Parametric audio system
First Claim
1. A parametric audio system for generating at least one airborne audio beam, comprising:
- at least one audio signal source configured to provide at least one audio signal;
a modulator configured to receive a first signal representative of the audio signal and to convert the first signal into ultrasonic frequencies; and
an acoustic transducer array including at least one acoustic transducer, the array being configured to receive the converted first signal and to project the converted first signal through the air along a selected path, thereby regenerating the audio signal along at least a portion of the selected path, wherein the acoustic transducer array has a bandwidth greater than 5 kHz.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A parametric audio system having increased bandwidth for generating airborne audio signals with reduced distortion. The parametric audio system includes a modulator for modulating an ultrasonic carrier signal with a processed audio signal, a driver amplifier for amplifying the modulated carrier signal, and an array of acoustic transducers for projecting the modulated and amplified carrier signal through the air along a selected projection path to regenerate the audio signal. Each of the acoustic transducers in the array is a membrane-type transducer. Further, the acoustic transducer array is a phased array capable of electronically steering, focusing, or shaping one or more audio beams.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A parametric audio system for generating at least one airborne audio beam, comprising:
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at least one audio signal source configured to provide at least one audio signal;
a modulator configured to receive a first signal representative of the audio signal and to convert the first signal into ultrasonic frequencies; and
an acoustic transducer array including at least one acoustic transducer, the array being configured to receive the converted first signal and to project the converted first signal through the air along a selected path, thereby regenerating the audio signal along at least a portion of the selected path, wherein the acoustic transducer array has a bandwidth greater than 5 kHz. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A parametric audio system for generating at least one airborne audio beam, comprising:
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at least one audio signal source configured to provide at least one audio signal;
a modulator configured to receive a first signal representative of the audio signal and to modulate an ultrasonic carrier signal with the first signal;
at least one driver amplifier configured to receive the modulated carrier signal and to generate an amplified signal representative of the modulated carrier signal; and
an acoustic transducer array including at least one acoustic transducer, the array being configured to receive the modulated carrier signal and to project the modulated carrier signal through the air along a selected path, thereby demodulating the modulated carrier signal to regenerate the audio signal along at least a portion of the selected path, wherein the driver amplifier includes an inductor coupled to a capacitive load of the acoustic transducer array to form a resonant circuit having a resonance frequency approximately equal to the frequency of the ultrasonic carrier signal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A parametric audio system for generating at least one airborne audio beam, comprising:
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at least one audio signal source configured to provide at least one audio signal;
a modulator configured to receive at least one first signal representative of the audio signal and to convert the at least one first signal into ultrasonic frequencies;
at least one driver amplifier configured to receive the at least one converted first signal and to generate at least one amplified signal representative of the converted first signal;
an acoustic transducer array including a plurality of acoustic transducers, the array being configured to receive the at least one converted first signal and to project the converted first signal through the air for subsequent regeneration of the audio signal; and
a delay circuit configured to apply at least one predetermined time delay to the at least one converted first signal. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An acoustic transducer array, comprising:
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a backplate including a surface and a plurality of respective depressions of varying dimensions formed on the surface; and
a membrane adjacently disposed along the backplate, wherein the membrane and at least one of the plurality of respective depressions define at least one acoustic transducer, and wherein the dimensions of the respective depressions are set to determine the center frequency and the bandwidth of the at least one acoustic transducer. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification