Speaker Array Behind Display Screen for Audio Localization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surround sound systems fail to provide an effective audio experience for content types like video games with overhead camera views, as they struggle to map a two-dimensional listener to three-dimensional hardware setups, leading to poor audio localization.
Innovation Solution
A speaker array positioned behind a display screen, which determines the location of each speaker relative to the screen and associates sounds with specific screen locations, adjusting volume based on distance and sound source characteristics to enhance audio realism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional surround sound systems use speakers positioned around the listener in three-dimensional space, then audio localization is improved for traditional point-of-view content, but the system fails to provide effective audio experience for content types like video games with overhead camera views where the camera does not represent a traditional point of view
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional three-dimensional surround sound positioning to a two-dimensional speaker array positioned behind the display screen. This dimensional change allows the system to map audio sources directly to screen coordinates, making it adaptable to various content types including overhead camera views in video games where the camera does not represent a traditional point of view. The 2D arrangement eliminates the need for complex 3D spatial mapping while maintaining audio localization accuracy relative to the visual display.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of positioning speakers around the listener in three-dimensional space as in traditional surround sound systems, this patent inverts the approach by placing all speakers in a single plane behind the display screen. The audio localization is achieved not by physical 3D speaker distribution but by electronically mapping sound sources to screen locations, thereby inverting the traditional spatial arrangement while achieving the same audio localization goal.
2Reliability
If speakers are positioned behind the display screen, then the audio experience is enhanced by mapping sounds to screen locations, but the physical space required for the system is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The speaker array is nested within or behind the display screen structure, with speakers positioned in the space between the screen and the viewer. This nesting approach allows the speakers to be integrated into the existing display setup without requiring additional external space, thereby enhancing audio-visual synchronization while minimizing the increase in system spatial footprint.
3Reliability
If a speaker array is positioned behind the display screen, then audio realism is improved by playing sounds from speakers near their associated objects, but the device complexity increases due to the need to determine speaker locations and associate sounds with screen positions
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the screen coordinate system in the audio domain. By mapping sound sources to screen locations through coordinate transformation, the system achieves audio realism without requiring complex physical speaker positioning. The sound mapping follows the visual representation, creating a corresponding audio landscape that mirrors the on-screen action.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical speaker positioning systems with electronic sound mapping. Instead of physically adjusting speaker positions to achieve audio localization, the system uses software-based coordinate transformation to map sound sources to screen locations, thereby reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining audio realism.
Data Source
AI summary
A content presentation system including a display screen and an array of speakers behind the display screen is described herein. In some examples, speaker-associated screen areas, the volume of a sound, and a screen location of a sound source may be used to determine one or more speakers that are associated with the sound. For example, the volume of a sound and the screen location of a sound source may be used to determine a sound range for the sound that may be used to associate one or more speakers with the sound. In some examples, upon determination of the sound range, one or more speaker-associated screen areas that are wholly or partially included within the sound range may then be identified. Each speaker that is represented by an identified speaker-associated screen area may then be associated with the sound.