Patent ID: 8315403

Claim:
A method of controlling directivity of an array loudspeaker apparatus having an array speaker comprising a plurality of speaker units arranged in an array for outputting a plurality of audio signals comprising an audio signal of a center channel, an audio signal of a first front left channel, an audio signal of a second front left channel, an audio signal of a first front right channel, an audio signal of a second front right channel, an audio signal of a surround left channel, and an audio signal of a surround right channel, wherein directivity of output of each of the audio signals from the array speaker is independently controllable by supplying each audio signal to each of the speaker units at a prescribed delay time, the method comprising the steps of: positioning the array speaker on a front side of a room having first and second side walls; outputting the audio signal of the center channel from the array speaker toward a listening position; outputting the audio signal of the first front left channel from the array speaker toward the listening position; outputting the audio signal of the second front left channel from the array speaker while controlling directivity thereof so that the output of the audio signal thereof is reflected off the first side wall and reaches the listening position; outputting the audio signal of the first front right channel from the array speaker toward the listening position; outputting the audio signal of the second front right channel from the array speaker while controlling directivity thereof so that the output of the audio signal thereof is reflected off the second side wall and reaches the listening position; outputting the audio signal of the surround left channel from the array speaker while controlling directivity thereof so that the output of the audio signal thereof is reflected off the first side wall and reaches the listening position; and outputting the audio signal of the surround right channel from the array speaker while controlling directivity thereof so that the output of the audio signal thereof is reflected off the second side wall and reaches the listening position.