Acoustic system for vehicle and corresponding device

• US 20050213786A1
• Filed: 01/12/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cabasse Co.
• Original Assignee: Cabasse Co.
• Inventors: Kerneis, Yvon
• Application Number:
  US11/033,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20050213786A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/302
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

The invention relates to an acoustic system for a vehicle including at least one source adapted to produce a source sound signal and at least one set of at least two speakers, each of the speakers being adapted to produce a sound signal associated with it. The system further includes a filter making at least two separate filtering operations of the source signal to output at least two sound signals each associated with at least one of the speakers, such that they are approximately coherent in phase and in amplitude when perceived by at least one of the listeners positioned in a predetermined location.

Claims

1. Acoustic system for a vehicle comprising:

at least one source adapted to produce a source sound signal;

at least one set of at least two speakers, each of the said speakers being adapted to produce a final sound signal associated with it; and

at least one predetermined location in which at least one listener will be positioned;

each location being associated with a given set of at least two speakers;

characterised in that, for at least one given location, the associated set includes at least one pair of speakers called the right and left speakers, that are positioned approximately symmetrically with respect to the said given location,

and in that the system also includes filtering means making at least two separate filtering operations of the source signal to output at least two filtered sound signals each activating one of the right and left speakers, such that the final sound signals produced for the right and left speakers are approximately coherent in phase and in amplitude when perceived by a listener positioned in the said given location.

2. System according to claim 1, the said system being of the type including at least two predetermined locations in which at least one listener will be positioned, each location being associated with a given set of at least two speakers, characterised in that, for each of the said locations, the associated set comprises at least one pair of speakers called the right and left speakers, that are positioned approximately symmetrically with respect to the said location, and in that the said at least two filtered sound signals activate the right and left speakers of each of the said associated sets at the predetermined locations.

3. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the said filtering means include means of reproducing a virtual sound image in three dimensions at the position of the said listener(s) in the said predetermined location(s), starting from the said final sound signals produced by the right and left speakers of each of the said sets associated with the locations.

4. System according to claim 3, characterised in that the said filtering means are of the head relative transfer function (HRTF) type.

5. System according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one of the said sources comprises at least two channels and in that each of the said filtering operations is applied to one of the said channels.

6. System according to claim 1, characterised in that at least two of the said speakers are located in a dashboard of the said vehicle.

7. System according to claim 1, characterised in that at least two of the said speakers are located on a seat of the said vehicle.

8. System according to claim 1, characterised in that at least two of the said speakers are associated with a removable support.

9. System according to claim 1, characterised in that it includes means of dynamic tuning of the said filtering means as a function of the position of the listener.

10. System according to claim 9, characterised in that it includes means of selecting the position of the listener.

11. System according to claim 9, characterised in that it includes means of automatic identification of the position of the listener.

12. System according to claim 1, characterised in that at least two of the said speakers are directional.

13. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the said filtering means include at least two finite impulse digital filters each generating sound signals associated with speakers.

14. System according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one of the said speakers is of the coaxial type with counter motor.

15. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the said source belongs to the group including:

radio tuners;

players for pre-recorded sound media;

computers;

game consoles; and

electronic terminals

16. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the said vehicle belongs to the group including:

automobiles;

aircraft; and

trains.

17. Device for vehicle designed to be associated with an acoustic system, the said system including:

at least one source adapted to produce a source sound signal;

at least one set of at least two speakers, each of the said speakers being adapted to produce a final sound signal associated with it; and

at least one predetermined location in which at least one listener will be positioned, each location being associated with a given set of at least two speakers;

characterised in that, for a given location, the associated set includes at least one pair of speakers called the right and left speakers, that are positioned approximately symmetrically with respect to the said given location,

and in that the device also includes filter making at least two separate filtering operations of the source signal to output at least two filtered sound signals each activating one of the right and left speakers, such that the final sound signals produced for the right and left speakers are approximately coherent in phase and in amplitude when perceived by a listener positioned in the said given location.