Apple could manipulate traditional speakers into creating sound that appears to come from somewhere else, such as one from around a MacBook user instead of at the keyboard, to give a better audio experience.
Apple is continuing to work on improving sound quality from speakers, in particular those on MacBook Pro laptops or similar. In a new patent filing, the company describes how an audio track can be processed in such a way that it appears to be coming from “elsewhere in an indoor outdoor space [rather] than directly from a loudspeaker.”
“Audio signal processing for virtual acoustics can greatly enhance a movie, a sports even, a videogame or other screen viewing experience, adding to the feeling of “being there,” says Apple in US patent application number 10,524,080, entitled “System to move a virtual sound away from a listener using a crosstalk canceler.”
“Various known audio processing algorithms, executed by digital processors, modify one or more recorded, synthesized, mixed or otherwise produced digital audio signals,” it continues, “in such a way as to position a virtual source according to modeling that is based on human perception of sound, including the role of ear acoustics, other reflecting and absorbing surfaces, distance and angle of source, and other factors.”
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