| CPC G06F 3/165 (2013.01) [G10L 25/51 (2013.01); H04R 29/001 (2013.01); H04R 2430/01 (2013.01); H04R 2499/13 (2013.01)] | 27 Claims | 

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               1. An apparatus comprising: 
            a controller configured to determine a sound control pattern based on an audio input to be heard in a personal sound zone, environment information, and monitoring information, wherein the environment information comprises information corresponding to an environment including the personal sound zone, wherein the monitoring information comprises a plurality of monitoring inputs representing sound at a plurality of monitoring locations, which are defined within the personal sound zone, wherein the sound control pattern comprises a plurality of sound control signals configured to drive a plurality of acoustic transducers such that the audio input is be heard in the personal sound zone, wherein the sound control pattern is configured to focus the audio input towards the personal sound zone, wherein the controller is configured to determine the sound control pattern such that the audio input is to be heard in the personal sound zone with a first sound intensity, and such that the audio input is not to be heard with more than a second sound intensity outside the personal sound zone, wherein the second sound intensity is less than the first sound intensity; and 
                an output to output the plurality of sound control signals to the plurality of acoustic transducers. 
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