Abstract:
A line array electroacoustical transducing system includes at least first and second line arrays detachably secured in electrical and mechanical coupling relationships. The assembly may be detachably secured to a base having an amplifier in electrical and mechanical coupling relationships.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a line array electroacoustical transducing and more particularly to a line array having a plurality of detachbly secured segments.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    A typical line array loudspeaker system comprises a plurality of vertically aligned loudspeaker drivers in a cabinet.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    According to the invention, a line array electroacoustical transducing system comprises at least first and second line arrays detachably secured in electrical and mechanical interconnecting relationships. The assembly may include an amplifier having an input for receiving audio electrical input signals and an output electrically coupled to said at least two line arrays. The amplifier may have a mechanical support that supports the interconnected at least first and second line arrays with a mating connector detachably secured to a mating connector of an adjacent line array that establishes mechanical and electrical coupling between the amplifier and the line array. The mating connectors may be constructed and arranged for self alignment when the at least first and second line arrays and amplifier are assembled. There may be a locking mechanism to secure the assembly. The amplifier may have signal processing means for processing signals delivered to its input. The signal processing means may comprise one or more of crossover filters, equalization circuitry, voltage limiting circuitry, dynamic range processing circuitry, dynamic equalization circuitry, volume circuitry and noise gating. The signal processor may comprise preset processing parameters selectable by a user.  
           [0004]    It is an important object of the invention to provide an improved line array electroacoustical transducing system.  
           [0005]    Other features, objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of a loudspeaker system in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 shows the front of a line array assembly;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 shows the rear of a line array assembly;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIGS. 4, 5,  6  and  7  depict various end caps of line arrays;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 8 shows an amplifier with a mechanical support and a mating connector;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 9 shows one embodiment of an amplifier in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of a locking mechanism which may be disposed within the amplifier;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment of a rear panel on the amplifier;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 12 shows a block circuit diagram of the system; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 13 depicts a remote control which may be used with the system. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    In FIG. 1, one embodiment of a portable loudspeaker system  100  is depicted comprising a line array assembly  102  and an amplifier  104 . Amplifier  104  may serve as a base mechanically supporting line array assembly  102  at connection  106 . Electrical connections between the line array and the amplifier may be disposed within connection  106 . In one embodiment, line array assembly  102  may be comprised of two line arrays  108  and  110 . In other embodiments, line array  102  may comprise a single line array, or it may comprise more than two line arrays. Line array  108  may connect with line array  110  mechanically and electrically at connection  112 . Line arrays  108  and  110  and amplifier  104  may be transported separately and assembled prior to use.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 shows line arrays  108  and  110 . Each of line arrays  108  and  110  may have drivers, a section of which is shown in cut-away  204 , disposed in substantially a line along the front of each array. One embodiment of each array may have, e.g., twelve drivers, and line array assembly  102  may thus comprise twenty-four drivers, each driver having a diameter, e.g. of less than three inches. The enclosure of each line array may be made from an aluminum extrusion, and the loudspeaker baffle may be a stamped aluminum part. Each loudspeaker baffle may also have a bass port in the center or other portion of the baffle. The extruded enclosure may be closed on both ends with injection molded plastic end caps  210 ,  212 ,  214 , and  216 . Each end cap may function to seal the acoustic enclosure by known methods, for example, by compression of a viscoelastic gasketing material. End cap  214  may house a mechanical locking mechanism, which along with bayonet  302  (FIG. 3) may function to secure line arrays  108  and  110  after assembly.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 shows the rear of line array assembly  102 . Bayonet  302  is a mechanical support which, in one embodiment, is permanently fixed to line array  108 , which may mate to corresponding slot  304  along the back of line array  108 . Alternatively, bayonet  302  may be fixed to line array  110  and may mate to a corresponding slot on line array  108 . Bayonet  302  may help to align the line arrays for assembly and to firmly connect the line arrays to prevent relative motion during use. Bayonet  302  may be of any durable construction, and may be, for example, a two-piece-insert-molded construction having a formed thick steel inner support with a polyoxymethylene plastic outer shell in the shape of the corresponding slot on line array  110 .  
         [0019]    Mating connectors may be used to permit the transmission of signals, which may be either electrical power (in AC or DC form) or information carrying signals (one example being an audio signal, as may be present at the output of an audio preamplifier or power amplifier), or both, from amplifier  104  to arrays  108  and  110 . With reference to FIGS. 4-8, mating connectors may be disposed within end caps  212 ,  214  and  216 , and within support  804 . End caps  212  and  214  may have disposed within them mating connectors  402  and  602 , while end cap  216  may have mating connector  702  which may mate with mating connector  802  disposed in support  804 . Signals may thus be supplied from amplifier  104  to line array  110 , and through line array  110  to line array  108 . Mating connectors  402 ,  602 ,  702  and  802  may be self-aligning to assure proper connections are made when the system is assembled. One or both elements of mating connector pairs  402  and  602 , or  702  and  802 , may be relatively mobile to permit alignment for a connection to be made, and they may have mechanical features which permit the alignment of the connectors when components are assembled. FIG. 4 shows the disposition of connector  402  in end cap  212 . When arrays  110  and  108  are assembled, connector  402  may mate with connector  602 , shown in FIG. 6. The use of mating connectors to connect loudspeakers is not limited to a particular embodiment of the invention, and many types of components may be connected in this manner, including any type of speaker and any type of amplifier. The individual components so connected may be independent speakers or amplifiers, or they may be parts of a system that may require assembly to function.  
         [0020]    To provide mechanical support to array  108 , bayonet  404  may slide into slot  604 , preventing relative motion during use. In addition, latch  606  may slide into slot  504  and may be secured by locking mechanism  406 , an embodiment of which is shown in FIG. 4. Locking latch  406  is provided with pressure by spring  408 , and may secure latch  606  when arrays  108  and  110  are assembled. For disassembly, release button  410  is provided along the exterior of end cap  212 , which, when depressed, provides mechanical force against spring  408  to release latch  406 .  
         [0021]    Structure  502 , which may be, for example, a steel plate or any structure of sufficiently durable construction, secures components  406 ,  408  and  410  of the locking mechanism. As end caps  212  and  214  are separated, mating connectors  402  and  602  may disengage.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of amplifier  104 , which comprises an enclosure  902 , having an upper half and a lower half. The enclosure halves may be of durable construction, such as injection-molded plastic housings. Enclosure  902  may also have a molded handle  904  to permit carrying during transport. The underside of the lower half may have elements that act as feet (not shown). The upper half may have a formed depression  906 , which may serve a number of functions, for example, the capture of spilled liquids. In one embodiment, depression  906  may hold up to one imperial pint of liquid.  
         [0023]    The upper half of enclosure  902  may have an integral mechanical support  804  which may mate with the lower portion of array  110 . Mechanical support  804  may also have mating connector  802  within which may mate with connector  702  in end cap  216 . Mechanical support  804  should be of sufficient durability to support line array assembly  102 , such as, for example, an aluminum die-cast structure. Disposed within enclosure  902  may be a locking mechanism which may secure line array  110  when it is fitted into mechanical support  804 . The upper half of enclosure  902  may also have foot-operated treadle  908  which may mechanically release the locking mechanism to permit the removal of line array  110 .  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 10 shows an interior view of the top half of enclosure  902 , showing mechanical support  804  and connector  802  (with internal electrical connections not shown). Locking assembly  1012 , comprising slide  1002 , spring  1004  and locking latch  1006  is disposed within amplifier enclosure  104  such that slide  1002  passes through pocket  1008  to communicate at one end with treadle  908 . Slide  1002  is in communication with locking latch  1006  at its opposite end. Spring  1004  provides sufficient force to locking latch  1006  to capture latches  704  and  706  as end cap  216  is inserted into mechanical support  804 . Mechanical support  802  is secured to the inner surface of the lower half of enclosure  902 , thus securing locking assembly  1012  within enclosure  902 .  
         [0025]    Mating connector  702  is disposed within end cap  216 , and may mate with connector  802  to permit the transmission of signals from amplifier  104  to array  110 . Signals may be any signals which may be transmitted from amplifier  104  to array  110 , e.g. the output of a power amplifier, or DC or AC power. When end cap  216  is inserted into mechanical support  804 , connectors  702  and  802  may self-align. Additionally, to mechanically secure array  110  within mechanical support  804 , latches  704  and  706  may be secured by locking latch  1006 . The interior surfaces of enclosure  902  may provide sufficient structure to secure the components of locking assembly  440 .  
         [0026]    For disassembly, treadle  908  is provided along the outer surface of the upper half of enclosure  902 , which, when depressed, provides mechanical force to slide  1002 . Slide  1002  in turn translates force to locking latch  1006 , which works against spring  1004  to release latches  704  and  706 . As end cap  216  is removed from mechanical support  406 , mating connectors  702  and  802  may disengage.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 9 shows rear panel  910 , which may be hinged along the rear of enclosure  902 , to cover and protect input/output panel  1100 . FIG. 11 shows input/output panel  1100 , which generally comprises controls and input/output ports disposed along the rear of enclosure  902 . Signal inputs may be provided to permit the introduction of signals into the system. In one embodiment, four channels of internally mixable signal inputs  1102 ,  1104 ,  1106 , and  1108  are provided, however, use of more or fewer channels is also contemplated. Signals may be introduced from any type of signal source, which may be a microphone, or a musical instrument, or any other digital or analog audio source. Channels  1102  and  1104  may have an XLR connector jack  1110  and a ¼″ TRS connectorjack  1112 . Signals received at each of these jacks may be handled differently by the system, eliminating the need for a “mic/line” switch. For example, if a ¼″ TRS connector is inserted into input  1112 , a signal may be sent to a line-level mixing circuit; however, if an XLR male connector is inserted into input  1110 , its signal may be sent to, for example, a high-quality microphone preamplifier with “trim” or level control  1114 , and may then be internally mixed. Additional controls  1116  may permit a user to select “phantom” power for use of the system with condenser and electret microphones. Indicators such as LED lights may be included to indicate both phantom “on” and signal present/signal overload conditions.  
         [0028]    The configuration of channels  1102  and  1104  may vary in embodiments to permit expanded functionality. In one embodiment, channels  1102  and  1104  may have separate, buffered, full-range XLRM outputs  1120 , to permit signals from channel  1102  or  1104  to be sent for direct recording. Channels  1102  and  1104  may also allow a user to patch typical outboard signal processing into the signal path through patch point  1122 , e.g., to include desired effects such as delay or reverberation. Alternatively, a channel may have simply one type of connector, as for example with channels  1106  and  1108 , which are depicted with only standard TRS jacks.  
         [0029]    I/O panel  1100  may also provide power amplifier outputs  1124  for the power amplifiers. Outputs  1124  may permit connections to be made in a number of known ways, such as providing for Neutrik NL4 Speakon connectors. If line array assembly  102  is assembled with amplifier  104 , power amplifiers may be used to drive the line array assembly; in one embodiment, some of power amplifier outputs  1124  may be temporarily disabled in such case. I/O panel  1100  may also include additional I/O ports. A “data out” channel  1126  may be provided to permit, for example, two-channel digital recording from the system. A “data in” channel  1128  may be provided to permit, for example, a means of updating system software. The I/O ports may be of known data jack formats, such as SPDIF, USB or EEE 1394. I/O panel  1100  may also include a power switch  1130  and an LED or similar indicator to indicate that power is provided to the system.  
         [0030]    In one embodiment, depicted in FIG. 12, amplifier  104  may contain three lightweight switching power amplifiers  1202 ,  1204 , and  1206 . When line array assembly  102  is not attached to amplifier  104  (which may be detected by some known electrical means, e.g. detection of an expected level of impedence  1208 ), amplifier  104  may be used as an auxiliary three-channel amplifier. Any analog or digital signal source may be used to introduce signals to amplifier  104  in such case. The power amplifiers may be used independently or with a specific common input  1210  which distributes any signal to all three power amplifiers. With the line array assembly attached, amplifiers  1202  and  1204  may be employed to drive the two line arrays. The remaining power amplifier  1206  may be used for any purpose, such as to drive an additional speaker, for example a peripheral bass module. This feature may permit a user with a means to, for example, drive additional bass modules connected with the system if more bass level is desired in a particular performance environment (such as with electronic drums, a disco or hip-hop musical playback, for use with bass guitar, and the like). Additionally, the power amplifiers may be for particular system requirements or configurations, such as, in one embodiment, for a 4 ohm load.  
         [0031]    Signal processing element  1212 , which is a digital signal processor in one embodiment, may be included in the system to provide any number of audio signal processing capabilities, for example, electronic crossover filters for high and low frequency system components, room equalization to compensate for the acoustics of a particular room or other space, voltage limiting for prevention of damage to the system due to excessive input levels, volume adjustment and noise gating.  
         [0032]    In one embodiment, channels  1102  and  1104  may include user-selectable presets  1214  having settings for, e.g., equalization filter parameters and noise-gate parameters. Examples of equalization filter parameters may be corner frequency (for low pass high pass, or all pass type filters), filter order, filter type (i.e., Bessel, Butterworth.) center frequency (for bandpass or band stop type filters), Q and gain. Other types of parameters for other filter types not explicitly mentioned are also contemplated, such as pole and zero real and imaginary parts, or frequencies and Q. Examples of noise gate parameters may be threshold, attack time, release time and gain. Presets  1214  may be determined for particular combinations of known equipment, such as microphones, musical instruments or sound processing equipment. For example, a preset may have a setting for an electric guitar that cuts signals above 5 KHz, and below 80 Hz. Other presets may be for combinations of specific instrument, microphone, and speaker, such as a Martin D45 acoustic guitar with an AKG 414 microphone at the sound hole, and a Shure Beta 58 used with the line array assembly. Other presets may be for combinations of specific instruments and speakers. Other possible presets include dynamic equalization, dynamic range processing, or any other known audio signal processing which may be varied. Examples of dymanic equalization parameters may be center frequency of equalization, and amount of boost applied as a function of signal level. Examples of dynamic range parameters may be amount of compression, thresholds for when compression occurs, attack and release times, or any other known adjustable parameter. Additionally, noise gate parameters may be defeatable so that a user may disable the feature as desired. On the other hand, channels  1106  and  1108 , corresponding to inputs  1220  and  1222  may, for example, accept line level signals via TRS ¼″ connectors, and may be directed into the system with no preset equalization. Presets may be modified by a user, and may be transferred into and out of the system through I/O data ports  1126  and  1128 . This feature may permit users share modified presets.  
         [0033]    In the embodiment described above, the four inputs may permit a singer or instrumentalist to amplify a wide variety of musical, speech or recorded signals without additional equipment. If a performer desires more inputs or more comprehensive signal processing, a known mixer or signal processing equipment may be inserted into a channel or mixed via any of the four inputs.  
         [0034]    Remote control  1300  may be provided with the system, an example of which is depicted in FIG. 13. Remote control  1300  may comprise electronics and controllers to permit a user to control and modify amplifier and channel settings, for example, to permit a user to adjust the system for specific performance locations. The remote may communicate with amplifier  104  by means of a physical connection, such as a 5 pin DIN/MIDI connector/cable assembly, or through a wireless means, such as IR or radio transmission. Features of remote  1300  may also include controllers to permit the adjustment of any system setting, e.g., channel level, high-, mid- and low-frequency equalization controls  1302 ,  1304  and  1306 , channel clip/signal present 2-color LED  1306 , and a master level control  1310 . Controls may also be provided which permit adjustment or selection of presets or any other system parameters.  
         [0035]    As described above, the system may also permit use with a bass module. An example of a suitable bass unit is the Panaray® MB4 modular bass loudspeaker available from Bose Corporation. In an embodiment, one or two bass modules may be connected with amplifier  104  and used with system  100 . In an embodiment, total system bass output may be limited in the case of the use of a single bass module, and may require line array assembly  102  to be operated at approximately 6 dB lower output to match the bass output. Such output matching may be performed automatically, triggered by electrical sensing  1224  of bass modules connected to amplifier  104  similar to the sensing of the line array assembly. The limiting threshold for the system may change depending on the number of sensed bass modules. For example, the limiting threshold may be set lower if one bass module is detected, and may be increased if two bass modules are detected. Bass modules may communicate with amplifier  104  in any number of known ways, for example, via a Neutrik NL4/Speakon connector.  
         [0036]    There has been described novel apparatus and techniques for linear array electroacoustical transducing. It is evident that those skilled in the art may now make numerous uses and modifications of and departures from the specific apparatus and techniques herein described without departing from the inventive concepts. Consequently, the invention is to be construed as embracing each and every novel feature and novel combination of features present in or possessed by the apparatus and techniques herein disclosed and limited solely by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.