IP Library Granted Patent US 9,226,091
Granted Patent B2
US 9,226,091 · App. 14/031,032 · Granted Dec 29, 2015

Acoustic surround immersion control system and method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,226,091
App. No.
14/031,032
Granted
Dec 29, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and speaker system that provides a single, user adjustable tool for controlling how and which spatialization parameters are used in a single speaker multi-driver system to enhance the sound stage. The tool creates the desired amount of audio surround effect to enhance the sound stage experience or effects in multiple sound recording mode, such as music or movies. The tool is represented in a scale that runs from ‘−10’ (less immersive) to ‘+10’ (more immersive) is set to taste by the listener and will vary with room acoustics and placement.

Claims (18)

1. An audio speaker system comprising:

a speaker having a housing and a plurality of speaker drivers; wherein said speaker drivers are operably associated with an audio signal source and capable of generating audio sound at a plurality of audio frequencies corresponding to a right channel, left channel, center channel and rear channels of an audio signal;

a digital signal processor electrically associated with the speaker drivers and audio signal source, said processor receiving the audio signal from the audio signal source and modifying said audio signal such that the resulting audio signal include changes in the timing of signal transmission, volume level or frequency of the right channel, left channel, center channel or rear channel signals such that the generated audio sound provides psychoacoustic cues corresponding to acoustical characteristics that reproduce the original spatial acoustic experience;

a display associated with said speaker drivers and processor; wherein said display provides an on screen image representation of the acoustical characteristics and wherein such acoustical characteristics may be modified.

2. The audio speaker system of claim 1 further comprising a remote controller, the remote controller is in wireless communication with the system and provides remote access to the on screen image of the display and whereby modification are made to the plurality of acoustical characteristics.

3. The audio speaker system of claim 1 , wherein the speaker housing is a single speaker enclosure.

4. The audio speaker system of claim 1 , wherein the speaker housing is a pair of headphones.

5. The audio speaker system of claim 1 , wherein the psychoacoustic cues are selected from head related transfer function cues, interaural crosstalk cancellation, or audio volume level.

6. The audio speaker system of claim 1 , wherein the display is a television or a smart phone display.

7. A method for changing the acoustical output characteristics of an audio speaker system comprising the steps of:

programming into a memory a plurality of sets of predetermined parameters corresponding to audio signal digital processing and acoustic outputs that generate psychoacoustic cues, said outputs and cues associated with acoustical soundstage characteristics;

graphically representing the set of parameters on a display;

selecting one of said sets of parameter by selecting the corresponding graphical representation of said set of parameters;

receiving an audio signal having at least a right channel, left channel and center channel signal;

processing said audio signal and generating an acoustic output according to the selected set of predetermined parameters.

8. The method claim 7 wherein the set of parameter on a display is graphically represented as a sliding scale.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the acoustical soundstage characteristics are selected from a group including music or movies.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the display is a television or smart phone display.

Assignments (15)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL (REEL/FRAME 056193/0230) Recorded Apr 12, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DEI SALES, INC.; DEI HOLDINGS, INC.; SOUND UNITED, LLC; POLK AUDIO, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; D&M HOLDINGS U.S. INC.; THE SPEAKER COMPANY; DENEN ELECTRONICS (USA), LLC; MARANTZ AMERICA, LLC; D & M SALES & MARKETING AMERICAS LLC; D&M DIRECT, INC.; BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.; D&M PREMIUM SOUD SOLUTIONS, LLC; EQUITY INTERNATIONAL LLC
Reel/Frame 060003/0212 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL (REEL/FRAME 056193/0207) Recorded Apr 12, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DEI SALES, INC.; DEI HOLDINGS, INC.; SOUND UNITED, LLC; POLK AUDIO, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; D&M HOLDINGS U.S. INC.; THE SPEAKER COMPANY; DENEN ELECTRONICS (USA), LLC; MARANTZ AMERICA, LLC; D & M SALES & MARKETING AMERICAS LLC; D&M DIRECT, INC.; BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.; D&M PREMIUM SOUD SOLUTIONS, LLC; EQUITY INTERNATIONAL LLC
Reel/Frame 059988/0637 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Feb 14, 2022
From: CERBERUS BUSINESS FINANCE, LLC, AS AGENT
To: POLK AUDIO, LLC; DIRECTED, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.; D&M EUROPE B.V.; B & W GROUP LTD; SOUND UNITED, LLC; B & W LOUDSPEAKERS LTD; D&M HOLDINGS INC.
Reel/Frame 059127/0278 →
ABL PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 10, 2021
From: BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.; DEI SALES, INC.; DEI HOLDINGS, INC.; SOUND UNITED, LLC; POLK AUDIO, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; D&M HOLDINGS U.S. INC.; THE SPEAKER COMPANY; DENON ELECTRONICS (USA), LLC; MARANTZ AMERICA LLC; D & M SALES & MARKETING AMERICAS LLC; D&M DIRECT, INC.; D&M PREMIUM SOUND SOLUTIONS, LLC; EQUITY INTERNATIONAL LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056193/0207 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 10, 2021
From: BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.; DEI SALES, INC.; DEI HOLDINGS, INC.; SOUND UNITED, LLC; POLK AUDIO, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; D&M HOLDINGS U.S. INC.; THE SPEAKER COMPANY; DENON ELECTRONICS (USA), LLC; MARANTZ AMERICA LLC; D & M SALES & MARKETING AMERICAS LLC; D&M DIRECT, INC.; D&M PREMIUM SOUND SOLUTIONS, LLC; EQUITY INTERNATIONAL LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056193/0230 →
NOTICE OF SECURITY INTEREST - PATENTS Recorded Oct 9, 2020
From: DEI SALES, INC.; D&M HOLDINGS U.S. INC.; BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.; D&M EUROPE B.V.; POLK AUDIO, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; B & W GROUP LTD
To: CERBERUS BUSINESS FINANCE, LLC, AS THE COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054300/0611 →
ASSIGNMENT OF PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 11, 2017
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION
To: ANTARES CAPITAL LP
Reel/Frame 042446/0992 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Mar 8, 2017
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (AS SUCCESSOR AGENT TO FS INVESTMENT CORPORATION)
To: POLK AUDIO, LLC; BOOM MOVEMENT, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; DIRECTED, LLC
Reel/Frame 041912/0880 →
NOTICE OF SECURITY INTEREST -- PATENTS Recorded Mar 8, 2017
From: POLK AUDIO, LLC; DIRECTED, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; SOUND UNITED, LLC; D&M HOLDINGS U.S. INC.; BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.
To: CERBERUS BUSINESS FINANCE, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 041909/0611 →
PATENT RELEASE AND REASSIGNMENT Recorded Mar 6, 2017
From: ANTERES CAPITAL LP (AS SUCCESSOR BY ASSIGNMENT TO GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION)
To: VIPER BORROWER CORPORATION, INC.; VIPER HOLDINGS CORPORATION; VIPER ACQUISITION CORPORATION; DEI SALES, INC.; DEI HOLDINGS, INC.; DEI INTERNATIONAL, INC.; DEI HEADQUARTERS, INC.; POLK HOLDING CORP.; POLK AUDIO, INC.; POLK AUDIO, LLC; BOOM MOVEMENT, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; DIRECTED, LLC
Reel/Frame 041895/0565 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 22, 2015
From: LYONS, MATTHEW, MR.; SLOTNICK, GABRIEL F, MR
To: POLK AUDIO, INC.
Reel/Frame 037110/0800 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2014
From: POLK AUDIO, LLC; BOOM MOVEMENT, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; DIRECTED, LLC
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 032632/0548 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2014
From: POLK AUDIO, LLC; BOOM MOVEMENT, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; DIRECTED, LLC
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS US AGENT
Reel/Frame 032631/0742 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2014
From: POLK AUDIO, INC.
To: POLK AUDIO, LLC
Reel/Frame 032502/0989 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2013
From: L, MATTHEW, MR; SLOTNICK, GABRIEL F., MR.
To: POLK AUDIO, INC
Reel/Frame 031236/0246 →