Directional sound generation device

Abstract

The sound generating device includes a housing having a front portion and an upper portion, a first electroacoustic transducer facing the front portion of the housing, a second electroacoustic transducer facing the upper portion of the housing, and a third electroacoustic transducer facing the upper portion of the housing. During audio playback, a first array is generated using the first electroacoustic transducer and the second electroacoustic transducer, the first array providing a left height component of the audio playback, and a second array is generated using the first electroacoustic transducer and the third electroacoustic transducer, the second array providing a right height component of the audio playback, and there is at least one processor configured to do so.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sound generating device.

Background Art

[0002] The reproduction of object-based audio requires a height component to achieve a three-dimensional arrangement of acoustic objects. Audio devices and systems without overhead speakers are not natively configured to reproduce the height components of object-based audio.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0003] Aspects and examples are directed to a sound generating device including loudspeakers natively configured to provide surround sound output having several (typically five or seven) horizontal output channels and thus being in a substantially same plane, so that the left and right loudspeaker arrays are used to generate the left and right height components of audio reproduction without a speaker located above the listening position.

[0004] All examples and features mentioned below can be combined in any technically possible way.

[0005] In one embodiment, the sound generating device comprises a housing having a front and a top, a first electroacoustic transducer facing the front of the housing, a second electroacoustic transducer facing the top of the housing, a third electroacoustic transducer facing the top of the housing, and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate a first array using the first and second electroacoustic transducers during audio playback, the first array providing the left height component of the audio playback, and to generate a second array using the first and third electroacoustic transducers, the second array providing the right height component of the audio playback.

[0006] Some embodiments include one of the features described above and / or below, or any combination thereof. In some examples, the first electroacoustic transducer is positioned between the second electroacoustic transducer and the third electroacoustic transducer. In one example, the front and top of the housing are perpendicular to each other.

[0007] Some embodiments include one of the features described above and / or below, or any combination thereof. In some examples, all electroacoustic transducers used to generate a first array receive the same audio source signal, and all electroacoustic transducers used to generate a second array receive the same audio source signal. In one example, the first and second arrays each include an array filter applied to the audio source signal for each of the electroacoustic transducers in each array. In one example, the array filters for the second and third electroacoustic transducers include broadband filters.

[0008] Some embodiments include one of the above and / or below features, or any combination thereof. In one example, the array filter for the first electroacoustic transducer rolls off above a predetermined frequency. In some examples, the array filter for the first electroacoustic transducer includes a bandpass filter. In one example, the bandpass filter has a low-frequency threshold of about 600 Hz and a high-frequency cutoff of about 2 kHz. In one example, all of the array filters include non-minimum-phase filters.

[0009] Some embodiments include one of the features described above and / or below, or any combination thereof. In some examples, the first and second arrays are applied only across the array frequency range. In one example, the array frequency range is approximately 600 Hz to approximately 6 kHz. In one example, the first electroacoustic transducer has a bandwidth of approximately 600 Hz to approximately 18 kHz.

[0010] Some embodiments include one of the features described above and / or below, or any combination thereof. In some examples, the enclosure has a left end and a right end, and the device further comprises a fourth electroacoustic transducer facing the left end of the enclosure and a fifth electroacoustic transducer facing the right end of the enclosure, and the processor is further configured to generate a third array using the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth electroacoustic transducers during audio playback, the third array providing the left component of the audio playback, and is further configured to generate a fourth array using the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth electroacoustic transducers, the fourth array providing the right component of the audio playback. In one example, the processor is further configured to generate a fifth array during audio playback using a first electroacoustic transducer, a second electroacoustic transducer, a third electroacoustic transducer, a fourth electroacoustic transducer, and a fifth electroacoustic transducer, the fifth array providing the central component of the audio playback. In another example, the processor is further configured to generate a sixth array during audio playback based on a combination of the first and third arrays, the sixth array providing the left surround component of the audio playback, and further configured to generate a seventh array based on a combination of the second and fourth arrays, the seventh array providing the right surround component of the audio playback.

[0011] In another embodiment, a computer program product having a non-temporary computer-readable medium containing encoded computer program logic, wherein the computer program logic, when executed on a sound generating device including a housing having a front and a top, a first electroacoustic transducer facing the front of the housing, a second electroacoustic transducer facing the top of the housing, and a third electroacoustic transducer facing the top of the housing, causes the sound generating device to generate a first array using the first and second electroacoustic transducers during audio playback, the first array providing the left height component of the audio playback, and a second array using the first and third electroacoustic transducers, the second array providing the right height component of the audio playback.

[0012] Some embodiments include one of the features described above and / or below, or any combination thereof. In one example, a first electroacoustic transducer is placed between a second electroacoustic transducer and a third electroacoustic transducer. In one example, all electroacoustic transducers used to generate the first array receive the same audio source signal, and all electroacoustic transducers used to generate the second array receive the same audio source signal, and the first and second arrays each include an array filter applied to the audio source signal for each electroacoustic transducer in their respective arrays. In one example, the array filters for the second and third electroacoustic transducers include broadband filters, and the array filter for the first electroacoustic transducer includes a bandpass filter. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] Various aspects of at least one example are discussed below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not intended to be drawn to scale. These drawings are included to illustrate various aspects and examples and to provide further understanding, and are incorporated into and form part of this specification, but are not intended to define limitations of the invention. In the drawings, identical or nearly identical components illustrated in different drawings may be denoted by similar letters or numbers. For clarity, not all components may be labeled in all drawings. In the drawings,

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of sound generation devices in a listening space. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of a sound generation device. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram of audio sources and filters for a loudspeaker array for a sound generating device. [Figure 4] Includes the amplitude response of an exemplary filter for a loudspeaker in a height array of a sound-generating device. [Figure 5A] These are three-dimensional directivity representations for the left playback channel, left height playback channel, and center playback channel of an exemplary sound-generating device, respectively. [Figure 5B] These are three-dimensional directivity representations for the left playback channel, left height playback channel, and center playback channel of an exemplary sound-generating device, respectively. [Figure 5C] These are three-dimensional directivity representations for the left playback channel, left height playback channel, and center playback channel of an exemplary sound-generating device, respectively. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] DTS:X, an audio source for object-based audio such as Dolby Atmos, includes spatial metadata. To properly render object-based audio, the audio device(s) must have the ability to position sound in three-dimensional space. Audio devices such as soundbars, often used for audio in video applications, as well as conventional surround sound systems, are configured to produce horizontal sound generally within a plane containing the expected listening position, and therefore cannot natively position sound in three-dimensional space. Consequently, such audio devices and systems cannot faithfully reproduce object-based audio.

[0016] In some examples, the audio device is configured as a soundbar, with a generally rectangular prism-shaped enclosure that has a front section generally facing the expected listening position in front of the TV / monitor, an upward-facing top section (towards the room ceiling), and left and right upward-facing top sections. In some examples, the central loudspeaker is located at the front, and the left and right upward-facing loudspeakers are located on the top surface of the enclosure, adjacent to the left and right of the central loudspeaker, respectively.

[0017] Soundbars are designed to be placed near a television or video monitor, usually directly below it. Soundbars often contain three to five loudspeakers, all largely on the same plane. To reproduce object-based audio, a soundbar needs to be configured to develop conventional horizontal surround acoustic channels (e.g., center, left, right, left surround, and right surround) and also to develop left and right height components, but without loudspeakers positioned above the listener. In one example of this disclosure, the left height component is provided using a loudspeaker array including a center loudspeaker and an upward-left loudspeaker. In one example, the right height component is provided using a loudspeaker array including a center loudspeaker and an upward-right loudspeaker.

[0018] The embodiments of the systems, methods, and apparatus described herein are not limited to those applicable to the configuration and arrangement details of the components described below or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The systems, methods, and apparatus can be implemented in other embodiments and can be carried out or performed in various ways. Specific embodiments are provided herein for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. Specifically, functions, components, elements, and features considered in relation to any one or more embodiments are not intended to be excluded from similar roles in any other embodiments.

[0019] The examples disclosed herein can be combined with other examples in any manner consistent with at least one of the principles disclosed herein, and further, references to “an example,” “some examples,” “an alternate example,” “various examples,” and “one example” are not necessarily exclusive to one another, and are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described may be included in at least one example. The appearance of such terms herein does not necessarily refer to the same example.

[0020] Also, the expressions and terms used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only and should not be regarded as limiting. Any reference to embodiments, components, elements, acts, or functions of devices, computer program products, systems, and methods referred to in the singular in this specification may also include embodiments comprising a plurality, and any reference in the plural to any embodiment, component, element, operation, or function in this specification may also include embodiments comprising only the singular. Thus, references to the singular or plural are not intended to limit the systems or methods of the present disclosure, their components, acts, or elements. The use of "including", "comprising", "having", "containing", "involving", and variations thereof in this specification means including the items listed below and their equivalents, as well as other items. References to "or" can be construed as inclusive, such that all terms listed with "or" can indicate any one, two or more, and all of the terms described.

[0021] An active loudspeaker array incorporates two or more speakers or elements, and each loudspeaker is driven by its own digital signal processor (DSP) and amplifier channel. Generally, an active loudspeaker array has the following characteristics: two or more loudspeakers, all speakers receive the same source channel signal, a unique transfer function for each speaker driven by each source channel input, and an array filter (amplitude and phase for each frequency). If there are multiple source channels, additional source channels are added immediately before the individual loudspeakers, along with the array filters associated with them.

[0022] In one example, a minimal speaker set solution includes five loudspeakers arranged within a housing. In some examples, the housing has a roughly rectangular prism shape with a roughly vertical front and top surface. Roughly vertical means that the front is flat or nearly flat, and the top surface is flat or nearly flat (for example, the surface may be rounded, but generally approximates a plane), and the front and top surfaces are at approximately 90 degrees to each other, generally within approximately ±15 degrees, and generally within approximately ±45 degrees at most. In one example, the center loudspeaker on the front is a "Twydra" with a resonant frequency optimized to cover the mid-range and high-range frequency range (in some examples, approximately 600 Hz to approximately 18 kHz). In one example, this center speaker is the main center channel speaker. In one example, the center speaker is pointed directly towards the expected listening position. In one example, the left and right upward-facing or "upward-facing" speakers are full-range (bass-producing) loudspeakers that point directly upward (for example, their main radiation axes are at approximately 90 degrees to the main radiation axis of the center speaker) and are positioned close to the center speaker (for example, as close as possible considering hardware and enclosure constraints in some examples). In some examples, the left and right upward-facing speakers are positioned within the enclosure such that their main radiation axes intersect the main radiation axis of the center speaker and point upward. The angle between the main radiation axes of the left and right upward-facing speakers and the main radiation axis of the center speaker can range from approximately 30 degrees to approximately 150 degrees in some embodiments. Also in some examples, the left speaker is located at or near the left end of the enclosure, and the right speaker is located at or near the right end of the enclosure. In some examples, both left and right speakers are full-range speakers, and with respect to the main radiation axis of the center speaker and the edges of the enclosure, they are generally pointed straight left and straight right, within a range of approximately ±15 to 45 degrees from perpendicular to the perpendicular, when the edges of the enclosure are substantially planar and generally perpendicular to the front of the enclosure. Note that the enclosure does not need to have a surface. For example, the enclosure may include a support structure that holds the loudspeaker and other hardware, with the loudspeaker positioned as described above. The structure may be completely or partially enclosed or covered with a more decorative outer surface, configured to allow sound to pass through to the external environment, at least in the portion above the loudspeaker.

[0023] With this loudspeaker arrangement, the device and system are configured to achieve up to five unique active acoustic arrays, namely center, left, right, left height, and right height. For surround source channels, a combination of the left height array and the left height array is used to create the left surround channel, and similarly, a combination of the right height array and the right height array is used to create the right surround channel. The active arrays cover much of the midrange frequencies, while the directivity of the individual speakers takes over the high-frequency range. In one example, the low-frequency range is not arrayed. Instead, all four full-range speakers (i.e., all except the center speaker) are driven in-phase for maximum efficiency.

[0024] Generally, for the height channels, it is desirable to attenuate the energy projected forward towards the listening space. The configuration as described above, having a center speaker at the front of the enclosure and having left and right upward-facing speakers close to the center speaker at the top of the enclosure, is beneficial for the left and right height arrays and also has a minimal impact on the center channel array.

[0025] In the examples of this specification, the sound generating device includes a housing having a front and a top. It includes a first electroacoustic transducer facing the front of the housing, a second electroacoustic transducer facing the top of the housing, and a third electroacoustic transducer also facing the top of the housing. The device includes processing capabilities configured to generate a first array using the first and second electroacoustic transducers during audio playback, the first array providing the left-height component of the audio playback, and a second array using the first and third electroacoustic transducers, the second array providing the right-height component of the audio playback. In one example, the first and second arrays are applied only across the array frequency range. The array frequency range is, in some examples, about 600 Hz to about 6 kHz, or more generally, from unarrayed low frequencies (which may include the lowest frequencies in some examples) to high frequencies taken over by the directivity of individual speakers, which is partially dependent on the particular speaker design and may be about ±3 kHz from this about 6 kHz target in some examples. The examples herein also include computer program products having a non-temporary computer-readable medium containing encoded computer program logic that, when executed, achieves the functions described herein.

[0026] In one example, the first electroacoustic transducer is positioned between the second and third electroacoustic transducers. In a specific example, the front and top of the enclosure are perpendicular to each other. In one example, the first electroacoustic transducer is a twin-driver with a bandwidth of approximately 600 Hz to approximately 18 kHz, and the second and third transducers are full-range transducers.

[0027] In some examples, all electroacoustic transducers used to generate a first array receive the same audio source signal, and all electroacoustic transducers used to generate a second array receive the same audio source signal. Each of the first and second arrays includes an array filter applied to the audio source signal for each of the electroacoustic transducers in each array. In one example, the array filters for the second and third electroacoustic transducers are broadband filters. More specifically, in some examples, the array filter for the first electroacoustic transducer rolls off above a predetermined frequency. In one example, the array filter for the first electroacoustic transducer is a bandpass filter. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the bandpass filter has a low-frequency threshold of about 600 Hz and a high-frequency cutoff of about 2 kHz. In some examples, the low-frequency threshold is in the range of about 200 Hz to about 600 Hz. In some examples, the high-frequency cutoff is in the range of about 2 kHz to about 4 kHz. All array filters are typically non-minimum-phase filters.

[0028] In the example of the present disclosure, the enclosure also has a left end and a right end, and the device includes a fourth electroacoustic transducer facing the left end of the enclosure and a fifth electroacoustic transducer facing the right end of the enclosure. In this example, the processor uses both the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth electroacoustic transducers to generate a third and a fourth array during audio playback. The third array provides the left component of the audio playback, and the fourth array provides the right component of the audio playback.

[0029] In one example, the processor also generates a fifth array that also uses a first electroacoustic transducer, a second electroacoustic transducer, a third electroacoustic transducer, a fourth electroacoustic transducer, and a fifth electroacoustic transducer. The fifth array provides the central component for audio playback. In an example with left and right surround components, the processor generates sixth and seventh arrays, with the sixth array providing the left surround component and the seventh array providing the right surround component. In some examples, the sixth array is based on a combination of the first and third arrays. In some examples, the seventh array is based on a combination of the second and fourth arrays.

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a sound-generating device 10 (e.g., a soundbar) in a listening space 48, where the user 50 is represented by a head viewed from behind. The soundbar housing 12 (shown by dashed lines to allow viewing of its sides and speaker) has a roughly rectangular prism shape with six roughly rectangular, roughly flat, and roughly vertical sides, including a front 14, a top 16, a left end 18, and a right end 20 (the bottom and back are not numbered and will not be described further in this specification). The soundbar does not need to have flat surfaces, a rectangular prism shape, or vertical sides. However, generally, a soundbar includes an elongated housing with a front, top, left end, and right end.

[0031] In one example described herein, device 10 includes five loudspeakers, all of which are configured to be arranged under the control of a processor, etc. (not shown in Figure 1). The central speaker 30 is supported facing away from the front of the housing 14. Ideally, the device 10 is positioned in the listening space 48 such that the main radiation axis of the central speaker 30 is directed toward the listener 50, as designed by the device 10. The left and right upward-facing speakers 32 and 34 are supported such that they face the top of the housing 16, and as designed by the device 10, their main radiation axes are directed upward and are approximately perpendicular to the axis of the central speaker 30, or at a non-perpendicular angle as described above. In one example, speakers 32 and 34 are positioned to the left and right, respectively, near the central speaker 30. In one example, speakers 32 and 34 are positioned as physically as possible to speaker 30, given the specific speakers and soundbar structure and function used. As will be described in more detail elsewhere in this specification, speakers 30 and 32 are arranged to provide the left-height component of the audio output, with their main radiation axes generally descending along a line 33 that shields both speakers, and speakers 30 and 34 are arranged to provide the right-height component of the audio output, with their main radiation axes generally descending along a line 35 that shields both speakers.

[0032] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the active element 60 of the sound generating device 10. The audio signal input 62 may or may not be achieved wirelessly. In the case of a soundbar, the audio input is often received from a television or monitor and typically uses a hard connection such as HDMI® or an optical cable. Wireless audio input is typically achieved using Bluetooth or WiFi. However, the techniques and means by which the audio is received are not limited. The processor 64 receives the input audio and, once executed, uses an encoded computer program logic, configured to generate the array described herein, which achieves the audio output, using a set of transducers 70 (including transducers 30, 32, 34, 36, and 38). In some examples, the processor 64 is a DSP.

[0033] Figure 3 is a block diagram of audio sources and filters 80 for a loudspeaker array for a sound-generating device. In this example, the array is a left-height array. In this example, two audio channel sources 82 and 84 are used. In this example, sources 82 and 84 are the left-height source channel and the right-height source channel in a Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 audio stream, where .2 indicates two height source channels. However, for any or all of the arrays described, there may be one, two, or more audio channel sources. In the devices, systems, and methods of the subject, one or more audio sources can be used to create different components of audio playback, such as audio playback with two or more height components (e.g., a 5.1.2 output, or a 5.0.2 output without a subwoofer, which can be created using only the soundbar described herein).

[0034] As described above, in order to play object-based audio, the soundbar needs to be configured to develop conventional horizontal surround acoustic channels (e.g., center, left, right, left surround, and right surround) and also to develop left and right height components, but without loudspeakers positioned above the listener. In one example of this disclosure, the left height component is provided using a loudspeaker array including a center loudspeaker 30 and an upper left loudspeaker 32. In one example, the right height component is provided using a loudspeaker array including a center loudspeaker 30 and an upper right loudspeaker 34. There are also array filters for each audio channel source and each transducer in the array. Thus, in the example shown in Figure 3, where the left height array includes two transducers 30 and 32, there are four array filters 86, 88, 90, and 92, each filter configured for one source channel and one output transducer. In some examples, the two height arrays are superdirectional arrays that maximize directivity in the upward and outward directions from the listening position and minimize acoustic energy directed towards the listening position. Also in some examples, the array filter is a non-minimum phase filter of at least 12th order, preferably at least 16th order.

[0035] Figure 4 illustrates the exemplary amplitude response curves of the exemplary filter set 100 for the aforementioned left-right height array, using a height array of sound-generating devices, e.g., a center speaker and either a left or right upward-facing speaker. Filter response 102 is a broadband filter for the left or right height (or upward) loudspeaker, and filter response 104 is a bandpass filter for the center speaker. In some examples, as further described above, this bandpass filter has a low-frequency threshold of approximately 300 Hz to approximately 600 Hz and a high-frequency cutoff of approximately 2 kHz to approximately 4 kHz. These filters achieve arraying at mid-range frequencies (further described above and typically defined as approximately 600 Hz to approximately 2 kHz). At higher frequencies, the distance between transducers limits the ability to array, and if the distance between transducers is greater than approximately half the wavelength of sound, there is no directional control that can be achieved by arraying. Furthermore, most loudspeakers, depending on their loudspeaker structure, will exhibit directivity at higher frequencies, for example, above approximately 6 kHz. Therefore, the effect of arraying decreases as the frequency increases. Thus, a five-speaker active array covers much of the mid-range frequencies, while the directivity of individual speakers takes over the high-frequency range. In some examples, arraying is not used in the low-frequency range. Instead, all four full-range speakers are driven in phase for maximum efficiency. Therefore, the audio system can include a subwoofer, but can also generate bass without requiring a subwoofer.

[0036] Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C are exemplary three-dimensional directivity representations for the left playback channel, left height playback channel, and center playback channel of an exemplary sound-generating device, respectively. Using the five speaker layouts described in the soundbar configuration as the basis for the acoustic system design, independent spatial coverage for different ATMOS or other object-based audio rendering channels is achieved. As an example, Figures 5A–5C show the three-dimensional acoustic emission patterns at sample mid-range frequencies for the left array, left height array, and center array. In this example, the mid-range frequencies are approximately 600Hz to 900Hz. In this example, the sound pressure level (SPL) scale is in dB units and ranges from 20dB. The right array and right height array are mirror images of the illustrated left array and left height array. As previously mentioned, surround channels drive both arrays on a given side (left or right) with adjustable relative gain so that the combination of surround channels generates immersive sound presentation everywhere except in front of the primary listening space.

[0037] In Figures 5A and 5C, X represents the left-right direction (X=0 with the listening space as the center), Y represents the front-back direction, Z represents the vertical direction, and sound pressure levels are shown on a 20dB scale. The origin of the plot is labeled 112 in Figure 5A. The left array output (Figure 5A) has a primary lobe 116 pointed to the left along the Y-axis at Y=0, and a smaller secondary lobe 117 pointed in the opposite direction. The secondary lobe is perceptually insignificant to the primary lobe. The left height array output (Figure 5B) has a primary lobe 122 pointed to the rear (away from the listener) and upward-left at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, and a smaller secondary lobe 123 pointed in the opposite direction. To achieve unique left-right height presentation, the height angle should be in the range of approximately 30–60 degrees with respect to the vertical (Z) axis. The height output is directed away from the user rather than towards them, because the center speaker is naturally located at the front of the soundbar enclosure, and the height speakers are located at the top of the enclosure, so the height speakers are positioned slightly behind the center speaker. Therefore, the left and right height array directions (33 and 35 in Figure 1) are directed slightly backward. The height channel sound reaches the listener after reflection from the ceiling and therefore has essentially the same effect as sound emitted from a speaker located above the listener. The center array output (Figure 5C) has a main lobe 132 directed outward along the Y axis toward the listening position at X=0, and a smaller secondary lobe 133 directed in the opposite direction. As shown in Figures 5A to 5C, the main lobe points in the desired direction, and for the left, right, left height, and right height outputs, the energy directed toward the listening space is minimal, and the desired target is to have at least a 15dB difference in SPL between the main direction and the direction toward the listening space.

[0038] The elements of the drawing are illustrated and described as individual elements of a block diagram. These can be implemented as one or more analog or digital circuits. Alternatively, or additionally, they may be implemented by one or more microprocessors performing software instructions. The software instructions may include digital signal processing instructions. Operation can be performed by the analog circuit or by a microprocessor performing software that performs operation equivalent to the analog operation. Signal lines can be implemented as individual analog or digital signal lines, as individual digital signal lines that perform appropriate signal processing capable of processing distinct signals, and / or as elements of a wireless communication system.

[0039] When a process is represented or suggested in a block diagram, the steps may be performed by one or more elements. These steps may be performed collectively or at different points in time. The elements performing the activities may be physically the same, in close proximity to each other, or physically separate. One element may perform the activities of two or more blocks. Audio signals may be encoded or unencoded, and may be transmitted in either digital or analog form. Conventional audio signal processing devices and their operation may be omitted from the drawings.

[0040] Examples of systems and methods described herein include computer components and computer implementation steps that would be obvious to those skilled in the art. For example, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that computer implementation steps may be stored as computer executable instructions on computer-readable media such as hard disks, optical disks, flash ROMs, non-volatile ROMs, and RAMs. Furthermore, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that computer executable instructions may be executed on various processors such as microprocessors, digital signal processors, and gate arrays. For the sake of ease of explanation, not all steps or elements of systems and methods are described herein as part of a computer system, but those skilled in the art will recognize that each step or element may have a corresponding computer system or software component. Thus, such computer systems and / or software components are made possible by describing their corresponding steps or elements (i.e., their functionality) and are within the scope of this disclosure.

[0041] The functions, methods, and / or components of the methods and systems disclosed herein in various embodiments and examples may be implemented or executed in analog or digital form by digital signal processors (DSPs) and / or other circuits suitable for performing signal processing and other functions, according to the embodiments and examples disclosed herein. Additionally or alternatively, microprocessors, logic controllers, logic circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), general-purpose computing processors, microcontrollers, etc., or any combination thereof, may include analog or digital circuit components and / or other components with respect to any particular implementation.

[0042] The functions and components disclosed herein may operate in the digital domain, the analog domain, or a combination of both, and certain embodiments may include, where appropriate, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and / or digital-to-analog converters (DACs), despite the lack of explanation of ADCs or DACs in various figures. Furthermore, the functions and components disclosed herein may operate in the time domain, the frequency domain, or a combination of both, and certain embodiments may include various forms of Fourier or similar analyses, synthesis, and / or transformations to adapt to processing in various domains.

[0043] Any suitable hardware and / or software, including firmware, may be configured to perform or implement the components of the embodiments and examples disclosed herein, and various implementations of the embodiments and examples may include components and / or functions in addition to those disclosed. Various implementations may include stored instructions for a digital signal processor and / or other circuitry to enable the circuitry to perform, at least in part, the functions described herein.

[0044] While several embodiments relating to at least one example have been described, it will be understood that various changes, modifications, and improvements are readily conceivable to those skilled in the art. Such changes, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure and within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are merely illustrative, and the scope of the invention should be determined from the appropriate configuration of the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10 Sound Generating Devices 12 Soundbar enclosure 14 Front of the enclosure 16 Top of the enclosure 18 Leftmost 20 Rightmost 30. Center loudspeaker 32 transducers 34 Transducers 36 Transducers 48 Listening Space 50 listeners 50 users 60 Active Elements 62 audio signal inputs 64 processors 70 transducer set (including transducers 30, 32, 34, 36, and 38) 80 filters 82 Audio Channel Sources 84 Audio Channel Sources 86 Array Filters 88 Array Filters 90 Array Filters 100 Exemplary Filter Sets 102 Filter Response 104 Filter response 116 Main Robe 117 Secondary Robe 122 Main Robe 123 Secondary Robe 132 Main Robe 133 Secondary Robe

Claims

1. It is a sound generating device, A housing having a front and upper section, A first electroacoustic transducer facing the front of the housing, A second electroacoustic transducer facing the upper part of the housing, A third electroacoustic transducer facing the upper part of the housing, At least one processor, The system includes, and the at least one processor, during audio playback, A first array is generated using the first electroacoustic transducer and the second electroacoustic transducer, the first array providing the left height component of the audio playback. A second array is generated using the first electroacoustic transducer and the third electroacoustic transducer, the second array providing the right height component for the audio playback. The main radial axis of the left height component generally aligns with a line crossing the first electroacoustic transducer and the second electroacoustic transducer, and / or the main radial axis of the right height component generally aligns with a line crossing the first electroacoustic transducer and the third electroacoustic transducer. A sound-generating device configured in such a way.

2. The sound generating device according to claim 1, wherein the first electroacoustic transducer is disposed between the second electroacoustic transducer and the third electroacoustic transducer.

3. The sound generating device according to claim 1, wherein the front portion and the upper portion of the housing are perpendicular to each other.

4. The sound generating device according to claim 1, wherein all of the electroacoustic transducers used to generate the first array receive the same audio source signal, and all of the electroacoustic transducers used to generate the second array receive the same audio source signal.

5. The sound generating device according to claim 4, wherein the first array and the second array each include an array filter applied to the audio source signal for each of the electroacoustic transducers in each array.

6. The sound generating device according to claim 5, wherein the array filter for the second electroacoustic transducer and the third electroacoustic transducer comprises a broadband filter.

7. The sound generating device according to claim 5, wherein the array filter for the first electroacoustic transducer rolls off above a predetermined frequency.

8. The sound generating device according to claim 5, wherein the array filter for the first electroacoustic transducer comprises a bandpass filter.

9. The sound generating device according to claim 8, wherein the bandpass filter has a low-frequency threshold of approximately 600 Hz and a high-frequency cutoff of approximately 2 kHz.

10. The sound generating device according to claim 5, wherein all of the array filters are non-minimum phase filters.

11. The sound generating device according to claim 1, wherein the first array and the second array are applied only over the array frequency range.

12. The sound generating device according to claim 11, wherein the array frequency range is approximately 600 Hz to approximately 6 kHz.

13. The sound generating device according to claim 1, wherein the first electroacoustic transducer has a bandwidth of about 600 Hz to about 18 kHz.

14. The housing has a left end and a right end, The device further comprises a fourth electroacoustic transducer facing the left end of the housing and a fifth electroacoustic transducer facing the right end of the housing. The processor is further configured to generate a third array using the first electroacoustic transducer, the second electroacoustic transducer, the third electroacoustic transducer, the fourth electroacoustic transducer, and the fifth electroacoustic transducer during audio playback. The third array provides the left component for the audio playback, The processor is further configured to generate a fourth array using the first electroacoustic transducer, the second electroacoustic transducer, the third electroacoustic transducer, the fourth electroacoustic transducer, and the fifth electroacoustic transducer during audio playback. The sound generating device according to claim 1, wherein the fourth array provides the right component for audio playback.

15. The sound generating device according to claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a fifth array using the first electroacoustic transducer, the second electroacoustic transducer, the third electroacoustic transducer, the fourth electroacoustic transducer, and the fifth electroacoustic transducer during audio playback, the fifth array providing a central component for the audio playback.

16. The sound generating device according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a sixth array based on a combination of the first array and the third array during audio playback, the sixth array providing the left surround component of the audio playback, and the processor is further configured to generate a seventh array based on a combination of the second array and the fourth array during audio playback, the seventh array providing the right surround component of the audio playback.

17. A computer program comprising encoded computer program instructions, wherein the computer program instructions, when executed by at least one processor on a sound generating device comprising a housing having a front and a top, a first electroacoustic transducer facing the front of the housing, a second electroacoustic transducer facing the top of the housing, and a third electroacoustic transducer facing the top of the housing, causes the sound generating device to perform audio playback. The first electroacoustic transducer and the second electroacoustic transducer are used to generate a first array, the first array providing the left height component of the audio playback, The first electroacoustic transducer and the third electroacoustic transducer are used to generate a second array, the second array providing the right height component for the audio playback. A computer program that causes the principal radial axis of the left height component to generally align with a line crossing the first electroacoustic transducer and the second electroacoustic transducer, and / or the principal radial axis of the right height component to generally align with a line crossing the first electroacoustic transducer and the third electroacoustic transducer.

18. The computer program according to claim 17, wherein the first electroacoustic transducer is positioned between the second electroacoustic transducer and the third electroacoustic transducer.

19. The computer program according to claim 17, wherein all of the electroacoustic transducers used to generate the first array receive the same audio source signal, and all of the electroacoustic transducers used to generate the second array receive the same audio source signal, and the first array and the second array each include an array filter applied to the audio source signal for each of the electroacoustic transducers in the respective array.

20. The computer program according to claim 19, wherein the array filter for the second electroacoustic transducer and the third electroacoustic transducer comprises a broadband filter, and the array filter for the first electroacoustic transducer comprises a bandpass filter.

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