System and method for complementary audio output

Abstract

To provide a system and method for improving the response of sound systems using complementary audio output.SOLUTION: A sound system 500 comprises: a first loudspeaker 510 comprising at least one first speaker element 513; a second loudspeaker 520 comprising at least one second speaker element 523; and an arbitrary third speaker 530. The first and second loudspeakers have at least partially overlapping frequency ranges. The first loudspeaker is configured to produce a response within at least one first operating band defined within the frequency range of the first loudspeaker. The second loudspeaker is configured to produce a response within at least one second operating band defined within the frequency range of the second loudspeaker. The first and second operating bands do not overlap. The all responses of the sound system at a first location are comprised of the responses within the first operating band and the responses within the second operating band.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a method for producing a sound system using complementary acoustic outputs, particularly in the field of sound and audio applications. The present invention provides a system and method for improving the responsiveness of a networked system.

[0002] More specifically, the present disclosure is a sound system comprising at least: a first loudspeaker having a first speaker element, at least one second speaker A sound system comprising a second loudspeaker having a power element, The first loudspeaker and the second loudspeaker have at least partially overlapping frequency ranges, A first speaker is provided with a first operating band that is responsive to at least one of the first operating bands defined within a frequency range of the first speaker. a second speaker configured to generate a small frequency component within a frequency range of the second speaker; and configuring the first and second operating bands to generate a response within at least one second operating band. The bands do not overlap and the overall response of the sound system at the first location is the response within the first operating band. and a response within a second operating band. [Background technology]

[0003] A listening room or listening space is the position of a listener or the sound quality of an acoustic system at a listening position or location. The interaction between the acoustics of the room and the acoustics of the loudspeaker radiation greatly affects the output of the loudspeaker. is complicated. Each space will cause the monitor to respond slightly differently in unique ways, e.g. , depending on whether it is a reverberation or damping chamber, or whether it is mounted against a wall or standing upright away from a wall. The effect of the listening space is sometimes called the "room response." Therefore, the effects of the listening space may have an adverse effect on the sound quality of the sound system, speaker system, individual loudspeaker or individual speaker element. Suppressing the effects of the listening space by calibration results in a more consistent sound characteristic with a flat frequency response at the listening position. Thus, in different acoustic spaces (rooms), it begins to sound more systematically similar than in an uncalibrated state. As a result, a neutral sound characteristic, that is, it does not increase or decrease for specific frequencies, but has the same amount of all audible frequencies - that is, a flat frequency response, sound is obtained. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

[0004] The present invention is defined by the features of the independent claims. Some specific embodiments are defined in the dependent claims

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sound system, the sound system comprising: a first loudspeaker comprising at least one first speaker element, and a second loudspeaker comprising at least one second speaker element, wherein the first loudspeaker and the second loudspeaker have at least partially overlapping frequency ranges, the first speaker is configured to generate a response within at least one first operating band defined within the frequency range of the first speaker, the second speaker is configured to generate a response within at least one second operating band defined within the frequency range of the second speaker, the first operating band and the second operating band do not overlap, and the overall response of the sound system at a first location consists of the response within the first operating band and the response within the second operating band, thereby providing a sound system. ​​​​​​​

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for improving the quality of the response of a sound system, wherein the method comprises: measuring the room response of a first speaker at a first location to obtain a first response measuring the room response of a second speaker at the first location to obtain a second response, the first and analyzing the first and second responses, and based at least in part on the analysis, dividing the frequency ranges of the first and second responses into operating bands, and based at least in part on the analysis, assigning the first speaker or the second speaker to each operating band, and based at least in part on the assignment, generating a first filter set for the first speaker and a second filter set for the second speaker and providing the first filter set to the first speaker and the second filter set to the second speaker to implement the overall sound system response. A method is provided that includes steps.

[0007] Various embodiments of the first or second aspect may comprise at least one feature from the following list:[[]] :[[]] - Selecting the operating bands such that the overall response of the sound system is flatter compared to the response without operating bands .[[]] - Defining a first operating band and a second operating band based at least in part on the first measurement and the first determination .[[]] - The sound system further comprises a third speaker having a third room response at the first location, configuring the third speaker to generate sound within at least one operating band within the frequency range of the third speaker, and the first, second and third operating bands do not overlap .[[]] - The loudspeaker is an active loudspeaker - The first, second, and third speakers are present within a single housing, - At least some of the speakers comprise a plurality of speaker elements, - At least some of the speakers comprise a combination of woofer, sub-woofer, and tweeter thereof, - Using at least one speaker for at least two operating bands to form the overall response of the system, - Using equalization to match the response of individual speakers to the amplitude target of the overall system response, - Optimizing all-pass equalizer parameters and group delay among individual speakers, - Performing the division of the operating bands based at least in part on the measured response, - Using at least one speaker for at least two operating bands to form the overall response of the system,

[0008] In at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, on which is stored a set of computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least some of the aspects of the present invention optionally including the features presented in the list above.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

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Figure 4A

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Figure 4D

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Figure 9

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present disclosure provides systems and methods that include measuring, analyzing, and equalizing speaker elements to reduce the effects of the room at the listener's position. More specifically, the overall response of the sound system is measured, divided into operating bands, and then the selected response is optimized to achieve an optimal response Assign it to each operation band.

[0011] Associate the resulting response at the listening position for a particular space with both the location of the speaker and the listening position. Changing the position of the speaker relative to the listening position, changing the listening position relative to the speaker, or changing both positions within a given room results in a change in the resulting response at the listener's location. In this disclosure, this effect is beneficially utilized to select a loudspeaker that is minimally affected by the effects of the listening space in the selected frequency range and selectively use the frequency range from the speaker to generate an overall flat frequency response in a given room. The measurement process involves determining the operating frequency range of an individual unit by analyzing the individual in-room responses of individual reproduction elements at the location of at least one microphone and by evaluating a plurality of measurement criteria as disclosed elsewhere in this disclosure. The frequency range, also referred to as the operating frequency range, begins at the minimum frequency and extends to the maximum frequency emitted by the speaker element or loudspeaker or sound system. That is, the frequency range is the range within which the device can represent sound. Design filters to adapt the individual unit response to the amplitude target and use all-pass filter optimization to match the individual unit response at the listener position. By reducing the dips in the response, the effects of the room are reduced at the listener position. Filters according to this disclosure include at least the following: all-pass filters, roll-off filters, shelving filters,

[0012] In this disclosure, this effect is beneficially utilized to select a loudspeaker that is minimally affected by the effects of the listening space in the selected frequency range and selectively use the frequency range from the speaker to generate an overall flat frequency response in a given room. In this disclosure, this effect is beneficially utilized to select a loudspeaker that is minimally affected by the effects of the listening space in the selected frequency range and selectively use the frequency range from the speaker to generate an overall flat frequency response in a given room. In this disclosure, this effect is beneficially utilized to select a loudspeaker that is minimally affected by the effects of the listening space in the selected frequency range and selectively use the frequency range from the speaker to generate an overall flat frequency response in a given room. .

[0013] The measurement process comprises determining the operating frequency range of an individual unit by analysis of the individual in-room responses of individual reproduction elements at the location of at least one microphone and by evaluation of a plurality of measurement criteria as disclosed elsewhere in this disclosure. The frequency range, also referred to as the operating frequency range, begins at the minimum frequency and extends to the maximum frequency emitted by the speaker element or loudspeaker or sound system. That is, the frequency range is the range within which the device can represent sound. The measurement process comprises determining the operating frequency range of an individual unit by analysis of the individual in-room responses of individual reproduction elements at the location of at least one microphone and by evaluation of a plurality of measurement criteria as disclosed elsewhere in this disclosure. The frequency range, also referred to as the operating frequency range, begins at the minimum frequency and extends to the maximum frequency emitted by the speaker element or loudspeaker or sound system. That is, the frequency range is the range within which the device can represent sound. The measurement process comprises determining the operating frequency range of an individual unit by analysis of the individual in-room responses of individual reproduction elements at the location of at least one microphone and by evaluation of a plurality of measurement criteria as disclosed elsewhere in this disclosure. The frequency range, also referred to as the operating frequency range, begins at the minimum frequency and extends to the maximum frequency emitted by the speaker element or loudspeaker or sound system. That is, the frequency range is the range within which the device can represent sound. The frequency range, also referred to as the operating frequency range, begins at the minimum frequency and extends to the maximum frequency emitted by the speaker element or loudspeaker or sound system. The frequency range, also referred to as the operating frequency range, begins at the minimum frequency and extends to the maximum frequency emitted by the speaker element or loudspeaker or sound system. That is, the frequency range is the range within which the device can represent sound. That is, the frequency range is the range within which the device can represent sound.

[0014] Design filters to adapt the individual unit response to the amplitude target and use all-pass filter optimization to match the individual unit response at the listener position. Design filters to adapt the individual unit response to the amplitude target and use all-pass filter optimization to match the individual unit response at the listener position. By reducing the dips in the response, the effects of the room are reduced at the listener position. Design filters to adapt the individual unit response to the amplitude target and use all-pass filter optimization to match the individual unit response at the listener position. By reducing the dips in the response, the effects of the room are reduced at the listener position. Filters according to this disclosure include at least the following: all-pass filters, roll-off filters, shelving filters, Design filters to adapt the individual unit response to the amplitude target and use all-pass filter optimization to match the individual unit response at the listener position. By reducing the dips in the response, the effects of the room are reduced at the listener position. Filters according to this disclosure include at least the following: all-pass filters, roll-off filters, shelving filters, Band-stop filter, band-pass filter, parametric filter, in particular, parametric May comprise one of the shelving filters, the parametric shelving filter being Each having at least the following three parameters: center frequency, Q, and gain Determining how much to boost or cut these frequencies relative to a frequency Significantly above or below the selected center frequency, and having one or More sections implementing a second-order filter function. In the context of The present disclosure, responses not used within a particular operating Band can be muted, i.e., the entire response is understood to be filtered Within a particular operating band. Optimization of all-pass equalizer

[0015] Parameters and group delay can be performed by any suitable method including The calculation methods disclosed herein. A loudspeaker, in the context of The present disclosure, is used to generate sound, i.e., to produce an Individual response that has an amplitude over a frequency range. A Loudspeaker typically includes a cabinet and a speaker element. A Loudspeaker according to the present disclosure can be an active Loudspeaker in which at least one amplifier is in the loudspeaker cabinet. The advantage of an active loudspeaker is that the amplifier can match the

[0016] Speaker element requirements and can include digital sound processing It may include an M-way speaker. For example, the speaker may consist of a woofer element and a tweeter element. It may be a 2-way loudspeaker, or the speaker may be a 3-way loudspeaker consisting of a woofer element, a midrange element and a tweeter element. Also, the loudspeaker may consist of a subwoofer element which is a speaker element. The loudspeaker may be an active speaker or a passive speaker. The speaker element may be a dynamic speaker element , or other types of elements that can be used to convert an electrical signal into sound.

[0017] In the present disclosure, a sound system including at least one loudspeaker is used to generate an overall system response. For example, a sound system including two speaker elements X and Y, where the first speaker element X generates a response x1 and the second speaker element Y generates a response y 1, has an overall system response of x1y1. The overall system response is related to the listener position, and the listener position is a stationary position within a space such as a room. . The listener position can be determined through analysis or calibration based on the characteristics of the room. Also, the sound system may also include a microphone, a microphone amplifier, a sound source, and / or a network interface. The advantage of including a microphone is that the system has the possibility of closed-loop control.

[0018] The loudspeaker has a free-field response, which is the response generated when the loudspeaker has no other responses , i.e., when the room response is zero. The loudspeaker may sometimes also be referred to as a cabinet, and consists of at least one speaker element and a cabinet which may also be called a housing. It consists. The active loudspeaker further consists of an amplifier and, optionally, a digital sound processor (DSP). The cabinet defines the physical volume of the loudspeaker and has a great influence on the acoustic characteristics of the speaker. A cabinet made at least partially of aluminum, in combination with the weight reduction of the cabinet, is beneficial for the rigidity of the cabinet structure. According to the present disclosure, an amplitude target for response can be set and utilized as part of at least some of the determinations used in embodiments of the present disclosure. The amplitude target can be expressed as a dB, decibel, value as an absolute quantity with respect to the response of another speaker or the speaker. The amplitude target for a predetermined local response, wide-area response, and / or overall response can be expressed in decibels as 80 dB to 100 dB, particularly 85 dB, etc. The relative target can be 0 dB with respect to the response of at least one other speaker. The effect of achieving a response that meets the amplitude target is such that the system has sufficient or even ideal performance at a predetermined frequency or for the overall response. Figure 1A shows an exemplary response of a sound system according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiment presented in Figure 1A, a loudspeaker is used to generate the resulting sound y150 from the input signal x10. The resulting response is a combination of the characteristics 11 of the loudspeaker (anechoic) and the room transfer function 12. The room transfer function is determined by the positions of the speaker and the listener (or microphone) in the space. Therefore, the anechoic response 110 of the speaker is the speaker response without the effect of the room transfer function.

[0019] According to the present disclosure, an amplitude target for response can be set and utilized as part of at least some of the determinations used in embodiments of the present disclosure. The amplitude target can be expressed as a dB, decibel, value as an absolute quantity with respect to the response of another speaker or the speaker. The amplitude target for a predetermined local response, wide-area response, and / or overall response can be expressed in decibels as 80 dB to 100 dB, particularly 85 dB, etc. The relative target can be 0 dB with respect to the response of at least one other speaker. The effect of achieving a response that meets the amplitude target is such that the system has sufficient or even ideal performance at a predetermined frequency or for the overall response.

[0020] Figure 1A shows an exemplary response of a sound system according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiment presented in Figure 1A, a loudspeaker is used to generate the resulting sound y150 from the input signal x10. The resulting response is a combination of the characteristics 11 of the loudspeaker (anechoic) and the room transfer function 12. The room transfer function is determined by the positions of the speaker and the listener (or microphone) in the space. Therefore, the anechoic response 110 of the speaker is the speaker response without the effect of the room transfer function. ​​​​​​

[0021] FIG. 1B shows an exemplary speaker anechoic response 110 as a plot of frequency and amplitude, with amplitude on the y-axis and frequency on the x-axis.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows the resulting response 150 at a listening position, e.g., a location in a room, as a plot of frequency and amplitude. Due to room reverberation and other acoustic problems, deep notches 21 and 22 occur at the listening position compared to the anechoic response 110 of the

[0023] FIG. 3A shows the effect of the loudspeaker location. By moving the speaker (or microphone) to different locations in the room, the intensity and arrival time of these individual responses (and thus the phase relationship) are adjusted - resulting in shifts in the location (frequency) and amplitude (potential) of the notches. In FIG. 3, sound x10 is radiated by loudspeaker 11. At the first position pos112, the resulting sound is y1150. However, as shown in the figure, at the second position pos213 different from the first position, the resulting sound is y2160.

[0024] FIG. 3B shows and explains the effect of the loudspeaker location on the response as a graph of amplitude and frequency. The sound 150 resulting from the loudspeaker position pos1 has notches 21 and 22, while the sound 160 resulting from the loudspeaker position pos2 has notches 31 and 32. Notches 21 and 22 are at different frequencies from notches 31 and 32. The resulting sounds 150 and 160 are shown compared to the anechoic response 110 of the loudspeaker.

[0025] Figure 4A illustrates an exemplary embodiment in which first, second, and third speakers are arranged at different locations within a room and generate responses 170, 175, and 176, respectively. The above responses are shown in an amplitude-versus-frequency graph. It can be seen that the responses vary and have different characteristics such as notches at different frequencies. The above speakers can be obtained as speaker elements or loudspeakers.

[0026] Figure 4B shows an exemplary embodiment from Figure 4A, in which the operating bands of each individual speaker are selected to optimize the combined system response. The total frequency range is divided into operating bands 181, 182, 183, and 184 represented by vertical lines. As can be seen from Figures 4A and 4B, in operating band 181, response 175 has the flattest response and the highest output. Therefore, it is beneficial for the system to use the second speaker for the total system response in operating band 181. Next, looking at band 182, in this band, the flattest response is the response of the first speaker, i.e., response 170, and this response is used for the total system response. In band 183, the flattest response is also response 175, and this response is used for the total system response. Finally, in band 184, the flattest response is response 176, and this response is used for the total system response. Thus, the total system response consists of response 175 in band 181, response 170 in band 182, response 175 in band 183, and response 176 in band 184. To obtain a flatter response, the selected bands and / or responses can be subjected to equalization procedures such as amplification in this and other embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the context of the present disclosure, the frequency range can be divided into any number of bands, preferably from 1 to 1000 bands, in particular from 2 to 20 bands.

[0027] In a further exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, the frequency range represented on the x-axis in FIGS. 4A and 4B is from 10 Hz to 21 kHz, band 181 is from 10 Hz to 50 Hz, band 182 is , 50 Hz to 100 Hz, band 183 is 100 Hz to 300 Hz, and band 184 is 300 Hz to 21 kHz. The division of the total frequency range into bands can be performed based on preset values, or this division can take into account the measured response. For example, it is beneficial to have the boundaries of the operating bands present between two notches, thereby assigning each notch to a different operating band, and as a result, making the notches removable jointly rather than individually. After performing the division, the response within each operating band is evaluated and the response from the selected speaker is assigned to each operating band. One or more responses can include the response within the operating band. The evaluation of the response within the band, and the assignment of the response to the band are performed according to the methods disclosed elsewhere in the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 4C shows the responses resulting from the selected individual speakers within the individual bands 181, 182, 183, and 184. In the above figure, in at least some embodiments according to the present disclosure, it can be seen that the response includes not only a simple flat line but also rising and falling gradients. A 1 - 30%, more specifically 10% overlap between the bands can beneficially exist in the frequency range. This allows the filter that limits the response to the operating band to not start and end too abruptly. FIG. 4D shows the result after the equalization procedure has been completed. shows the total system response that occurs. In FIG. 4D, it can be seen that the total system response 179 is substantially flat compared to the individual responses in FIG. 4A and.

[0029] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment in which the methods presented within the present disclosure can be used. The acoustic system 500 consists of a sound source 501, a network interface and a microphone preamplifier 502, a microphone 503 and at least one speaker 510. The acoustic system 500 may also be referred to as an audio system. In further exemplary embodiments, the elements 501, 502, and 503 can be combined into a single unit, or in other further exemplary embodiments, one or more of the above elements can be removed from the system. The speaker 51 0 may include a digital sound processor 511, an amplifier 512, and at least one speaker element 513. Each element of the speaker 510 is typically present within a single housing ing. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a second speaker 520 and any third speaker 530 also exist. That is, at least some embodiments consist of two speaker units and, and at least some other embodiments consist of three speaker units. Further, the number of speaker units that can be used by the method of the present disclosure can be represented by the variable n, where n is a positive integer, preferably 1 to 10,000, particularly 2 to 20.

[0030] The second speaker 520 and the third speaker 530 can be the same as the speaker 510, or the second speaker 520 and the third speaker 530 can differ in terms of characteristics such as the components used, the frequency range, the type of digital sound processing, etc. These speakers can have different locations relative to the listening position tion.

[0031] In an exemplary method that can be used in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the sound signal is played back via speakers 51 0, 520 and optionally 530. The sound signal can be different for each speaker and can be played back successively by a plurality of speakers, i.e., one speaker at a time, or in another embodiment, a plurality of speakers can play different sounds simultaneously. The sound signal can be a test signal, for example, a sweep of frequencies starting at 10 Hz and continuing up to 21 k Hz. Next, the sound signal is measured by microphone 503 at the listening position and the measurement values are stored in network device 50 2 for analysis. Alternatively, the analysis can be performed on a remote server

[0032] The individual responses for each individual element at the location of the microphone are analyzed and evaluated using a plurality of measurement criteria including at least one of the following local and global values or calculations: flatness of the response, amplitude of the response, slope of the response, average amplitude of the response, weighted average of the response, characteristics of the notch including the position and degree of slope of the notch. Fourier analysis and / or Fourier methods can be used at least in part to evaluate the response As a result of the analysis and evaluation, an individual operating band for each unit will be determined. Accordingly, filters are designed such that each individual part matches the target response of the individual response band, i.e., the filter for each speaker is designed to achieve the required response in each band required. Such filters can be any of the filters disclosed herein All-pass equalization and group delay are optimized so that each individual unit results in a maximally coherent composite response

[0033] ​​​​For synthesis, the frequency response graph of the speaker output is generated by the network device 502. After generating the response, the analysis of the response is performed based on the measurement criteria to obtain the display of the flat portion, peak, and notch in the response. Also, obtaining this display can be referred to as the first determination and the measurement criteria and calculation methods disclosed within the present disclosure can be utilized. Next, the display from an individual speaker is evaluated against the same display from other speakers. Next, the optimal solution is obtained by the calculation method performed on the measured response and / or the simulated response, and the calculation method includes at least the following: least squares method, linear least squares method, non-linear least squares method, least squares estimation method, weighted least squares method, generalized least squares method, partial least squares method, total least squares method, non-negative least squares method, ridge regression method, regularized least squares method, least absolute deviation method, iterative weighted least squares method, Bayesian linear regression method, Bayesian multivariate linear regression method, linear regression method, polynomial regression method, binary regression method. The values involved in the calculation are at least one of the following variables regarding the measured or simulated response: flatness, amplitude, slope, average amplitude, weighted average, notch position, and notch characteristics including the degree of slope. Fourier analysis and / or the Fourier method can be used at least partially in the above calculation. Based on the calculation, the total system response is generated, and at that time, the selected frequency band is assigned to a specific loudspeaker to achieve the generated total system response. The calculation can optionally include at least one of the following: amplitude optimization of individual bands, phase optimization. Implement the total system response by creating a filter for an individual speaker and applying the filter to the speaker.

[0034]

[0035] ​This is achieved by transmitting to the card. The filter can be implemented by a digital signal processor (DSP) of the speaker. The speaker can store the filter in the housing. Also, the above-mentioned filter can be stored in a remote server, for example, to prevent data loss. The filter can be stored as a set for at least the following purposes: for the entire system, for each band, for each speaker, and for each loudspeaker element. By storing the filter and filter set as digital files, for example, when multiple rooms have the same acoustic characteristics and the same sound system is installed in each room, it becomes possible to back up or export the filter. This implementation can be demonstrated, optionally, with the beneficial effect of increasing accuracy by repeating the measurement and, optionally, repeating the analysis, filter generation, and filter implementation steps of this method. Such repetition can be called an iterative process. In the third exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, the responses of a plurality of pairs of speakers are adjusted according to the method presented herein. More specifically, the response of the speaker pair is first measured using a microphone at the listening position, and then another speaker pair having different room positions is measured. In the fourth exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, which will be described with reference to FIG. 6, the sound system 600 includes a sound source 601, a network interface 606, a microphone preamplifier 605, a microphone 603, and speakers 610 and 620. The speaker 610 is a multi-element speaker including a DSP 611 and amplifiers 612 and 614, and speaker elements 613 and 615. The speaker 620 is a single-element speaker, but in a further exemplary embodiment it can be a multi-element speaker. The speaker 620 is a single-element speaker, but in a further exemplary embodiment, it can be a multi-element speaker. it can be a multi-element speaker. By storing the filter and filter set as digital files, for example, when multiple rooms have the same acoustic characteristics and the same sound system is installed in each room, it becomes possible to back up or export the filter. This implementation can be demonstrated, optionally, with the beneficial effect of increasing accuracy by repeating the measurement and, optionally, repeating the analysis, filter generation, and filter implementation steps of this method. Such repetition can be called an iterative process. In the third exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, the responses of a plurality of pairs of speakers are adjusted according to the method presented herein. More specifically, the response of the speaker pair is first measured using a microphone at the listening position, and then another speaker pair having different room positions is measured.

[0036] In the third exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, the responses of a plurality of pairs of speakers are adjusted according to the method presented herein. More specifically, the response of the speaker pair is first measured using a microphone at the listening position, and then another speaker pair having different room positions is measured. In the fourth exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, which will be described with reference to FIG. 6, the sound system 600 includes a sound source 601, a network interface 606, a microphone preamplifier 605, a microphone 603, and speakers 610 and 620.

[0037] In the fourth exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, which will be described with reference to FIG. 6, the sound system 600 includes a sound source 601, a network interface 606, a microphone preamplifier 605, a microphone 603, and speakers 610 and 620. The speaker 610 is a multi-element speaker including a DSP 611 and amplifiers 612 and 614, and speaker elements 613 and 615. The speaker 620 is a single-element speaker, but in a further exemplary embodiment it can be a multi-element speaker. The speaker 620 is a single-element speaker, but in a further exemplary embodiment, it can be a multi-element speaker. It may also be a multi - element speaker such as the speaker 610. Connect the speaker 620 directly to the network interface by one of the connection means disclosed later in this document.

[0038] The overall response of the sound system 600 can be obtained through a method consistent with the method presented in this disclosure, that is, by using a measurement microphone to measure the response based on a test signal in the range of 10 Hz to 21 kHz, or by measuring the test signal based on the response. At least one of the following will be measured as part of the measurement process: the overall response of the sound system, the individual response of the speaker.

[0039] In a fifth exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, the sound system 700 described in FIG. 7 includes a control unit 708 including a sound source, a network interface, and a microphone pre - amplifier, a microphone 703, and a DSP 711, three amplifiers 712, 714, 716, and a loudspeaker 710 including three speaker elements 713, 715, 717. In an advantageous embodiment, the elements 713 and 717 have a minimum overlap or no overlap with respect to each other in the operating frequency range, which has the beneficial effect that the loudspeaker 710 covers a wide frequency range. The speaker element 715 can have an overlap with both the elements 712 and 716, which has the beneficial effect that the method according to the present disclosure can be effectively used across the frequency range of the element 715. The overlap between the element 715 and the element 717 can be 1% to 90% of the range of the element 717, and the same also applies equally to the elements 715 and 713. For example, in a further exemplary embodiment, the element 713 has a frequency range of 20 Hz to 250 kHz. ​​​​​​Thus, element 715 may have a frequency range of 50 kHz to 500 kHz, and element 717 may have a frequency range of 3 00 Hz to 20 kHz. These elements can be of different types; for example, element 717 can be a tweeter, and element 713 can be a woofer. These elements can be present at different locations within the enclosure of the loudspeaker, i.e., the first element can be present at the front of the loudspeaker and the second element can be present at the back. This has the beneficial effect of providing different room responses for each speaker element, and when the method disclosed herein is applied, it can result in a flat frequency response.

[0040] In a beneficial exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the speaker elements are identical, which means that the frequency ranges are 100% overlapping. Also, it is possible to make a part of the total number of speaker elements identical, for example, a three - element speaker can have two identical elements and one non - identical element. A plurality of such speakers, for example, a pair of three - way speakers, is also a very suitable sound system for use in accordance with the disclosure presented herein. The overlapping of the speaker elements provides flexibility with respect to the overall response when the speaker elements are located at different locations on the enclosure. By using different types of speaker elements, an extended frequency range can be provided, especially at very high frequencies and / or very low frequencies.

[0041] An exemplary method according to the present disclosure is presented in FIG. 8. This method starts at step 801 wherein the individual unit responses are measured. For the measurement, any suitable technique can be utilized, including the techniques described with respect to the embodiments presented herein, using microphone means. The measurement can be performed several times so that it can be the method itself. In a further exemplary method ​​​​​​ The measurement is performed by measuring the individual responses of each speaker in turn. Another exemplary method is that the responses can be measured simultaneously.

[0042] In step 802, the measured response is analyzed. The measured response is stored and the analysis is performed based on multiple measurement criteria, as mentioned in this disclosure, to determine the frequency and amplitude plots of each speaker. The analysis is performed either alone or jointly by the network interface 502 and any of the DSPs in the sound system such as 611 or 612, or, in another exemplary method, it can be performed by uploading a file to a remotely located server that performs the analysis.

[0043] In step 803, the operating band is determined as disclosed elsewhere in this disclosure. This step can be performed in conjunction with step 802 by the network interface 502 or by a remote server. In step 804, the target response is determined by modeling the desired target response. Step 804 can be performed individually for each speaker element or collectively for the entire system, either inclusively or one operating band at a time. In step 805, the optimization of the amplitude for the determined individual band is performed. Finally, in step 806, phase optimization is performed on the final system response. Next, a speaker filter is generated and sent to the speaker as disclosed elsewhere in this document.

[0044] In FIG. 9, a second exemplary method according to this disclosure is described. This method consists of steps 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, 906 and 907. ​

[0045] In step 901, the response of the speakers in the sound system is measured according to any suitable measurement technique, including the techniques disclosed in this document. The response is stored for analysis. In step 902, the response is analyzed according to the techniques disclosed in this document. In step 903, the frequency range of the sound system, determined by a preset or by the minimum and maximum frequencies of the measured response, is divided into operating bands according to the division algorithm disclosed in this document. In step 904, an optimal response is determined for each band according to the method of determining as disclosed in this document. In step 905, the optimal response of each band is assigned to each operating band, i.e., the response of one or more speakers that provides the flattest response within the operating band is selected. In step 906, the filter corresponding to this assignment is generated individually for each speaker according to the generation procedure disclosed in this document. Equalization can be performed as part of the filter generation process as disclosed in this document. In step 907, the filter is provided to each speaker according to the provision procedure disclosed in this document. According to the embodiments presented in this specification, the overall response of the sound system at the first location consists of the response within the operating band, and one or more responses can be selected for use within the operating band, where the operating bands can partially overlap. In a further exemplary embodiment, some of the loudspeakers in the sound system are used with the bands, and at least one speaker is used as is, i.e., the natural response of the speaker is used. This has the beneficial effect of minimizing the amount of processing required in the system. According to the embodiments presented in this specification, the overall response of the sound system at the first location consists of the response within the operating band, and one or more responses can be selected for use within the operating band, where the operating bands can partially overlap. In a further exemplary embodiment, some of the loudspeakers in the sound system are used with the bands, and at least one speaker is used as is, i.e., the natural response of the speaker is used. This has the beneficial effect of minimizing the amount of processing required in the system.

[0046] According to the embodiments presented in this specification, the overall response of the sound system at the first location consists of the response within the operating band, and one or more responses can be selected for use within the operating band, where the operating bands can partially overlap. In a further exemplary embodiment, some of the loudspeakers in the sound system are used with the bands, and at least one speaker is used as is, i.e., the natural response of the speaker is used. This has the beneficial effect of minimizing the amount of processing required in the system. In a further exemplary embodiment, some of the loudspeakers in the sound system are used with the bands, and at least one speaker is used as is, i.e., the natural response of the speaker is used. This has the beneficial effect of minimizing the amount of processing required in the system. This has the beneficial effect of minimizing the amount of processing required in the system.

[0047] In an exemplary embodiment, the overall response can be composed of responses within the operating band, and one or more responses can be selected for use within the operating band. This has the beneficial effect of further improving the flatness of the response.

[0048] An advantage of the present disclosure is that a flatter overall response is produced at one or more listener positions. Furthermore, since the reasons for the state can be clarified, the effects of different rooms on the output of the sound system are suppressed. Also, since any adverse effects on the overall response can be suppressed, the speakers can be installed more flexibly within the room.

[0049] Regarding digital sound processing performed locally or remotely, the sound processing can be performed using at least one computing device, such as at least one of the following: a computing device, a mobile device, a server, a node, a cloud computing device, etc. The computing device can be present within the speaker and can include a DSP, or alternatively or additionally, the computing device can be present within the network interface. The computing device includes at least one processor, which can include, for example, a single-core or multi-core processor. A single-core processor includes one processing core, and a multi-core processor includes a plurality of processing cores. The processor can include a plurality of processors. The processing core can include, for example, a Cortex-A8 processing core by ARM Holdings, or a Steamroller processing core manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. The processor can include, for example, at least one Qualcomm Snapdrag ​ may include an on and / or Intel Core processor. The processor may include at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The processor may include at least one field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The processor may include means for executing method steps in a computing device. The processor may be configured, at least in part, by computer instructions for performing operations. In the context of the present disclosure, it is understood that sound processing may be completed by several devices working together. Devices such as loudspeakers, microphones, and network interfaces may be interconnected with each other and with external computing devices using at least one of the following techniques: direct wiring such as electric wires, coaxial cables, optical fiber cables, infrared transmission, Bluetooth®, wireless local area network (WLAN), Ethernet, universal serial bus (USB), and / or worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), and satellite communication methods. Alternatively or in addition, an independent communication framework may be utilized. In some embodiments, separate networks may be used for the following purposes: communication between loudspeakers, communication between a loudspeaker and a network interface, communication between network interfaces in a computing device. The processor may include means for executing method steps in a computing device. The processor may be configured, at least in part, by computer instructions for performing operations. In the context of the present disclosure, it is understood that sound processing may be completed by several devices working together. The processor may be configured, at least in part, by computer instructions for performing operations. In the context of the present disclosure, it is understood that sound processing may be completed by several devices working together. The processor may be configured, at least in part, by computer instructions for performing operations. In the context of the present disclosure, it is understood that sound processing may be completed by several devices working together.

[0050] Devices such as loudspeakers, microphones, and network interfaces may be interconnected with each other and with external computing devices using at least one of the following techniques: direct wiring such as electric wires, coaxial cables, optical fiber cables, infrared transmission, Bluetooth®, wireless local area network (WLAN), Ethernet, universal serial bus (USB), and / or worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), and satellite communication methods. and external computing devices using at least one of the following techniques: direct wiring such as electric wires, coaxial cables, optical fiber cables, infrared transmission, Bluetooth®, wireless local area network (WLAN), Ethernet, universal serial bus (USB), and / or worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), and satellite communication methods. fiber optic cables, infrared transmission, Bluetooth®, wireless local area network (WLAN), Ethernet, universal serial bus (USB), and / or worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), and satellite communication methods. work (WLAN), Ethernet, universal serial bus (USB), and / or worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), and satellite communication methods. bus) and / or worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), and satellite communication methods. bus) and / or worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), and satellite communication methods. work (WiMAX), and satellite communication methods. work (WiMAX), and satellite communication methods. work (WiMAX), and satellite communication methods. communication, communication between a loudspeaker and a network interface, communication between network interfaces It can be used for one or more of communication between the base and the server, etc.

[0051] The disclosed embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the specific structures, process steps, or materials disclosed herein, but extend to their equivalents, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art. It should be understood that. Also, the terms employed herein are used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. It should be understood that. When reference is made to a numerical value using terms such as about or substantially, the exact numerical value is also disclosed.

[0052] Throughout this specification, when referring to one embodiment or embodiments, it means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.

[0053] When used herein, multiple items, structural elements, compositional elements, and / or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be interpreted as if each member of the list is individually identified as a distinct and unique member. Thus, individual members of such lists should not be construed as virtual equivalents of other members of the same list based solely on their presentation in a common group, absent a contrary indication. Also, various embodiments and examples of the present invention are described in terms of their various components. ​​​​​​​​​​​​Alternative means, as described herein, may be described. Such embodiments, examples, and alternative means should not be construed as each other's virtual equivalents, but rather as separate and autonomous expressions of the present invention and should be construed as such.

[0054] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In this description, numerous specific details, such as lengths, widths, shapes, etc., are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not illustrated or described to avoid obscuring aspects of the present invention.

[0055] The foregoing examples illustrate the principles of the present invention in one or more specific applications, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous changes in the form of implementation, usage, and details can be made without exercising inventive faculty and without departing from the principles and concepts of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited except as defined by the claims set forth below.

[0056] The verbs "to comprise" and "to include" are used in this document as non-limiting limitations that do not exclude or require the presence of features not described. The features described in the dependent claims can be freely combined with each other unless otherwise expressly stated. Furthermore, the use of "a" or "an", i.e., the singular form, should be understood throughout this document not to exclude the plural form. ​

Industrial Applicability

[0057] In at least some embodiments of the present invention, in acoustics, more specifically, industrial use is found in providing an optimized or improved response for a sound system.

Description of Symbols

[0058] 10 Input acoustic signal, x 11 Anechoic characteristics of the speaker 12 Acoustic characteristics of the room 110 Anechoic response of the speaker 150 Room response of the speaker, y 21, 22 Notch in the response 160 Room response of the speaker at the second listening position 13 Acoustic characteristics of the room at the second listening position 31, 32 Notch in the response 170 Response of the first speaker 175 Response of the second speaker 176 Response of the third speaker 179 Total system response 181, 182, 183, 184 Operating band 500 Sound system 501 Sound source 502 Network interface and microphone preamplifier 503 Microphone 510, 520, 530 Speaker enclosures 511, 521, 531 Digital signal processors 512, 522, 532 Amplifiers 513, 523, 533 Speaker elements 600 Sound system 601 Sound source 602 Network interface 603 Microphone 610, 620 Speaker enclosures 611 and 621 digital signal processors 612, 614, and 622 amplifiers 613, 615, and 623 speaker elements 700 sound system 703 microphone 708 sound source, network interface, and microphone preamplifier 710 speaker housing 711 digital signal processor 712, 714, and 716 amplifiers 713, 715, and 717 speaker elements Steps of methods 801, 802, 803, 804, 805, and 806 Steps of methods 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, 906, and 907

Claims

1. A sound system, the sound system comprising: - a first speaker element, - a second speaker element, - at least one digital signal processor, and - at least one processing unit, the sound system being configured such that: - the first speaker element and the second speaker element have at least a partially overlapping frequency range ; - the first speaker element is configured to generate a response within at least one first operating band defined within the frequency range of the first speaker element, and the second speaker element is configured to generate a response within at least one second operating band defined within the frequency range of the second speaker element, ; - the first operating band and the second operating band do not overlap, and the overall response of the sound system at a first location consists of the response within the first operating band and the response within the second operating band described above, a sound system.

2. The at least one processing unit is configured to: - cause the response of the first speaker element to be measured in a first measurement, - cause the response of the second speaker element to be measured in a second measurement, - analyze the first and second responses, and - configure to define the first and second operating bands, the sound system according to claim 1.

3. The at least one processing unit is configured to assign at least one response to the first operating band, at least in part based on the first measurement and the first determination , the sound system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. Comprising a third speaker element having a third response at the first location, the third speaker element being configured to generate sound within at least one operating band within the frequency range of the third speaker element , and the first, second, and third operating bands do not overlap, the sound system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The speaker element is included in an active loudspeaker, the sound system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The first, second, and third speaker elements are present within a single housing, the sound system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The first, second, and third speaker elements are present in separate housings, and at least some of the separate housings consist of a plurality of speaker elements, the sound system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. At least some of the speakers consist of a combination of a woofer and a tweeter, according to any one of claims 1 to 7 of the sound system described. **Claim 9** Configure at least one speaker to operate in at least two operating bands to form the overall response of the system, according to any one of claims 1 to 8 of the sound system described. **Claim 10** Using equalization, adapt the response of individual speaker elements to the amplitude target of the overall system response, according to any one of claims 1 to 9 of the sound system described. **Claim 11** Optimize the all-pass equalizer parameters and group delay between individual speakers, according to any one of claims 1 to 10 of the sound system described. **Claim 12** A method for improving the quality of the response of a sound system, the method comprising: - Measuring the response of a first speaker at a first location to obtain a first response; - Measuring the response of a second speaker at the first location to obtain a second response; - Analyzing the first and second responses; - Dividing the frequency ranges of the first and second responses into operating bands; and - Assigning the first speaker or the second speaker to each operating band, at least partially based on the analysis; - Generating a first filter set for the first speaker and a second filter set for the second speaker, at least partially based on the assignment; and - Providing the first filter set to the first speaker and the second filter set to the second speaker to implement the overall sound system response. - A method. **Claim 13** Execute the division of the frequency range into the operating bands, at least partially based on the analysis of the measured first and second responses, according to the method described in claim 12. **Claim 14** Form the overall response of the system using at least one speaker in at least two operating bands, according to the method described in claim 12 or claim 13. **Claim 15** A computer program configured to execute the method according to at least one of claims 12 to 14. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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