System and method for adapting a loudspeaker signal
View Patent ↗An audio controller for use with a loudspeaker that generates sound in dependence upon a loudspeaker signal is disclosed. The loudspeaker includes a voice coil. The audio controller includes a monitor to monitor an electric response of the voice coil to the loudspeaker signal and a signal generator to generate an evaluation signal. The evaluation signal comprises a signal having an evaluation frequency that is below resonant frequency of the loudspeaker. A processing unit is included to generate, based on the monitored electric response, the loudspeaker signal from an input sound signal. The processing unit is configured to combine the evaluation signal with the input sound signal to generate the loudspeaker signal.
1. An audio controller for processing an input sound signal to generate a loudspeaker signal, the audio controller comprising:
a monitor to monitor an electric response of a voice coil of a loudspeaker to the loudspeaker signal;
a signal generator to generate an evaluation signal, the evaluation signal comprises a signal having an evaluation frequency that is below resonant frequency of the loudspeaker;
a processing unit to generate, based on the monitored electric response, the loudspeaker signal from the input sound signal, wherein the processing unit is configured to combine the evaluation signal with the input sound signal to generate the loudspeaker signal, wherein the processing unit is configured to modify the loudspeaker signal to control the temperature of a voice coil of the loudspeaker by attenuating the loudspeaker signal in a first frequency band and without attenuating the loudspeaker signal in a second frequency band that has a lower frequency than the first frequency band.
2. The audio controller of claim 1 , wherein the monitor is configured to monitor an electric current in the voice coil and, optionally, an electric voltage across the voice coil.
3. The audio controller of claim 1 , wherein the monitor is configured to monitor an electric voltage across the voice coil.
4. The audio controller of claim 1 , wherein the evaluation signal comprises a signal having a preselected evaluation frequency.
5. The audio controller of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit includes a spectral analyzer to obtain a frequency component of the monitored response at the evaluation frequency and adapting the loudspeaker signal to control the temperature of the voice coil being in dependency on the frequency component of the monitored response at a preselected evaluation frequency.
6. The audio controller of claim 5 , wherein the spectral analyzer is configured for a Discrete Fourier Transform at the preselected evaluation frequency.
7. The audio controller of claim 1 , wherein a frequency of the evaluation signal is selected such that the evaluation signal produces no sound when processed through the loudspeaker.
8. The audio controller of claim 1 , wherein a frequency of the evaluation signal is selected such that the evaluation signal produces inaudible sound when processed through the loudspeaker.
9. A sound system, comprising:
a loudspeaker
an audio controller for use with a loudspeaker that generates sound in dependence upon the loudspeaker signal, the loudspeaker including a voice coil, the audio controller comprising:
a monitor to monitor an electric response of the voice coil to the loudspeaker signal;
a signal generator to generate an evaluation signal, the evaluation signal comprises a signal having an evaluation frequency that is below resonant frequency of the loudspeaker;
a processing unit to generate, based on the monitored electric response, the loudspeaker signal from an input sound signal, wherein the processing unit is configured to combine the evaluation signal with the input sound signal to generate the loudspeaker signal, wherein the processing unit is configured to modify the loudspeaker signal to control the temperature of the voice coil by attenuating the loudspeaker signal in a first frequency band and without attenuating the loudspeaker signal in a second frequency band that has a lower frequency than the first frequency band.
10. The sound system of claim 9 , wherein impedance of the loudspeaker or temperature of the voice coil is determined from the monitored response, adapting the loudspeaker signal to control the temperature of the voice coil being in dependency on at least one of the determined impedance of the loudspeaker and the temperature of the voice coil respectively.
11. The sound system of claim 9 , wherein the monitor is configured to monitor an electric current in the voice coil and, optionally, an electric voltage across the voice coil.
12. The sound system of claim 9 , wherein the monitor is configured to monitor an electric voltage across the voice coil.
13. The sound system of claim 9 , wherein the evaluation signal comprises a signal having a preselected evaluation frequency.
14. The sound system of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit includes a spectral analyzer to obtain a frequency component of the monitored response at the evaluation frequency and adapting the loudspeaker signal to control the temperature of the voice coil being in dependency on the frequency component of the monitored response at a preselected evaluation frequency.
15. The sound system of claim 14 , wherein the spectral analyzer is configured for a Discrete Fourier Transform at the preselected evaluation frequency.
16. The sound system of claim 9 , wherein a frequency of the evaluation signal is selected such that the evaluation signal produces no sound when processed through the loudspeaker.
17. The sound system of claim 9 , wherein a frequency of the evaluation signal is selected such that the evaluation signal produces inaudible sound when processed through the loudspeaker.
18. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising programming instructions which when executed by a processor performs and operation to produce sound through a loudspeaker, the operation including:
processing an input sound signal to produce the loudspeaker signal, the loudspeaker signal being configured for generating sound through a loudspeaker, the loudspeaker comprising a voice coil for driving the loudspeaker,
using the loudspeaker signal to control the temperature of the voice coil in dependency on an electric response of the voice coil to the loudspeaker signal by attenuating the loudspeaker signal in a first frequency band without attenuating the loudspeaker signal in a second frequency band that has a lower frequency than the first frequency band,
generating an evaluation signal, and
processing the input sound signal to produce a loudspeaker signal by combining the evaluation signal with the input sound signal, wherein the evaluation signal comprises a signal having an evaluation frequency that is below the resonant frequency of the loudspeaker.