Parametric sound system with lower sideband

• US 20050185800A1
• Filed: 01/20/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Technology Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: American Technology Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Croft, James J. III
• Application Number:
  US11/039,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20050185800A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/77
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2217/03 Parametric transducers where sound is generated or captured by the acoustic demodulation of amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

This invention provides a parametric loudspeaker system, with a carrier frequency generator to produce a carrier frequency. A modulator receives an audio signal and modulates it onto the carrier frequency, producing a modulated signal. This modulation creates at least one sideband signal that is divergent from the carrier frequency by the frequency value of the audio signal. Additionally, the sideband signal is created such that its frequency value is lower than the frequency of the carrier.

Claims

1. A parametric loudspeaker system, comprising:

a carrier frequency generator to produce a carrier frequency;

a modulator that receives an audio signal and modulates the audio signal onto the carrier frequency to produce a modulated signal;

a sideband frequency divergent from the carrier frequency by a frequency value of the audio signal; and

wherein the sideband frequency operates at frequencies lower than the carrier frequency.

2. A parametric loudspeaker in claim 1, further comprising:

an electro-acoustic emitter having a resonant frequency; and

the carrier frequency operating at a frequency corresponding to the resonant frequency of the electro-acoustic emitter.

3. A parametric loudspeaker as in claim 2, wherein a majority of sideband frequencies are at frequencies below the resonant frequency of the electro-acoustic emitter.

4. A parametric loudspeaker as in claim 2, wherein the resonant frequency of the electro-acoustic emitter is the fundamental resonant frequency of the electro-acoustic emitter.

5. A parametric loudspeaker as in claim 2, wherein:

the electro-acoustic emitter has a falling high pass characteristic of at least 12 dB per octave for an inverted lower sideband signal; and

wherein the high pass characteristic creates an acoustic equalization at least partially compensating for a falling parametric high pass characteristic of substantially more than 12 dB per octave.

6. A parametric loudspeaker as in claim 5, wherein the falling high pass characteristic of the emitter is greater than 12 dB per octave in the region of the fundamental resonant frequency such that the high pass characteristic causes an inverted equalization characteristic that equalizes the falling parametric high pass characteristic to more effectively approach a flat amplitude characteristic than would a transmitter that has a 12 dB per octave falling high pass characteristic.

7. A parametric loudspeaker as in claim 5, wherein a falling high pass characteristic below the resonant frequency of the transducer causes a low pass characteristic applied to the converted acoustic output increasing lower audio frequency pass band, which reduces the falling high pass characteristic of the falling parametric high pass characteristic to less than 12 dB per octave over a substantial portion of the audio signal'"'"'s frequency range.

8. A parametric loudspeaker as in claim 1, wherein:

the audio signal has a low pass filter applied to the audio signal; and

the modulated signal has a high pass filter applied to the modulate signal;

wherein the low pass filter and the high pass filter, working in conjunction, form a greater high pass attenuation than the high pass filter applied to the modulated signal in an ultrasonic frequency range that approaches a range of high frequency audibility.

9. A parametric loudspeaker as in claim 8, wherein:

the low pass filter is applied to the audio signal up to about 20 kHz; and

the high pass filter is applied to the modulated signal below about 20 kHz.

10. A parametric loudspeaker system, comprising:

a carrier frequency generator to produce a carrier frequency;

a modulator that receives an audio signal and modulates the audio signal onto the carrier frequency to produce a modulated signal;

a sideband frequency divergent from the carrier frequency by the frequency value of the audio signal; and

wherein the sideband frequency is generated such that sideband frequencies associated with higher audio input frequencies are at frequencies associated with lower acoustic saturation in air than sideband frequencies associated with lower audio input frequencies.

11. A parametric loudspeaker system, comprising:

a carrier frequency generator to produce a carrier frequency;

a modulator that receives an audio signal and modulates the audio signal onto the carrier frequency to produce a modulated signal;

a sideband frequency divergent from the carrier frequency by the frequency value of the audio signal; and

a lower frequency sideband closer to a high frequency audible range than a higher frequency sideband, is on average a lower amplitude signal level than all relatively higher frequency sideband frequencies.

12. A parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 11, wherein a carrier frequency placed at a maximum efficiency portion of an emitter'"'"'s operating range with sidebands being produced in a constantly falling amplitude range of an emitter'"'"'s operating range.

13. A parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 11, wherein an emitter has a smoothly falling amplitude response below a fundamental resonant frequency and an erratic or secondary resonance response above the fundamental resonant frequency, wherein the sidebands are emitted in the smoothly progressing amplitude response range of the emitter.