Is Apple still working with Sony on a next wave home theater/audio system?

Posted by Dennis Sellers Mar 30, 2006 at 3:19pm

It was revealed yesterday that Apple filed an EU patent application titled “Audio system, loudspeaker and method of operation thereof,” and there appears to be a connection to Sony. I mentioned in yesterday’s report that the EU patent included a number of accompanying documents. One such document was that of Sony’s patent JP11331999 which dates back to 1999. It included this graphic figure (as illustrated), resembling one of Apple’s patent figures. It also included the following verbiage:

Problem & solution

Problem: To provide a device for setting automatically a listening position of an audio equipment where the time base and sound volume of each speaker are adjusted automatically, accurately and quickly.

Solution: The audio equipment 10 is provided with an adjustment section 12 that adjusts a time base and a sound volume of pluralities of speakers 21L, 21R, 22L, 22R of the audio equipment 10, an ultrasonic wave speaker 15 that is placed in the vicinity of the adjustment section 12 and generates a measurement use ultrasonic wave signal, measurement sections 14a, 14b that receive a test tone sounded sequentially from each speaker driven by the adjustment section 12 and an ultrasonic wave signal from the ultrasonic wave speaker 15 and convert them into electric signals, and a transmission section 14 that sends the electric signals from the measurement sections 14a, 14b to the adjustment section 12. The adjustment section 12 obtains a listening position from the electric signal received from the transmission section 14 and controls the audio equipment 10 corresponding to the listening position to adjust the time base and the sound volume of the audio signal so that the sounds from the speakers at the listening position are optimized.

Is Apple still working with Sony?

Being that Sony’s patent document was associated with yesterday’s Apple patent, the obvious question becomes, is Apple still working with Sony?

During Steve Jobs keynote at MacWorld 2005, he introduced the then president of Sony, Kunitake Ando, by saying that he was going “to talk about the collaboration between Sony and Apple, to make this the year of High Definition Video.”

Sony’s president made a few notable comments of his own back then worth reviewing, as follows:

° “because together we could really, with the great software and hardware products, we could really revolutionize the way we enjoy video at home.”

° “Sony is a great primary supplier of HD equipment for the broadcasters.”

° “We recognize the fact that the great quality software is the glue which puts together all the pieces and make the great value of the hardware.”

° So, strategically it’s very important for Sony to work with Apple who creates the great applications which works seamlessly with all the Sony products. And just all the great software that you just introduced—Just do that. On the Mac Platform—yes.”

° …we should together we’ll really create this great HD world and everything – right?” Steve Jobs dashed in with, “We’re in.”

Steve Jobs ended that segment of his keynote with the simple words of “And who knows, maybe someday computers and music too.”

To make things even more interesting, whilst remaining in context, is the fact that just a month ago during Apple’s introduction of their new iPod Hi-Fi, Steve Jobs presented a slide of a next generation digital TV. Whose TV was he presenting in that slide? Yes, of course, a Sony Bravia. C/NET was also able to capture a photo of the iPod Hi-Fi beside a Sony Bravia and the new Intel Mac Mini. Hmm, looks like Apple sure went out their way to plug Sony’s Bravia, don’t you agree. Yes, of course.

With Apple’s ongoing marketing strategy zigzagging into high gear to keep the competition off kilter, perhaps that seemingly fallout between Apple and Sony over the CELL processor was just one of those crazy “zags,” like Apple’s leap to the Intel processor was. So maybe Steve Jobs’ statement about Sony and Apple someday collaborating on “computers and music too,” is still very much on track – after all. Yes, computers and music too, as Apple’s patent may have suggested.

Perhaps Apple and Sony “could really revolutionize the way we enjoy video at home,” as Kunitake Ando once exuberantly expressed. Yes, that would really be something to behold now wouldn’t it!

If you have an opinion on this either way, then email me at neo@macsimumnews.com

Cheers!

Note: C/NET Video

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