Abstract: A method for determining coefficients of a family of cascaded second order Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) parametric filters used for equalizing a room response. The method includes determining parameters of each IIR parametric filter from poles or roots of a reasonably high-order Linear Predictive Coding (LPC) model. The LPC model is able to accurately model the low-frequency room response modes providing better equalization of loudspeaker and room acoustics, particularly at the low frequencies. Advantages of the method include fast and efficient computation of the LPC model using a Levinson-Durbin recursion to solve the normal equations that arise from the least squares formulation. Due to possible band interactions between the cascaded IIR parametric filters, the method further includes optimizing the Q value of each filter to better equalize the room response.

Abstract: A system and method provide at least a single stage optimization process which maximizes the flatness of the net subwoofer and satellite speaker response in and around a cross-over region. A first stage determines an optimal cross-over frequency by minimizing an objective function in a region around the cross-over frequency. Such objective function measures the variation of the magnitude response in the cross-over region. An optional second stage applies all-pass filtering to reduce incoherent addition of signals from different speakers in the cross-over region. The all-pass filters are preferably included in signal processing for the satellite speakers, and provide a frequency dependent phase adjustment to reduce incoherency between the center and left and right speakers and the subwoofer. The all-pass filters are derived using a recursive adaptive algorithm.

Abstract: A system and method for minimizing the complex phase interaction between non-coincident subwoofer and satellite speakers for improved magnitude response control in a cross-over region. An all-pass filter is cascaded with bass-management filters in at least one filter channel, and preferably all-pass filters are cascaded in each satellite speaker channel. Pole angles and magnitudes for the all-pass filters are recursively calculated to minimize phase incoherence. A step of selecting an optimal cross-over frequency may be performed in conjunction with the all-pass filtering, and is preferably used to select an optimal cross-over frequency prior to determining all-pass filter coefficients.

Abstract: A system and a method for correcting, simultaneously at multiple-listener positions, distortions introduced by the acoustical characteristics includes warping room responses, intelligently weighing the warped room acoustical responses to form a weighted response, a low order spectral fitting to the weighted response, forming a warped filter from the low order spectral fit, and unwarping the warped filter to form the room acoustical correction filter.

Abstract: A system and method for producing an audio output directed to a listening environment having at least two listening positions. Based upon the location of a loudspeaker for the purpose of producing an audio output and the physical location of the listening positions, the audio output would be preprocessed by one or more filters whose coefficients would maximize the signal heard by a listener in one of the listening positions and constrained by a listener in another position, thereby eliminating or minimizing the audio output heard by a listener in one of the other positions.

Abstract: A system and a method for correcting, simultaneously at multiple-listener positions, distortions introduced by the acoustical characteristics includes intelligently weighing the room acoustical responses to form a room acoustical correction filter.

Abstract: Accurate localization of sound in 3-D space is based on variations in the spectrum of sound sources. These variations arise mainly from reflection and diffraction effects caused by the pinnae and are described through a set of Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTF's) that are unique for each azimuth and elevation angle. A virtual sound source can be rendered in the desired location by filtering with the corresponding HRTF for each ear. In this work, we provide an alternative approach, which uses a multiple-input single-output state-space system to create a combined model of the HRTF's for all directions. This method exploits the similarities among the different HRTF's to achieve a significant reduction in the model size with a minimum loss of accuracy.