Audio system with configurable zones

US10609484B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Apple Inc. · US

Inventors

• Afrooz Family · Los Angeles, US
• Anthony P. Bidmead · Los Gatos, US
• Erik L. Wang · Cupertino, US
• Gary P. Geaves · Los Gatos, US
• Martin E. Johnson · Los Gatos, US
• Matthew I. Brown · San Francisco, US
• Michael B. Howes · Mountain View, US
• Sylvain J. Choisel · Palo Alto, US
• Tomlinson Holman · Cupertino, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 23, 2017
• Grant date: Mar 31, 2020
• Expiry date: May 8, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04R27/00
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An audio system is described that includes one or more speaker arrays that emit sound corresponding to one or more pieces of sound program content into associated zones within a listening area. Using parameters of the audio system (e.g., locations of the speaker arrays and the audio sources), the zones, the users, the pieces of sound program content, and the listening area, one or more beam pattern attributes may be generated. The beam pattern attributes define a set of beams that are used to generate audio beams for channels of sound program content to be played in each zone. The beam pattern attributes may be updated as changes are detected within the listening environment. By adapting to these changing conditions, the audio system is capable of reproducing sound that accurately represents each piece of sound program content in various zones.