System and method for audio enhancement of a consumer electronics device

Abstract

Systems and methods for enhancing the audio experience on a consumer electronic device are disclosed. More particularly systems and methods for optimizing the audio performance of individual consumer electronic devices as part of a manufacturing process and/or retail experience are disclosed. A system for enhancing the audio performance of a consumer electronic device including a parametrically configurable processing block is disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for optimizing the audio performance of a consumer electronics device comprising:
 an audio testing component for deriving an audio test dataset from the consumer electronics device;   a master design record for outputting a reference dataset;   an audio parameter generator for deriving one or more optimal audio parameters from the audio test dataset and the reference dataset; and   a programming unit to program the optimal audio parameters onto the consumer electronics device.   
     
     
         2 . The system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the audio parameter generator comprises a probabilistic model for determining the optimal audio parameters. 
     
     
         3 . The system in accordance with  claim 2 , comprising a machine learning algorithm for training the probabilistic model. 
     
     
         4 . The system in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the probabilistic model is selected from a group consisting of a Kalman filter, a Markov model, a neural network, a Bayesian network, a fuzzy network, a self-organizing map, a dynamic Bayesian network and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the master design record comprises at least a portion of a history of audio test datasets and associated optimal audio parameters. 
     
     
         6 . The system in accordance with  claim 1 , comprising an acoustic analysis unit for generating a relative dataset from the reference dataset and the audio test dataset, the audio parameter generator configured to accept the relative dataset for use in generating the optimal audio parameters. 
     
     
         7 . The system in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein the acoustic analysis unit comprises a feature extraction block to derive one or more audio features from the audio test dataset and/or the reference dataset, the audio features included in the relative dataset. 
     
     
         8 . The system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the acoustic analysis unit comprises a variance analysis block to derive an audio variance dataset from the audio test dataset and the reference dataset, the audio variance dataset included in the relative dataset. 
     
     
         9 . The system in accordance with  claim 1 , comprising a manual parameter building interface comprising a display and a data input device for interfacing with a human user. 
     
     
         10 . The system in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the manual parameter building interface comprises a toolset to allow a human user to generate the optimal audio parameters, bypassing the audio parameter generator. 
     
     
         11 . A tuning rig for optimizing the acoustic performance of a consumer electronics device configured to accept one or more programmable audio parameters, comprising:
 an acoustic test chamber configured to accept the consumer electronics device;   one or more microphones placed within the acoustic test chamber; and   a workstation in operable communication with the consumer electronics device and the microphones, configured to deliver one or more audio test signals to the consumer electronics device, receive one or more measured signals from the microphones and/or the consumer electronics device, and to program at least a portion of the audio parameters.   
     
     
         12 . The tuning rig in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the workstation comprises and/or is configured to communicate with a master design record, the master design record configured to output a reference dataset, at least a portion of the audio parameters depending on the reference dataset. 
     
     
         13 . The tuning rig in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the workstation is configured to communicate one or more of the audio test signals, one or more measured signals, and/or identification information pertaining to the consumer electronics device to a cloud based data center. 
     
     
         14 . The tuning rig in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the workstation is configured to receive one or more audio enhancement parameters from the cloud based data center and to program the consumer electronics device with the audio enhancement parameters. 
     
     
         15 . The tuning rig in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the workstation comprises software for calculating one or more optimal audio parameters from the audio test signals and the measured signals, and for programming the optimal audio parameters onto the consumer electronics device. 
     
     
         16 . The tuning rig in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the acoustic test chamber is an anechoic chamber or semi-anechoic chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The tuning rig in accordance with  claim 11 , comprising an system in accordance with  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . A method for enhancing the audio performance of a consumer electronics device comprising:
 measuring at least a portion of an acoustic signature of the consumer electronics device;   comparing the portion of the acoustic signature of the consumer electronics device to a master design record to produce one or more reconfigured compensation parameters; and   programming the reconfigured compensation parameters onto the consumer electronics device.   
     
     
         19 . The method in accordance with  claim 18 , comprising placing the consumer electronics device into an audio test chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The method in accordance with  claim 18 , comprising programming a system code along with the reconfigured compensation parameters onto the consumer electronics device. 
     
     
         21 . The method in accordance with  claim 18 , comprising deriving a device profile from the consumer electronics device. 
     
     
         22 . The method in accordance with  claim 18 , comprising sending the acoustic signature, the device profile, and/or the reconfigured compensation parameters to a cloud based data center. 
     
     
         23 . The method in accordance with  claim 18 , comprising obtaining the master design record from a cloud based data center. 
     
     
         24 . A method for tuning the audio performance of a consumer electronics device comprising:
 forming a master design record for the consumer electronics device comprising a reference audio parameter set and a reference audio test dataset;   uploading the reference audio parameter set to the consumer electronics device;   performing an audio test on the consumer electronics device to form a test dataset;   comparing the test dataset with the reference dataset to form a new target acoustic response;   generating a tuned audio parameter set from the reference audio test data and the new target acoustic response; and   uploading the tuned audio parameter set to the consumer electronics device.   
     
     
         25 . The method in accordance with  claim 24 , wherein the step of generating is completed with a system in accordance with  claim 1 . 
     
     
         26 . The method in accordance with  claim 24 , wherein the step of performing is completed with a tuning rig in accordance with  claim 1 .