Audio output adjusting device of home theater system and method thereof

Abstract

A home theater system, an audio output adjusting device of a home theater system and methods thereof allow a prescribed or three-dimension audio configuration state for at least one prescribed position even when the prescribed location and/or a configuration of the speakers in a home theater system are modified. The device can include a checker for analyzing at least one of volume and delay time of a test audio signal outputted from speakers and providing the analyzed information to a controller. The controller can control output level and timing of audio signals subsequently output from the speakers based on the analyzed information.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An audio output adjusting device of a home theater system, comprising:
 a memory storing predetermined control information for each of a plurality of locations arranged in a grid pattern defined within a listening area, said control information indicating an output level and timing of audio signals to be output from each of a plurality of speakers of the home theater system; 
 a checker that is configured to detect a volume and a delay time of a test audio signal that is simultaneously outputted from a combination of speakers and that determines its location on the grid pattern based on the detected test audio signal; and 
 a controller configured to control an output level and a timing of subsequent audio signals outputted from the speakers based on the predetermined control information stored for the location on the grid pattern where the checker is located. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the speakers include a center speaker, a woofer speaker, a front left speaker, a front right speaker, a rear left speaker, and a rear right speaker. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the checker is installed in a remote controller configured to control the home theater system. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the volume level and output timing of the test audio signal are preset. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the checker is configured to perform the analysis and output analyzed information to the controller. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the checker transmits a signal to the controller requesting output of the test audio signal. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein a position of the checker relative to the speakers is changed. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the analysis determines a positional relationship between a prescribed location and each of the speakers, wherein the controller performs the analysis. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least one of the checker and the controller compare a volume and delay time of the received test audio signal to the predetermined control information and determine the location within the grid which most closely corresponds to the volume and delay time of the received test audio signal. 
 
     
     
       10. An audio output adjusting method of a home theater system, comprising:
 simultaneously outputting a test audio signal from a combination of speakers according to a request; 
 analyzing a volume level and a timing of the outputted test audio signal, wherein the analyzing step comprises:
 receiving the transmitted test audio signal with a checker; 
 establishing a grid pattern between the speakers; and 
 comparing reference characteristics for a plurality of locations on the grid pattern to characteristics of the transmitted test audio signal received by the checker; and 
 determining a location on the grid containing the checker based on the comparison; and 
 
 controlling an output level and a timing of subsequent audio signals outputted from the speakers based on the analyzed information. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the volume level and the timing of the test audio signal are preset. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the outputted test audio signal is received by the checker and then transmitted to a controller. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the checker is incorporated into a remote control device of the home theater system. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the analyzed information determines a positional relationship between a prescribed location and at least three speakers. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the analyzing comprises one of a checker performing the analysis to output the analyzed information to the controller and the controller performing the analysis to determine the analyzed information. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the controlling step comprises adjusting the subsequent audio signals based on prescribed characteristics corresponding to the determined location on the grid to establish a prescribed audio state for that location in the grid. 
     
     
       17. An audio output adjusting method for a home entertainment system that includes a plurality of output audio devices, comprising:
 storing predetermined control information in the home entertainment system for each of a plurality of locations arranged in a grid pattern defined within a listening area, said control information indicating an output level and timing of audio signals to be output from each of the output audio devices; 
 transmitting a prescribed test signal simultaneously from a plurality of the output audio devices of the home entertainment system; 
 receiving the prescribed test signal at a particular location within the listening area of the home entertainment system; 
 analyzing the received prescribed test signal transmitted by the output audio devices; and 
 modifying the control of the audio signals to be subsequently output by the output audio devices according to the analyzed prescribed test signal to establish a prescribed audio state at the particular location, 
 wherein control of the audio signals includes modifying an output level and a timing of the audio signals subsequently output from one or more of the output audio devices based on the predetermined control information stored for the particular location at which the prescribed test signal was received, and 
 wherein the analyzing step comprises: 
 receiving the transmitted prescribed test signal with a checker; 
 comparing reference characteristics for a plurality of locations within the grid pattern and the transmitted prescribed test signal received by the checker; and 
 determining a location within the grid pattern that contains the checker based on the comparison. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the modifying the control of subsequent audio signals to be output is based on volume and timing of the prescribed test signal received at the particular location. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , where in the prescribed audio state is a three-dimensional sound at the particular location. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the analyzing step comprises:
 receiving the transmitted prescribed test signal with a checker;   comparing reference characteristics for a plurality of locations within the grid pattern and the transmitted prescribed test signal received by the checker; and   determining a location within the grid pattern that contains the checker based on the comparison.   
     
     
       21. The method of claim  20  17, wherein the modifying step comprises adjusting the subsequent output audio signals to establish the prescribed audio state in the location that contains the checker. 
     
     
       22. A home audio system, comprising:
 a controller; 
 a plurality of speakers coupled to the controller; 
 a memory that stores a plurality of sets of control information for a corresponding plurality of locations within a listening area of the home theater system, wherein each set of control information indicates an output level and timing information for each of the speakers; configured to store control information for a listening area of the home audio system, 
 wherein the control information includes control variables for the plurality of speakers; and 
 a checker that receives configured to receive a test audio signal output from the plurality of speakers, 
 wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality of speakers to output the test audio signal to the checker when an audio output adjusting key signal is received from an input device, 
 wherein at least one of the checker and the controller determine at which of the plurality of locations within the listening area the checker is located based on an analysis of the received test audio signal is configured to determine where the checker is located within the listening area by comparing audio characteristics of the test audio signal received by the checker to at least one of predetermined test audio characteristics corresponding to a specific location within the listening area, and 
 wherein the controller controls the is configured to control the plurality of speakers based on the set of control information corresponding to the determined location of the checker which is stored in the memory. 
 
     
     
       23. A method of controlling a home audio system having a plurality of speakers, comprising:
 receiving an audio output adjusting key signal from an input device; 
 receiving a test audio signal output from the plurality of speakers with a checker, when the audio output adjusting key signal is received; 
 comparing audio characteristics of the test audio signal received by the checker to a plurality of predetermined sets of test audio characteristics that correspond to the different locations within the listening area to determine which of the predetermined sets of test audio characteristics most closely match the audio characteristics of the test audio signal received by the checker; and 
 determining that the checker is at the location corresponding to the predetermined set of test audio characteristics that most closely match the audio characteristics of the test signal received by the checker; and 
 subsequently controlling the volume and timing of the audio output from each of the speakers based on a predetermined set of audio characteristics that correspond to the location of the checker. 
 
     
     
       24. An audio output adjusting device, comprising;
 a checking device configured to receive a test audio signal output from a plurality of speakers; and   a control device configured to store control information for a listening area of the plurality of speakers,   wherein the control device is configured to control the plurality of speakers to output the test audio signal to the checking device when an audio output adjusting key signal is received from an input device,   wherein the control information includes control variables for the plurality of speakers,   wherein the control device is configured to determine where the checking device is located within the listening area by comparing audio characteristics of the test audio signal received by the checking device to at least one of predetermined test audio characteristics corresponding to a specific location within the listening area, and   wherein the control device is configured to control the plurality of speakers based on the control information corresponding to the determined location of the checking device.   
     
     
       25. The device of claim 24, wherein the control variables include an output level and timing information for the plurality of speakers. 
     
     
       26. The device of claim 24, wherein the control variables are grouped into control variable sets, each control variable set corresponding to one of the plurality of locations within the listening area. 
     
     
       27. The device of claim 24, wherein the control variables are grouped into control variable sets, each control variable set including an output control variable for a corresponding one of the plurality of speakers. 
     
     
       28. The device of claim 24, wherein the control device includes a memory configured to store the control information. 
     
     
       29. A device for controlling an audio output signal, comprising;
 a memory configured to store control information for a listening area of a plurality of speakers, wherein the control information includes control variables for the plurality of speakers; and   a controller, coupled to a checking device configured to receive a test audio signal output from a plurality of speakers, the controller configured to determine where the checking device is located within the listening area by comparing audio characteristics of the test audio signal received by the checking device to at least one of predetermined test audio characteristics,   wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality of speakers to output the test audio signal to the checking device when an audio output adjusting key signal is received from an input device, and   wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality speakers based on the control information corresponding to the determined location of the checking device.   
     
     
       30. The device of claim 29, wherein the control variables include an output level and timing information for the plurality of speakers. 
     
     
       31. The device of claim 29, wherein the control variables are grouped into control variable sets, each control variable set corresponding to one of the plurality of locations within the listening area. 
     
     
       32. The device of claim 29, wherein the control variables are grouped into control variable sets, each control variable set including an output control variable for a corresponding one of the plurality of speakers. 
     
     
       33. An audio output adjusting device, comprising;
 a checking device configured to   receive a test audio signal output from a plurality of speakers, when an audio output adjusting key signal is inputted,   determine a location of the checking device within a listening area of the plurality of speakers by comparing audio characteristics of the test audio signal received by the checking device to at least one of predetermined test audio characteristics, and   transmit the determined location of the checking device to a control device,   wherein the determined location and audio control information stored in the control device are used to control an audio output of the plurality of speakers, and   wherein the audio control information corresponds to an audio characteristic of the determined location of the checking device within the listening area.   
     
     
       34. The device of claim 33, wherein the audio characteristic includes an output level and timing information for the plurality of speakers. 
     
     
       35. The device of claim 33, wherein the audio control information includes a plurality of audio characteristic sets, each audio characteristic set corresponding to a location within the listening area. 
     
     
       36. The device of claim 33, wherein the audio control information includes a plurality of audio characteristic sets, each audio characteristic set including an output control variable for a corresponding one of the plurality of speakers. 
     
     
       37. A device for controlling an audio output signal, comprising;
 a checking device configured to receive a test audio signal output from a plurality of speakers; and   a control device configured to manage control information corresponding to a listening position of the checking device, the control information including control variables for the plurality of speakers,   wherein the control device is configured to control the plurality of speakers to output the test audio signal to the checking device when an audio output adjusting key signal is received from an input device,   wherein the control device is configured to determine the listening position of the checking device by comparing audio characteristics of the test audio signal received by the checking device to at least one of predetermined test audio characteristics, and   wherein the control device is configured to control the plurality of speakers based on the control information corresponding to the determined location of the checking device.