is electrically connected to and driven by a corresponding first DA converter 165A-165N, a corresponding first amp 170A-170N, and a corresponding first BF filter 175A-175N. As will be described in more detail below, the first BF filters 175A-175N are configured to apply a corresponding phase shift and / or complex gain to the acoustic energy emitted by the corresponding first speakers 125A-125N to which they are connected, so that the acoustic sum of the acoustic energy emitted by the first speakers 125A-125N is directed or manipulated toward a viewer of the display device 100. In addition, the plurality of first BF filters 175A-175N are designed so that the acoustic sum of the acoustic energy emitted by the first speakers 125A-125N and the acoustic energy emitted by the second speakers 130A-130N is directed toward a viewer of the display device 100 in the form of an acoustic energy beam. It should be understood that the illustrated configuration of the plurality of first speaker circuits 145A-145N is provided as an example and is not intended to limit in any way the implementation of the proposed speaker module 115. Furthermore, it should be understood that in practice, the number and orientation of components included in the first speaker circuits 145A-145N may vary.

[0050] Similarly, each of the plurality of second speakers 130A-130N is electrically connected to and driven by a corresponding second DA converter 195A-195N, a corresponding second amp 200A-200N, and a corresponding second BF filter 205A-205N. As will be described in more detail below, the second BF filters 205A-205N are configured to apply a corresponding frequency-dependent phase shift and / or a frequency-dependent gain to the acoustic energy emitted by the corresponding second speakers 130A-130N to which they are connected, so that the acoustic sum of the acoustic energy emitted by the second speakers 205A-205N is directed or manipulated toward a viewer of the display device 100. In addition, the plurality of second BF filters 205A-205N are designed so that the acoustic sum of the acoustic energy emitted by the first speakers 125A-125N and the acoustic sum of the acoustic energy emitted by the second speakers 130A-130N is directed toward a viewer of the display device 100 in the form of an acoustic energy beam. It should be understood that the illustrated configuration of the plurality of second speaker circuits 150A-150N is provided as an example and is not intended to in any way limit the implementation of the proposed speaker module 115. Furthermore, it should be understood that in practice, the number and orientation of components included in the second speaker circuits 150A-150N may vary.

[0051] As mentioned above about Figures 1 to 4 As described, the first speaker 125 is oriented to face a first direction 135 relative to the speaker module 115, and the second speaker 130 is oriented to face a second direction 140 relative to the speaker module 115, the second direction 140 being substantially orthogonal to the first direction 135. In some examples, the angle between the first direction 135 and the second direction 140 is less than 90 degrees. In some examples, the angle between the first direction 135 and the second direction 140 is greater than 90 degrees.

[0052] In an example where the speaker module 115 includes a plurality of first speakers 125A-125N and a plurality of second speakers 130A-130N, one or more of the plurality of first speakers 125A-125N are oriented to face a first general direction (e.g., first direction 135) relative to the speaker module 115, and one or more of the plurality of second speakers 130A-130N are oriented to face a second general direction (e.g., second direction 140) relative to the speaker module 115. In some examples, the first general direction is orthogonal to the second general direction. In some examples, the angle between the first general direction and the second general direction is less than 90 degrees. In some examples, the angle between the first general direction and the second general direction is greater than 90 degrees. In some examples, one or more of the plurality of first speakers 125A-125N are oriented to face different directions relative to the speaker module 115, and one or more of the plurality of second speakers 130A-130N are oriented to face different directions relative to the speaker module 115.

[0053] Figures 1 to 3 A first possible arrangement of a first speaker module 115A and a second speaker module 115B relative to the rear surface 105 of the display device 100 is illustrated. As shown, the speaker modules 115A, 115B are arranged such that the respective first speakers 125 included in the speaker modules 115A, 115B are oriented to face the same direction as the rear surface 105 of the display device 100. That is, the first speakers 125 face rearwardly relative to the display device 100 such that the first speakers 125 emit acoustic energy in a direction generally behind the rear surface 105 and away from a viewer of the display device 100 (e.g., along the y-axis). Figure 7 As shown, when the speaker modules 115A, 115B are configured in this arrangement, the acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker 125 is directed toward the wall 700 located behind the display device 100. The wall 700 reflects some of the acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker 125 back to the display device 100. Figures 1 to 3 and Figure 7 When the speaker modules 115A, 115B are arranged as shown in FIG. 1 , the first speaker 125 may be referred to as a rear-firing speaker 125 hereinafter.

[0054] However, it is not simply a matter of aiming the rear-firing speaker 125 toward the wall 700 and causing the acoustic energy emitted by the rear-firing speaker 125 to reflect from the wall 700 so that the acoustic energy is redirected toward the viewer 725 positioned in front of the display device 100. Rather, it is the combined interaction between the beamformed output of the rear-firing speaker 125, the beamformed output of the second or lower-firing speaker 130, and the reflection of the acoustic energy from adjacent surfaces that causes the overall sound field to propagate toward the viewer 725. Thus, reflections of the acoustic energy from the wall 700 participate in the beamformed array of acoustic energy directed toward the viewer 725, but only in a beneficial manner if the output of the rear-firing speaker 125 is beamformed using the first BF filter 175A-175N, which is designed using data that takes into account the presence of such reflections from adjacent surfaces. If the first BF filters 175A-175N are designed without considering the effects of the interaction between the acoustic energy emitted by the speakers 125, 130 and the reflections from the adjacent boundaries, the effects of the sound reflected from the wall 700 are likely to be detrimental to the overall system performance and the listening experience of the viewer 725 positioned in front of the display device 100. The process and / or method for designing the first BF filters 175A-175N will be described in more detail below.

[0055] like Figures 1 to 3 and Figure 7 As further shown in the speaker module arrangement of , the speaker modules 115A, 115B are arranged such that the respective second speakers 130 included in the speaker modules 115A, 115B are oriented to face in a downward direction (e.g., along the z-axis) relative to the display device 100. That is, the second direction 140 in which the second speaker 130 emits acoustic energy is rotationally offset by approximately 90 degrees from the direction in which the rearward-facing first speaker 125 emits acoustic energy. When the speaker modules 115A, 115B are configured in this arrangement, the acoustic energy emitted by the second speaker 130 is directed downward toward a surface 705 that supports the display device 100 and / or is located below the bottom of the display device, such as a cabinet, table, or other support surface. The surface 705 causes some of the acoustic energy emitted by the second speaker 130 to reflect upward toward the display device 100 and forward toward a viewer 725 positioned in front of the display device 100. When describing Figures 1 to 3 and Figure 7 When the speaker modules 115A, 115B are arranged as shown in FIG. 1 , the second speaker 130 may be referred to as a lower-firing speaker 130 hereinafter.

[0056] Similar to the description above of acoustic energy reflected from the wall 700, it is not simply a matter of aiming the down-firing speaker 130 toward the surface 705 below the display device 100 and causing the acoustic energy emitted by the down-firing speaker 130 to reflect from the surface 705 so that the acoustic energy is redirected toward the viewer 725 positioned in front of the display device 100. Rather, it is the combined interaction between the beamformed output of the rear-firing speaker 125, the beamformed output of the down-firing speaker 130, and the reflection of the acoustic energy from adjacent surfaces that causes the overall sound field to propagate toward the viewer 725. Thus, the reflection of the acoustic energy by the surface 705 participates in the beamformed array of acoustic energy directed toward the viewer 725, but only in a beneficial manner if the output of the down-firing speaker 130 is beamformed using the second BF filter 205A-205N (which is designed using data that takes into account the presence of such reflections from adjacent surfaces). If the second BF filters 205A-205N are designed without considering the effects of the interaction between the acoustic energy emitted by the speakers 125, 130 and the reflections from the adjacent boundaries, the effects of the sound reflected from the surface 705 are likely to be detrimental to the overall system performance and the listening experience of the viewer 725 positioned in front of the display device 100. The process and / or method for designing the second BF filters 205A-205N will be described in more detail below.

[0057] In conclusion, Figure 7 A side view of a display device 100 is illustrated, wherein the speaker modules 115A, 115B are arranged so that the first speaker 125 is a rear-firing speaker and the second speaker 130 is a down-firing speaker. The first acoustic energy 715 emitted by the rear-firing speaker 125 is generally directed toward a wall 700 located behind the display device 100. Similarly, the second acoustic energy 720 emitted by the down-firing speaker 130 is generally directed downward toward a surface 705 (e.g., a cabinet) supporting the display device 100 and / or located below the display device. However, since the viewer 725 will be positioned in front of the display device 100 when viewing the display device 100, the desired or target acoustic energy 730 emitted by the speaker modules 115A, 115B will be directed toward the viewer 725. That is, even though the rear-firing speaker 125 emits the first sound energy 715 rearward from the display device 100 in a first direction 135, and the lower-firing speaker 130 emits the second sound energy 720 downward from the display device 100 in a second direction 140, the target sound energy 730 emitted by the speaker modules 115A, 115B should travel in a third or target direction 735 toward a viewer 725 positioned in front of the display device 100.

[0058] As will be described in more detail below, the first BF filter 175 and the second BF filter 205 included in the speaker module 115 are designed such that the acoustic sum of the first acoustic energy 715 and the second acoustic energy 720 emitted by the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130, together with reflections from adjacent boundaries, is formed or manipulated into a target acoustic energy beam 730 directed toward the viewer 725. That is, the combination of the frequency-dependent gain and / or frequency-dependent phase shift applied to the first acoustic energy 715 and the second acoustic energy 720 by the first BF filter 175 and the second BF filter 205 and the reflection of the sound from the wall 700, the surface 705, and other surfaces adjacent to the display device 100 causes the acoustic energy beam 730 to be directed toward the viewer 725. Thus, the resulting acoustic energy beam 730, which is generally formed in a target direction 735 toward the viewer 725, experiences the expected constructive and destructive interference compared to a situation where no BF filter 175, 205 is applied to the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130. Thus, the targeted directionality of emitted acoustic energy (eg, target direction 735 ) achieved by applying first BF filter 175 and second BF filter 205 improves the direct to reverberant acoustic energy ratio experienced at the position of viewer 725 and reduces the need for excessive acoustic EQ.

[0059] although Figures 1 to 3 and Figure 7 An example is illustrated in which the speaker modules 115A, 115B include a rear-firing speaker 125 that emits acoustic energy in a rearward direction and a lower-firing speaker 130 that emits acoustic energy in an orthogonal downward direction, but it should be understood that in some examples, the speaker modules 115A, 115B may be arranged in other ways relative to the rear surface 105 of the display device 100. Thus, in some examples, the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 may be arranged to emit acoustic energy in other directions.

[0060] For example, Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The display device 100 is shown in perspective and side views, wherein the speaker modules 115A, 115B are arranged in a second manner relative to the rear surface 105 of the display device 100. In this second arrangement, the first speaker 125 included in the speaker modules 115A, 115B still faces rearward relative to the display device 100. However, as shown, the second speaker 130 faces sideways, rather than downward. That is, with respect to the rear surface 105 of the display device 100, the speaker modules 115A, 115B are arranged in a second manner. In this second arrangement, the first speaker 125 included in the speaker modules 115A, 115B still faces rearward relative to the display device 100. However, as shown, the second speaker 130 faces sideways, rather than downward. Figure 8, the (multiple) second speakers 130 included in the speaker module 115A emit sound energy to the left side (e.g., substantially along the x-axis) of the rear surface 105 of the display device 100, and the (multiple) second speakers 130 included in the speaker module 115B emit sound energy to the right side (e.g., substantially along the x-axis) of the rear surface 105 of the display device 100. Therefore, when the speaker modules 115 are arranged in the second manner relative to the rear surface 105 of the display device 100, the (multiple) first speakers 125 face rearward and the (multiple) second speakers 130 face sideways.

[0061] In some examples (not shown), the speaker module 115 can be arranged so that the first speaker(s) 125 face rearward and the second speaker(s) 130 face upward. In such examples, the first speaker(s) 125 emit sound energy in a generally rearward direction toward the wall 700 behind the display device 100, and the second speaker(s) 130 emit sound energy in a generally upward direction toward the ceiling above the display device 100. In some examples (not shown), the speaker module 115 can be arranged so that the first speaker(s) 125 and / or the second speaker(s) 130 are arranged to face in a direction diagonal to the rear surface 105 of the display device 100.

[0062] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B The diagram illustrates an exemplary effect of applying a frequency-dependent phase shift and / or a frequency-dependent gain by a BF filter to the acoustic energy emitted by a loudspeaker. It should be understood that Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B These illustrated examples are provided to help explain the effects of applying phase shifts and / or complex gains to acoustically summed sound energy and in no way limit the embodiments of the proposed loudspeakers and loudspeaker modules described herein. Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B The illustrated example is described with respect to the first speakers 125A-125D and the first BF filters 175A-175D, but it should be understood that the following description of “beam steering” is equally applicable to the second speaker(s) 130 and the second BF filter 205. Further, it should be understood that the following description of “beam steering” is equally applicable to the acoustic sum of the combined acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker(s) 125 and the second speaker(s) 130. Furthermore, it should be understood that the following description of “beam steering” is equally applicable to the acoustic sum of the acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker(s) 125, the acoustic energy emitted by the second speaker(s) 130, and the acoustic energy reflected from a surface adjacent to the display device 100 (e.g., a wall 700, a support surface 705, a floor 710, etc.).

[0063] Fig. 10A An example is illustrated in which the first speakers 125A-125D are arranged in an equidistant linear coplanar array and do not include any first BF filters 175A-175D. As shown, the first speakers 125A-125D emit a collective beam 715 of first acoustic energy that is generally directed in a first linear direction 135 centered about a transverse mid-axis of the array. Because the first speakers 125A-125D do not include a first BF filter 175 for applying a phase shift and / or a complex gain to the emitted first acoustic energy 715, the acoustic sum of the emitted acoustic energy 715 is not steered in a desired direction.

[0064] Alternatively, Fig. 10B The first speakers 125A-125D are shown in FIG. Fig. 10A The example is the same as the example of the equidistant linear coplanar array arrangement. However, Fig. 10B The array of first speakers 125A-125D illustrated in further includes respective first BF filters 175A-175N configured to apply phase shifts φ1-φ4 to the acoustic energy emitted by the first speakers 125A-125D. In this simple example, φ1 is a zero phase shift, φ4 is an arbitrarily large phase shift, and the phase shift therebetween increases linearly from φ1 to φ4. As shown, the first BF filters 175A-175D are configured to apply phase shifts φ1-φ4 to the acoustic energy 715 emitted by the first speakers 125A-125D such that the acoustic sum of the emitted acoustic energy 715 is steered or formed into a target acoustic energy beam 730 traveling in a target direction 735 (e.g., to the right). Therefore, when the frequency-dependent phase shift and / or frequency-dependent gain (which may be interchangeably referred to as filter coefficients and / or parameters hereinafter) applied by the first BF filter 175A-175D are specifically designed and selected, a target directivity of the acoustic energy emitted by the first speakers 125A-125D can be achieved.

[0065] With respect to the example in which the first speaker(s) 125 are rear-firing and the second speaker 130 is down-firing, the first BF filter 175 for applying a frequency-dependent phase shift and / or a frequency-dependent gain to the first acoustic energy 715 emitted by the rear-firing first speaker 125 and the second BF filter 205 for applying a frequency-dependent phase shift and / or a frequency-dependent gain to the second acoustic energy 720 emitted by the down-firing second speaker 130 are designed such that the acoustic sum of the emitted acoustic energies 715, 720 is directed toward the viewer 725 as a beam traveling in a target direction 735. In such an example, the process for designing the BF filters 175, 205 takes into account the effects of acoustic energy reflected from surfaces close to the display device 100, such as the wall 700 behind the display device 100 and the surface 705 (e.g., a cabinet) below the display device 100. Furthermore, in such examples, the process for designing the BF filter 175, 205 may consider the effects of sound reflected from additional surfaces near the display device 100, such as the floor 710, the ceiling, and / or the walls on either side of the display device 100. Considering the effects of surfaces adjacent to the display device 100 during the BF filter design process may include, for example, generating a 3-D model including the relative geometry of the display device 100, the speaker module 115, and the surfaces adjacent to the display device 100 (their sizes, the distances therebetween, etc.), and using the 3-D model to simulate the operation of the speaker module 115. By using the 3-D model to simulate the operation of the speaker module 115 (e.g., performing a FEM / BEM analysis on the simulated operation of the speaker module 115), the effects of sound reflections from the surfaces adjacent to the display device 100 are taken into account in the complex-pole frequency response of the speaker module 115 that is solved or output by the simulation. Therefore, the optimal BF filter 175, 205 can be designed based on these complex-pole frequency responses, which are based on the interaction between the acoustic energy emitted by the rear-firing speaker 125, the lower-firing speaker 130 and the reflection of the acoustic energy from the surface adjacent to the display device 100. Similarly, for examples in which the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 are arranged to face other directions, the influence of the acoustic energy reflected from the surface adjacent to the display device 100 can be considered in a similar manner.

[0066] Fig.11A method 1100 is provided for designing a BF filter 175, 205 included in a speaker module 115. For example, the BF filter 175, 205 is designed to direct the acoustic sum of the combined acoustic energy emitted by the speaker module 115 (e.g., the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130) in a target direction (e.g., toward a viewer of the display device 100). In addition, the BF filter 175, 205 designed using the method 1100 reduces the need for excessive EQ of the acoustic energy emitted by the speaker module 115 and improves the direct-to-reverberant acoustic energy ratio at the position of the viewer of the display device 100.

[0067] Although the method 1100 is described with respect to a speaker module 115 including (multiple) rear-firing speakers 125 and (multiple) lower-firing speakers 130, it should be understood that the method 1100 can be used to design BF filters for speaker modules including speakers arranged in other orientations. For example, in some instances, the method 1100 is used to design BF filters for speaker modules including side-firing speakers and rear-firing speakers or side-firing speakers and upward-firing speakers. In addition, it should be understood that the method 1100 can also be used to design each of the first BF filters 175A-175N and / or each of the second BF filters 205A-205N for instances in which the speaker module 115 includes multiple first speakers 125A-125N and / or multiple second speakers 130A-130N. Further, it should be understood that the method 1100 can be used to design BF filters for systems in which the display device 100 includes more than two speaker modules 115A, 115B.

[0068] As described above, in some examples, the speaker modules 115A, 115B included in the display device 100 are identical in construction, and therefore, the (multiple) first BF filter 175 and the (multiple) second BF filter 205 designed for the first speaker module 115A can also be used for the second speaker module 115B. Therefore, in such an example, the method 1100 is performed only once to design the (multiple) first BF filter 175 and the (multiple) second BF filter. However, in some examples, such as when there is directional asymmetry in the target response of the speaker modules 115A, 115B and / or when there is a physical difference between the first speaker module 115A and the second speaker module 115B, the method 1100 is performed for the first time to design the BF filter 175, 205 included in the first speaker module 115A, and the method is performed for the second time to design the BF filter 175, 205 included in the second speaker module 115B.

[0069] In some instances, the method 1100 is performed by a computing device including a processor and a memory. For example, in an instance where the distance between the display device 100 and the adjacent surface at the installation location of the display device 100 is known, the computing device can be configured to perform the method 1100 to design the BF filter 175, 205 before installing the display device 100. In other instances, as described above, the method 1100 is performed by a cloud-based processing device. For example, in an instance where the display device 100 is moved from a first installation location to a second installation location, a cloud-based program for performing the method 1100 can be used to dynamically update the BF filter 175, 205 included in the display device 100. In such an instance, the dynamically updated BF filter 175, 205 takes into account the influence of the surface adjacent to the display device 100 when the display device 100 is installed in the second installation location. In some instances, the operating data associated with the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 are measured and adjusted on-site using an experimental and / or real-time process for designing the BF filter 175, 205. For example, the complex frequency responses of the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 may be measured and adjusted at respective evaluation points in the space around the display device 100. In such instances, optimization of the BF filters 175, 205 may be achieved without using any computer modeling / cloud-based computing.

[0070] Fig.12 An example computing device 1200 is illustrated that may be used to perform the method 1100. Although illustrated as a desktop computer, it should be understood that any suitable computing device including a processor and a memory may be used to perform the method 1100. For example, the method 1100 may alternatively be performed by a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, a server, a cloud-based solution, or other similar computing device. Fig.12As shown, the computing device 1200 includes an electronic processor 1205 and a memory 1210. The memory 1210 includes, for example, a program storage area 1215 and a data storage area 1220. The program storage area 1215 stores one or more software programs and / or applications, such as computer-aided design (CAD) software 1235 (e.g., Solidworks, CREO, Inventor, NX, etc.), which is used to design a three-dimensional (3-D) CAD model of the display device 100, the speaker module 115, and / or the environment in which the display device 100 is located. The program storage area 1215 also stores one or more software programs and / or applications (e.g., MATLAB, LTSpice, Microcap, Simulink, COMSOL, etc.), such as simulation software 1225, which is used for finite element method (FEM) and / or boundary element method (BEM) analysis of the speaker module 115. In addition, the program storage area 1215 stores one or more software programs and / or applications (e.g., MATLAB, LTSpice, Microcap, Simulink, COMSOL, etc.), such as an optimization program 1230, which is used to optimize the parameters (e.g., complex gain, etc.) of the BF filter 175, 205. In some examples, the optimization program 1230 is implemented as a custom code written in software such as MATLAB. The program storage area 1215 and the data storage area 1220 may include a combination of different types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) and / or random access memory (RAM). Various non-transitory computer-readable media can be used, such as magnetic, optical, physical or electronic memory.

[0071] The electronic processor 1205 is communicatively coupled to the memory 1210 and executes software programs and instructions stored in the memory 1210 or stored on another non-transitory computer-readable medium (such as another memory or disk). The software may include one or more applications, program data, filters, rules, one or more program modules, and other executable instructions. For example, the software includes simulation software 1225, optimization program 1230, and / or CAD software 1235. The software may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 1205, cause the processor 1205 to simulate the operation of the speaker module 115 using the 3-D CAD model of the display device 100, the speaker module 115, and the adjacent surface stored in the memory 1210. The software may also include instructions that, when executed by the processor 1205, cause the processor to optimize the parameters of the BF filters 175, 205 so that the acoustic sum of the acoustic energy emitted by the speaker module 115 is directed in the target direction.

[0072] At step 1102, the processor 1205 generates or obtains a computer model of the display device 100 (eg, Figures 2 to 3 ). The computer model of the display device 100 includes, for example, a model of a first speaker module 115A. The model of the first speaker module 115A includes a model of one or more first or rear sound-emitting speakers 125 and a corresponding model of a rear cavity housing of (multiple) rear sound-emitting speakers 125. The model of the first speaker module 115A includes a model of one or more second or lower sound-emitting speakers 130 and a corresponding model of a rear cavity housing of (multiple) lower sound-emitting speakers 130. In addition, the model of the display device 100 includes, for example, a model of a second speaker module 115B. The model of the second speaker module 115B includes a model of one or more first or rear sound-emitting speakers 125 and a corresponding model of a rear cavity housing of (multiple) rear sound-emitting speakers 125. The model of the second speaker module 115B further includes a model of one or more second or lower sound-emitting speakers 130 and a corresponding model of a rear cavity housing of (multiple) lower sound-emitting speakers 130.

[0073] In addition, the computer model of the display device 100 includes one or more adjacent boundaries and / or surfaces. For example, the computer model of the display device 100 may include models of boundary surfaces adjacent to the display device 100 (e.g., a wall 700 behind the display device 100, a surface 705 below the display device 100, a floor 710, a ceiling, furniture, etc.). In some instances, the step of obtaining the computer model of the display device 100 further includes loading the computer model of the display device 100 into the simulation software. When simulating the operation of the speaker module 115, the effects of adjacent surfaces are considered, such as the phase shift of the reflected sound energy relative to the sound energy propagating directly from the rear-firing speaker 125 and the down-firing speaker.

[0074] In some examples, obtaining the computer model of the display device 100 further includes determining the acceleration or displacement frequency response of the corresponding diaphragms of the (multiple) rear-firing speakers 125 and the (multiple) lower-firing speakers 130 included in the speaker module 115. In such examples, the processor 1205 defines the diaphragm acceleration or displacement frequency response of the (multiple) rear-firing speakers 125 and the (multiple) lower-firing speakers 130 as acceleration or displacement boundary conditions used when simulating the operation of the speaker module 115. In some examples, the diaphragm acceleration or displacement frequency response of the (multiple) rear-firing speakers 125 and the (multiple) lower-firing speakers 130 is measured during the operation of the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 included in the physical prototype of the speaker module 115. For example, in such examples, the diaphragm acceleration frequency response and / or diaphragm displacement frequency response of the speakers 125, 130 can be measured using a Klippel laser Doppler vibrometer. In some examples, the processor 1205 predicts the diaphragm acceleration or displacement frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 by using a lumped element equivalent circuit model of the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130. The lumped element equivalent circuit model of the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 can be added to the above-mentioned computer model of the display device 100 to determine the diaphragm acceleration frequency response.

[0075] As will be described in more detail below with respect to steps 1104 and 1106, the computer model of the display device 100 is used to simulate the operation of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 and determine their complex frequency responses. In some instances, the computer model of the display device 100 is a frequency-domain sound pressure acoustic model in which solid objects (e.g., display device 100, speaker modules 115A, 115B, walls 700, surfaces 705, floor 710, etc.) included in the computer model are considered to be completely rigid. That is, only the physical medium (air) through which sound propagates is modeled, and the structural mechanics of the solid objects included in the computer model of the display device 100 are not considered. In other instances, the structural mechanics of the solid objects included in the computer model of the display device 100 are considered.

[0076] When simulating the operation of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and / or the lower-firing speaker(s) 130, the above-mentioned acceleration or displacement boundary conditions are used to simulate the steady-state, periodic acceleration or displacement of the air on the corresponding diaphragms of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130. The sound pressure is proportional to the volume acceleration of the air moved by the applied force (e.g., the force that accelerates the diaphragms of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130). Therefore, the simulated operation of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 models the complex sound pressure values ​​at multiple points in the entire computational space. Since the computer model of the display device 100 includes models of surfaces adjacent to the display device 100, the resulting complex sound pressure values ​​at points in the entire computational space include the effects of sound reflected from the walls 700, the surfaces 705, the floor 710, the ceiling, and other surfaces adjacent to the display device 100.

[0077] As described above, in some instances, the processor 1205 uses FEM / BEM analysis techniques to simulate the operation of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130. In such instances, the FEM / BEM analysis includes discretizing the computational space into "elements" of specified size, shape, and distribution. Given the material properties of the medium (air) through which the acoustic energy propagates, the FEM / BEM analysis solves the Helmholtz wave equation at each element vertex. The result of the FEM / BEM analysis is a matrix of complex sound pressure values ​​at multiple points in space at a specified excitation frequency. From this solution data set, various representations of the data can be created, two of which are the complex pole frequency responses of the speakers 125, 130 and the spatial sound pressure radiation patterns of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130. In some instances, other analysis techniques are used to simulate the operation of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130.

[0078] At step 1104, the processor 1205 solves or determines the complex-pole frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125. In particular, the processor 1205 determines the complex-pole frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 when the acoustic energy emitted by the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 is not filtered by the optimized BF filter 175. Determining the complex-pole frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 includes, for example, simulating the operation of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and evaluating the resulting complex sound pressure values ​​of points in the computation space across a wide frequency range (e.g., 20 Hz - 20 kHz).

[0079] In some instances, points in space used to determine the complex frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 are defined on one or more spatial planes. For example, in some instances, the complex frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 is evaluated at a first set of points defined on the xy plane and at a second set of points defined on the yz plane. In such instances, the complex frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 may be defined as a first table and a second table, the first table including data indicating complex sound pressures evaluated at the first set of points defined on the xy plane, and the second table including data indicating complex sound pressures evaluated at the second set of points defined on the yz plane. It should be understood that, although presented and described herein as being included in separate tables, in some instances, the complex frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 is represented as a single table, the single table including data indicating complex sound pressures evaluated at the first set of points defined on the xy plane and complex sound pressures evaluated at the second set of points defined on the yz plane. In some instances, the complex-pole frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 is evaluated at one or more sets of points defined on different spatial planes. Additionally, for instances where the first speaker(s) 125 are not rear-firing, evaluation points defined in other spatial planes may be used to determine the complex-pole frequency response of the first speaker(s) 125. In some instances, the complex-pole frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 is evaluated at other points, such as points in a spherical grid and / or points in a rectangular grid.

[0080] Fig.13 An example is illustrated in which the processor 1205 evaluates the complex polarity frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 at a first set of nineteen discrete evaluation points 1305 on the xy plane and at a second set of nineteen discrete evaluation points 1305 on the yz plane. In the illustrated example, the first set of evaluation points 1305 on the xy plane defines an arc that spans 180 degrees and has an origin (0,0) at the midpoint of the display device 100. Similarly, the second set of evaluation points 1305 on the yz plane defines an arc that spans 180 degrees and has an origin (0,0) at the midpoint of the display device 100. Although described as using a set of nineteen evaluation points to evaluate the complex polarity frequency response in the xy plane and the yz plane, it should be understood that in some instances, more or fewer than nineteen evaluation points may be used.

[0081] Table 1 is provided below as an example of a data table or data matrix that defines the complex frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 in the xy plane. In this example, the processor 1205 defines nineteen evaluation points 1305 (e.g., Fig.13The complex sound pressure is evaluated at each of the evaluation points 1305 in the xy plane. Thus, as shown, Table 1 includes the complex sound pressure phase and amplitude of the sound field radiated from the rear-firing speaker 125 at each evaluation point 1305 on the xy plane across the tested frequency range. For the purpose of explanation, the data points are represented in Table 1 as polar coordinates (amplitude, phase). However, it should be understood that the data points can be written in the complex form x+iy instead, where "i" represents an imaginary number.

[0082] In addition, it should be understood that Table 1 is provided only as an example, and the number of evaluation points and frequencies for evaluating the complex polarity frequency response of the (multiple) rear-firing speaker 125 is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure in any way. For example, in some instances, a logarithmically spaced vector of 200 frequencies from 20 Hz to 16 kHz is used to evaluate the complex polarity frequency response of the (multiple) rear-firing speaker 125.

[0083] Table 1

[0084]

[0085] Similarly, Table 2 is provided below as an example of a data table or data matrix that defines the complex frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 in the yz plane. In this example, the processor 1205 defines nineteen evaluation points 1305 (e.g., Fig.13 The complex sound pressure is evaluated at each of the evaluation points 1305 in the yz plane. Thus, as shown, Table 2 includes the complex sound pressure phase and amplitude of the sound field radiated from the rear-firing speaker 125 at each evaluation point 1305 on the yz plane across the tested frequency range. For the purpose of explanation, the data points are represented in Table 2 as polar coordinates (amplitude, phase). However, it should be understood that the data points can be written in complex form y+iz instead, where "i" represents an imaginary number.

[0086] Furthermore, it should be understood that Table 2 is provided as an example only, and the number of evaluation points and frequencies for evaluating the complex frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure in any way. For example, in some instances, a logarithmically spaced vector of 200 frequencies from 20 Hz to 16 kHz is used for the complex frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125. Additionally, it should be understood that, although presented herein as separate tables, in some instances, Tables 1 and 2 are combined into a single table that defines the complex frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125. As will be described in more detail below, the data points included in Tables 1 and 2 are provided as inputs to an optimization function that solves for the parameters of the BF filters 175, 205.

[0087] Table 2

[0088]

[0089] At step 1106, the processor 1205 solves or determines the complex-pole frequency response of the lower-firing speaker(s) 130. In particular, the processor 1205 determines the complex-pole frequency response of the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 when the acoustic energy emitted by the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 is not filtered by the optimized BF filter 205. Determining the complex-pole frequency response of the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 includes, for example, simulating the operation of the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 and evaluating the resulting complex sound pressure values ​​of points in the calculation space across a wide frequency range (e.g., 20 Hz - 20 kHz).

[0090] In some instances, points in space used to determine the complex-pole frequency response of the (multiple) down-firing speaker 130 are defined on one or more spatial planes. For example, in some instances, the complex-pole frequency response of the (multiple) down-firing speaker 130 is evaluated at a first set of points defined on the xy plane and at a second set of points defined on the yz plane. In such instances, the complex-pole frequency response of the (multiple) down-firing speaker 130 can be defined as a first table and a second table, the first table including data indicating the complex sound pressure evaluated at the first set of points defined on the xy plane, and the second table including data indicating the complex sound pressure evaluated at the second set of points defined on the yz plane. It should be understood that, although presented and described herein as being included in separate tables, in some instances, the complex frequency response of the (multiple) down-firing speaker 130 is represented as a single table, the single table including data indicating the complex sound pressure evaluated at the first set of points defined on the xy plane and the complex sound pressure evaluated at the second set of points defined on the yz plane. In some instances, the complex-pole frequency response of the bottom-firing speaker(s) 130 is evaluated at one or more sets of points defined on different spatial planes. Additionally, for instances where the second speaker(s) 130 are not bottom-firing, evaluation points defined in other spatial planes may be used to determine the complex-pole frequency response of the second speaker(s) 130. In some instances, the complex-pole frequency response of the bottom-firing speaker(s) 130 is evaluated at other points, such as points in a spherical grid and / or points in a rectangular grid.

[0091] Fig.13An example is illustrated in which the processor 1205 evaluates the complex polar frequency response of the lower sounding speaker(s) 130 at a first set of nineteen discrete evaluation points 1305 on the xy plane and at a second set of nineteen discrete evaluation points 1305 on the yz plane. In the illustrated example, the first set of evaluation points 1305 on the xy plane defines an arc that spans 180 degrees and has an origin (0,0) at the midpoint of the display device 100. Similarly, the second set of evaluation points 1305 on the yz plane defines an arc that spans 180 degrees and has an origin (0,0) at the midpoint of the display device 100. Although described as using a set of nineteen evaluation points to evaluate the complex polar frequency response in the xy plane and the yz plane, it should be understood that in some instances, more or fewer than nineteen evaluation points may be used.

[0092] Table 3 is provided below as an example of a data table or data matrix that defines the complex frequency response of the lower sound-emitting speaker 130 in the xy plane. In this example, the processor 1205 defines nineteen evaluation points 1305 (e.g., Fig.13 The complex sound pressure is evaluated at each of the evaluation points 1305 in the xy plane. Thus, as shown, Table 3 includes the complex sound pressure phase and amplitude of the sound field radiated from the (multiple) lower sounding speakers 130 at each evaluation point 1305 on the xy plane across the tested frequency range. For the purpose of explanation, the data points are represented in Table 3 as polar coordinates (amplitude, phase). However, it should be understood that the data points can be written in the complex form x+iy instead, where "i" represents an imaginary number.

[0093] In addition, it should be understood that Table 3 is provided only as an example, and the number of evaluation points and frequencies for evaluating the complex polarity frequency response of the (multiple) lower-firing speaker 130 is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure in any way. For example, in some instances, a logarithmically spaced vector of 200 frequencies from 20 Hz to 16 kHz is used to evaluate the complex polarity frequency response of the (multiple) lower-firing speaker 130.

[0094] Table 3

[0095]

[0096] Similarly, Table 4 is provided below as an example of a data table or data matrix that defines the complex frequency response of the lower sound-emitting speaker(s) 130 in the yz plane. In this example, the processor 1205 defines nineteen evaluation points 1305 (e.g., Fig.13The complex sound pressure is evaluated at each of the evaluation points 1305 in the yz plane. Thus, as shown, Table 4 includes the complex sound pressure phase and amplitude of the sound field radiated from the (multiple) lower sounding speakers 130 at each evaluation point 1305 on the yz plane across the tested frequency range. For the purpose of explanation, the data points are represented in Table 4 as polar coordinates (amplitude, phase). However, it should be understood that the data points can be written in complex form y+iz instead, where "i" represents an imaginary number.

[0097] Furthermore, it should be understood that Table 4 is provided as an example only, and the number of evaluation points and frequencies for evaluating the complex-pole frequency response of the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure in any way. For example, in some instances, a logarithmically-spaced vector of 200 frequencies from 20 Hz to 16 kHz is used for the complex-pole frequency response of the lower-firing speaker(s) 130. Additionally, it should be understood that, although presented herein as separate tables, in some instances, Tables 3 and 4 are combined into a single table that defines the complex frequency response of the lower-firing speaker(s) 130. As will be described in more detail below, the data points included in Tables 3 and 4 are provided as inputs to an optimization function that solves for the parameters of the BF filters 175, 205.

[0098] Table 4

[0099]

[0100] Fig.14A and Fig. 14B Examples of 200 Hz radiation patterns of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 in the yz plane, 500 Hz radiation patterns of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 in the yz plane, 1 kHz radiation patterns of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 in the yz plane, and 5 kHz radiation patterns of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 in the yz plane are illustrated. In particular, Fig.14A and Fig. 14B The plots of illustrative examples illustrate the corresponding spatial sound pressure radiation patterns of only the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 filtered by the optimized BF filter 175 or only the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 optimized by the BF filter 205 . FIG. 14A to FIG. 14B Not shown is the radiation pattern of the combined output of the rear-firing speaker 125 and the down-firing speaker 130 filtered by the optimized BF filters 175, 205, respectively. FIG. 14A to FIG. 14BThe corresponding outputs of the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 are shown before the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 are tuned by the optimized BF filters 175, 205. By comparison, the following description and Fig.15 An example of a radiation pattern of the combined output of the rear-firing speaker 125 and the down-firing speaker 130 filtered by the optimized BF filters 175, 205, respectively, is illustrated in FIG.

[0101] At step 1108, a target response for the combined acoustic energy emitted by the rear-firing speaker 125 and the lower-firing speaker 130 is determined or defined. The target response is defined to be the target complex frequency response of the entire system, which includes the acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker 125 and the second speaker 130 and the effects of acoustic energy reflected from adjacent surfaces and boundaries. It should be understood that there is no separate target response for each of the (multiple) first speakers 125 and (multiple) second speakers 130 included in the speaker module 115. Instead, the target response is specified for the total beamforming system. The total beamforming system refers to the combination of the beamformed acoustic sum of the filtered outputs of the (multiple) first speakers 125 and (multiple) second speakers 130 and the sound reflected from adjacent surfaces, which is directed toward the viewer 725. In some examples, a respective target response of the total system is defined for each plane in the space where the model is evaluated (e.g., a target response for the total system in the xy plane and a target response for the total system in the yz plane).

[0102] The target response of the combined output of the rear-firing speaker 125 and the lower-firing speaker 130 is defined at the same evaluation point in space for determining the complex-pole frequency response of the rear-firing speaker 125 and the lower-firing speaker 130. For example, the target response is defined as a single table of target complex sound pressure data, which corresponds to the above-mentioned Tables 1-4 that define the complex-pole frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130. In some examples, the target response of the system in the xy plane is represented by a first table, and the target response of the system in the yz plane is represented by a second table.

[0103] In some examples, the target response of the acoustic energy emitted by the rear-firing speakers 125 and the lower-firing speakers 130 is defined as a complex polar frequency response that increases the direct to reverberant acoustic energy ratio at the location of the viewer 725 of the display device 100. In some examples, the target response is defined as a complex polar frequency response that causes the acoustic sum of the acoustic energy emitted by the rear-firing speakers 125 and the lower-firing speakers 130 to be directed toward the viewer 725 in a beam having a desired amount of constructive and destructive interference.

[0104] In the illustrated example described herein, the target response for the acoustic energy emitted by the rear-firing speakers 125 and the lower-firing speakers 130 is symmetrical from left to right relative to the display device 100. Therefore, only the target response for a single speaker module 115 needs to be determined. This is advantageous when compared to a system in which the target response for the acoustic energy emitted by the rear-firing speakers 125 and the lower-firing speakers 130 is asymmetrical from left to right relative to the display device 100, because the asymmetrical system requires that a separate target response be calculated for each speaker module 115 included in the display device 100, thereby greatly reducing the computational efficiency of the BF filter design process.

[0105] At step 1110, the processor 1205 determines a first set of parameters for the first BF filter(s) 175 and a second set of parameters for the second BF filter(s) 205 based on the target response and the complex-pole frequencies determined at steps 1104 and 1106. For example, the processor 1205 determines the first set of parameters for the first BF filter(s) 175 and the second set of parameters for the second BF filter(s) 205 that minimize the difference between the target response and the sum of the complex-pole frequency responses of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 and the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 determined at steps 1104 and 1106. The first set of parameters for the first BF filter(s) 175 include, for example, phase shifts, gains, and other multipliers applied by the first BF filter(s) 175 to the acoustic energy emitted by the rear-firing speaker(s) 125. Similarly, the second set of parameters of the second BF filter(s) 205 include, for example, phase shifts and gains applied by the second BF filter(s) 205 to the acoustic energy emitted by the lower-firing speaker(s) 130. The first set of BF filter parameters and the second set of BF filter parameters may also be referred to as coefficients.

[0106] In some examples, determining the first set of parameters for the first BF filter 175 and the second set of parameters for the second BF filter 205 includes executing an optimization routine. For example, in some examples, the processor 1205 executes a function designed to minimize the difference between the complex-pole frequency response of the beamforming system (e.g., the acoustic sum of the rear-firing speaker 125 and the lower-firing speaker 130 to which the BF filter is applied) and the target response of the system defined in step 1108. Equation 1 below provides an expression for the complex-pole frequency response of the beamforming system, which can be used by the optimization function to solve for BF filter parameters that minimize the difference between the target response and the complex-pole frequency response of the beamforming system.

[0107] H system (ω)=P rf (ω)·H rf (ω)+P df(ω)·H df (ω) [Equation 1]

[0108] In equation 1, H system is the total beamforming system response, and ω is the angular frequency. rf is the complex frequency response of the rear-firing speaker(s) 125 determined at step 1104. df is the complex frequency response of the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 determined at step 1106. rf represents the first BF filter(s) 175 being solved as the complex gain applied to the rear-firing speaker(s) 125. Similarly, H df represents the (multiple) second BF filter 205 being solved as a complex gain applied to the (multiple) lower-firing speaker 130. Therefore, the system response is modeled as a function of frequency that is equal to the sum of the product of the complex pole frequency response of the (multiple) rear-firing speaker 125 and the complex gain of the (multiple) first BF filter 175 and the product of the complex pole frequency response of the (multiple) lower-firing speaker 130 and the complex gain of the (multiple) second BF filter 205.

[0109] As described above, the purpose of the optimization routine is to solve for the BF filter parameters (e.g., the complex gains of the first BF filter 175 and the second BF filter 205) that minimize the difference between the beamforming system response and the target response. Equation 2 below provides an optimization function that will be iteratively solved by the processor 1205 to determine the solutions for the first BF filter 175 and the second BF filter 205.

[0110] minimize(H system (ω)-H target (ω)

[0111]

[0112] In Equation 2, H target is the target response defined in step 1108 of method 1100. In addition, g max is an optimization constraint that prevents the processor 1205 from determining a solution that results in excessive system gain. In the complex-pole frequency response determined in steps 1104 and 1106, the optimization variable is a table or matrix of complex gains h(ω,n), where ω is the number of frequencies and n is the number of speakers included in the system. In some examples, the optimization equation is further constrained by a minimum gain constraint.

[0113] Processor 1205 iteratively solves the optimization function until H rf and H dfThe solution is such that the difference between the system response and the target response satisfies the error threshold. In some examples, the error threshold is the maximum allowable percentage difference between the system response and the target response (eg, 1% difference).

[0114] In some instances, the output of the above optimization function is not a set of filter coefficients in the traditional sense. That is, in some instances, H rf and H df The determined solution of is not a time domain multiplier that can be applied to the rear-firing speakers 125 and the lower-firing speakers 130. Instead, H rf and H df are the respective complex frequency response solutions of the first BF filter(s) 175 and the second BF filter(s) 205. In such an example, the BF filters 175, 205 are implemented as complex frequency responses H in the frequency domain. rf and H df , to process the audio content to be played back by the rear-firing speaker 125 and the lower-firing speaker 130. For example, the complex frequency response H rf and H df The audio content is filtered by multiplying the fast Fourier transform (FFT) of the audio content to be played back by the rear-firing speakers 125 and the lower-firing speakers 130. In addition, filtering the audio content in this manner causes a phase shift and / or a complex gain to be applied to the acoustic energy emitted by the rear-firing speakers 125 and the lower-firing speakers 130 so that the acoustic sum of the emitted acoustic energy is steered toward the viewer 725 in a target beam.

[0115] In some examples, processor 1205 uses the complex frequency response H solved by the optimization function rf and H df The FIR filter coefficients are converted to corresponding finite impulse response (FIR) filter coefficients. When implemented as digital filters in a low-latency DSP, the FIR filter coefficients are used to define the first BF filter 175 and the second BF filter 205. In some examples, the optimization function is modified so that the output of the optimization function returns the corresponding FIR filter coefficient set instead of returning the complex frequency response H. rf and H df .

[0116] Fig.15An example comparison is illustrated between a target response 1505, a spatial sound pressure radiation pattern of an acoustic sum of acoustic energy 1510 emitted by a rear-firing speaker 125 and a lower-firing speaker 130, wherein the emitted acoustic energy is filtered by a BF filter 175, 205 designed using the method 1100, and an example spatial sound pressure radiation pattern of acoustic energy 1515 emitted by the lower-firing speaker(s) 130, wherein the acoustic energy 1515 is not filtered by any beamforming filter. As shown, the acoustic sum of the filtered acoustic energy 1510 emitted by the rear-firing speaker 125 and the lower-firing speaker 130 more closely tracks the target response 1505 when compared to the acoustic sum of the acoustic energy 1515 emitted by the lower-firing speaker(s) 130 that do not include any beamforming filter.

[0117] The speaker module 115 described herein can be implemented using one or more of any known types of loudspeakers. For example, the first sound-emitting loudspeaker 125 and / or the second sound-emitting loudspeaker 130 described herein can be implemented as a moving iron loudspeaker, a piezoelectric loudspeaker, a magnetostatic loudspeaker, a magnetostrictive loudspeaker, an electrostatic loudspeaker, a ribbon and planar magnetic loudspeaker, a bending wave loudspeaker, and / or a flat panel loudspeaker. Other known types of loudspeakers can also be used.

[0118] The above-mentioned speaker system and speaker design method can provide an improved listening experience for television viewers.The system, method and device according to the present disclosure can adopt any one or more of the following configurations.

[0119] Effect

[0120] Systems, methods, and devices according to the present disclosure may adopt any one or more of the following configurations.

[0121] (1) A display device comprises a first surface supporting a display and a second surface disposed opposite to the first surface. A first speaker module is supported by the second surface and comprises a first speaker arranged to face a first direction relative to the display device and a second speaker arranged to face a second direction relative to the display device, the second direction being different from the first direction. A second speaker module is supported by a rear surface and comprises a third speaker arranged to face the first direction and a fourth speaker arranged to face the second direction.

[0122] (2) A display device according to (1), wherein the first speaker module further includes: a first filter, the first filter being configured to apply at least one of a frequency-dependent phase shift or a frequency-dependent gain to a first sound energy emitted by the first speaker; and a second filter, the second filter being configured to apply at least one of a frequency-dependent phase shift or a frequency-dependent gain to a second sound energy emitted by the second speaker.

[0123] (3) The display device according to (2), wherein an acoustic sum of the first acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker and the second acoustic energy emitted by the second speaker is steered in a target direction.

[0124] (4) The display device according to (3), wherein the acoustic sum further includes a sum of acoustic energy reflected from a surface adjacent to the display device.

[0125] (5) The display device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the first speaker includes a plurality of first speakers, and wherein the second speaker includes a plurality of second speakers.

[0126] (6) A display device according to (5), wherein the first speaker module further comprises: a plurality of first filters, wherein each of the plurality of first filters is configured to apply at least one of a corresponding frequency-dependent phase shift and a corresponding frequency-dependent gain to the sound energy emitted by a corresponding one of the plurality of first speakers; and a plurality of second filters, wherein each of the plurality of second filters is configured to apply at least one of a corresponding frequency-dependent phase shift and a corresponding frequency-dependent gain to the sound energy emitted by a corresponding one of the plurality of second speakers.

[0127] (7) A display device according to (6), wherein a first acoustic sum of the sound energy emitted by the plurality of first speakers is manipulated in a first target direction on a first spatial plane, and wherein a second acoustic sum of the sound energy emitted by the plurality of second speakers is manipulated in a second target direction on a second spatial plane.

[0128] (8) The display device according to (6), wherein an acoustic sum of a first combined acoustic energy emitted by the first plurality of speakers and a second combined acoustic energy emitted by the second plurality of speakers is steered in a target direction.

[0129] (9) The display device according to (2), wherein the first filter and the second filter are implemented as digital filters in a digital signal processor.

[0130] (10) The display device according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein a first acoustic back chamber of the first speaker is separated from a second acoustic back chamber of the second speaker.

[0131] (11) A method for designing a filter included in a speaker module for a display device. The speaker module includes a first speaker oriented to face a first direction, a second speaker oriented to face a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, a first filter connected to the first speaker, and a second filter connected to the second speaker. The method includes: obtaining a three-dimensional computer model of the speaker module, the three-dimensional computer model including a model of the first speaker and a model of the second speaker; determining a first complex-pole frequency response of the first speaker based on the computer model of the speaker module; and determining a second complex-pole frequency response of the second speaker based on the computer model of the speaker module. The method further includes: defining a target response for a combined output of the first speaker and the second speaker; determining a first set of parameters for the first filter based on the target response and the first complex-pole frequency response and the second complex-pole frequency response; and determining a second set of parameters for the second filter based on the target response and the first complex-pole frequency response and the second complex-pole frequency response.

[0132] (12) A method according to (11), wherein determining the first complex pole frequency response includes: evaluating the complex sound pressure of the sound energy emitted by the first speaker at a first set of points in space; and evaluating the complex sound pressure of the sound energy emitted by the first speaker at a second set of points in space.

[0133] (13) The method of (12), wherein the first set of points is defined on an xy plane relative to the speaker module, and the second set of points is defined on a yz plane relative to the speaker module.

[0134] (14) A method according to any one of (11) to (13), wherein determining the second complex pole frequency response includes: evaluating the complex sound pressure of the sound energy emitted by the second speaker at a first set of points in space; and evaluating the complex sound pressure of the sound energy emitted by the second speaker at a second set of points in space.

[0135] (15) The method of (14), wherein the first set of points is defined on an xy plane relative to the speaker module, and the second set of points is defined on a yz plane relative to the speaker module.

[0136] (16) A method according to any one of (11) to (15), wherein the first set of parameters of the first filter includes a first complex gain applied by the first filter to the acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker.

[0137] (17) The method according to any one of (11) to (16), wherein the first filter is a finite impulse response filter implemented by a digital signal processor.

[0138] (18) A method according to any one of (11) to (17), wherein the second set of parameters of the second filter includes a second complex gain applied by the second filter to the acoustic energy emitted by the second speaker.

[0139] (19) The method according to any one of (11) to (18), wherein the second filter is a finite impulse response filter implemented by a digital signal processor.

[0140] (20) A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including the method according to any one of (11) to (19).

[0141] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of these processes, etc. have been described as being performed in a particular ordered order, these processes can be practiced with the described steps performed in an order different from that described herein. It should further be understood that certain steps can be performed simultaneously, other steps can be added, or certain steps described herein can be omitted. In other words, the process descriptions herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating certain examples and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0142] Accordingly, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. By reading the above description, many examples and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but should be determined with reference to the full range of equivalents to which the appended claims and these claims are eligible for consideration. It is expected and desired that the technology discussed herein will develop in the future, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future examples. In a word, it should be understood that the present application is capable of modification and change.

[0143] All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable interpretations and ordinary meanings as understood by those skilled in the art described herein, unless an explicit indication to the contrary appears herein. In particular, use of singular articles such as "a," "an," "the," and "said" should be understood to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.

[0144] The abstract of the present disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly determine the nature of the technical disclosure. This abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the aforementioned detailed description, it can be seen that various features are combined together into various examples for the purpose of connecting the present disclosure as a whole. The method of the present disclosure should not be interpreted as reflecting the intention that the claimed examples incorporate more features than those explicitly recited in each claim. On the contrary, as reflected in the attached claims, the creative subject matter lies in less than all the features of a single disclosed example. Therefore, the attached claims are thereby incorporated into the detailed description, and each claim stands alone as a separately claimed subject matter.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising: a first surface, the first surface supporting a display; a second surface, the second surface being disposed opposite the first surface; as well as A first speaker module, the first speaker module is supported by the second surface, and the first speaker module comprises: a first speaker arranged to emit acoustic energy in a first direction relative to the display device; a second speaker arranged to emit acoustic energy in a second direction relative to the display device, the second direction is different from the first direction; Wherein, the first speaker module includes a digital filter in a digital signal processor, which guides the sound energy emitted by the first speaker module in a target direction, and the digital filter is designed based on a target response of the combined sound energy emitted by the first speaker and the second speaker, and the target response is determined based on a three-dimensional model of at least one of the display device, the first speaker module and the environment in which the display device is located.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein: The digital filter comprises: a first filter configured to apply at least one of a first frequency-dependent phase shift and a first frequency-dependent gain to first acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker; and A second filter configured to apply at least one of a second frequency-dependent phase shift and a second frequency-dependent gain to second acoustic energy emitted by the second speaker.

3. The display device according to claim 2, wherein: The digital filter is configured to steer an acoustic sum of the first acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker and the second acoustic energy emitted by the second speaker in the target direction.

4. The display device according to claim 3; in, The acoustic sum further includes a sum of acoustic energy reflected from surfaces adjacent to the display device.

5. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The first speaker includes a plurality of first speakers; and Wherein, the second speaker includes a plurality of second speakers.

6. The display device according to claim 5, wherein: The first speaker module further comprises: a plurality of first filters, wherein each first filter of the plurality of first filters is configured to apply at least one of a respective frequency-dependent phase shift and a respective frequency-dependent gain to acoustic energy emitted by a corresponding one of the plurality of first speakers; and A plurality of second filters, wherein each second filter of the plurality of second filters is configured to apply at least one of a respective frequency-dependent phase shift and a respective frequency-dependent gain to acoustic energy emitted by a corresponding one of the plurality of second speakers.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein: The first filter is configured to steer a first acoustic sum of acoustic energy emitted by the plurality of first speakers in a first target direction on a first spatial plane; and The second filter is configured to steer a second acoustic sum of acoustic energy emitted by the plurality of second speakers in a second target direction on a second spatial plane.

8. The display device according to claim 6, wherein: The first filter and the second filter are configured to steer an acoustic sum of a first combined acoustic energy emitted by the plurality of first speakers and a second combined acoustic energy emitted by the plurality of second speakers in a target direction.

9. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: A first acoustic back cavity of the first speaker is separated from a second acoustic back cavity of the second speaker.

10. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a second speaker module supported by the second surface, the second speaker module comprising: a third speaker arranged to emit acoustic energy in the first direction; as well as A fourth speaker is arranged to emit acoustic energy in the second direction.

11. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The first filter is a finite impulse response filter.

12. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The second filter is a finite impulse response filter.

13. A method for designing a filter, the filter being included in a speaker module for a display device, the speaker module comprising a first speaker oriented to emit acoustic energy in a first direction, a second speaker oriented to emit acoustic energy in a second direction, a first filter connected to the first speaker, and a second filter connected to the second speaker, the method comprising: Obtaining a three-dimensional computer model of the speaker module, the three-dimensional computer model including a model of the first speaker and a model of the second speaker; determining a first complex-pole frequency response of the first speaker based on the computer model of the speaker module; determining a second complex-pole frequency response of the second speaker based on the computer model of the speaker module; defining a target response for a combined output of the first speaker and the second speaker; determining a first set of parameters for the first filter based on the target response and the first and second complex-pole frequency responses; as well as determining a second set of parameters for the second filter based on the target response and the first and second complex pole frequency responses, The first filter and the second filter include digital filters in a digital signal processor.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: Determining the first repolarization frequency response includes: evaluating the complex sound pressure of the sound energy emitted by the first loudspeaker at a first set of points in space; and The complex sound pressure of the sound energy emitted by the first loudspeaker is evaluated at a second set of points in space.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The first set of points is defined on an xy plane relative to the speaker module, and the second set of points is defined on a yz plane relative to the speaker module.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein: Determining the second repolarization frequency response includes: evaluating the complex sound pressure of the sound energy emitted by the second loudspeaker at a first set of points in space; and The complex sound pressure of the sound energy emitted by the second loudspeaker is evaluated at a second set of points in space.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The first set of points is defined on an xy plane relative to the speaker module, and the second set of points is defined on a yz plane relative to the speaker module.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein: The first set of parameters of the first filter includes a first complex gain applied by the first filter to acoustic energy emitted by the first speaker.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein: The first filter is a finite impulse response filter.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein: The second set of parameters for the second filter includes a second complex gain applied by the second filter to acoustic energy emitted by the second speaker.

21. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein: The second filter is a finite impulse response filter.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including the method of any one of claims 13 to 21.

Images