Apparatus and Method for Driving an Array of Loudspeakers with Drive Signals

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This invention describes an apparatus and method for driving an array of loudspeakers to provide personalized 3D audio experiences. The system includes a sound field synthesizer, a binaural renderer, and a decision unit that chooses between the two methods (or combines them) depending on the listener’s position, orientation, and other factors. This allows flexible, robust, and high-quality audio rendering for multiple listeners in different zones, even when the loudspeaker arrangement is limited or suboptimal.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Personalized audio experiences in cars, where each passenger can have different audio zones and content.
• Home theaters or multi-room audio systems that adapt spatial audio to listener positions and orientations.
• Virtual reality or augmented reality environments requiring precise 3D spatial audio.
• Conference rooms or public spaces where specific zones require targeted sound fields or privacy (e.g., making one area quiet for focus while another enjoys music).
• Assistive listening devices that dynamically optimize sound for user location and movement.
• Museums or exhibitions with spatialized audio guides tailored to individuals' positions.

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• Combines both sound field synthesis and binaural rendering approaches for optimal spatial audio quality.
• Automatically adapts to listener location and head orientation, providing a consistent and immersive listening experience even with movement.
• Works effectively even with fewer speakers or when some speakers are blocked or suboptimally placed.
• Supports multiple listeners with distinct audio zones simultaneously.
• Enables flexible loudspeaker placement and dynamic assignment of rendering techniques, reducing hardware and setup complexity.
• Improves speech intelligibility and separation of foreground/background audio components.
• Enhances robustness of binaural rendering with support from sound field synthesis in appropriate frequency ranges.

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Patent Abstract

A wave field synthesis apparatus (100, 800) for driving an array of loudspeakers with drive signals, the apparatus includes a sound field synthesizer (110, 810) for generating sound field drive signals for causing the array of loudspeakers (210) to generate one or more sound fields at one or more audio zones (220, 230, 520, 620, 720, 730), a binaural renderer (120, 820) for generating binaural drive signals for causing the array of loudspeakers to generate specified sound pressures at at least two positions, wherein the at least two positions are determined based on a detected position and/or orientation of a listener, and a decision unit (130, 830) for deciding whether to generate the drive signals using the sound field synthesizer or using the binaural renderer.