Abstract: A process for reproducing sound using a loudspeaker array that is housed in a loudspeaker cabinet includes the selection of a number of sound rendering modes and changing the selected sound rendering mode based on changes in one or both of sensor data and a user interface selection. The sound rendering modes include a number of mid-side modes and at least one direct-ambient mode. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: A binaural sound reproduction system, and methods of using the binaural sound reproduction system to dynamically re-center a frame of reference for a virtual sound source, are described. The binaural sound reproduction system may include a reference device, e.g., a mobile device, having a reference sensor to provide reference orientation data corresponding to a direction of the reference device, and a head-mounted device, e.g., headphones, having a device sensor to provide device orientation data corresponding to a direction of the head-mounted device. The system may use the reference orientation data to determine whether the head-mounted device is being used in a static or dynamic use case, and may adjust an audio output to render the virtual sound source in an adjusted source direction based on the determined use case. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: An audio system includes one or more loudspeaker cabinets, each having loudspeakers. Sensing logic determines an acoustic environment of the loudspeaker cabinets. The sensing logic may include an echo canceller. A low frequency filter corrects an audio program based on the acoustic environment of the loudspeaker cabinets. The system outputs an omnidirectional sound pattern, which may be low frequency sound, to determine the acoustic environment. The system may produce a directional pattern superimposed on an omnidirectional pattern, if the acoustic environment is in free space. The system may aim ambient content toward a wall and direct content away from the wall, if the acoustic environment is not in free space. The sensing logic automatically determines the acoustic environment upon initial power up and when position changes of loudspeaker cabinets are detected. Accelerometers may detect position changes of the loudspeaker cabinets.

Abstract: An electronic device receives an incoming communication and determines that the device is in a first use context. In response to receiving the incoming communication, the device provides first feedback that includes a first ongoing audio output that corresponds to the first use context and a first ongoing tactile output with a first tactile output profile that corresponds to the first use context. While providing the first ongoing audio output and the first ongoing tactile output, the device detects that the electronic device is in a second use context, different from the first use context. In response to detecting that the electronic device is in the second use context, the device provides second feedback that includes a second ongoing tactile output that has a second tactile output profile that corresponds to the second use context.

Abstract: An audio system that adjusts one or more beam patterns emitted by one or more loudspeaker arrays based on the preferences of users/listeners is described. The audio system includes an audio receiver that contains a listener location estimator, a listener identifier, and a voice command processor. Inputs from the listener location estimator, the listener identifier, and the voice command processor are fed into an array processor. The array processor drives the one or more loudspeaker arrays to emit beam patterns into the listening area based on inputs from each of these devices. By examining the location, preferred usage settings, and voice commands from listeners, the generated beam patterns are customized to the explicit and implicit preferences of the listeners with minimal direct input. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A transition between a stereophonic presentation and a monophonic presentation of a stereophonic input signal that includes a left channel signal and a right channel signal extracts content that is present at similar levels but not in-phase between the left and right channel signals to produce at least one of a left enhancement signal and a right enhancement signal. The left channel signal, the right channel signal, and only one of the left and right enhancement signals are combined to produce a monophonic signal for the monophonic presentation. Cross-fading between the left channel signal and the monophonic signal and between the right channel signal and the monophonic signal may be used to transition between the stereophonic presentation and the monophonic presentation. The stereophonic input signal may be up-mixed to produce enhancement signal. A similar transition between a multichannel presentation and a monophonic presentation of a multichannel signal is described.

Abstract: An electronic device having a device housing includes a loudspeaker and several microphones within the device housing. A control circuit is electrically coupled to the loudspeaker and microphones. The loudspeaker produces speech and/or music. The control circuit determines a statistical measure for a first data set representing individual impulse responses from the plurality of microphones and compares that to a predetermined statistical measure for a second data set representing individual object-free impulse responses from the plurality of microphones to determine if an object is near the device. The statistical measure may be variance and may be computed in the time domain. Variance may be calculated using differences between the individual impulse responses and a mean impulse response that is a linear combination of the impulse responses for the plurality of microphones. The control circuit may include echo cancellers to mitigate common signals and/or other acoustic sources.

Abstract: An audio system having a variable reset volume, and a method of conditionally resetting a volume parameter, are described. The audio system can include a processor to generate an audio signal for a speaker to convert into a sound. A volume parameter of the audio signal can be set before a user pauses playback of the audio signal. The processor can determine that the volume parameter is outside of a resting volume range, and that the user resumes playback of the audio signal at least a selected interval after pausing playback. The processor can responsively reset the volume parameter when playback is resumed to a different level based on one or more acoustic factors, such as an audio decay time of a surrounding environment. The different level can be within the resting volume range. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Abstract: A transition between a stereophonic presentation and a monophonic presentation of a stereophonic input signal that includes a left channel signal and a right channel signal extracts content that is present at similar levels but not in-phase between the left and right channel signals to produce at least one of a left enhancement signal and a right enhancement signal. The left channel signal, the right channel signal, and only one of the left and right enhancement signals are combined to produce a monophonic signal for the monophonic presentation. Cross-fading between the left channel signal and the monophonic signal and between the right channel signal and the monophonic signal may be used to transition between the stereophonic presentation and the monophonic presentation. The stereophonic input signal may be up-mixed to produce enhancement signal. A similar transition between a multichannel presentation and a monophonic presentation of a multichannel signal is described.

Abstract: A method for operating a distributed wireless audio system including several loudspeaker cabinets all of which can communicate with each other as part of a computer network. The method receives temperature data that is indicative of temperature of a first loudspeaker cabinet, which has a network master responsibility of obtaining an audio signal from an audio source and wirelessly transmitting some of the audio signal to a second loudspeaker cabinet of several loudspeaker cabinets, for playback by the second loudspeaker cabinet, while playing back some of the audio signal by the first loudspeaker cabinet. The method determines whether a thermal threshold of the first loudspeaker cabinet has been reached, based on the temperature data. The method, in response to the thermal threshold being reached, gives up the network master responsibility from the first loudspeaker cabinet to the second loudspeaker cabinet, where doing so reduces temperature in the first loudspeaker cabinet.

Abstract: An audio system includes one or more loudspeaker cabinets, each having loudspeakers. Sensing logic determines an acoustic environment of the loudspeaker cabinets. The sensing logic may include an echo canceller. A low frequency filter corrects an audio program based on the acoustic environment of the loudspeaker cabinets. The system outputs an omnidirectional sound pattern, which may be low frequency sound, to determine the acoustic environment. The system may produce a directional pattern superimposed on an omnidirectional pattern, if the acoustic environment is in free space. The system may aim ambient content toward a wall and direct content away from the wall, if the acoustic environment is not in free space. The sensing logic automatically determines the acoustic environment upon initial power up and when position changes of loudspeaker cabinets are detected. Accelerometers may detect position changes of the loudspeaker cabinets.

Abstract: A binaural sound reproduction system, and methods of using the binaural sound reproduction system to dynamically re-center a frame of reference for a virtual sound source, are described. The binaural sound reproduction system may include a reference device, e.g., a mobile device, having a reference sensor to provide reference orientation data corresponding to a direction of the reference device, and a head-mounted device, e.g., headphones, having a device sensor to provide device orientation data corresponding to a direction of the head-mounted device. The system may use the reference orientation data to determine whether the head-mounted device is being used in a static or dynamic use case, and may adjust an audio output to render the virtual sound source in an adjusted source direction based on the determined use case. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: An operating power level for a loudspeaker cabinet and a target power level for the loudspeaker cabinet are determined during output of an audio signal by the loudspeaker cabinet. The target power level is based on temperature data for the loudspeaker cabinet and varies as the temperature data changes. Based on the operating power level and the target power level, values of two or more control parameters for controlling audio output of the loudspeaker cabinet are generated, where at least one of the control parameters controls the gain of a specific audio frequency band. The audio signal is adjusted according to the generated values of the control parameters, where doing so reduces power consumption of the loudspeaker cabinet during the audio output. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: In a device or method for rendering a sound program for headphones, a location is received for placing the sound program with respect to first and second ear pieces. If the location is between the first ear piece and the second ear piece, the sound program is filtered to produce low-frequency and high-frequency portions. The high-frequency portion is panned according to the location to produce first and second high-frequency signals. The low-frequency portion and the first high-frequency signal are combined to produce a first headphone driver signal to drive the first ear piece. A second headphone driver signal is similarly produced. The sound program may be a stereo sound program. The device or method may also provide for a location that is between the first ear piece and a near-field boundary. Other aspects are also described.

Abstract: An audio system that adjusts one or more beam patterns emitted by one or more loudspeaker arrays based on the preferences of users/listeners is described. The audio system includes an audio receiver that contains a listener location estimator, a listener identifier, and a voice command processor. Inputs from the listener location estimator, the listener identifier, and the voice command processor are fed into an array processor. The array processor drives the one or more loudspeaker arrays to emit beam patterns into the listening area based on inputs from each of these devices. By examining the location, preferred usage settings, and voice commands from listeners, the generated beam patterns are customized to the explicit and implicit preferences of the listeners with minimal direct input. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: An audio system includes one or more loudspeaker cabinets, each having loudspeakers. The system outputs an omnidirectional sound pattern to determine the acoustic environment. Sensing logic determines an acoustic environment of the loudspeaker cabinets. The sensing logic may include an echo canceller. A playback mode processor adjusts an audio program according to a playback mode determined from the acoustic environment of the audio system. The system may produce a directional pattern superimposed on an omnidirectional pattern, if the acoustic environment is in free space. The system may aim ambient content toward a wall and direct content away from the wall, if the acoustic environment is not in free space. The sensing logic automatically determines the acoustic environment upon initial power up and when position changes of loudspeaker cabinets are detected. Accelerometers may detect position changes of the loudspeaker cabinets.

Abstract: An audio system includes a loudspeaker cabinet defining a longitudinal axis. Several loudspeaker transducers are distributed around the longitudinal axis. The audio system includes an audio rendering processor to cause the loudspeaker transducers to emit a sound field approximating a desired contour. The desired contour can be decomposed into a combination of several constituent modal beam components, and the audio rendering processor can render a truncated version of the decomposition to render an approximation of the desired contour. The desired contour can be one of a plurality of contours stored in a memory, or can be user defined. The cabinet includes a processor and a memory having instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the audio system decompose a desired contour and to render a truncated version of the decomposition. Related principles are described by way of reference to method and apparatus examples.

Abstract: A device displays a user interface that includes a content area and a deletion control. The device detects an input that includes a contact on the deletion control. In response, the device deletes content in the content area based on a duration and intensity of the contact, including: when the contact was maintained for a first time period without the intensity increasing above a threshold, deleting a first-type of sub-units of the content at a rate that does not vary based on the intensity; when the contact was maintained for a second time period without the intensity increasing above the threshold, deleting a second-type of sub-units of the content at a rate that does not vary based on the intensity; and when the intensity of the contact increased above the threshold, deleting sub-units of the content at a rate that varies based on the characteristic intensity of the contact.

Abstract: A method for operating a distributed wireless audio system including several loudspeaker cabinets all of which can communicate with each other as part of a computer network. The method receives temperature data that is indicative of temperature of a first loudspeaker cabinet, which has a network master responsibility of obtaining an audio signal from an audio source and wirelessly transmitting some of the audio signal to a second loudspeaker cabinet of several loudspeaker cabinets, for playback by the second loudspeaker cabinet, while playing back some of the audio signal by the first loudspeaker cabinet. The method determines whether a thermal threshold of the first loudspeaker cabinet has been reached, based on the temperature data. The method, in response to the thermal threshold being reached, gives up the network master responsibility from the first loudspeaker cabinet to the second loudspeaker cabinet, where doing so reduces temperature in the first loudspeaker cabinet.

Abstract: A number of candidate binaural room impulse responses (BRIRs) are analyzed to select one of them as a selected first BRIR that is to be applied to diffuse audio, and another one as a selected second BRIR that is to be applied to direct audio, of a sound program. A first binaural rendering process is performed on the diffuse audio by applying the selected first BRIR and a first head related transfer function (HRTF) to the diffuse audio. A second binaural rendering process is performed on the direct audio by applying the selected second BRIR and a second HRTF to the direct audio. Results of the two binaural rendering processes are combined to produce headphone driver signals. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.