Multichannel Audio Remixing for Position-Adaptive Speaker Layouts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional sound systems struggle with adjusting audio channels to non-idealized speaker arrangements in listening environments, leading to degraded sound quality and user difficulty in reconfiguring systems to match actual speaker positions.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method determines loudspeaker positions, computes distances to target speaker positions, and generates modified audio signals based on these distances and attenuation functions to accurately distribute audio channels, allowing for effective multichannel audio reproduction in varying speaker configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional sound systems distribute audio channels based on idealized loudspeaker positions, then the sound field generates a sweet spot at the target location, but the system becomes complex and difficult to adjust to changes in the listening environment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesweet spot accuracyVSAvoidsystem configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically adjusts audio channel distribution parameters based on detected loudspeaker positions. Instead of requiring manual reconfiguration of complex channel mappings, the system changes the parameters of audio signal processing (gain, phase, panning) to adapt to the actual physical arrangement of loudspeakers, maintaining sweet spot accuracy while reducing configuration complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-configuration by automatically detecting loudspeaker positions and computing appropriate audio channel distributions without user intervention. The audio processing device autonomously adapts the sound field generation to match the actual listening environment, eliminating the need for users to learn complex audio characteristics or manually reconfigure the system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Manufacturing precision

If users manually reconfigure sound systems to match actual loudspeaker positions, then the audio channels can accurately reflect the positions, but users must learn highly complex audio characteristics

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel layout accuracyVSAvoiduser configuration ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system eliminates the need for user expertise in audio characteristics by performing automatic position-based channel distribution. The audio processing device independently detects loudspeaker positions, computes distance metrics, and generates appropriate audio signals without requiring users to understand or manually adjust complex audio parameters

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces manual user configuration operations with automated computational processes. Instead of requiring users to physically adjust or manually configure audio channels based on their understanding of audio characteristics, the system uses algorithms to automatically compute and apply the correct channel distribution based on detected positions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If loudspeaker positions in the listening environment do not match idealized configurations, then the sound field generates a sweet spot that differs from the target location, but conventional systems cannot easily adapt

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesweet spot location accuracyVSAvoidenvironmental adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adapts the audio channel distribution to match the actual static or moving positions of loudspeakers. By continuously detecting loudspeaker positions and recalculating the appropriate audio signals based on distance metrics, the system maintains an accurate sweet spot location that corresponds to the target listening area regardless of the physical arrangement of loudspeakers

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from detected loudspeaker positions to automatically adjust audio channel distribution. The position detection provides feedback about the actual physical arrangement, which the system uses to compute and apply appropriate gain, phase, and panning adjustments, ensuring the sweet spot remains at the intended target location

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4589994A1Remixing multichannel audio based on speaker position
Publication Date: 2025.07.23 HARMAN INT IND INC
  • EP4589994A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4589994A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4589994A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In various embodiments, a computer-implemented method comprises determining a loudspeaker position of a loudspeaker in a listening environment, determining a target speaker position within the listening environment, retrieving an audio signal, computing a distance between the loudspeaker position and the target speaker position, generating a modified audio signal, where an amplitude of the modified audio signal is based on (i) the audio signal, (ii) the distance, and (iii) a distance attenuation function, and transmitting the modified audio signal to the loudspeaker.