IP Library Granted Patent US 10,638,226
Granted Patent B2
US 10,638,226 · App. 16/135,401 · Granted Apr 28, 2020

System and method for detecting and indicating that an audio system is ineffectively tuned

Inventors: Shreyas Anand Paranjpe (Vancouver, CA); Robert Joseph Soja, II (Linden, MI); Leonard Charles Layton (Vancouver, CA)
Assignees: BlackBerry Limited; 2236008 Ontario Inc.
H04R3/04G10L21/0208G10L2021/02082H04R2400/01H04R2430/01H04R2499/13
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,638,226
App. No.
16/135,401
Granted
Apr 28, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A digital audio system, which may be an integrated audio system of a vehicle, includes a microphone, a loudspeaker, and a processor. The processor is operable to modify digital audio signals based on tuning parameters to compensate for acoustic characteristics of the environment. The processor is further operable to detect that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment. The detection is based on an audio signal corresponding to audio captured from the environment and/or on the values of the tuning parameters. Upon detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, an indication is provided that the audio system should be calibrated to adjust the tuning parameters to the environment. Related methods and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims (78)

1. An audio system comprising:

at least one microphone for capturing audio from an environment;

at least one loudspeaker for presenting audio to the environment; and

a processor operable to modify digital audio signals based on a plurality of tuning parameters to compensate for acoustic characteristics of the environment, the digital audio signals corresponding to at least one of audio captured from the environment and audio to be presented in the environment, wherein the processor is further operable to:

detect, based on at least one of a particular digital audio signal corresponding to audio captured from the environment and values of the tuning parameters, that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, wherein detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment includes:

comparing values of ones of the tuning parameters to default values, and

determining, based on the comparing, that at least a threshold number of the ones of the tuning parameters are set to default values; and

upon detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, provide an indication that the audio system should be calibrated to adjust the tuning parameters to the environment.

2. An audio system comprising:

at least one microphone for capturing audio from an environment;

at least one loudspeaker for presenting audio to the environment; and

a processor operable to modify digital audio signals based on a plurality of tuning parameters to compensate for acoustic characteristics of the environment, the digital audio signals corresponding to at least one of audio captured from the environment and audio to be presented in the environment, wherein the processor is further operable to:

detect, based on at least one of a particular digital audio signal corresponding to audio captured from the environment and values of the tuning parameters, that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, wherein detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment includes determining that values of a subset of the tuning parameters do not correspond to an expected statistical distribution; and

upon detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, provide an indication that the audio system should be calibrated to adjust the tuning parameters to the environment.

3. An audio system comprising

at least one microphone for capturing audio from an environment;

at least one loudspeaker for presenting audio to the environment; and

a processor operable to modify digital audio signals based on a plurality of tuning parameters to compensate for acoustic characteristics of the environment, the digital audio signals corresponding to at least one of audio captured from the environment and audio to be presented in the environment, wherein the processor is further operable to:

detect, based on at least one of a particular digital audio signal corresponding to audio captured from the environment and values of the tuning parameters, that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, wherein detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment includes determining that values of a subset of the tuning parameters correspond to an unexpected statistical distribution; and

upon detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, provide an indication that the audio system should be calibrated to adjust the tuning parameters to the environment.

4. An audio system comprising:

at least one microphone for capturing audio from an environment;

at least one loudspeaker for presenting audio to the environment; and

a processor operable to modify digital audio signals based on a plurality of tuning parameters to compensate for acoustic characteristics of the environment, the digital audio signals corresponding to at least one of audio captured from the environment and audio to be presented in the environment, wherein the processor is further operable to:

detect, based on at least one of a particular digital audio signal corresponding to audio captured from the environment and values of the tuning parameters, that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment; and

upon detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, provide an indication that the audio system should be calibrated to adjust the tuning parameters to the environment,

wherein detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment includes at least one of:

comparing values of ones of the tuning parameters to default values, and determining, based on the comparing, that at least a threshold number of the ones of the tuning parameters are set to default values;

determining that values of a subset of the tuning parameters do not correspond to an expected statistical distribution;

determining that values of a subset of the tuning parameters correspond to an unexpected statistical distribution; or

determining that a coherence between a far-side reference signal and the particular digital audio signal is less than a threshold.

5. An audio system comprising:

at least one microphone for capturing audio from an environment;

at least one loudspeaker for presenting audio to the environment; and

a processor operable to modify digital audio signals based on a plurality of tuning parameters to compensate for acoustic characteristics of the environment, the digital audio signals corresponding to at least one of audio captured from the environment and audio to be presented in the environment,

wherein the audio system is adapted to perform echo cancellation on a particular digital audio signal corresponding to audio captured from the environment and wherein performing echo cancellation includes measuring a coherence between a far-side reference signal and the particular digital audio signal, and

wherein the processor is further operable to:

detect, based on at least one of the particular digital audio signal and values of the tuning parameters, that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, wherein detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment includes determining that the coherence is less than a threshold; and

upon detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, provide an indication that the audio system should be calibrated to adjust the tuning parameters to the environment.

6. The audio system of claim 4 , wherein detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment includes:

measuring a signal-to-noise ratio of the particular digital audio signal corresponding to audio captured from the environment; and

determining that the signal-to-noise ratio is less than a threshold.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, based on at least one of a particular digital audio signal corresponding to audio captured from an environment by an audio system and values of tuning parameters for use in modifying digital audio signals to compensate for acoustic characteristics of the environment, that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment; and

upon detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, providing an indication that the audio system should be calibrated to adjust the tuning parameters to the environment, wherein detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment includes:

comparing values of ones of the tuning parameters to default values; and

determining, based on the comparing, that at least a threshold number of the ones of the tuning parameters are set to default values.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, based on at least one of a particular digital audio signal corresponding to audio captured from an environment by an audio system and values of tuning parameters for use in modifying digital audio signals to compensate for acoustic characteristics of the environment, that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment; and

upon detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, providing an indication that the audio system should be calibrated to adjust the tuning parameters to the environment, wherein detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment includes determining that values of a subset of the tuning parameters do not correspond to an expected statistical distribution.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, based on at least one of a particular digital audio signal corresponding to audio captured from an environment by an audio system and values of tuning parameters for use in modifying digital audio signals to compensate for acoustic characteristics of the environment, that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment; and

upon detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, providing an indication that the audio system should be calibrated to adjust the tuning parameters to the environment,

wherein detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment includes at least one of:

comparing values of ones of the tuning parameters to default values, and determining, based on the comparing, that at least a threshold number of the ones of the tuning parameters are set to default values;

determining that values of a subset of the tuning parameters do not correspond to an expected statistical distribution;

determining that values of a subset of the tuning parameters correspond to an unexpected statistical distribution; or

determining that a coherence between a far-side reference signal and the particular digital audio signal is less than a threshold.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, based on at least one of a particular digital audio signal corresponding to audio captured from an environment by an audio system and values of tuning parameters for use in modifying digital audio signals to compensate for acoustic characteristics of the environment, that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment;

upon detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment, providing an indication that the audio system should be calibrated to adjust the tuning parameters to the environment; and

performing echo cancellation on the particular digital audio signal, where performing echo cancellation includes measuring a coherence between a far-side reference signal and the particular digital audio signal,

wherein detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment includes determining that the coherence is less than a threshold.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein detecting that modification of digital audio signals based on the tuning parameters cannot fully compensate for the acoustic characteristics of the environment includes:

measuring a signal-to-noise ratio of the particular digital audio signal corresponding to audio captured from the environment; and

determining that the signal-to-noise ratio is less than a threshold.

12. The audio system of claim 1 wherein providing the indication that the audio system should be calibrated includes at least one of providing an audible indication via the at least one loudspeaker, providing a visual indication, sending a message via a network using a communications device, or configuring the audio system to present audio at a reduced volume.

13. The audio system of claim 2 , wherein providing the indication that the audio system should be calibrated includes at least one of

providing an audible indication via the at least one loudspeaker, providing a visual indication, sending a message via a network using a communications device, or configuring the audio system to present audio at a reduced volume.

14. The audio system of claim 3 , wherein providing the indication that the audio system should be calibrated includes at least one of

providing an audible indication via the at least one loudspeaker, providing a visual indication, sending a message via a network using a communications device, or configuring the audio system to present audio at a reduced volume.

15. The audio system of claim 5 , wherein providing the indication that the audio system should be calibrated includes at least one of

providing an audible indication via the at least one loudspeaker, providing a visual indication, sending a message via a network using a communications device, or configuring the audio system to present audio at a reduced volume.

16. The audio system of claim 4 , wherein providing the indication that the audio system should be calibrated includes at least one of providing an audible indication, providing a visual indication, sending a message via a network, or configuring the audio system to present audio at a reduced volume.

17. The method of claim 7 , wherein providing the indication that the audio system should be calibrated includes at least one of providing an audible indication, providing a visual indication, sending a message via a network, or configuring the audio system to present audio at a reduced volume.

18. The method of claim 8 , wherein providing the indication that the audio system should be calibrated includes at least one of providing an audible indication, providing a visual indication, sending a message via a network, or configuring the audio system to present audio at a reduced volume.

19. The method of claim 9 , wherein providing the indication that the audio system should be calibrated includes at least one of providing an audible indication, providing a visual indication, sending a message via a network, or configuring the audio system to present audio at a reduced volume.

20. The method of claim 10 , wherein providing the indication that the audio system should be calibrated includes at least one of providing an audible indication, providing a visual indication, and sending a message via a network, or configuring the audio system to present audio at a reduced volume.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 22, 2020
From: 2236008 ONTARIO INC.
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 053313/0315 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 30, 2018
From: QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS, INC.
To: QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 047354/0726 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 30, 2018
From: QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS LIMITED
To: 2236008 ONTARIO INC.
Reel/Frame 047354/0735 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 19, 2018
From: PARANJPE, SHREYAS ANAND
To: QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 046912/0025 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 19, 2018
From: LAYTON, LEONARD CHARLES
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 046912/0134 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 19, 2018
From: SOJA, ROBERT JOSEPH, II
To: QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 046978/0357 →