An Audio Processor and a Method Considering Acoustic Obstacles and Providing Loudspeaker Signals

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This invention is an audio processor and method that dynamically adjusts audio playback by selecting and controlling which loudspeakers deliver sound, based on the current position and orientation of the listener, the locations and characteristics of available loudspeakers, and the presence of acoustic obstacles (such as walls or furniture). As the listener moves or turns, or when obstacles block sound, the system changes how audio content is rendered and routed, so that the intended sound experience 'follows' the listener, providing optimal listening wherever the person is located within a space.

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

• Smart home entertainment systems where users move between rooms but want continuous, high-quality sound (e.g., multi-room TV or music setups).
• Offices or public spaces with distributed speakers, ensuring consistent audio for people moving within the area regardless of room layout.
• Museums or exhibitions, where audio guides or soundscapes adapt to a visitor’s position and obstacles in real-time.
• Home theater systems that maintain optimal surround-sound experiences as viewers shift seats or walk around.
• Conference or meeting rooms with flexible loudspeaker arrangements, adapting automatically as participants move or spaces are reconfigured.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Delivers seamless and consistent audio experiences as users move throughout a space, without manual adjustment.
• Optimizes sound quality by only using loudspeakers that have a direct path to the listener, compensating for blocking or attenuating obstacles.
• Adapts audio rendering to dynamically changing environments and user locations for improved immersion and clarity.
• Supports flexible arrangement of speakers (e.g., different layouts, number of speakers, rooms), maximizing use of available equipment.
• Enables advanced features such as following individual or multiple users with tailored sound zones, reducing audio leakage and disturbance to others.

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Patent Abstract

An audio processor for providing a plurality of loudspeaker signals, or loudspeaker feeds, on the basis of a plurality of input signals, like channel signals and/or object signals. The audio processor is configured to obtain an information about the position of a listener. The audio processor is further configured to obtain an information about the position of a plurality of loudspeakers, or sound transducers, which may, for example, be placed within the same containment, e.g. a soundbar. The audio processor is further configured to select one or more loudspeakers for a rendering of the objects and/or of the channel objects and/or of the adapted signals, derived from the input signals, like channel signals or channel objects, or like upmixed or downmixed signals. The selection of the one or more loudspeakers depends on the information about the position of the listener, on the information about the positions of the loudspeakers and takes into consideration the information about one or more acoustic obstacles. In other words, the audio processor decides which loudspeakers should be used in the rendering of the different channel objects or adapted signals, taking into consideration, for example, the attenuation of the sound between the loudspeaker and the listener or an elongation of an acoustic path between a loudspeaker and the listener due to the properties of the obstacle. The audio signal processor is further configured to render the objects and/or the channel objects and/or the adapted signals derived from the input signals, in dependence on the information about the position of the listener and in dependence on the information about positions of the loudspeakers, in order to obtain the loudspeaker signals, such that a rendered sound follows a listener.