Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US8073156?dq=patent:6144888
Timestamp: 2017-11-24 10:00:05
Document Index: 54683031

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 60', 'Application No. 60', 'Application No. 2', 'Application No. 200580000128', 'Application No. 05', 'Application No. 10', 'Application No. 10']

Patent US8073156 - Vehicle loudspeaker array - Google Patents
An audio processing system for a vehicle includes a plurality of loudspeakers positioned to form a single line array. The loudspeaker line array is positionable in a vehicle on a dashboard of the vehicle substantially at the convergence of the dashboard and a window of the vehicle. When the loudspeaker...http://www.google.com/patents/US8073156?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US8073156 - Vehicle loudspeaker array
Publication number US8073156 B2
Application number US 11/133,846
Also published as CA2515281A1, CA2515281C, CN1778141A, CN1778141B, EP1634479A1, EP1634479B1, US20050259831, WO2005115050A1
Publication number 11133846, 133846, US 8073156 B2, US 8073156B2, US-B2-8073156, US8073156 B2, US8073156B2
Inventors Steven W. Hutt, D. Broadus Keele, Jr.
Patent Citations (30), Non-Patent Citations (9), Referenced by (14), Classifications (18), Legal Events (6)
US 8073156 B2
An audio processing system for a vehicle includes a plurality of loudspeakers positioned to form a single line array. The loudspeaker line array is positionable in a vehicle on a dashboard of the vehicle substantially at the convergence of the dashboard and a window of the vehicle. When the loudspeaker line array is driven by an audio signal, a vertically and horizontally focused and narrowed sound pattern is perceived by a listener in the vehicle. The sound pattern is the result of the constructive combination of the direct sound impulses and the reflected sound impulses produced by each loudspeaker in the array. Using delay, attenuation and phase adjustment of the audio signal, the sound pattern may be controlled, limited, and directed to one or more locations in the vehicle.
26. The audio system of claim 23, where a distance between the at least four loudspeakers and the window is determined so that a phase difference between the first direct sound impulse and the reflected sound impulse is less than 90 degrees.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/572,366, filed May 19, 2004. The entire disclosure of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/572,366 is incorporated herein by reference.
This invention provides a loudspeaker array in a vehicle. The loudspeaker array may be operated in a vehicle with an audio system that includes the array of transducers and associated amplifier(s) to create single, stereo, or multi-channel sound field images for listeners positioned in the vehicle. The transducer array may be composed of a plurality of wideband miniature loudspeakers that may be located at the intersection of a window in the vehicle, such as the windshield, and a horizontal shelf or dashboard positioned in a vehicle, such as an instrument panel dashboard. In other words, the array of loudspeakers may be positioned substantially at the convergence of the window and the dashboard.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle that includes an audio system 100. In the illustrated example, the vehicle is a passenger automobile, although other types of vehicles, such as trucks, buses, boats, motorcycles, and airplanes are possible in other examples. While a particular example configuration is shown, other configurations may be used including those with fewer or additional audio system components. The audio system 100 includes a single line loudspeaker line array 102 and an audio processing system 104.
The zoned audio may be limited by bandwidth limitations that limit the coverage pattern control range by the ratio of array dimensions vs. wavelength. An illustrative example of such zoned audio would be the capability of listening to two talk radio shows in two different seats in a vehicle at the same time, without acoustic overlap. This would provide individual audio privacy, as if the listeners were wearing headphones. The capability to create zoned audio and null zones, may also greatly contribute to hands-free telephone communication. For example, zoned audio may provide passenger privacy from the conversation of the driver with a third party in a hands-free telephone conversation. The privacy may be enabled by the driver upon receiving an incoming telephone call by enabling a “privacy mode” using zoned audio and null zones.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram cutaway view of a portion of the vehicle illustrated in FIG. 1 that includes the instrument panel dashboard 110, the windshield 120 and one of the loudspeakers 106 of the loudspeaker line array 102. For purposes of clarity, only one loudspeaker 106 of the loudspeaker line array 102 is illustrated, however all the loudspeakers 106 in the loudspeaker array may be similarly illustrated and described. The loudspeaker 106 is strategically positioned between the defroster vent 118 and a point of intersection 202 of the instrument panel dashboard 110 and the windshield 120. In the illustrated example, the loudspeaker 106 is spaced away from the intersection point 202 by a predetermined distance “X.” As described later, the loudspeaker 106 may be positioned in close proximity to the point of intersection 202 to achieve desirable vertically widened pattern coverage while providing vertical narrowing of the sound field perceived by a listener. Accordingly, the predetermined distance “X” may be as small as possible and can be only that amount of distance required to accommodate the physical dimensions of the loudspeaker 106.
The virtual loudspeaker 210 may provide the reflected sound impulses 206 at a vertical distance “Y” above the instrument panel dashboard 110. The vertical distance is based on the distance between the front surface of the loudspeaker 106 and the surface of the windshield 120. In addition, the vertical distance is due to the angle (θ) of the windshield 120, such as 30 degrees, 35 degrees, 40 degrees, 45 degrees and 50 degrees. Due to the reflection, the path of the reflected sound impulses 206 is slightly longer than the path of the direct sound impulses 204. In other words, there can be some phase difference between the direct sound impulses 204 and the reflected sound impulses 206.
Minimization of the phase difference allows the direct sound impulses 204 a and the reflected sound impulses 206 from the same loudspeaker 106 to be constructively combined substantially in phase to form a perceived single sound source. “Substantially in phase” is defined as a phase shift between frequencies that is less than 90 degrees between about 100 Hz and about 10 kHz. The perceived single sound source also creates the perception by a listener of a resulting vertical sound field that is narrowed and focused due to the relatively close proximity of the loudspeaker 106 and the virtual loudspeaker 210. Due to the combination of the direct and reflected sound impulses 204 and 206, however, the vertical coverage is actually widened. Accordingly, variations in listener height with respect to the loudspeaker line array still provides the perceived effect of a narrowed, focused and well-defined vertical sound field.
Each of the loudspeakers 106 in the loudspeaker line array 102 may constructively combine the direct sound impulses 204 a of the loudspeaker 106 with reflected sound impulses 206 of the same loudspeaker 106. Thus, the magnitude of the direct and reflected sound is substantially similar. “Constructive combination” of impulses is defined as the combination of two sound waves to form a sound wave with a frequency response deviation that averages less than +/−5 dB between about 100 Hz and about 10 kHz.
As a result of the combination of “two” audio sources (the actual and virtual loudspeakers), the sensitivity and the sound output may be doubled in magnitude. Due to the close proximity of the angled sound reflective surface of the windshield 120, the vertical sound coverage is widened, while a perceived sound field is a vertically narrowed, sharp, well-defined image. In addition, due to the single line loudspeaker array configuration, the perceived sound image is also horizontally sharp. Accordingly, the resulting coverage pattern produced by the loudspeaker line array 102 is a sound field perceived by a listener to be narrowed and focused both vertically and laterally. Due to the vertically and laterally focused sound field, imaging and perception of sound images produced by the loudspeaker line array 102 may be extremely sharp, clear, well defined, and of a finite size.
The loudspeaker line array 302 may also be configured to provide sound field management for each of one or more occupants in the vehicle. For example, the loudspeaker line array 302 may be configured to produce a privacy zone for a particular seat location in a vehicle. The privacy zone may be created using a portion of the loudspeaker line array 302 to aim desired audio content at a desired location, and using another portion of the loudspeaker line array 302 to aim inverted audio content to cancel sound “leaking” from around the desired location. This may be referred to as a null zone. The inverted audio content may also be further delayed, in addition to aiming, to effectively cancel the “leaking” sound.
For example, when a first vehicle occupant is listening to a talk show while a second vehicle occupant receives navigation directions, the audio content of the navigation directions in the sound field of the first occupant may be cancelled by the inverted sound field of the navigation directions. Similarly, the audio content of the talk show may be inverted and aimed into the second occupant's sound field to cancel “leakage” from the sound field of the first occupant. Accordingly, by aiming audio content with selected drivers in the loudspeaker line array 302, sound cancellation may be maximized. Such precise aiming and coverage pattern-ability is made possible by the vertically and laterally narrowed and focused perceived beam of sound produced by the loudspeaker line array 302. Not only is substantially precise cancellation possible, but minimization of cross talk due to the cross talk cancellation also maximizes the privacy of the privacy zone(s).
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U.S. Classification 381/86, 381/389, 381/302, 381/160
International Classification H04R1/26, H04R25/00, H04B1/00, H04R5/02, H04R1/40, H04R1/34
Cooperative Classification H04R1/345, H04R2499/13, H04R1/403, H04R5/02, H04R1/26
European Classification H04R1/40B, H04R5/02, H04R1/34C
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:HUTT, STEVEN W.;KEELE, D. BROADUS, JR.;REEL/FRAME:016517/0701