阅读说明：本技术 用于控制音箱组的方法、装置和音箱设备 (Method and device for controlling voice box group and voice box equipment ) 是由 郭宏钊 左传金 赵相卫 董杰 张京方 王娜娜 于 2020-04-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：本申请涉及智能家电技术领域,公开一种用于控制音箱组的方法。该用于控制音箱组的方法包括：获得用户相对于音箱组的相对位置,获得相对位置对应的功放参数,根据功放参数控制音箱组。采用该用于控制音箱组的方法可在用户相对于音箱组的距离或者方向有变化时,用户仍可获得较佳的声音体验。本申请还公开一种用于控制音箱组的装置和音箱设备。(The application relates to the technical field of intelligent household appliances and discloses a method for controlling a loudspeaker box group. The method for controlling the loudspeaker box group comprises the following steps: and obtaining the relative position of the user relative to the loudspeaker box group, obtaining power amplifier parameters corresponding to the relative position, and controlling the loudspeaker box group according to the power amplifier parameters. By adopting the method for controlling the voice box group, the user can still obtain better sound experience when the distance or the direction of the user relative to the voice box group is changed. The application also discloses a device and audio amplifier equipment for controlling the audio amplifier group.)

1. A method for controlling a group of voice boxes, comprising:

obtaining the relative position of a user relative to a loudspeaker box group;

obtaining power amplifier parameters corresponding to the relative positions;

and controlling the loudspeaker box group according to the power amplifier parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power amplifier parameters are obtained by:

obtaining sample sound effect parameters of the loudspeaker box group at the relative position;

and obtaining the power amplifier parameters of the loudspeaker box set according to the difference between the sample sound effect parameters and preset sound effect parameters.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sample sound effect parameters comprise: one or more of a frequency response curve, phase differences of the channels, and reverberation times.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein obtaining power amplifier parameters of the speaker group according to the difference between the sample sound effect parameters and preset sound effect parameters comprises one or more of:

obtaining equalization parameters of the loudspeaker box group according to the difference between the frequency response curve and a preset frequency response curve;

obtaining phase parameters of the loudspeaker box group according to the difference value of the phase difference and the zero phase of each sound channel;

and obtaining the reverberation time delay and the gain of the sound box group according to the difference value of the reverberation time and the preset reverberation time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein obtaining equalization parameters for a group of audio boxes according to a difference between the frequency response curve and a preset frequency response curve comprises:

obtaining a frequency range of a difference position between the frequency response curve and the preset frequency response curve;

determining a first sound box corresponding to the frequency range;

and obtaining the gain of the first sound box according to the difference between the frequency response curve and the preset frequency response curve.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein obtaining phase parameters of the tone box groups according to the difference between the phase difference of each channel and the zero phase comprises:

determining a sound channel generating a phase difference and a second sound box corresponding to the sound channel;

and obtaining the phase of the second sound box according to the phase difference of each sound channel.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein obtaining the reverberation time delay and the gain of the audio box set according to the difference between the reverberation time and the preset reverberation time comprises:

when the reverberation time is longer than the preset reverberation time, shortening reverberation time delay and reducing gain;

and when the reverberation time is less than the preset reverberation time, prolonging the reverberation time delay and improving the gain.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the power amplifier parameters corresponding to the relative positions are obtained and stored in advance.

9. An apparatus for controlling a group of sound boxes comprising a processor and a memory having stored thereon program instructions, characterized in that the processor is configured to perform the method for controlling a group of sound boxes according to any one of claims 1 to 8 when executing the program instructions.

10. An enclosure apparatus comprising the apparatus for controlling an enclosure group of claim 9.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of intelligent home appliance technologies, and for example, to a method and an apparatus for controlling a speaker box set, and a speaker box device.

Background

At present, the existing liquid crystal television basically adopts left and right loudspeakers to produce sound, a high-grade product can be internally provided with a heavy bass loudspeaker, and some televisions can be externally connected with sound equipment such as a home theater or a Bluetooth sound box, so that the audio-visual effect is improved, and each loudspeaker outputs the sound of an original film source. The sound effects include surround sound, subwoofer, SRS sound, dolby sound, and the like. Still other televisions have sound options for various scene simulations, such as theatre, movie theatre, concert hall, home, etc.

In the process of implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is found that at least the following problems exist in the related art:

the existing sound effect is set for the user to be in the center position in front of the television, and when the distance or direction of the user relative to the voice box group changes, the sound experience of the user is deteriorated.

Disclosure of Invention

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview nor is intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such embodiments but rather as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The embodiment of the disclosure provides a method and a device for controlling a loudspeaker box group and sound equipment, so as to solve the technical problem that when the distance or direction of a user relative to the loudspeaker box group changes, the sound experience of the user is deteriorated.

In some embodiments, a method for controlling a group of voice boxes comprises:

obtaining the relative position of a user relative to a loudspeaker box group;

obtaining power amplifier parameters corresponding to the relative positions;

and controlling the loudspeaker box group according to the power amplifier parameters.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for controlling a group of audio bins comprises a processor and a memory storing program instructions, the processor being configured to, when executing the program instructions, perform the method for controlling a group of audio bins provided by the preceding embodiments.

In some embodiments, the loudspeaker apparatus includes the apparatus for controlling a loudspeaker group provided in the previous embodiments.

The method, the device and the audio box equipment for controlling the audio box group provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can realize the following technical effects:

when the distance or direction of the user relative to the sound box group changes, the relative position of the user relative to the sound box group is obtained again, the power amplifier parameters of the sound box group are obtained again according to the relative position, and when the sound box group is controlled by the power amplifier parameters, the user can still obtain better sound experience.

The foregoing general description and the following description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the application.

Drawings

One or more embodiments are illustrated in drawings corresponding to, and not limiting to, embodiments in which elements having the same reference number designation are illustrated as similar elements and in which:

fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a method for controlling a group of voice boxes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of obtaining power amplifier parameters according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of obtaining power amplifier parameters according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of obtaining power amplifier parameters according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for controlling a loudspeaker box group according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

So that the manner in which the features and elements of the disclosed embodiments can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosed embodiments, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. In the following description of the technology, for purposes of explanation, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices may be shown in simplified form in order to simplify the drawing.

The terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and in the claims, and the above-described drawings of embodiments of the present disclosure, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It should be understood that the data so used may be interchanged under appropriate circumstances such that embodiments of the present disclosure described herein may be made. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," as well as any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

The term "plurality" means two or more unless otherwise specified.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the speaker group may be a speaker group disposed in the speaker system, and may be a speaker group disposed in the smart television.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the speaker device refers to various devices including a speaker, and may be a speaker system, and may be a smart television.

Referring to fig. 1, a method for controlling a group of voice boxes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:

s101, obtaining the relative position of a user relative to the loudspeaker box group.

For example, a user wears the positioning equipment, obtains the position of the user through the positioning equipment, and compares the position of the user with the installation position of the loudspeaker box group to obtain the relative position of the user relative to the loudspeaker box group; or a positioning device is arranged at the installation position of the loudspeaker box group, and the direction and the distance of the user relative to the loudspeaker box group are measured to obtain the relative position of the user relative to the loudspeaker box group; or n (n is a positive integer) preset relative positions are arranged around the loudspeaker box group, so that the relative position selected by the user can be received, the relative position of the user can be obtained through the positioning equipment worn by the user, and the relative position of the user relative to the loudspeaker box group can be obtained through the positioning device.

And S102, obtaining power amplifier parameters corresponding to the relative positions.

The relative position corresponds to the power amplifier parameter one by one, and optionally, the power amplifier parameter corresponding to the relative position is obtained in advance and stored. For example, the relative position obtained in advance and the corresponding power amplifier parameter are stored in the database, and after the relative position of the user relative to the loudspeaker box group is obtained, the corresponding function parameter is inquired in the database through the relative position.

Optionally, the power amplifier parameters corresponding to the relative positions are obtained in real time. For example, after acquiring the relative position of the user with respect to the speaker group, the power amplifier parameters are calculated by using the relative position according to the relevant rule.

And S103, controlling the loudspeaker box group according to the power amplifier parameters.

When the distance or direction of the user relative to the sound box group changes, the relative position of the user relative to the sound box group is obtained again, the power amplifier parameters of the sound box group are obtained again according to the relative position, and when the sound box group is controlled by the power amplifier parameters, the user can still obtain better sound experience.

As shown in fig. 2, the power amplifier parameters are obtained by:

s201, obtaining sample sound effect parameters of the loudspeaker box group at the relative position.

For example, when a user wears a sound collection device on the body and a sound box group plays sound, sample sound effect parameters can be collected in real time; or n (n is a positive integer) preset relative positions are arranged around the loudspeaker box group, a sound acquisition device is arranged at each relative position, and after the relative position of a user relative to the loudspeaker box group is obtained, the sound acquisition devices at the relative positions are activated, so that the sample sound effect parameters of the loudspeaker box group can be obtained at the relative positions; or n (n is a positive integer) preset relative positions are arranged around the sound box group, a sound acquisition device is arranged at each relative position, sample sound effect parameters of the sound box group at each relative position are sequentially acquired according to a preset sequence, and the sound acquisition devices transmit the acquired sample sound effect parameters to a control chip of the sound box group in a wired or wireless mode.

S202, obtaining power amplifier parameters of the loudspeaker box set according to the difference between the sample sound effect parameters and the preset sound effect parameters.

When the sample loudspeaker box parameters of the loudspeaker box group are obtained, the loudspeaker box group operates according to default power amplification parameters; or, after obtaining the power amplifier parameter of the sound box group according to the difference between the sample sound effect parameter and the preset sound effect parameter at a certain time, the sound box group operates according to the obtained power amplifier parameter, and if the relative position of the user relative to the sound box group changes, the power amplifier parameter of the sound box group is obtained according to the difference between the sample sound effect parameter and the preset sound effect parameter.

After the power amplifier parameters of the sound box set are obtained according to the difference between the sound effect parameters of the sample and the preset sound effect parameters at each time, the sound box set is controlled to operate according to the latest obtained power amplifier parameters, so that the sound effect heard by a user is consistent with the sound effect to be expressed by the sound box set, and the user can obtain better sound experience.

Optionally, the sample sound effect parameters include: one or more of a frequency response curve, phase differences of the channels, and reverberation times. That is, the sample loudspeaker parameters include: a frequency response curve; or, a phase difference of each channel; alternatively, the reverberation time; or, the frequency response curve and the phase difference of each sound channel; or, a frequency response curve and a reverberation time; or, phase differences and reverberation times of the channels; or a frequency response curve, a phase difference of each channel, and a reverberation time. On the basis, the power amplifier parameters of the audio box set are obtained according to the difference between the sample audio effect parameters and the preset audio effect parameters, and the power amplifier parameters comprise one or more of the following parameters:

obtaining balance parameters of the loudspeaker box group according to the difference between the frequency response curve and a preset frequency response curve, wherein the preset frequency response curve is a pre-stored frequency response curve, can be stored in a chip of a smart television and can be stored in a chip of a smart loudspeaker box, and the preset frequency response curve is a frequency response curve which is obtained by combining an auditory response curve of human ears and a sound expression method of music and video and is in accordance with the auditory sense of human ears through free field measurement;

obtaining phase parameters of the sound box group according to the difference value of the phase difference and the zero phase of each sound channel;

and obtaining the reverberation time delay and the gain of the sound box group according to the difference value of the reverberation time and the preset reverberation time, wherein the preset reverberation time is the pre-stored reverberation time, and can be stored in a chip of the smart television or a chip of the smart sound box, for example.

Namely, the power amplifier parameters of the loudspeaker box group can be obtained through the following modes: obtaining equalization parameters of the loudspeaker box group according to the difference between the frequency response curve and a preset frequency response curve; or, obtaining a phase parameter of the loudspeaker box group according to the difference value between the phase difference of each sound channel and the zero phase; or, obtaining the reverberation time delay and the gain of the sound box group according to the difference value of the reverberation time and the preset reverberation time; or, obtaining equalization parameters of the loudspeaker box group according to the difference between the frequency response curve and a preset frequency response curve, and obtaining phase parameters of the loudspeaker box group according to the difference between the phase difference of each sound channel and the zero phase; or, obtaining equalization parameters of the audio box group according to the difference between the frequency response curve and a preset frequency response curve, and obtaining reverberation time delay and gain of the audio box group according to the difference between reverberation time and preset reverberation time; or, obtaining a phase parameter of the sound box group according to a difference value between the phase difference of each sound channel and the zero phase, and obtaining a reverberation time delay and a reverberation gain of the sound box group according to a difference value between the reverberation time and a preset reverberation time; or, the equalization parameters of the sound box group are obtained according to the difference between the frequency response curve and the preset frequency response curve, the phase parameters of the sound box group are obtained according to the difference between the phase difference of each sound channel and the zero phase, and the reverberation time delay and the reverberation gain of the sound box group are obtained according to the difference between the reverberation time and the preset reverberation time.

Therefore, power amplifier parameters can be obtained, the loudspeaker box set is controlled according to the power amplifier parameters, the sound effect heard by a user is consistent with the sound effect to be expressed by the loudspeaker box set, and the user can obtain better sound experience.

Referring to fig. 3, obtaining equalization parameters of the audio box group according to the difference between the frequency response curve and the preset frequency response curve includes:

s301, obtaining a frequency range of a difference position between the frequency response curve and a preset frequency response curve.

The frequency response curve includes amplification conditions of sounds with different frequencies, for example, the frequency response curve is divided into a plurality of frequency segments according to the sequence of frequencies from small to large, or the frequency response curve is divided into a plurality of frequency segments according to the sequence of frequencies from large to small, and each frequency segment corresponds to a frequency range; comparing the difference between the frequency response curve and the preset frequency response curve in each frequency band, wherein in one or more frequency bands, the difference between the frequency response curve and the preset frequency response curve meets a preset difference condition, for example, the difference between the frequency response curve and the preset frequency response curve is greater than a preset gain, or the difference between the frequency response curve and the preset frequency response curve is greater than a preset loudness, and extracting the frequency range corresponding to the one or more frequency bands, namely, obtaining the frequency range at the difference between the frequency response curve and the preset frequency response curve.

S302, determining a first sound box corresponding to the frequency range.

Wherein, first audio amplifier can be a audio amplifier in the audio amplifier group, also can be a plurality of audio amplifiers in the audio amplifier group, and first audio amplifier is effectual to the regulation of this frequency range sound, can effectively improve the amplification factor of this frequency range sound, also can effectively reduce the amplification factor of this frequency range sound.

In a sound box group, the quantity of the sound boxes is limited, and compared with other sound boxes in the sound box group, the first sound box has a better adjusting effect on the sound in the frequency range.

And S303, obtaining the gain of the first sound box according to the difference between the frequency response curve and the preset frequency response curve.

For example, in the frequency range, if the gain or loudness of the frequency response curve is greater than the gain or loudness of the preset frequency response curve, the amplification factor of the first sound box is reduced; in the frequency range, the gain or loudness of the frequency response curve is smaller than that of the preset frequency response curve, and then the amplification factor of the first sound box is improved.

The first sound box is controlled by the gain obtained in the above steps, so that the frequency response curve at the relative position can be effectively adjusted to the preset frequency response curve, the sound effect heard by the user is consistent with the sound effect to be expressed by the sound box group, and the user can obtain better sound experience.

Referring to fig. 4, obtaining the phase parameter of the tone box group according to the difference between the phase difference of each channel and the zero phase includes:

s401, determining a sound channel generating a phase difference and a corresponding second sound box.

The second sound box is a plurality of sound boxes in the sound box group, and the sound boxes play sound of the same sound channel. The channel for generating the phase difference may be one channel or a plurality of channels.

And S402, obtaining the phase of the second sound box according to the phase difference of each sound channel.

For example, one of the second enclosures is used as a reference phase enclosure to obtain the phases of other enclosures in the second enclosures except for the reference phase enclosure, and optionally, all the second enclosures are sorted in an order from lagging to leading, or all the second enclosures are sorted in an order from leading to lagging, and the enclosure corresponding to the middle phase is selected as the reference phase enclosure. Or, calculating the sum of the phases of all the second sound boxes, then calculating the average phase, and taking the average phase as the reference phase to obtain the phases of all the second sound boxes, so that the phase of the sound played by all the second sound boxes is the reference phase.

The phase control second sound box obtained through the steps can effectively adjust the phase difference of each sound channel at the relative position to zero, inhibit mutual cancellation of signals of the sound boxes and generation of harmonic waves, enable the sound effect heard by a user to be consistent with the sound effect to be expressed by the sound box set, and enable the user to obtain better sound experience.

Optionally, obtaining the reverberation time delay and the gain of the audio box set according to the difference between the reverberation time and the preset reverberation time includes:

when the reverberation time is longer than the preset reverberation time, shortening the reverberation time delay and reducing the gain;

and when the reverberation time is less than the preset reverberation time, prolonging the reverberation time delay and improving the gain.

The reverberation time delay and the gain obtained by the method are used for controlling the loudspeaker box group, so that the reverberation time at the relative position can be effectively adjusted to the preset reverberation time, the sound effect heard by a user is consistent with the sound effect to be expressed by the loudspeaker box group, and the user can obtain better sound experience.

The preset reverberation time corresponds to a simulated scene of the loudspeaker box group. The simulation scene of the sound box group can be a theater, a movie theater, a concert hall, a family and the like, the larger the space of the simulation scene is, the longer the preset reverberation time is, the smaller the space of the simulation scene is, and the shorter the preset reverberation time is. The reverberation time at the relative position is adjusted to the preset reverberation time, so that the user can be provided with an immersive spatial sense, and the user can obtain better sound experience.

The embodiment of the disclosure provides a device for controlling a loudspeaker box group.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for controlling a group of audio boxes includes a processor and a memory storing program instructions, the processor being configured to, when executing the program instructions, perform the method for controlling a group of audio boxes provided by the foregoing embodiments.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for controlling a group of audio boxes includes a processor and a memory storing program instructions, the processor being configured to, upon execution of the program instructions, perform the steps of: and obtaining the relative position of the user relative to the loudspeaker box group, obtaining power amplifier parameters corresponding to the relative position, and controlling the loudspeaker box group according to the power amplifier parameters.

Referring to fig. 5, an apparatus for controlling a speaker group according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:

a processor (processor)51 and a memory (memory)52, and may further include a Communication Interface (Communication Interface)53 and a bus 54. The processor 51, the communication interface 53 and the memory 52 may communicate with each other through the bus 54. The communication interface 53 may be used for information transfer. The processor 51 may invoke logic instructions in the memory 52 to perform the method for controlling a group of audio boxes provided by the previous embodiments.

Furthermore, the logic instructions in the memory 52 may be implemented in software functional units and stored in a computer readable storage medium when sold or used as a stand-alone product.

The memory 52 is a computer-readable storage medium, and can be used for storing software programs, computer-executable programs, such as program instructions/modules corresponding to the methods in the embodiments of the present disclosure. The processor 51 executes the functional application and data processing by executing the software program, instructions and modules stored in the memory 52, that is, implements the method in the above-described method embodiments.

The memory 52 may include a storage program area and a storage data area, wherein the storage program area may store an operating system, an application program required for at least one function; the storage data area may store data created according to the use of the terminal device, and the like. Further, the memory 52 may include high speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory.

The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a sound box device, which includes the device for controlling a sound box set provided by the foregoing embodiment.

The embodiment of the disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer-executable instructions configured to execute the method for controlling a loudspeaker box group provided by the foregoing embodiment.

The disclosed embodiments provide a computer program product comprising a computer program stored on a computer readable storage medium, the computer program comprising program instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method for controlling a group of sound boxes provided by the aforementioned embodiments.

The computer-readable storage medium described above may be a transitory computer-readable storage medium or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

The technical solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied in the form of a software product, where the computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes one or more instructions to enable a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device) to execute all or part of the steps of the method in the embodiments of the present disclosure. And the aforementioned storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium comprising: a U-disk, a removable hard disk, a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and other various media capable of storing program codes, and may also be a transient storage medium.

The above description and drawings sufficiently illustrate embodiments of the disclosure to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical, process, and other changes. The examples merely typify possible variations. Individual components and functions are optional unless explicitly required, and the sequence of operations may vary. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in or substituted for those of others. Furthermore, the words used in the specification are words of description only and are not intended to limit the claims. As used in the description of the embodiments and the claims, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, the term "and/or" as used in this application is meant to encompass any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed. Furthermore, the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this application, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising an … …" does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in a process, method or device comprising the element. In this document, each embodiment may be described with emphasis on differences from other embodiments, and the same and similar parts between the respective embodiments may be referred to each other. For methods, products, etc. of the embodiment disclosures, reference may be made to the description of the method section for relevance if it corresponds to the method section of the embodiment disclosure.

Those of skill in the art would appreciate that the various illustrative elements and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware or combinations of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software may depend upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the solution. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the disclosed embodiments. It can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that, for convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the system, the apparatus and the unit described above may refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and are not described herein again.

In the embodiments disclosed herein, the disclosed methods, products (including but not limited to devices, apparatuses, etc.) may be implemented in other ways. For example, the above-described apparatus embodiments are merely illustrative, and for example, a division of a unit may be merely a division of a logical function, and an actual implementation may have another division, for example, a plurality of units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted, or not executed. In addition, the shown or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection may be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices or units, and may be in an electrical, mechanical or other form. Units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and parts displayed as units may or may not be physical units, may be located in one place, or may be distributed on a plurality of network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to implement the present embodiment. In addition, functional units in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist alone physically, or two or more units are integrated into one unit.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. Each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.