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US008675892B2
(12) United States Patent
Hogue et a].
(54)
SPECTRAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
.
7,298,852 B2 *
~
'
(75) Inventors‘
2211111121011
’
‘
12/2002
2004/0086128 A1
5/2004
Hosoi et al. .
Risch et al.
.. 381/99
.
381/1
2005/0271215 A1 * 12/2005 Kulkarni
’
2007/0058816 A1
Assignee: Harman International Industries,
Mar. 18, 2014
11/2007 Croft, III ....................... .. 381/56
2002/0186854 A1
Hills, MI (US); Jeffrey Tackett, Allen
Park, MI (Us)
(73)
US 8,675,892 B2
(10) Patent N0.:
(45) Date of Patent:
3/2007
K
381/18
.................................. .. 381/1
0
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
W0
W0 00/ 15003
3/2000
Incorporated, Stamford, CT (U S)
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
( * )
(21)
Notice:
Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
_ _
International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Aug. 23,
USC' 154(1)) by 992 days
2010, in corresponding International Application No. PCT/US2010/
033230, ?led Apr. 3, 2010. (13 pgs.).
_
_
* crted by exammer
Apr. 30, 2010
65
P _
)
P bl_
_
nor u lcatlon
US 2010/0278346 A1
D
Primary Examiner * Disler Paul
am
(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm * Brooks Kushman PC.
Nov. 4, 2010
Related US. Application Data
(57)
(60) Provisional application No. 61/174,837, ?led on May
(51)
Int_ CL
H03G 5/00
(52)
us CL
ABSTRACT
A Spectral management System may be used _in an alldio
1’ 2009'
(58)
_
patent is extended or adjusted under 35
Appl. No.: 12/771,790
(22) Filed:
(
_
system to recerve and process aud1o srgnals havmg mult1ple
distributed audio channels, such as a right, left, center, right
side, left side, right rear and left rear channels. The spectral
management system may separate and route a frequency
(200601)
range of audio content included in one or more of the distrib
USPC .............................. .. 381/99' 381/98' 381/103
med audio Channels to other distributed audio Channels The
Fi61 d of Classi?cation Search
USPC
separated and routed frequency range of audio content may be
combined With audio content present on the other distributed
3
’
381/61 98*99 103
See application ?le for Complete Search History‘ ’
(56)
audio channels to Which the separated frequency range of
audio content is routed. Separation, routing and combination
References Cited
may include bass audio content routing, mid-bass audio con
tent routing, subWoofer audio content routing and treble
audio content routing.
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
5,841,879 A
6,606,388 B1
11/1998
Sco?eld et al. ............. .. 381/309
8/2003 Townsend et a1. ............ .. 381/17
31 Claims, 16 Drawing Sheets
‘— 300
Treble Router
211a
Input
Bass
Audio
Signal
Converter
2122
BassiR‘l’uter
Subwoofer
2
Output
Router
m
302
\—/
Audio
Signal
204 j
m
US. Patent
Mar. 18, 2014
Sheet 2 0f 16
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Sheet 3 0f 16
US 8,675,892 B2
US. Patent
Mar. 18, 2014
Sheet 4 0f 16
US 8,675,892 B2
.OEw
wow
US. Patent
Mar. 18, 2014
806
INPUT Separation
8021
804/
Sheet 8 0f 16
810
US 8,675,892 B2
842
Attenuation
L&Rsum
L&RBass Outsum OUTPUT
808/
840J
848/
FIG. 8
858/
8621
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Mar. 18, 2014
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US 8,675,892 B2
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Sheet 14 0f 16
US 8,675,892 B2
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US 8,675,892 B2
Sheet 15 0f 16
1 502
RECEIVE AUDIO SIGNAL
I
1504
PROCESS AUDIO SIGNAL
WITH BASS CONVERTER
I
1506
SEPARATE AUDIO CONTENT
INTO FREQUENCY RANGES
I
1508
SUM FREQUENCY RANGES
OF LOW FREQ PART OF
CHANNELS
1510
LFE
CHANNEL
‘?
YES
1512
NO
SUM LFE WITH SUMMED
FREQUENCY RANGES
4
DISTRIBUTE BLENDED
LEFT AND RIGHT BASS
AUDIO CONTENT TO
CHNLS
I
1514
1515
SEPARATE LOW FREQ.
WITH BASS ROUTER
I
ROUTE MIDBASS AUDIO
CONTENT TO OTHER
CHNLS
FIG. 15
1518
US. Patent
Mar. 18, 2014
US 8,675,892 B2
Sheet 16 0f 16
COMBINE MIDBASS
CONTENTWITH REMAINING
1520
j
AUDIO CONTENT
I
|—
FILTER
1522
SELECT DISTRIBUTED AUDIO
CHANNELS FOR FILTERING WITH
SUBWOOFEER ROUTER
I
1526
SEPARATE CHNLS IN LOW _/
AND HIGH FREQ PART
UNFILTERED
1528
ROUTE AND COMBINE SUB ,/
AUDIO CONTENT TO
GENERATE SUB CHANNEL
I—
1 530
FORM DISTRIBUTED AUDIO
CHANNELS
1532
I
SELECT CHANNELS FOR
FILTERING WITH TREBLE ROUTER
I_
FILTERED
1534
SEPARATE CHNLS IN LOW
AND HIGH FREQ PART
I
UNFILTERED
ROUTE TREBLE AUDIO
CONTENT TO OTHER
DISTR. AUDIO CHANNELS
%
1 538
FORM ADAPTED DISTRIBUTED
AUDIO CHANNELS
I
PROVIDE DISTRIBUTED AUDIO
CHANNELS AND SUB CHANNEL
TO DRIVE LOUDSPEAKERS
FIG. 16
J
1 540
1536
US 8,675,892 B2
1
2
Based on predetermined settings or operational changeable
SPECTRAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
parameters of the audio system, a high frequency and/or a loW
frequency range of audio content on a distributed audio chan
PRIORITY CLAIM
nel may be rerouted among one or more other audio channels.
“Spectral Management”, by Douglas K. Hogue, Ryan J.
Thus, When an audio channel is con?gured in the audio sys
tem to drive loudspeaker(s) that have limited frequency
response range, audio content outside the frequency response
Mihelich and Jeffrey Tackett, Which is incorporated by refer
range of the loudspeaker(s) may be rerouted to one or more
This application claims priority to US. Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/174,837, ?led on May 1, 2009 titled
other distributed audio channels con?gured in the audio sys
ence herein.
tem to drive loudspeaker(s) that are more suited for reproduc
ing the rerouted frequency range. For example, audio content
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
in a high frequency range on a center channel driving a center
1. Technical Field
loudspeaker may be rerouted from the center channel to left
and right channels con?gured to drive left and right loud
speakers that are more suited for reproducing high frequen
cies than is the center loudspeaker. The separation, routing
and/or combination of the high or loW frequency parts of the
This invention relates, in general, to audio systems and, in
particular, to the spectral management of audio signals gen
erated by an audio system.
2. Related Art
Audio/video systems, such as a home entertainment sys
tem or a vehicle entertainment system, have progressed Well
beyond AM/FM compact disk players With only tWo or four
speakers and tWo channel audio signals. Presently vehicle
20
audio content on the distributed audio channels may optimiZe
desirable audio system operation Without loss of audio con
tent from the audio signal or addition of audio content to the
audio signal.
audio systems are more like home entertainment centers With
The spectral management system may include a bass con
satellite receivers and compact disc (CD)/digital video disc
(DVD) players With ?ve or more speaker locations. Similarly,
home audio/video systems have progressed from tWo channel
ver‘ter, a distributed channel audio content router, and a sub
25
stereo systems to surround sound audio systems, such as 7.1
tent router may include at least one of a treble router and a
surround sound audio systems.
bass router. In other implementations, one or tWo portions of
the spectral management system may be implemented. The
Unlike prior audio or audio/video systems that used a
single input audio signal or channel (commonly called
“mono” audio), present day audio/video systems typically
Woofer router for complete spectral management in an
example implementation. The distributed channel audio con
30
make use of tWo input audio signals or channels (left and right
audio signals) When reproducing recorded or transmitted
sounds. The tWo audio signals are processed and surround
bass converter may create routed bass audio content from a
loW frequency part of the audio content on one or more of the
audio channels based on a predetermined tunable bass center
frequency. The routed bass audio content may be distributed
among the distributed audio channels. The bass router may
sound audio signals are created by applying signal processing
separate out and route the loW frequency part of the audio
to the tWo audio signals to generate a higher number of output
35 content on one or more of the distributed audio channels to
audio signals. Each of the neWly created audio signals may be
other distributed audio channels based on a predetermined
tunable mid-bass center frequency. The treble router may
a broadband signal but not reproduced by a broadband loud
speaker.
separate out and route the high frequency part of the audio
Thus, there is a need for spectral management in audio
systems that take speaker transducer characteristics into con
content on one or more of the distributed audio channels to
40
sideration When dividing and routing the frequencies of input
audio signals.
other distributed audio channels based on a predetermined
tunable treble center frequency. The subWoofer router may
separate out a loW frequency portion of the audio content on
one or more of the distributed audio channels based on a
SUMMARY
A spectral management system in an audio system may
receive and process a multi-channel audio input signal. The
spectral management system may process audio content
predetermined tunable subWoofer center frequency and route
the loW frequency portion to generate a sub channel. The
adapted distributed audio channels and the sub channel may
be provided as an audio output signal to drive loudspeakers.
Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the
included on distributed audio channels included in the audio
invention Will be, or Will become, apparent to one With skill in
45
signal. The audio content on one or more of the distributed 50 the art upon examination of the folloWing ?gures and detailed
audio channels may be separated into a loW frequency part
and a high frequency part based on a predetermined tunable
description. It is intended that all such additional systems,
methods, features and advantages be included Within this
description, be Within the scope of the invention, and be
center frequency in a frequency bank. The separated high
frequency part or the separated loW frequency part of a dis
protected by the folloWing claims.
tributed audio content may be routed to one or more other 55
distributed audio channels. The routed high frequency part or
loW frequency part may be combined With audio content
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
present on the one more other audio channels. The resulting
The invention may be better understood With reference to
distributed audio channels are adapted distributed audio
the folloWing draWings and description. The components in
channels having re-arranged audio content adapted for the
audio system. The separation, routing and combination of the
high or loW frequency parts of the audio content on the dis
tributed audio channels may occur Without loss of audio
content from the audio signal or addition of audio content to
the audio signal, While providing audio channels With rear
ranged audio content that is speci?cally adapted to optimiZe
operation of the audio system.
60
the ?gures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead
being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.
Moreover, in the ?gures, like referenced numerals designate
corresponding parts throughout the different vieWs.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example audio entertain
65
ment system (AES).
FIG. 2 is an example block diagram of the spectral man
agement system of FIG. 1.
US 8,675,892 B2
3
4
FIG. 3 is an alternate example block diagram of the spectral
management system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is another alternate example diagram of the spectral
management system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is yet another alternate example diagram of the
spectral management system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is yet another alternate example diagram of the
spectral management system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is an example block diagram of the bass converter of
ating as a component of the AES 102 and may have control
and data lines or busses that connect to DSP 108. A compact
disc (CD) and/or digital video disc (DVD) player 116 may
also be audio/video sources forming part of the AES 102 and
coupled to the DSP 108. Further, a real time clock (RTC) 118
may provide theAES 102 With time indications. The RTC 118
may also be coupled to the DSP 108 and the satellite receiver
110. Controls for con?guring and using the AES 102 may be
located With the AES 102, such as controls 122 or external to
the AES 102, such as external controls 124. In other
examples, any other audio/video sources, such as navigation
FIG. 2.
FIG. 8 depicts an example block diagram of the bass con
verter of FIG. 2 and FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is an example block diagram of the bass router of
FIG. 2.
FIG. 10 is a more detailed example block diagram of the
bass router of FIG. 2 and FIG. 9.
FIG. 11 is an example block diagram of the treble router of
FIG. 2.
FIG. 12 is a more detailed block diagram of the bass router
of FIG. 2 and FIG. 11.
systems, television tuners, mobile telephones, digital content
storage devices, Wireless connections to the intemet or any
other source of audio and/or video data content may be
included in or connected With the AES 102.
The AES 102 may also have a memory 126 and a poWer
supply or poWer source 128. The memory 126 may include
internal memory, removable memory, or a combination of
internal, external, and removable memory. The AES 102 may
20
FIG. 13 is an example block diagram of the subWoofer
described herein, the components are de?ned to include soft
router of FIG. 2.
FIG. 14 is a more detailed block diagram of the subWoofer
router of FIG. 2 and FIG. 9.
FIG. 15 is an example operational ?oW diagram of the
spectral management system of FIGS. 1-14.
FIG. 16 is a second part of the operational ?oW diagram of
Ware modules, hardWare modules or some combination
25
thereof executable by the controller or processor 108. Soft
Ware modules may include instructions stored in the memory
126, or other memory device, that are executable by the
controller or processor 108 or other processors. HardWare
modules may include various devices, components, circuits,
gates, circuit boards, and the like that are executable, directed,
FIG. 15.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS
include one or more components that include softWare, hard
Ware, and/ or some combination of hardWare and softWare. As
30
and/or controlled for performance by the controller or pro
cessor 108.
A spectral management system 130 may be component
In the folloWing detailed description of examples of vari
present in the AES 102 that routes signals to a number of
different transducers or loudspeakers located Within the
ous implementations, it Will be understood that any direct
connection or coupling betWeen functional blocks, devices,
35
draWings or description in this application could also be
implemented by an indirect connection or coupling. It Will
also be understood that the features of the various implemen
tations described in this application may be combined With
each other, unless speci?cally noted otherWise.
An audio/video entertainment system (AES) With a digital
40
player may be con?gured to play audio programs by using
controls located on the AES or external controls. The audio/
video signal is a general term used to describe an audio/video
device or system that can receive audio and/or video signals
50
video, or any other source of audio/video signals. In FIG. 1, a
block diagram 100 of an AES 102 in accordance With an
predetermined settings may include system con?guration
parameter settings, system con?guration details, such as
loudspeaker locations, frequency response curves, poWer out
put capabilities and the like, Which may be stored in the
memory of theAES 102 andused by the spectral management
system 130. Such predetermined settings may also be input
by designers of the AES 102 at the time the AES 102 is
designed, such that the settings are not changeable by a user
(listener) of the AES 102. Alternatively, or in addition,
example implementation of the invention is depicted. The
AES 102 may include softWare, hardWare, and/or some com
bination of hardWare and softWare. The softWare may be in
the form or instructions stored in a memory device. The
left back (LB) speaker 144, and subWoofer 146. Each loud
speaker in the AES 102 may be optimiZed for reproducing
predetermined frequency ranges. For example, a subWoofer
may be optimiZed for reproducing frequencies beloW 200 HZ.
The spectral management system 130 may operate based
on predetermined settings input and stored in the memory by
a user of the AES 102. In addition or alternatively, such
45
from an audio/video source at one or more inputs and then
further process the audio and/or video signals. Audio/video
sources may be pre-recorded multimedia such as digitally
stored ?les, compact discs or digital video discs, live audio/
vehicle, such as right front (RF) speaker 132, left front (LF)
speaker 134, center speaker (C) 136, left side (LS) speaker
138, right side (RS) speaker 140, right back (RB) speaker 142,
components or other physical or functional units shoWn in the
selected of the predetermined settings may be changeable/
55
hardWare may include circuitry, electronic components, cir
cuit boards, and any other electronic parts. The AES 102 may
con?gurable by a user (listener) of the AES 102, such as a
consumer Who operates theAES 102 to provide audible sound
in a listening space such as a room or a vehicle.
The spectral management system 130 may also operate
include audio/video sources such as a tuner 104 coupled to an
based on operational changeable parameters such as AES 102
AM/FM antenna 106. The tuner 104 may be one or more 60 controls, user controls or external signals provided to the AES
actual tuners With each tuner being coupled to the AM/FM
102. AES 103 controls may include protective indications
such as overvoltage, over current, high temperature, clip
antenna 106. The tuner 104 may also be coupled to a control
ler and/or digital signal processor (DSP) 108 or other type of
detection, an indication of the source of the audio content, or
processor or controller that is able to process digital signals.A
any other parameter generated Within the AES 102 that is
indicative of operation. User controls may include any user
entered adjustments to operation of the AES 102, such as
satellite receiver 110 may also be an audio/video source con
nected to the DSP 108 and a satellite antenna 112. A recorder
or digital player 114 may be another audio/video source oper
65
volume control of theAES 102, Zone control (such as fade and
US 8,675,892 B2
5
6
balance control), equalization controls, or any other user
audio channel is designated for routing to loudspeakers con
entered parameter effecting operation and performance of the
?gured as one or more center loudspeakers in the AES 102,
and a right rear audio channel is designated for routing to one
or more loudspeakers designated as right rear loudspeakers in
the AES 102.
AES 102. External signals provided to the AES 102 may
include ambient temperature, listening space related param
eters such as background noise and audio content related
indications. Listening space related parameters may include
input of an indication of any parameter affecting the opera
tional performance of the AES 102. For example, When the
listening space is a passenger cabin of a vehicle, listening
The spectral management system 130, hoWever, may sepa
rate out frequency ranges of audio content included in the
different audio channels, re-route these separated frequency
ranges to the same or different audio channels included in the
space related parameters may include indications such as
audio content taking into account the hardWare, such as loud
WindoWs up or doWn, engine speed, vibration, convertible top
up/doWn, or any other parameters effecting operational per
speaker frequency response, system con?guration, such as
loudspeaker location, and any other stored/received informa
formance of the AES 102. Audio content indications may
include metadata included With the audio content, such as a
tion or parameters, as previously discussed. The audio chan
genre (jazz, rock, talk and the like), or any other information
formed into an output audio signal have audio channels With
rearranged audio content.
nels containing the re-routed frequency ranges may be
related to the type of audio content, such as music or voice,
Using the spectral management system 130 to perform this
live performance, and the like.
The AES 102 is only an example implementation provided
to shoW the types of components that may be included in an
ABS with a spectral management system 130. In other imple
20
audio content frequency range separation and re-combina
tion, the spectral management system 130 may avoid loss of
any spectral energy content included in the audio signal. In
or a home entertainment system as one or more individual
other Words, the spectral management system 130 performs
separation, re-routing, and combination of separated ranges
devices that are connected externally to make an audio/video
of frequency of audio content Without loss any part of the
mentations, the different devices may be located in a vehicle
system. Further, the connection of the different devices of the
AES 102 is shoWn as solid lines in FIG. 1. These lines may be
control lines, audio channels, electrical buses, or a combina
tion of control lines, audio channels, and electrical buses that
may carry data, control signals, and/or audio signals.
A poWer control module 146 may be coupled to the poWer
supply or battery 128, RTC 118 and DSP 108, The RTC 188
25
by the spectral management system 130 as an output audio
signal having adapted audio channels to drive loudspeakers.
30
The audio channels included in the output audio signal are
referred to as “adapted” audio channels due to the audio
content being rearranged for the AES 102 in Which the spec
35
tral management system 130 is operating. The audio channels
may be adapted to the parameters of the AES 102, in order to
optimize ?delity, minimize distortion, minimize poWer con
sumption of the AES 102, and/or any other system condition
affected by the arrangement of the frequency ranges of the
may have settable timers in some implementations. Such an
implementation is shoWn in FIG. 1 With the RTC 118 having
multiple couplings With the poWer control module 146. A
poWer line or bus may be present to poWer the RTC 118 and
a communication bus or activation line may be present to
enable the RTC 118 to signal the poWer control module 146 to
energize at least a portion of the AES 102.
audio content on the audio channels.
In addition, the number of distributed channels provided in
Turning to FIG. 2, a block diagram 200 of an example of
the audio input signal are the same amount as is provided as
the spectral management system 130 of FIG. 1 is depicted.
The spectral management system 130 includes a mono bass
converter 202, a distributed channel audio content router 204,
and a subWoofer router 206. The distributed channel audio
40
adapted distributed audio channels by the spectral manage
ment system 130 in the audio output signal. Thus, during
operation, the spectral management system 130 may route the
different separated frequency ranges Within the audio chan
nels contained in an audio signal such that desired frequency
content router 204 may include one or both of a treble router
208 and a bass router 210. The spectral management system
130 may receive an input audio signal from an audio/video
source consisting of a determined number of audio channels,
input audio signal. Instead, the entire input audio signal
received by the spectral management system 130 is supplied
ranges are associated With desired audio channels and subse
45
quently provided to appropriate loudspeakers 132-146 asso
ciated With the AES 102 Without any loss of audio content
such as stereo channels (right (R), left (L)), surround having
?ve distributed audio channels (R, L, center (C), right rear
contained in the input audio signal.
(RR), left rear (LR)), 5.1 surround having ?ve or more dis
the spectral management system 130 and selectively pro
tributed audio channels (R, L, C, RR, LR) and a loW fre
quency effect (LFE) channel; 6.1 surround having six distrib
uted audio channels (R, L, C, RR, LR, center (CR)) and an
LFE channel; Logic 7TM having seven distributed audio chan
The audio channels in an audio signal may be received at
50
nels (R, L, C, right side (RS), left side (LS), RR, LR) and an
LFE channel; or any other number of channels forming an
55
audio signal to be routed to loudspeakers. As used herein, the
audio channels may be summed to form routed bass audio
content by the bass converter 202. In addition, When an LFE
terms “distributed audio channel,” or “distributed audio chan
nels” refers to all audio channels other than an LFE channel or
audio channel is received by the spectral management system
130, the audio content on the LFE channel may be included
a sub channel.
The channels provided in the input audio signal may be
designated by the audio content, or may be generated by the
AES 102 by up-mixing or doWn-mixing a feWer or greater
number of channels received in an audio signal from an audio/
video source. Audio content included in each of the audio
channels received in an audio signal are pre-designated for
routing to a particular loudspeaker based on the channel in
Which the audio content is contained, For example, a center
cessed With the bass converter 202 included in the spectral
management system 130. A loW frequency range of at least
some of the distributed audio channels may be separated from
the remaining frequency range of the audio content present on
the respective distributed audio channels by the bass con
verter 202. The separated loW frequency range of distributed
60
With the sum of the separated loW frequency range of audio
channels that form the routed bass audio content.
The formation of the routed bass audio content by the bass
converter 202 may be made by loW-pass ?ltering and high
pass ?ltering a least some of the distributed audio channels.
65
LoW pass ?ltering results in a predetermined loW frequency
range of audio content from each of the distributed audio
channels, and high pass ?ltering results in a predetermined

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