Non-Planar Display Loudspeaker Beamforming for Speech Intelligibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing speaker designs for display devices, such as televisions, emit sound energy away from viewers, degrading sound quality by causing undesirable acoustic interferences and reducing speech intelligibility.

Innovation Solution

The design includes a speaker module with first and second speakers facing different directions, each with independent acoustic back volumes and beamforming filters that apply frequency-dependent phase shifts and gains to direct sound energy towards the viewer, reducing interference from adjacent surfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If speakers are positioned on the front surface of the display device, then sound energy is directed towards the viewer, but aesthetic design constraints prevent this configuration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesound quality degradationVSAvoidspeaker configuration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from conventional planar speaker arrangements to a three-dimensional non-planar configuration where speakers are positioned at different heights and angles on the rear surface. This spatial dimensionality change enables sound to be directed toward the viewer without compromising aesthetic design, resolving the contradiction between sound quality and design constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of placing speakers on the front surface as in conventional designs, the patent inverts the approach by positioning speakers on the rear surface of the display device. This inversion allows sound energy to propagate forward toward the viewer while maintaining aesthetic appearance, addressing both sound quality requirements and design constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If speakers emit sound energy away from the viewer, then aesthetic design is maintained, but sound quality degrades due to acoustic interferences

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveacoustic interferenceVSAvoidlistening experience

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by configuring different speakers with different orientations and beamforming characteristics tailored to their specific positions. Each speaker is optimized for its local spatial role, with independent beamforming filters that direct sound energy toward the viewer while minimizing interference from adjacent surfaces, thereby improving listening experience without compromising aesthetic design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If conventional speaker positioning is used, then device structure is simple, but speech intelligibility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeech intelligibilityVSAvoidspeaker module structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic beamforming filters that can adjust the directional characteristics of sound energy in real-time. This dynamic control enables the system to adapt to different listening conditions and optimize speech intelligibility, while the modular speaker structure maintains reasonable complexity levels through systematic design of the non-planar configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Improves sound quality by increasing the direct-to-reverberant ratio and reducing the need for excessive equalization, enhancing speech intelligibility and overall listening experience.

Implementation Method 1

beamforming filters that apply frequency-dependent phase shifts and gains to direct sound energy towards the viewer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBeamforming:

Implementation Method 2

beamforming filters that apply frequency-dependent phase shifts and gains to direct sound energy towards the viewer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhase shift:

Implementation Method 3

a first speaker arranged to face in a first direction relative to the display device and a second speaker arranged to face in a second direction relative to the display device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectroacoustic conversion:

Data Source

PatentUS20250358382A1Non-planar beamformed loudspeaker for display devices

Publication Date: 2025.11.20 DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORP

AI summary

A display device including a first surface that supports a display and a second surface disposed opposite to first surface. A first speaker module is supported by the second surface and includes a first speaker arranged to face in a first direction relative to the display device and a second speaker arranged to face in a second direction relative to the display device, the second direction being different than the first direction. A second speaker module is supported by the rear surface and includes a third speaker arranged to face in the first direction and a fourth speaker arranged to face in the second direction. Sound energy emitted by the first and second speaker modules is beamformed by filters that were designed in consideration of the effects of sound reflection off surfaces adjacent to the display device.