Pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system

A smart phone with an application for electronically photographing a section of a patterned ceiling along with a color and grayscale calibration template surrounding the small speaker system installation site, storing the image, uploading the image to a computer that has color correction software, correcting the color of the image, and printing the image on a steel ring and a steel disc for magnetic attachment to a diffuser of a small ceiling speaker system.

FIELD OF ART

The present invention relates to a system for recording patterns found on ceilings at installation points for the small speaker systems of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 15/902,446 and 15/710,654. The present invention particularly relates to a smart phone with an application for electronically photographing a section of a patterned ceiling and a color and grayscale calibration template, storing the image, uploading the image to a computer that has color correction software, correcting the color of the image, and printing the image on a ring and a disc for magnetic attachment to a diffuser of a small speaker system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ceiling-mounted speakers are frequently used in office complexes and schools. While a variety of audio systems above the ceiling have been developed, the appearance of ceiling speakers has not changed in decades. While size may vary, typical ceiling speakers still look, from the point of view of people in the room below the ceiling, the same as they have for decades: a frame surrounding a speaker grill. This monotony limits the options of architects and interior designers in creating comfortable spaces. Applicant has filed patent applications for a number of aspects of a “strategically hidden loudspeaker system” (hereinafter “SHS”) and recognizes a need for a system for reliably recording a ceiling pattern despite varying color influences from various types of illumination at a worksite.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To solve that problem, applicant discloses a smart phone with an application for electronically photographing a section of a patterned ceiling along with a color and grayscale calibration template surrounding the installation site, storing the image, uploading the image to a computer that has color correction software, correcting the color of the image, and printing the image on a steel ring and a steel disc for magnetic attachment to a diffuser of a small ceiling speaker system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As used and defined herein directional words such as “down,” “downward,” “up”, “upper,” “top”, “bottom”, etc. are referenced to the operational orientation of the invention. As used and defined herein, “printed”, and its derivative words, refers to a physical layer of one or more colorants on at least a portion of a surface.

FIG. 1is a diagrammatic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the apparatus of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The smart phone with a photographic application102, including a camera602(seeFIG. 6) will be discussed in greater detail below. Any phone smart enough to take twelve-megapixel photographs or better, and which can transfer data over the internet, is smart enough to be smart phone102. The color and greyscale calibration template104surrounds the ceiling area808(seeFIG. 8) designated for the SHS installation as will be discussed in detail in regard toFIG. 7andFIG. 8. The electronic photographic image106includes the color and greyscale calibration template104and the ceiling area808(seeFIG. 8), as will be discussed in more detail in regard toFIG. 8. The computer108with a color correction program616(seeFIG. 6) may be any computer capable of receiving uploaded data and having in permanent memory the software616for performing color correction. A color-corrected image110of the installation area is stored in the computer108until it is sent to the printer112which is specially adapted for printing on steel. A steel disc122having the diameter of the diffuser element1206is provided to the printer, as is an annular steel ring124having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of rim1308on acoustic channel interface1208and an outer diameter equal to the diameter of flange1312on acoustic channel interface1208. The result of the printing is typically a printed steel disc114and a printed steel ring115, each having an appropriate portion of the color-corrected image110. The printed steel disc114and the printed steel ring115are magnetically attached to diffuser116and installed on a small ceiling speaker118to form an SHS120.

FIG. 2is a diagrammatic view illustrating the exemplary embodiment of the method200of use of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In step202, the position for the placement of the SHS is determined, usually as part of a larger facility acoustic plan. Once the position has been determined, and adhesively-backed color and greyscale calibration template104is adhered to the ceiling802(seeFIG. 8) in step204. In step206, the template104and the ceiling802proximate the template104is electronically photographed. The electronic photograph is uploaded to a computer108with color correction software616, and the colors are corrected in step208. In step210, the corrected image is printed on disc122to make printed disc114and the corrected image is printed on ring124to make printed ring115. In step212, the Small ceiling speaker system118is installed in ceiling802(seeFIGS. 2, 8, 14, and 15). In step214the printed ring115is magnetically attached to the bottom surface1304(seeFIG. 13) using magnets1302that are preferably flush mounted in flange1312. In step216, the diffuser element1206is installed in acoustic interface1208(seeFIG. 12) and adjusted to a predetermined acoustic port size, according to the facility acoustic plan. Printed ring115is rotated into alignment with the ceiling pattern804(seeFIG. 8) in step218. In step220, printed disc114is magnetically attached to the bottom of diffuser element1206using magnets1306. In step222, printed disc114is rotated to align with the pattern on printed ring115.

FIG. 3is a front diagrammatic view illustrating the exemplary embodiment of a first smart phone screen304of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. First screen304presents a plurality of various icons308(one of sixteen labeled) and an icon306for initiating photographic recording of a ceiling pattern804and a color calibration template104.

FIG. 4is a front diagrammatic view illustrating the exemplary embodiment of a second smart phone screen404of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Responsive controls402and404give the user the option of proceeding with obtaining a photograph402or reviewing previous images to see if one is appropriate.

FIG. 5is a front diagrammatic view illustrating the exemplary embodiment of a third smart phone screen504of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Responsive controls502and504give the user the option of proceeding with making a new photograph502or uploading previous images to computer108for processing.

FIG. 6is a diagrammatic view illustrating the exemplary embodiment of exemplary data paths of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The smart phone102, by definition, has an integral camera602; photo storage604that receives data from the camera602; and a transceiver614for transmitting and receiving data, such as electronic images106of the template104and the ceiling802proximate thereto. Uniquely, smart phone102has a software application606, or program606, that includes step-by-step instructions610(seeFIGS. 3-5) for the pattern recording process and receives user input through responsive controls612. One responsive control502data path618is to click the shutter on the camera602. Transceiver614receives data from photo storage604, responsive to control506. Electronic images106are sent to computer108, are processed by the color correction software616. Color corrected images110are sent to the printer112.

FIG. 7is a bottom plan view illustrating the exemplary embodiment of an exemplary color calibration template104of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Template104has a central opening702through which ceiling portion808(seeFIG. 8) may be seen and photographed206. Greyscale references704(one of five labeled) enable greyscale correction. Red, green, blue (RGB) references708(one of three labeled) provide an additive color scheme for correcting colors. Cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) provides a subtractive color scheme for correcting colors, which is preferred for printing. The template104also acts to capture the photo at the correct scale, the circular opening702and squared lines710(one of eight labeled) aid in cropping the image at a 1:1 size so it prints correctly. Template104preferably has a releasable adhesive on its back surface.

FIG. 8is a bottom plan view illustrating the exemplary embodiment of a fourth screen810of the application606showing the exemplary color calibration template104pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1installed on a ceiling802and being photographed, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The template104is shown trough camera602adhered to ceiling802with a ceiling portion808, an inner circular portion of which will be cut out to install the Small ceiling speaker system118. Ceiling802has a pattern804and a portion806of that pattern is within circular opening702. The rectangular grid lines812in the illustration do not represent ceiling tile boundaries, but are optical guides812created by application606that may distort when the camera602is not facing straight up.

FIG. 9is a diagrammatic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a recording step206of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Smart phone102with application606is used to photograph the template104and ceiling802within boundary902

FIG. 10is a plan view illustrating an exemplary photograph106produced by the exemplary embodiment of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The photograph106has captured an image1004of the pattern804, an image1002of the ceiling portion808, and an image1006of the template104.

FIG. 11Ais a bottom plan view illustrating an exemplary printed steel disc114of the exemplary embodiment of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The entire bottom surface of printed steel disc114is printed, including a portion1102of the pattern806. Printed steel disc114has a larger diameter than opening1110(seeFIG. 11B) in printed ring115.

FIG. 11Bis a bottom plan view illustrating an exemplary printed steel ring115of the exemplary embodiment of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The entire bottom surface1108of printed steel ring115is printed, including a portion1106of the pattern806.

FIG. 12is an exploded perspective diagrammatic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the printing and assembly process of the exemplary embodiment of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Printer112is specially adapted for printing on metal discs122and rings124. Printer112prints the color-corrected image on the steel ring124and the steel disc122. While steel is a preferred material for rings124and discs122, various other magnetically attracted materials may be used in respective various embodiments. Small ceiling speaker system118, shown upside down, has an acoustic channel shell (not visible in this view) extending through a bottom opening to slidingly engage and threadingly retain diffuser116.

FIG. 13is an exploded bottom perspective view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a diffuser and printed steel of the exemplary embodiment of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Printed ring115must be installed on the annular flange1312(seeFIG. 13) of the acoustic channel interface1208before of diffuser element1206is attached to the acoustic channel interface. Annular bottom flange1312has a bottom surface1304in which three magnets1302(one of three labeled) are flush mounted to magnetically attach printed steel ring115. Diffuser element1206supports three magnets1306to magnetically attach printed steel disc114.

FIG. 14is a diagrammatic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the installation process of the patterned diffuser114,1206,115, and1208of the exemplary embodiment of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Small ceiling speaker system118is shown above ceiling802with acoustic channel shell1404extended to fit through ceiling hole1402and receive acoustic channel interface1208. Printed ring115is aligned to attached to rim1312of acoustic channel interface1208. Diffuser element1206is positioned to attach to acoustic channel interface1208.

FIG. 15is a diagrammatic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the installed SHS120produced by the exemplary embodiment of the pattern recorder for strategically hidden speakers system100ofFIG. 1, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The SHS120blends in with the pattern804of the ceiling802. Pattern804is simplified for purposes of illustration. SHS120works on very complex patterns, such as murals and frescos.