Apparatus for providing an audio signal for reproduction by a sound transducer, system, method and computer program
An apparatus for processing an audio signal for reproduction by a sound transducer includes an equalization parameter determinator for determining a set of equalization parameters and an equalizer configured to equalize an input audio signal, to obtain an equalized audio signal. Different concepts for the determination of the set of equalization parameters include an image recognition, an evaluation of an identification signal which is provided by the sound transducer via an audio connection, and a measurement of the impedance of the sound transducer over frequency. Also, an upload functionality and a download functionality are provided.
1. A system, comprising:
a global equalization database, which defines an association between a plurality of different models of sound transducers, which are external headphones or external headsets, and corresponding sets of equalization parameters and which is accessible by multiple apparatuses for processing an audio signal of multiple users, such that it is possible to share an equalization parameter setting identified by a user with other users;
an apparatus for processing an audio signal for reproduction by a sound transducer, the apparatus comprising:
a user interface;
an equalization parameter determinator for determining a set of equalization parameters; and
an equalizer configured to equalize an input audio signal, to acquire an equalized audio signal;
wherein the equalization parameter determinator is configured to set the equalization parameters in dependence on a user input from the user interface of the apparatus; and
wherein the equalization parameter determinator is configured to upload the set of equalization parameters and a model identifier of the sound transducer, which is an external headphone or an external headset connected to the apparatus, to the global equalization database, which is accessible by multiple apparatuses for processing an audio signal of multiple users, such that it is possible to share an equalization parameter setting identified by a user with other users.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the equalization parameter determinator further comprises a sound transducer identification configured to identify a model of a sound transducer and a parameter selection configured to select a set of equalization parameters based on the identification of the model of the sound transducer;
wherein the apparatus is configured to download one or more sets of equalization parameters associated with the identified model of the sound transducer from the global equalization database; and
wherein the sound transducer identification is configured to take into account the one or more downloaded sets of equalization parameters associated with the identified model of the sound transducer.
3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system further includes at least another apparatus that performs an automatic or semi-automatic equalization parameter set selection, in which a model of an external sound transducer is identified automatically or manually using a user interface, and in which a set of equalization parameters associated with the identified model of external sound transducer is retrieved from the global equalization parameter database.
4. A method for processing an audio signal for reproduction by a sound transducer, the method comprising:
determining a set of equalization parameters; and
equalizing an input audio signal, to acquire an equalized audio signal;
wherein the equalization parameters are set in dependence on a user input from a user interface; and
wherein the set of equalization parameters and a model identifier of the sound transducer, which is an external headphone or an external headset connected to an apparatus which equalizes the input audio signal and which sets the equalization parameters in dependence on a user input from a user interface, are uploaded to a global equalization parameter database, which is accessible by multiple apparatuses for processing an audio signal of multiple users, such that the global equalization parameter database stores an association between a model identifier of the sound transducer, which is an external headphone or an external headset, and a set of equalization parameters, which was approved by the user, for a plurality of different models of sound transducers; and
sharing an equalization parameter setting identified by a user with other users,
wherein the set of equalization parameters is used by one or more other user devices in an automatic or semi-automatic equalization parameter set selection, in which a model of an external sound transducer is identified automatically or manually using a user interface, and in which a set of equalization parameters associated with the identified model of external sound transducer is retrieved from the global equalization parameter database for use in an equalization.
5. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a computer program for performing the method according to claim 4 when the computer program runs on a computer.