Directional speaker system and method
First Claim
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1. A directional loudspeaker system comprising:
- a plurality of loudspeakers configured to generate N directional audio signals, wherein the N directional audio signals are such that at least one directional audio signal of the N directional audio signals has a delay with respect to at least one other directional audio signal, wherein N is an integer equal or greater than 2, wherein the N directional audio signals comprise sound waves having a common frequency in an audible frequency spectrum, wherein the plurality of loudspeakers are configured to focus the N directional audio signals at a first location, and wherein the plurality of loudspeakers are spatially separated from one another;
a time-of-flight sensor arrangement comprising a plurality of optical time-of-flight sensors, wherein each of the plurality of loudspeakers includes one of the plurality of optical time-of-flight sensors, wherein the plurality of optical time-of-flight sensors is configured to measure a plurality of distance values comprising respective distance values measured from the first location to each of the plurality of loudspeakers; and
a controller configured to use the plurality of distance values from the time-of-flight sensor arrangement to determine N−
1 delays by subtracting a result of dividing a difference between pairs of distance values by a speed of sound from an inverse of the common frequency such that the N directional audio signals constructively interfere at the first location, wherein the constructive interference generates an audio signal having an amplitude greater than the N directional audio signals and the common frequency.
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Abstract
A directional loudspeaker system has a loudspeaker arrangement configured to generate N audio signals. A time-of-flight sensor arrangement is configured to detect a location of a user. A controller is configured to use information from the time-of-flight sensor arrangement about the location of the user to control the delay such that the N audio signals constructively interfere at the location of the user.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A directional loudspeaker system comprising:
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a plurality of loudspeakers configured to generate N directional audio signals, wherein the N directional audio signals are such that at least one directional audio signal of the N directional audio signals has a delay with respect to at least one other directional audio signal, wherein N is an integer equal or greater than 2, wherein the N directional audio signals comprise sound waves having a common frequency in an audible frequency spectrum, wherein the plurality of loudspeakers are configured to focus the N directional audio signals at a first location, and wherein the plurality of loudspeakers are spatially separated from one another; a time-of-flight sensor arrangement comprising a plurality of optical time-of-flight sensors, wherein each of the plurality of loudspeakers includes one of the plurality of optical time-of-flight sensors, wherein the plurality of optical time-of-flight sensors is configured to measure a plurality of distance values comprising respective distance values measured from the first location to each of the plurality of loudspeakers; and a controller configured to use the plurality of distance values from the time-of-flight sensor arrangement to determine N−
1 delays by subtracting a result of dividing a difference between pairs of distance values by a speed of sound from an inverse of the common frequency such that the N directional audio signals constructively interfere at the first location, wherein the constructive interference generates an audio signal having an amplitude greater than the N directional audio signals and the common frequency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A directional loudspeaker method comprising:
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determining a plurality of distance values comprising respective distance values measured from a first location to each of a plurality of optical time-of-flight sensors using a time-of-flight sensor arrangement comprising the plurality of optical time-of-flight sensors, wherein each of the plurality of optical time-of-flight sensors is configured to measure a time-of-flight information between itself and the first location; using the plurality of distance values from the time-of-flight sensor arrangement, for each of N directional audio signals comprising sound waves having a common frequency, determining N−
1 delays by subtracting a result of dividing a difference between pairs of distance values by a speed of sound from an inverse of the common frequency, wherein N is an integer equal or greater than 2;transmitting the N directional audio signals having a common frequency in an audible frequency spectrum towards the first location, wherein the N directional audio signals are such that each audio directional signal of the N directional audio signals has one of the N−
1 delays with respect to at least one other, and wherein each of the N transmitted directional audio signals are transmitted from spatially separated locations; andat the first location, the delay causing generation of an audio signal having an amplitude greater than the N directional audio signals and the common frequency. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A directional loudspeaker system comprising:
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a first directional loudspeaker configured to directionally transmit a first sub-audible sound wave in an audible frequency spectrum from a first location towards a second location; a second directional loudspeaker configured to directionally transmit a second sub-audible sound wave in the audible frequency spectrum from a third location towards the second location, wherein the first location and the third location are spatially separated; a first optical time-of-flight sensor configured to determine a first distance between the first location and the second location; a second optical time-of-flight sensor configured to determine a second distance between the third location and the second location, the first distance being different from the second distance; and a controller configured to generate a phase difference between the first sub-audible sound wave and the second sub-audible sound wave that are being emitted so that the first sub-audible sound wave and the second sub-audible sound wave constructively interfere at the second location using a difference between the first distance and the second distance, wherein the constructive interference generates an audio signal having an amplitude greater than the first sub-audible sound wave and the second sub-audible sound wave. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of transmitting audio, the method comprising:
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determining a first distance between a first speaker position and a first hearing position using a first optical sensor at the first speaker position; determining a second distance between the first speaker position and a second hearing position using the first optical sensor at the first speaker position; determining a third distance between a second speaker position and the first hearing position using a second optical sensor at the second speaker position; determining a fourth distance between the second speaker position and the second hearing position using the second optical sensor at the second speaker position; directionally transmitting a first sub-audible audio signal from a first speaker location to a first hearing position; directionally transmitting a second sub-audible audio signal from the first speaker location to a second hearing position; based on a difference between the first and the third distances, directionally transmitting a third sub-audible audio signal from a second speaker location to the first hearing position, wherein the first sub-audible audio signal and the third sub-audible audio signal have a first frequency, wherein the first sub-audible audio signal and the third sub-audible audio signal constructively interfere at the first hearing position, wherein the constructive interference at the first hearing position generates a first audible audio signal having an amplitude greater than the first and the third sub-audible audio signals and the first frequency; and based on a difference between the second and the fourth distances, directionally transmitting a fourth sub-audible audio signal from the second speaker location to the second hearing position, wherein the second sub-audible audio signal and the fourth sub-audible audio signal have a second frequency, wherein the second sub-audible audio signal and the fourth sub-audible audio signal constructively interfere at the second hearing position wherein the constructive interference at the second hearing position generates a second audible audio signal having an amplitude greater than the second and the fourth sub-audible audio signals and the second frequency. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification