Audio reproduction system and method for reproducing an audio signal

US7706544B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Föderung der Wissenschaften e.V. · US

Inventors

• Frank Melchior · Ilmenau, DE
• Thomas Röder · Herne, DE
• Michael Beckinger · Erfurt, DE
• Sandra Brix · Ilmenau, DE
• Thomas Sporer · Ergolding, DE
• Haymo Kutschbach · Berlin, DE
• Berthold Schlenker · Ilmenau, DE
• Carsten Land · Ilmenau, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 5, 2005
• Grant date: Apr 27, 2010
• Expiry date: Jan 25, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04S2420/13
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An audio reproduction system is divided into a central wave-field synthesis module and a plurality of loudspeaker modules disposed in a distributed way, wherein synthesis signals for the individual loudspeakers as well as corresponding channel information associated to the synthesis signals are calculated in the central wave-field synthesis module. The synthesis signals for a loudspeaker as well as associated channel information will then be transmitted to respective loudspeaker modules via a transmission path, wherein every loudspeaker module obtains the synthesis signals and associated channel information intended for the loudspeaker associated to the loudspeaker module. A distributed audio rendering and digital/analog converting takes place in the loudspeaker module to generate the actually analog loudspeaker signals in a distributed way in spatial proximity to every loudspeaker. The division into a central wave-field synthesis module and the plurality of distributed loudspeaker modules allows that audio reproduction systems that are scalable with regard to the price can be generated in order to offer systems of different size scalable in price particularly for cinema reproducti…