Patent ID: 7194094
Filing Date: 2007-03-20
Classification: G10K,H04K,H04R

Abstract:
1. A direct field sound masking system for providing a direct path sound masking signal to the ears of a listener in a predetermined area of a building, said predetermined area including a ceiling and a floor, said system comprising: a sound masking signal generator comprising a plurality of stored sets of information and operative to provide two or more signal channels of mutually incoherent electrical sound masking signals; and a plurality of loudspeaker assemblies, each loudspeaker assembly comprising an input coupled to said masking signal generator to receive the electrical sound masking signal from one channel of said generator, wherein each of the plurality of loudspeaker assemblies is operative to emit an acoustic sound masking signal corresponding to said electrical sound masking signal, wherein each of the loudspeaker assemblies has a low directivity index, and wherein each of the plurality of loudspeaker assemblies is constructed and oriented to provide the acoustic sound masking signal in a direct path to the ears of said listener in said predetermined area.