Distributed Speaker Grouping for Arena Audio Movement Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing arena/stadium facilities lack high-performance acoustic systems for multi-channel playback, resulting in monaural sound output that fails to provide a sense of audio movement, despite the demand for immersive audio experiences.
Innovation Solution
A distributed speaker system is divided into areas, with speaker clusters grouped based on their arrangement, and controlled to output sound source signals, creating a multi-channel playback environment using an acoustic control system, method, and program.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a distributed speaker system is used for monaural playback in arena/stadium facilities, then the system is simple and cost-effective, but it cannot provide audio with a sense of movement
Solution Approach 1:
The spectator seating area is divided into multiple areas, and each area is further divided into multiple groups. Speaker devices are distributed across these areas and groups, allowing independent control of each group to create multi-channel playback effects without requiring a completely new speaker system installation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from monaural (single-channel) playback to multi-channel playback by utilizing the spatial distribution of speaker devices across multiple areas and groups. This dimensional expansion in audio channel configuration enables audio movement effects while using the existing distributed speaker infrastructure
2Adaptability or versatility
If high-performance acoustic systems for multi-channel playback are introduced in arena/stadium facilities, then audio with a sense of movement can be provided, but the system becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The existing distributed speaker devices, originally designed for monaural playback, are made multi-functional by enabling them to operate in both monaural and multi-channel modes. The same speaker infrastructure serves dual purposes, providing cost-effective multi-channel playback without requiring separate dedicated speaker systems
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of installing expensive high-performance acoustic systems, the patent creates virtual multi-channel channels by strategically controlling groups of existing speaker devices. This copying approach replicates the effects of a true multi-channel system using available resources
3Area of stationary object
If speaker devices are distributed across multiple areas for coverage, then the entire seating area is covered, but it is difficult to construct a multi-channel playback environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the distributed speaker system into hierarchical segments: first dividing the seating area into multiple areas, then dividing each area into multiple groups. This segmentation transforms the challenge of controlling numerous distributed speakers into manageable groups, enabling multi-channel playback configuration without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically assigns speaker devices to different groups based on the desired audio movement pattern. Groups can be reconfigured and reassigned to create different playback scenarios, allowing flexible multi-channel environment construction adapted to various event requirements
Data Source
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AI summary
To realize, in an arena/stadium facility including seating around a playing surface, audio movement throughout an entire seating by constructing a multi-channel playback environment using a distributed speaker system. The present disclosure is configured to control a speaker system provided in an arena/stadium facility including seating around a playing surface, and includes: a plurality of speaker devices for each area, the entire area of the seating being divided into a plurality of areas, the speaker devices being distributed in each of the divided areas; and acoustic control means configured, with respect to each of the plurality of speaker devices in each area, to group speaker devices selected from each area into one group, for each area, on the basis of an arrangement relationship between the respective speaker devices in the area, and to output a sound source signal to the speaker devices belonging to the group, for each group.