Quickly Installed Multiple Speaker Surround Sound System and Method

• US 20070041599A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lloyd Gauthier, Nancy Gauthier
• Original Assignee: Lloyd Gauthier, Nancy Gauthier
• Inventors: Gauthier, Lloyd, Gauthier, Nancy
• Application Number:
  US11/427,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20070041599A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/307
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/022 Plurality of transducers corresponding to a plurality of sound channels in each earpiece of headphones or in a single enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/00 Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/307 Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

A surround sound speaker system is provided whereby multiple speakers that broadcast acoustic signals representative of sound from different directions may be mounted in one speaker housing rather than in separate speaker housings that are positioned at separate positions within the room. Thus, the present invention eliminates the need to mount and run wiring to separate speakers in the room. Because the number of speakers within the speaker housing can be relatively easily increased, the surround sound speaker system can be utilized to implement even highly complicated surround sound systems such as surround sound system 9.1, which is otherwise very difficult and expensive for the average consumer to install or have installed.

Claims

1. A method for installing a standardized surround sound system within a room, the standardized surround sound system producing a plurality of channels of acoustic output, wherein each channel is representative of acoustic sound from a different direction for an anticipated listener, said plurality of channels comprising at least a front center channel, a front left side channel, a front right side channel, a rear left channel and a rear right channel, said method comprising:

mounting a speaker housing in a central position of said room, said speaker housing comprising a plurality of speakers mounted within said speaker housing wherein, respective of said plurality of speakers, produce said plurality of channels of acoustic output, said plurality of speakers being oriented such that an acoustic output therefrom is directed radially outwardly away from said housing and said central position of said room toward walls of said room, whereby acoustic output produced by said plurality of speakers originates at said central position of said room and reflects from said walls of said room back to said central position of said room, said speaker housing comprising speakers representative of said plurality of channels and comprising at least a front center speaker, a front left side speaker, a front right side speaker, a rear left speaker and a rear right speaker, said plurality of speakers each being less than about three inches in diameter, thereby permitting said speaker housing to be compact; and

after said mounting of said speaker housing, said front center speaker is oriented to direct acoustic output therefrom toward a front center position of said room, said front left side speaker being oriented to direct acoustic output therefrom toward said front left side of said room, said front right side speaker to direct acoustic output therefrom toward a front right side of said room, said rear left speaker being oriented to direct acoustic output therefrom toward a rear left of said room, and said rear right speaker being oriented to direct acoustic output therefrom towards a right rear of said room.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting said speaker housing to a ceiling, said speaker housing comprising at least one additional speaker at a lower portion thereof and oriented directly downwardly to said central position of said room.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said speaker housing further comprises an acoustic insulator layer that dampens acoustic output in a downwardly direction when said speaker housing is mounted to said ceiling, said plurality of speakers being mounted adjacent to or at a periphery of speaker housing such that acoustic output from said speakers directed downwardly is dampened, said plurality of speakers being mounted inside an outer perimeter of said acoustic insulator layer whereby acoustic output produced by said plurality of speakers around said periphery must travel outward and reflect against walls of said room to reach said central position of said room, said acoustic insulator layer comprising at least one hole therein to receive said at least one additional speaker.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising running a single wiring harness between an amplifier and said speaker housing, said single wiring harness comprising speaker wires for said plurality of speakers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly transmitting surround sound channel signals for said plurality of speakers to an electronic wireless receiver positioned within said speaker housing, and speaker wires connecting said electronic wireless receiver to corresponding of each of said plurality of speakers.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing ceiling lights within said speaker housing.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting said speaker housing within a table or on a stand.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a computer controlled acoustic equalizer to produce a desired acoustic response at said central position of said room by utilizing a directed acoustic sensor positioned at said central position whereby said directed acoustic sensor is operable for determining a strength and direction of acoustic signals produced by said speaker housing.

9. A speaker system to implement a standardized surround sound system for installation within a room, said room being defined by walls and a ceiling and floor, said room comprising a central position, said standardized surround sound system comprising a plurality of channels of acoustic output wherein each channel is representative of acoustic sound from a different direction for an anticipated listener, said plurality of channels comprising at least a front center channel, a front left side channel, a front right side channel, a rear left channel and a rear right channel said system comprising:

a speaker housing;

a plurality of speakers within said housing wherein respective of said plurality of speakers produce said plurality of channels of acoustic output, said speaker housing comprising at least a front center speaker, a front left side speaker, a front right side speaker, a rear left speaker and a rear right speaker, said plurality of speakers each being less than about three inches in diameter thereby permitting said speaker housing to be compact, said plurality of speakers being oriented such that when said speaker housing is mounted within said room, that acoustic output is directed radially away from said housing toward said walls of said room, and whereby when said speaker housing is mounted at a central position of said room, then acoustic output produced by said plurality of speakers originates at said central position of said room and reflects from said walls of said room back to said central position; and

at least one acoustic insulator layer, said at least one acoustic insulator layer being open at a radial periphery of said housing such that said acoustic output produced by said plurality of speakers directed radially outwardly is not dampened, but whereby acoustic output directed toward said at least one acoustic insulator layer is dampened.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising said at least one acoustic insulator layer being positioned on a lower end of said speaker housing such that when said speaker housing is mounted to or adjacent to said ceiling, that said acoustic insulator layer dampens acoustic output traveling directly downwardly from said plurality of speakers toward said floor of said room.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said acoustic insulator layer defines at least one hole therein to receive at least one additional speaker to permit acoustic output from said at least one additional speaker to go without hindrance directly toward said floor of said room.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising an electronic speaker driver, a single wiring harness between said electronic speaker driver and said speaker housing, said single wiring harness comprising speaker wires for said plurality of speakers.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising a wireless transmitter operable to electromagnetically transmit said plurality of channels of acoustic output, a wireless receiver being positioned within said speaker housing to electromagnetically receive said plurality of channels of acoustic output and to produce corresponding electrical signals for driving said plurality of speakers, and a plurality of speaker wires within said speaker housing connecting said wireless receiver to respective of said plurality of speakers.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising said at least one acoustic insulator layer being positioned on an upper end of said speaker housing such that when said speaker housing is mounted adjacent to said floor, that said acoustic insulator layer dampens acoustic output traveling directly upwardly from said plurality of speakers toward said ceiling of said room.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said acoustic insulator layer defines at least one hole therein to receive at least one additional speaker to permit acoustic output from said at least one additional speaker to transmit without hindrance directly toward said ceiling of said room.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said acoustic speaker housing is built into a table.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein said acoustic speaker housing is positioned closely to said ceiling on a stand.

18. The system of claim 9, further comprising a directional acoustic sensor operable for determining acoustic signal strength and directions of said acoustic output from said speaker housing, and a computer controlled acoustic equalizer to produce a desired acoustic response at said central position of said room.

19. A speaker system to implement a standardized surround sound system for installation within a room, said room being defined by walls and a ceiling and floor, said room comprising a central position, said standardized surround sound system comprising a plurality of channels of acoustic output wherein each channel is representative of acoustic sound from a different direction for an anticipated listener, said plurality of channels comprising at least a front center channel, a front left side channel, a front right side channel, a rear left channel and a rear right channel, said system comprising:

a speaker housing;

a plurality of speakers within said housing wherein respective of said plurality of speakers produce said plurality of channels of acoustic output, a front left side speaker, a front right side speaker, a rear left speaker and a rear right speaker, said plurality of speakers each being less than about three inches in diameter, thereby permitting said speaker housing to be compact, said plurality of speakers being oriented such that when said speaker housing is mounted within said room, that acoustic output is directed radially away from said housing toward said walls of said room, and whereby when said speaker housing is mounted, then acoustic output produced by said plurality of speakers originates at said central position of said room and reflects from said walls of said room back to said central position; and

at least one acoustic insulator layer, said at least one acoustic insulator layer being open at a radial periphery of said housing such that said acoustic output produced by said plurality of speakers directed radially outwardly is not dampened, but whereby acoustic output directed toward said at least one acoustic insulator layer is dampened, said insulator layer being positioned on a lower end of said speaker housing such that when said speaker housing is mounted to or adjacent to said ceiling, that said acoustic insulator layer dampens acoustic output traveling directly downwardly from said plurality of speakers toward said floor of said room.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a wireless transmitter operable to electromagnetically transmit said plurality of channels of acoustic output, a wireless receiver being positioned within said speaker housing to electromagnetically receive said plurality of channels of acoustic output and to produce corresponding electrical signals for driving said plurality of speakers, and a plurality of speaker wires within said speaker housing connecting said wireless receiver to respective of said plurality of speakers.