Abstract:
An interactive sound system is provided. The interactive sound system includes a plurality of sound channels arranged in a hierarchy, a representation of real space, a visual arrangement of the plurality of sound channels over the representation of real space, a user interface for simultaneous management of more than one sound channel in parallel, and a processing module. The processing module is configured to apply a user-attributed behavior to a sound channel over a hierarchically transmitted behavior, automatically assign a behavior to a sound channel following the activation of an automatic trigger, accept a manual assignment of a behavior to a sound channel following the activation of a human-operated trigger, and override a sound channel with an alarm behavior.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/434,965 filed Jan. 21, 2011, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure is generically in the field of sound processing. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Sound management systems are comprised in prior art. In particular: 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,448,057 “Audiovisual reproduction system” describes a system in which the volume of sound is adjustable per separate areas. 
         [0005]    WO200209159 “DIGITAL MULTI-ROOM, MULTI-SOURCE ENTERTAINMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK” describes a network of peer-to-peer units that can alternate between a predefined set of playlists. 
         [0006]    The present disclosure is of a system that encompasses the areal adjustment of sound, but in which such adjustment is also subject to hierarchical rules. 
         [0007]    Playlists are also a part of the disclosed system, but their selection is not operated by peer-to-peer units, rather by a central control system. 
         [0008]    Further to these elemental differences, the system presently disclosed is of greater complexity than the systems described in the above referenced patent documents, incorporating elements not found therein, which are described below. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematics of components for a computer system and associated peripheral that embody an aspect of this disclosure. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a schematics of components for a computer system that embodies an aspect of this disclosure. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of sound zones. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of sound zones and of a user action bar. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    This disclosure is of a system comprised of a software application that relies on specific hardware to manage sound over multiple zones. 
         [0014]    In an exemplary embodiment, a computer runs a software application that allows for the definition of sound over also definable zones. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a partial diagram of a computer embodying the present disclosure, wherein the computer  300  incorporates a processor  301  for running the software application, memory  302  for storing the software application  303 , means for a user to control the software application, which can be partly consistent of visualization means, and means  320  for distributing a sound signal by multiple channels. 
         [0016]    Processor  301  can be one or more of any kind of processor that can run the software application, over a general-purpose operating system or not, including a CISC processor, such as an x86 processor, or a RISC processor, such as a SPARC or an ARM processor. 
         [0017]    Memory  302  can be any kind of memory, including ROM, EPROM and EEPROM. 
         [0018]    The means for a user to control the software application can be any control means that are recognizable by the computer, including, concurrently or alternatively:
       a keyboard;   a mouse;   a sensing surface; and/or   a depth-sensing camera.       
 
         [0023]    A user can interface with the computer through a touchscreen physically connected to the computer. Another user-computer interface can be a 3D display, wherein the user directly touches the 3D display on action areas. 
         [0024]    The software application can also be controlled by a handheld device which has a wireless communication protocol, e.g. Wi-Fi, active between itself and the computer. The handheld device may be a simple control device with wireless communication means, or it may be a separate device that runs a software application client to the server software application of the computer. 
         [0025]    Moreover, the software application running on the computer can be remotely controlled by another device capable of running a client application and that is connected to the computer by a communications protocol such as Transmission Control Protocol-Internet Protocol (TCP-IP). 
         [0026]    The means for distributing a sound signal by multiple channels  330  can be an external audio interface  320 , which can have more than one separate component, including a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC)  321 , or can be embodied in a single multichannel DAC. The external audio interface communicates with computer  300  through communication means  310 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  shows a soundboard  340 , which is an alternative to the external audio interface and contains at least a DAC  321 , integrated into computer  300 . 
         [0028]    A simple embodiment of multichannel distribution can be to assign one speaker to each single sound channel, but this can easily be tweaked through intermediate devices which fall outside of the purpose of this disclosure. 
         [0029]    The software application is configured to allow the user to control sound over multiple channels. 
         [0030]    The software application has a Graphical User Interface (GUI) through which the user controls the sound channels. The GUI displays a representation of zones, which can be a scale representation of a physical space, or a metaphoric representation of a physical space. 
         [0031]    For a scale representation of a physical space, a user may draw a simple layout thereby defining zones, or the user may use a previously generated image of a physical space, such as an architectural plant as reference, as a blueprint for drawing zones. 
         [0032]      FIG. 3  displays a zone  100 , with lower level zones  101  and  102  which can be drawn by a user of the system with full editing privileges—the user would first draw zone  100 , and then zones  101  and  102  inside. 
         [0033]    A user with full editing privileges can operate the software application to:
       distribute the sound channels through the zones;   create playlists;   create behaviors; and   assign behaviors to zones.       
 
         [0038]      FIG. 4  shows a further element to the GUI, a user action bar  200 , of type that would be attributed to a user with limited privileges. It has buttons  201  and  203 , that while pressed may, for instance, activate a microphone  201  and a stop button  203 . Microphone button  201  may serve to activate a microphone so that the user may talk into the selected zone. Stop button  203  may serve to mute all sound in all or the selected zones so that the user can be heard more clearly when talking on the microphone, or upon the activation of an automatic emergency procedure. 
         [0039]    Volume sliders  202  may affect the sound volume in the selected zone and the volume of the microphone, so that the user can adjust sound in a zone if there is the perception of a momentarily inadequate volume. 
         [0040]    A user with limited privileges can operate the software application to:
       change the sound volume in a zone;   monitor a zone;   use the microphone; and   activate emergency procedures.       
 
         [0045]    The software application may be recorded on a tangible data carrier. 
         [0046]    Zones are a key concept to this disclosure: a zone is a hierarchical, multi-level element, comprising one or more lower-level zones at all levels except the lowest, where it consists solely of itself. 
         [0047]    In a preferred embodiment to this disclosure, at any time there are visible just 2 levels of zones: a zone of a certain level and its contained zones of the immediately lower level, if any. 
         [0048]      FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of the GUI for the software application, where a higher level zone  100  contains 2 lower-level zones,  101  and  102 . These zones can be, for instance, a level of a building, in which zone  100  represents the entire level, whilst zones  101  and  102  represent specific rooms in that level. 
         [0049]    For a metaphoric representation of a physical space, a user may define zones and arrange them in free form, such as by grouping them into higher-level zones. 
         [0050]    Behaviors can be associated with zones through the software application, and are limited only to the software application&#39;s own limitations. Playlists are important elements of behaviors, which can control playlists by playing them, halting them, varying their volume of sound, modulating their sound, or spatializing their sound over one or more zones. 
         [0051]    Sequentially playing a playlist with no added features or logic is the simplest kind of behavior. 
         [0052]    When a behavior is defined for a zone, it cascades to all lower level zones. As a general rule, a zone accepts a behavior cascading from a higher level zone unless it was directly assigned a behavior itself. As a special case, a behavior of alarm for a zone overrides all behaviors within that zone and contained lower-level zones. These rules can be abstracted by assigning a priority level assigned to each behavior. 
         [0053]    Behaviors can be composed of different elements. In a preferential embodiment, at the level of the software application, a behavior consists of 3 files:
       an Extensible Markup Language (XML) file, holding metadata such as tags;   a library file, such as a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) file, which defines what the behavior does;   a Small Web Format file (SWF; previously know as a ShockWave Flash file), which defines how the library file is applied.       
 
         [0057]    As a concrete example, a behavior to be applied to a zone may have as files:
       an XML with content ‘intro’, ‘sampling’, ‘130 bpm’;   a library file that is operable to play the first 10 seconds of every file of a playlist counting from the beginning of the sound wave on each file;   a SWF file in which each sequential file is played through a single sound channel that is different from the channel of the previous file.       
 
         [0061]    Behaviors can be defined to be standardly active in a zone, or to be activated in response to a trigger, as detailed below. Spatialization is another important element of behaviors. Examples of spatialization can be:
       to continuously change the volume of the sound channels for an area to create the impression that a playlist is moving around the zone;   use of a depth-sensing camera as a zone sensor, so that the front plane of the body of a human visitor is inferred, and then used in the spatial model of the application so that a sound is produced consistently behind the human participant;   use of a depth-sensing camera as a zone sensor, so that a same playlist follows a specific visitor around in all zones that the visitor visits; and   alternatively, by using a microphone as a zone sensor, the software application may use voice for the same effect as the 3D data above.       
 
         [0066]    Triggers are another layer of interactivity in the system. A trigger in place as part of the behavior of a zone implies that at least part of the behavior will only be active when the trigger is activated. 
         [0067]    As examples, a trigger can be any or a combination of:
       a motion detector, that triggers a playlist specific to a zone to be played for the duration of time that the motion detector detects motion;   a specific time of the day, triggering a specific playlist, or an alteration in sound, such as in volume, pitch or tempo, of the list within the time frame is altered;   the presence of a certain user, which can cause a behavior to be activated in the zone of the user or in a different zone;   a luminosity sensor outside walls, that conditions behaviors so that only behaviors with playlists above a certain tempo and pitch are played in one or more zones when the luminosity is above a defined threshold.       
 
         [0072]    The above are automatic triggers. Triggers can also be manual, voluntarily activated by a visitor, such as a switch labeled ‘more magic’ in a zone, that when flicked by a visitor in the zone triggers a random behavior in a random zone. 
         [0073]    The presently disclosed invention may be further understood through reference to the attached Appendix A. 
         [0074]    The disclosed embodiments vie to describe aspects of the disclosure in detail. 
         [0075]    Other aspects may be apparent to those skilled in the state-of-the-art that, whilst differing from the disclosed embodiments in detail, do not depart from this disclosure in spirit and scope.