阅读说明：本技术 声音再现/模拟系统和用于模拟声音再现的方法 (Sound reproduction/simulation system and method for simulating sound reproduction ) 是由 安德烈亚斯·沃尔瑟 哈拉尔德·福克斯 麦克·盖尔 于 2019-12-19 设计创作，主要内容包括：声音再现/模拟系统(10)包括：至少一个声音再现设备(12),由一个或多个音频信号(15)驱动；以及处理器(14),用于处理输入音频流(ST)以产生一个或多个音频信号(15)。处理器(14)基于由目标系统(12、12’、12”)的声音特性定义的处理参数执行处理。另外,公开了一种用于确定一个或多个处理参数的装置,其包括分析器,该分析器被配置为分析目标系统(121、12”、12”’)以获得一个或多个处理参数,其中,该分析是针对至少两个属性执行的。(A sound reproduction/simulation system (10) includes: at least one sound reproduction device (12) driven by one or more audio signals (15); and a processor (14) for processing the input audio Stream (ST) to generate one or more audio signals (15). The processor (14) performs processing based on processing parameters defined by sound characteristics of the target system (12, 12', 12 "). Additionally, an apparatus for determining one or more processing parameters is disclosed, comprising an analyzer configured to analyze a target system (121, 12 "') to obtain one or more processing parameters, wherein the analysis is performed for at least two attributes.)

1. A sound reproduction/simulation system (10), comprising:

at least one sound reproduction device (12) driven by one or more Audio Signals (AS); and

a processor (14) for processing an input audio Stream (ST) to generate the one or more Audio Signals (AS);

wherein the processor (14) performs the processing based on Processing Parameters (PP) defining characteristics of the target system (12 ', 12 "').

2. The sound reproduction/simulation system (10) of claim 1, wherein the at least one sound reproduction device (12) is a soundbar.

3. The sound reproduction/simulation system (10) of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the at least one sound reproduction apparatus (12) comprises at least two transducers or more than two transducers.

4. The sound reproduction/simulation system (10) of one of the preceding claims, wherein the sound reproduction/simulation system (10) is configured to reproduce at least two channels or more than two channels.

5. The sound reproduction/simulation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the target system (12 ', 12 "') comprises a soundbar with one or more transducers.

6. The sound reproduction/simulation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the Processing Parameters (PP) describes a transducer configuration of the target system (12 ', 12 "') having sound characteristics.

7. The sound reproduction/simulation system (10) of claim 6, wherein the transducer configuration comprises information on the number of individual channels and/or on the number of transducers per channel or different channels and/or on the number of transducers of the target system (12 ', 12 "').

8. Sound reproduction/simulation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the number and/or selection of transducers used by the sound reproduction device (12) depends on a processing parameter of the Processing Parameters (PP) and/or on a transducer configuration.

9. The sound reproduction/simulation system (10) of one of the preceding claims, wherein a processing parameter of the Processing Parameters (PP) describes a transducer frequency response, a transducer impulse response or a transducer phase response of the transducer of the target system (12 ', 12 "') as a sound characteristic; or

Wherein a processing parameter of the Processing Parameters (PP) describes a transducer frequency response, a transducer impulse response or a transducer phase response of the transducer of the target system (12 ', 12 "') AS a sound characteristic, and wherein the one or more Audio Signals (AS) are processed and/or filtered in order to simulate the transducer frequency response and/or transducer impulse response and/or transducer phase response.

10. Sound reproduction/simulation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a processing parameter of the Processing Parameters (PP) describes a shell behavior of the target system (12 ', 12 "') as sound characteristics.

11. Sound reproduction/simulation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the Processing Parameters (PP) describes a digital processing and/or content coding format of the target system (12 ', 12 "') as sound characteristics; or

Wherein at least one of the Processing Parameters (PP) describes a digital processing encoding and/or a content encoding format of the target system (12 ', 12 "') AS sound characteristics, and wherein the processing performs the same digital processing and/or digital encoding/decoding AS the target system (12 ', 12"') in order to output the one or more Audio Signals (AS).

12. Sound reproduction/simulation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the Processing Parameters (PP) describes an operation mode and/or an upmix/downmix mode of the target system (12 ', 12 "') as sound characteristics.

13. Sound reproduction/simulation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the Processing Parameters (PP) describes a directionality of the target system (12 ', 12 "') as a sound characteristic.

14. The sound reproduction/simulation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sound reproduction/simulation system (10) comprises an input for receiving the input audio Stream (ST); and/or

Wherein the input audio Stream (ST) is a mono audio Stream (ST); and/or

Wherein the sound reproduction/simulation system (10) comprises a video input for receiving the input audio Stream (ST).

15. Sound reproduction/simulation system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sound reproduction/simulation system (10) comprises a memory storing a database (16) or is connected to a database (16) storing the Processing Parameters (PP) of the target system (12 ', 12 "'); or

Wherein the sound reproduction/simulation system (10) comprises a memory having a database (16) stored thereon or is connected to a database (16) storing the Processing Parameters (PP) for at least two target systems (12 ', 12 "').

16. An apparatus for determining one or more processing parameters, comprising an analyzer configured to analyze a target system to obtain one or more processing parameters, wherein the analysis is performed for at least two attributes.

17. A method for simulating performance of a target system (12 ', 12 "'), the method comprising:

processing an input audio Stream (ST) to produce one or more Audio Signals (AS), wherein the processing is performed based on Processing Parameters (PP) defining sound characteristics of the target system (12 ', 12 "'); and

outputting the one or more Audio Signals (AS) to drive at least one sound reproduction apparatus (12).

18. A method for determining one or more processing parameters, the method comprising the steps of:

analyzing a target system to obtain one or more process parameters, wherein the analyzing is performed for at least two dimensions.

19. Computer program having a program code for performing the method according to claim 17 or 18 when running on a computer.

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a sound reproduction/simulation system and a method for simulating sound reproduction. Other preferred embodiments provide a versatile audio reproduction device, for example for multi-channel sound reproduction.

Background

For multi-channel sound, a plurality of individual loudspeakers is usually mounted not only in the front region of the listening environment but also additionally on the sides and rear. In addition to the horizontal-only speaker arrangement, an arrangement with elevated speakers is also used. Such a reproduction system enables spatial and immersive sound reproduction.

An alternative to such a loudspeaker arrangement is a soundbar. Soundbars typically carry multiple drivers (i.e., "single speaker diaphragms") in a single enclosure. Some drivers are specifically intended to be mounted below or above the display. Today, most soundbars are equipped with (wireless) subwoofers, while there are variants that do not require an external subwoofer.

Similar devices, known as e.g. soundboards, phonics, etc., have a housing which is usually deeper than the housing of a soundbar, so that e.g. a television set can be placed directly on them.

Currently, soundbars are used mainly for consumer audio playback. A soundbar is an audio reproduction device that typically combines all the connections/connectors, amplifiers, processors, speakers, etc. required for audio reproduction in one housing. There are many variations of sound bars on the market, and sound bars are available at different price ranges, different characteristics and different quality levels. Differences may be in, for example, the size and shape of the enclosure, the number and/or size and/or quality and/or location and/or arrangement of speaker drivers used, the type of processing applied to the input signal. Some soundbars only act as multiple speakers (no advanced signal processing except amplification) put into a unified single enclosure. Other soundbars apply different levels of complexity of processing to achieve convincing (spatial) audio playback from a single device.

Some soundbars do not take into account the specific geometry and acoustic properties of the playback chamber in which they are used, more complex soundbars do so (e.g. by using calibration based on measurement signals or by user adjustment). Some soundbar devices are calibrated using microphones to, for example, adjust the processing to match the actual playback room and/or listener position.

The same concepts as described below may also be applied to, for example, 3D sound bars, speaker frames (e.g., arranged around a display), cylindrical arrays of speakers, spherical arrays of speakers, and enclosures, docking station or smart speaker reproduction devices.

Since soundbars are very popular playback devices in consumer homes, professionals and content producers also want to monitor their works on such devices (e.g., directly during production/during the authoring process).

This presents several problems, as the results depend to a large extent on, for example, the quality of the target device and the processing of the particular soundbar application. This variability makes it difficult to decide on the individual soundbars to monitor. Selecting a large stack of sound bar products is also not a convenient solution. Furthermore, it is not easy to seamlessly connect consumer devices to a professional environment. Most consumer devices feature only consumer connections/connectors (e.g., HDMI), while in a production environment, professional connectors (e.g., MADI) are used. Furthermore, most consumer devices desire content packaged or encoded in a (consumer) format (e.g., MP3, AAC, etc.), while in professional environments uncompressed audio is used most of the time. An important issue in this respect is also the real-time capability of the system to enable real-time monitoring of such devices. For production purposes, for example, real-time may mean that the introduced delay must be at least short enough so that any changes applied to the content during the production step can be perceptually seamlessly monitored on the audio reproduction device. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a concept that enables reproduction of sound comparable or similar to a target system (of a plurality of target systems).

This object is achieved by the content of the independent claims.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments provide a sound reproduction system that includes at least one sound reproduction device, such as a soundbar and a processor. The sound reproduction device is driven by one or more audio signals (e.g. 2 channel stereo or 5.1+ 4H). The processor is configured to process an input audio stream to produce one or more audio signals. Here, it performs processing based on processing parameters that define the sound characteristics of the target system.

Embodiments of the present invention are based on the discovery that the functionality of other sound bar systems/target systems can be emulated/simulated (i.e. by using high quality audio reproduction devices, such as sound bars with high quality components and digital signal processing). The combination of a high quality sound reproduction device and a process using processing parameters defining the sound characteristics of the target system forms an audio reproduction system characterized in that it is capable of simulating many other/similar/related/complementary audio reproduction systems, also referred to as target systems, e.g. of different sizes, different qualities or featuring different kinds of underlying processes. The processing parameters are adjustable parameters for adapting the sound reproduction/simulation system to the target system (e.g. consumer reproduction system/consumer sound bar). Thus, such high-end universal sound bars enable a user to simulate different sound bar devices from only a single device. This helps to monitor expected consumer device performance during production. The system thus defined may find application, for example, in professional production environments, where content producers wish to monitor (in real time) during production how the consumer/consumer will likely hear the produced content.

According to a preferred embodiment, the sound reproduction system/monitoring system is a soundbar, e.g. comprising two or more transducers. This enables the sound reproduction apparatus to produce one or two or more channels. Similarly, the target device may also be a soundbar. The sound characteristics of the target device may be described by the processing parameters. For example, one of the processing parameters describes a transducer configuration of the target system. Here, information on the number of separated channels and/or on the number of transducers per channel may be included in the transducer configuration information. Furthermore, if beamforming is used, for example, the processing parameters describing the transducer configuration may include multiple transducers for different channels. In general, the processing parameter may describe the number of transducers of the target system. In the case where the number of transducers of the target system is known, the processor may use the processing parameters to define the number of transducers of the sound reproduction/simulation system to be used. In detail, the transducers of the sound reproduction/simulation system may be selected based on this information such that there is a direct correlation between the selection and the corresponding processing parameters.

The processing parameters enable to modify the sound reproduction for different "dimensions". A small but not necessarily complete overview of attributes/dimensions is given below:

a first property/dimension may refer to the rendering capability of the target device which is mainly affected by hardware. For example, the hardware of the target device has certain transmission characteristics in terms of frequency response. Thus, one of the processing parameters describes a hardware characteristic.

Another processing parameter describes the encoding/coding of the target device performed. The background is that some target devices perform a specific decoding during reproduction that has an impact on the sound behavior. The encoding dimension may be represented by at least one processing parameter.

The third property/dimension refers to the operational mode, i.e. the question whether the target device reproduces beamforming, dipole or conventional playback.

The fourth property/rendering dimension refers to the question of whether the target system performs upmixing or downmixing.

Another property/reproduction dimension refers to the speaker arrangement. The processing parameters describe different positions of signal transducers of the target system or a size of a housing of the target system.

It is noted that there may be a plurality of other dimensions, wherein at least one but preferably a plurality of these dimensions describe the overall transmission behavior of the target system, such that the sound reproduction system/monitoring system described above is implemented by using processing parameters comprising information about the different dimensions to reproduce sound comparable to the sound reproduction to be performed by the target system. In other words, this means that the processing processes the audio stream ST for one or preferably a plurality of the above-mentioned dimensions, each described by one or more processing parameters.

According to other embodiments, the processing parameters may describe a transducer frequency response, a transducer impulse response, a transducer phase response, a transducer impedance of one or more transducers of the target system. The transducer frequency response/transducer impulse response/transducer phase response/transducer impedance is used to process or filter the audio signal before it is output by the processor described above. Another processing parameter may describe the enclosure performance, for example, whether it is an open (e.g., vented, ported) or closed enclosure, or an enclosure equipped with a passive radiator.

According to another embodiment, one of the processing parameters may describe the digital processing performed by the target system or the encoding format used. In addition to playback from optical disc-based formats (e.g., CD, blu-ray), consumer sound reproduction devices (target systems) are commonly used to play back content received by broadcast or streaming. For the delivery of such content, a specific encoding format is used. If the encoding format is known, processing may be performed by the processor of the sound reproduction/simulation system described above to simulate/simulate the behavior of the target system in playing back the encoded content.

According to another embodiment, one of the processing parameters may describe an operation mode (e.g., beamforming, direct free channel audio, dipole processing, crosstalk cancellation, HRTF filtering, etc.). Based on the processing parameters, the sound reproduction/simulation system can determine its processing.

According to another embodiment, the one or more processing parameters may describe additional sound enhancement features (e.g., multi-channel upmixing, bass enhancement, dynamic processing, etc.). Based on the processing parameters, the sound reproduction/simulation system may determine its processing to simulate various enhancement and audio processing steps that may be found in the (consumer) playback system constituting the target device.

According to another embodiment, all processing parameters defining how the sound behavior of the target system may be simulated/emulated may be stored in a database (contained in a memory). The database may be an external database or a database belonging to the processor or a database connected to the processor. The database and processor may also be designed in such a way that they can be updated later to enable simulation of other target systems.

Another embodiment provides a method for simulating performance of a target system. The method comprises the following steps: two basic steps of processing an input audio stream to produce one or more audio signals, wherein the processing is performed based on processing parameters defining sound characteristics of a target system; and outputting one or more audio signals to drive at least one sound reproduction apparatus.

Another embodiment provides a method for analyzing a target system to obtain a process parameter. Here, the method may include a step of analyzing the target system by using the test tone.

According to other embodiments, the method or parts of the method may be performed by using a computer. Accordingly, embodiments refer to computer programs.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will be discussed subsequently with reference to the disclosed figures, in which:

fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a sound reproduction/simulation system according to a basic embodiment;

fig. 2a to 2c show three exemplary target systems reproduced using a sound reproducing apparatus belonging to a sound reproducing/simulating system according to an embodiment; and

fig. 3 shows a schematic flow chart illustrating a method for analog sound reproduction according to another embodiment.

Embodiments of the invention will be discussed below with reference to the disclosed figures. Here, the same reference numerals are provided to objects having the same or similar functions so that the descriptions thereof are mutually applicable and interchangeable.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a sound reproduction/simulation system 10 that includes at least one sound reproduction apparatus 12 controlled using a processor 14. The processor may include or may be connected to or may access an optional database 16.

The sound reproduction device 12 may be, for example, a soundbar, preferably a high quality soundbar. The sound bar may, for example, have multiple transducers 12 a-12 c (e.g., similar/same or different transducers, i.e., the same or different types and/or models of transducers), which may, for example, be selectively controlled such that the sound bar 12 may reproduce multiple channels (e.g., two channels or three channels). The transducers 12a, 12b, and 12c have a (near) ideal frequency response, or generally have the same behavior (e.g., with respect to their frequency response, phase response, etc.). Here, it should be noted that each of the transducers 12a to 12c may be realized by a single diaphragm transducer or may be realized as a transducer system, for example, a coaxial transducer system or another bidirectional transducer system or a transducer system having a plurality of respective transducers for respective frequency ranges. The transducers 12a, 12b and 12c are fed with one or more audio signals AS. Preferably, each transducer or combination of transducers is controlled by its own audio signal AS output by the processor 14.

The high-quality soundbar is capable of reproducing one or more audio signals in an optimal manner, so that even the sound characteristics comprised in the audio signal AS can be reproduced.

The processor 14 imprints these sound characteristics (e.g. a particular sound colour) on the audio signal AS. The reproduction characteristic may be, for example, an embossed frequency response characteristic generated by the processor, for example, by equalizing the audio signal AS such that certain frequency portions are amplified or attenuated. Alternatively, the reproduction characteristic may result in a particular impulse response (i.e., an impulse response that causes harmonic distortion) or a particular phase response. Another example of sound characteristics is a plurality of parallel (independent) channels. The background is how many channels can be reproduced which is characteristic of a sound system. The number of reproduction channels has a significant effect on the spatial effect produced by sound reproduction. Such spatial effects may also be specific sound characteristics. For example, the spatial effect may depend directly on the so-called operation mode. On the market, there are different modes of operation, such as dual polarization or creating virtual surround using psycho-acoustic effects, beamforming sound signals to direct surround signals into a specific direction, or simply two-channel stereo.

It should be noted that a channel refers to an independent reproduction element, e.g. a loudspeaker output to a specific direction. Each channel may have its own content. For example, stereo sound typically has two channels, where the content of the left channel is different from the content of the right channel. 5.1 reproduction typically has 5+1 channels. The number of channels depends on the number of source channels and the ability of the loudspeaker system to reproduce the different channels in parallel. The number of channels can be changed due to processing by using the upmix or the downmix. For example, the downmix can reproduce a 5.1 representation by using two transducers, where two channels are produced by the two transducers. Vice versa, stereo signals may be upmixed to a soundbar configured to perform 5.1 reproduction. Here, the upmixing may be performed with or without enhancing the information of the stereo signal.

According to another embodiment, the processor features upmixing means by which a multi-channel signal can be generated from a signal having at least one input channel but fewer channels than the desired multi-channel output.

According to another embodiment, the processor has a down-mixing means by which the input multi-channel signal can be processed to result in an output signal having fewer channels than the input signal.

As mentioned above, consumer sound reproduction devices such as conventional soundbars often modify the sound reproduction due to their sound characteristics. Expressed from another perspective, this means that the sound reproduction of a target system can be simulated when impressing (in a modeling and mimicking sense) certain sound characteristics (of the target system). This finding is used by the processor 14, and the processor 14 processes the audio stream ST by impressing the sound characteristics of the target system onto the audio signal. The purpose of this is to simulate the sound reproduction of the target system, so that it can be determined in real time how the sound will be reproduced on another sound system/another soundbar.

With regard to processing, it should be noted that all sound characteristics may be defined by processing parameters (e.g. filtering parameters, or parameters defining the transducer configuration, for example). Based on the processing parameters, the processor 14 processes the audio stream ST to produce one or more audio signals AS that drive the transducers 12 a-12 c. According to other embodiments, the processing parameters are stored in an optional database 16 connected to the processor. The database 16 may store processing parameters for a first target system and, according to other embodiments, for a second/further target system. As described above, the target systems may differ from each other with respect to transducer frequency response, transducer impulse response, transducer phase response, or with respect to their transducer configuration, or with respect to another property.

In the following, different sound characteristics and their effects will be discussed. As already discussed, the first influencing factor is the type of transducer having characteristics with respect to its transducer frequency response, transducer impulse response or transducer phase response. For example, different transducers have different operating ranges in the frequency range in which they can operate or the sound pressure levels they can produce. As other examples, some transducers may amplify a particular frequency with more characteristics than other frequencies. Alternatively or additionally, harmonic or non-harmonic distortion may be generated within a particular frequency. For example, low frequency ranges are often attenuated. Sometimes, the intermediate frequency may be amplified. Furthermore, depending on the particular use case and the frequency band for which the driver has been optimized, the frequency band may be limited in the high frequency part or the low frequency part. Such transmission characteristics may be actively generated by equalizing or distorting the audio signal. Here, information on the sound characteristics is stored as processing parameters, for example, filter parameters. Starting from these processing parameters, the processor 14 processes the audio stream ST in order to output (equalize, distort, process) the audio signal AS. Thus, the performance of different speaker types and target systems can be simulated by mimicking their performance (e.g., frequency response, phase response, spatialization, virtualization, rendering).

According to another embodiment, the housing of the target sound device may have an impact on sound reproduction. For example, the size of the housing typically changes the impulse response and radiation pattern. To map this effect, corresponding process parameters describing the shell properties or acoustic effects introduced due to the shell properties may be used. Here, these parameters may also describe the impulse response, so that the processor 14 may process the audio stream ST accordingly. Thus, the performance of different housings can be simulated by digitally simulating the performance of the different housings.

According to other embodiments, the processing parameters describing the transducer itself and the processing parameters describing the housing may be combined into a common processing parameter. For example, attributes of a particular reference device or consumer device may be simulated based on measurements of a particular original device. For such measurements, which enable the processor to simulate the performance of a particular device, special test signals are used.

According to another embodiment, the process parameter may describe a loudspeaker arrangement. The background of which is available to different audio reproduction devices. For example, there are devices with three independently controlled transducers for reproducing three independent (output) channels, wherein each channel is for example directly linked to and reproduced by a dedicated transducer, whereas other devices reproduce three (output) channels using only two transducers. Note that sometimes multiple transducers are used instead of just one (driven by the same signal AS) to increase the sound pressure. Other devices may use two or more independently controlled transducers to perform beamforming, where several or all of the available drivers may be used together by using, for example, array processing techniques in order to reproduce one of (e.g., three) independent (output) channels. For example, if two or three transducers are available, multiple beams may be generated (e.g., five beams for five channels). The settings may be stored AS processing parameters so that the processor 14 may process the audio stream ST accordingly to generate the audio signal AS. Alternatively or additionally, the information about the transducer configuration may comprise information whether two or more transducers are used per channel, e.g. transducers for reproducing different frequency ranges (midrange and tweeter). To reproduce this configuration, the sound bar 12 may comprise a plurality of tweeters and a plurality of midrange speakers, wherein each transducer is individually controllable. The processor may output a respective audio signal AS for each transducer. In this case, the processor may perform the allocation of different channels to different transducers and the active frequency band allocation. In other words, this means that the processor 14 is configured to actively filter the audio stream and to actively calculate different channels in order to generate a plurality of audio signals AS for controlling the plurality of transducers 12a to 12 c. This provides the possibility to simulate soundbars comprising different numbers of drivers (e.g. in a high quality version with a multitude of loudspeakers, only two can be selected to simulate a soundbar featuring only two loudspeakers). The processing may be adjusted accordingly and may, for example, include different downmix and upmix versions or re-routing matrices to accommodate simulations of systems with more or fewer drivers. In such high quality systems, the properties of the lower quality consumer system may be simulated (e.g., simulating the frequency response and/or phase response and/or variability of these or different parameters). Further, a generic sound device may have multiple transducers (e.g., woofer, midrange, tweeter) configured for different frequency ranges. This enables simulation of a multi-way system (e.g., a 2-way system with dedicated tweeters and woofers) or a system that uses only broadband drivers (i.e., no dedicated tweeters).

According to other embodiments, the processing parameters may define an encoding format by which the audio stream is encoded/decoded. Background of the inventionit is common for sound reproduction devices, such as soundbars, to perform audio decoding that may have an impact on reproduction performance. By applying such a coding within the processor, a corresponding rendering at the target system can be simulated.

According to another embodiment, the processing parameters describe an operation mode, such as dipole, beamforming or conventional audio playback, in particular when the target device is configured to operate by using different operation modes. This provides the possibility to simulate different kinds of soundbar processing (e.g. simple one-to-one matching of input signals to output speakers, HRTF or cross-talk based virtualization methods, beam forming techniques, dipole systems, etc. and combinations thereof).

In the following, three different target configurations and simulation methods thereof will be discussed with respect to fig. 2a, 2b and 2 c.

Fig. 2a shows a soundbar 12 with five midrange speakers 12am to 12em and tweeters 12at to 12 et. The midrange speakers 12am to 12em are arranged along the bar 12, and the tweeters 12at to 12et are arranged adjacent to the respective midrange speakers 12am to 12 em. It should be noted that the number of transducers (midrange speaker, tweeter) is not limited to the number shown and thus may vary and need not be the same for both transducer types. Additionally, sound bar 12 may also include one or more additional woofers and one or more internal or external subwoofers (not shown).

In the embodiment of fig. 2a, the sound bar 12 is used to simulate a simple sound bar 12', as shown in the corner. It can be seen that the soundbar 12' comprises only two transducers, i.e. so-called full range loudspeakers. To simulate such a soundbar 12 ', the processing parameters characterize the soundbar 12' as having two audio channels, where each audio channel is formed by a single transducer for reproducing the entire frequency range. Such full range loudspeakers typically have a limited reproduction quality for low and high frequencies. This information is stored using processing parameters describing the frequency/reproduction characteristics.

The processor processes the described processing parameters and outputs an audio signal to the transducer 12, such as at an intermediate frequencyThe speakers 12bm and 12dm are used to reproduce sound to simulate the target device 12'. Here, the transducers 12bm and 12dm are controlled by respective audio signals which include the entire frequency range and are output in consideration of the respective frequency impulse responses. Of course, the processor may use different transducers (e.g., transducers 12am and 12em or a combination of transducers, e.g., 12bm +12bt and 12dm +12dt, or 12bm +12 dt)_am+12bm and 12dm and 12 em).

While most inexpensive sound bars available today are only capable of reproducing two-channel stereo, more complex products can also reproduce surround sound and 3D/immersive content. With respect to fig. 2b, another configuration will be discussed.

Fig. 2b shows the same soundbar 12, wherein here different target devices 12 "should be simulated. The target device 12 "differs from the target device 12' in that the target device 12" uses three output channels. For example, a processor (not shown) controls soundbar 12 such that it uses at least three transducers, e.g., transducers 12am, 12cm, and 12 em. Since the target device 12 "is comparable to the target device 12' in terms of the type of transducers (rather than in terms of number), the transducers 12am, 12cm, 12em are used as full range speakers having transmission characteristics typical for such speakers. As described above, full range speakers may alternatively be simulated by a combination of mid-range and tweeters (e.g., 12am +12 at).

With respect to the target device 12 ", it should be noted that this may be a target device reproducing three separate channels, or alternatively, for example, a target device configured for beamforming. Beamforming is a method that can be used for reproduction that uses an array of transducers to steer sound to a particular direction. Here, using beamforming, the surround signal is directed to the side/back to reflect off the surrounding walls. In this way, virtual surround with sound perceived from the side/back can be reproduced without surround speakers. The corresponding operation mode is used accordingly for controlling the reproduction device 12. For completeness only, it should be noted that another way to create virtual surround is to use psycho-acoustic effects. The method may be applied to a binaural sound bar (target device 12') or other sound bars, such as target device 12 ". Another class of devices uses dipole processing to create spatial effects. Here, the dipole may be used on a target device having at least two channels (see target device 12'). Of course, combinations of these methods may also be defined within the mode of operation.

The target device 12 "' shown in fig. 2c is comparable to the target device 12", where here a coaxial speaker is used instead of a full range speaker. In order to be able to reproduce such coaxial speakers well, the processor controls the combination of the midrange speaker and the tweeter of each coaxial speaker. Thus, the tagged transducers 12am, 12at, 12cm, 12ct, 12em, and 12et are used to simulate the target device 12' ". Here, not only the transducer configuration is different, but also the transmission characteristics, so that other processing parameters are used compared to the processing parameters used to simulate the target device 12 ". Of course, the reproduction/simulation system apparatus according to the inventive method may also be equipped with a coaxial loudspeaker, which may then be used to simulate other woofer/tweeter combinations or full-range drivers.

All process parameters of the respective target devices 12 ', 12 ", 12'" may be stored in a database. Here, it should be noted that there may be different sets of processing parameters that can render one target device 12 ', 12 ", or 12'".

The use of these processing parameters enables the functionality of other sound bar systems 12 ', 12 "or 12'" (target systems) when they are used to reproduce an audio stream to be mimicked/simulated by using the device 12. Such a method for simulating a target device will be discussed with respect to fig. 3.

Fig. 3 shows a method 100 with three basic steps 110, 120 and 130. Further, method 100 may include optional steps 115 and 140.

In a first basic step 110, an audio stream ST is received, for example from a source. The audio stream ST may be a mono or multi-channel source such as a 2-channel stereo signal, a 5.1 surround signal or a 3D/immersive audio signal with an even higher number of channels.

The audio stream ST is processed using the processing parameters PP to generate an audio signal AS (see step 120). Here, the processing parameter PP is capable of modeling the sound characteristic of the target device AS the audio signal AS so that the used reproduction device outputs the sound signal AS the target device does.

These audio signals AS are used to feed the corresponding devices (see soundbar 12), AS shown in step 130. In response to the audio signal AS, the sound bar outputs sound (see step 140). This step 140 represents the final simulation of the target device.

In order to make the method 100 a general method, the method may further comprise a step 115 for selecting the processing parameters PP in dependence of the target device to be simulated. This step is arranged in parallel with step 110 so that the correct processing parameters PP can be used in step 120.

With respect to fig. 1 and 2a to 2c, it should be noted that the reproduction device 12 (soundbar) has been discussed here as a soundbar with transducers only on the front side. According to other embodiments, there may also be transducers arranged on different sides (e.g. on the side, top or back, or at the bottom).

According to an embodiment, the inventive soundbar may play back signals based on professional uncompressed signals and at the same time may comprise different audio coding methods/different audio codecs (encoders and/or decoders) so that a professional user may select these and adjust their parameters (e.g. bit rate) to check the performance of different encoded versions of the content when listening through the soundbar device.

Other embodiments will be discussed below. The first embodiment provides an audio reproduction apparatus that can simulate other audio reproduction apparatuses. The audio reproduction device may be formed, for example, by a soundbar 12 and includes a processor 14. Expressed from another point of view, this means that the audio reproduction device is of the soundbar type according to an embodiment. Alternatively, the audio reproduction device may be of the loudspeaker type or may be formed by a loudspeaker system featuring multiple transducers or a loudspeaker system with one or more loudspeaker types or transducer types. The core idea is therefore to build a device with high quality components, featuring a large number of different connectors and featuring digital signal processing. With such a device, the functionality of other soundbar systems or speaker systems can be emulated/simulated.

According to an embodiment, the device may be configured such that the number of drivers actually used is selectable by using the processing parameters.

According to other embodiments, the processor may process an input signal having at least one channel, wherein the processing is applied to produce a spatial sound reproduction from the device. According to other embodiments, the processor may process an input signal having at least one channel, wherein the processing is applied to simulate the performance and/or processing of other devices. According to another embodiment, the processor may use dipole processing to generate the spatial sound impression. According to another embodiment, the processor may use beamforming to generate the spatial sound impression. According to another embodiment, the processor may use psychoacoustic processing to generate the spatial sound impression.

According to another embodiment, the processor is configured to feature different audio compression codecs that can be selected and adjusted by the user. It should be noted that the processor may for example receive the audio signal as an uncompressed or compressed audio signal or extract the audio signal from a video stream. Thus, the processor features a video input. It should be noted that the processor may have multiple inputs to receive signals having different types (various connectors (consumer and professional)).

Another processing parameter may describe the directionality (directivity pattern) of the sound reproduced by the target system. Directivity generally depends on the exact location of the different transducer types within the target device and varies with frequency. Directionality typically varies in both horizontal and vertical directions. Such directional effects may be simulated by a high quality rendering/simulation system/device, e.g., the rendering device may use the array to perform beamforming or other array processing for different frequency ranges to simulate the directional behavior of the target system.

Another embodiment provides a method for analyzing one or more target devices to obtain processing parameters describing sound characteristics of the target devices. Here, the method may comprise the step of reproducing a set of mono or multi-channel test tones and sequences, including for example scanning different channels and scanning different frequency ranges to produce information about the overall process. The method may be performed by a hardware device comprising, for example, sound sources for different sound channels and an array of microphones for receiving reproduction responses of test tones produced in different directions.

Although some aspects have been described in the context of an apparatus, it will be clear that these aspects also represent a description of the corresponding method, where a block or device corresponds to a method step or a feature of a method step. Similarly, aspects described in the context of method steps also represent a description of the corresponding block or item or of a feature of the corresponding apparatus. Some or all of the method steps may be performed by (or using) a hardware device, such as a microprocessor, programmable computer, or electronic circuit. In some embodiments, one or more of the most important method steps may be performed by such an apparatus.

The novel encoded audio signals may be stored on a digital storage medium or may be transmitted over a transmission medium such as a wireless transmission medium or a wired transmission medium (e.g., the internet).

Embodiments of the invention may be implemented in hardware or software, depending on certain implementation requirements. Implementation may be performed using a digital storage medium (e.g. a floppy disk, a DVD, a blu-ray, a CD, a ROM, a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM or a flash memory) having electronically readable control signals stored thereon, which cooperate (or are capable of cooperating) with a programmable computer system such that the respective method is performed. Accordingly, the digital storage medium may be computer-readable.

Some embodiments according to the invention comprise a data carrier with electronically readable control signals capable of cooperating with a programmable computer system so as to carry out one of the methods described herein.

In general, embodiments of the invention can be implemented as a computer program product having a program code operable to perform one of the methods when the computer program product runs on a computer. The program code may be stored, for example, on a machine-readable carrier.

Other embodiments include a computer program stored on a machine-readable carrier for performing one of the methods described herein.

In other words, an embodiment of the inventive method is thus a computer program with a program code for performing one of the methods described herein, when the computer program runs on a computer.

Thus, another embodiment of the inventive method is a data carrier (or digital storage medium, or computer readable medium) having a computer program recorded thereon for performing one of the methods described herein. The data carrier, the digital storage medium or the recording medium is typically tangible and/or non-transitory.

Thus, another embodiment of the inventive method is a data stream or a signal sequence representing a computer program for performing one of the methods described herein. The data stream or signal sequence may for example be arranged to be transmitted via a data communication connection (e.g. via the internet).

Another embodiment comprises a processing device, e.g., a computer or a programmable logic device, configured or adapted to perform one of the methods described herein.

Another embodiment comprises a computer having a computer program installed thereon for performing one of the methods described herein.

Another embodiment according to the present invention comprises an apparatus or system configured to transmit a computer program (e.g., electronically or optically) to a receiver, the computer program being for performing one of the methods described herein. The receiver may be, for example, a computer, a mobile device, a storage device, etc. The apparatus or system may for example comprise a file server for transmitting the computer program to the receiver.

In some embodiments, a programmable logic device (e.g., a field programmable gate array) may be used to perform some or all of the functions of the methods described herein. In some embodiments, a field programmable gate array may cooperate with a microprocessor to perform one of the methods described herein. In general, the method is preferably performed by any hardware device.

The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. It is to be understood that modifications and variations of the arrangements and details described herein will be apparent to others skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the scope of the appended patent claims be limited only by the details of the description and the explanation of the embodiments herein, and not by the details of the description and the explanation.