ELECTROSTATIC ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER, ULTRASONIC SPEAKER, SOUND SIGNAL REPRODUCING METHOD, ULTRA DIRECTIONAL ACOUSTIC SYSTEM AND DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20070154035A1
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Fukui, Yoshiki
• Application Number:
  US11/538,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20070154035A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/116
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0292 Electrostatic transducers, e.g. electret-type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/00 Electrostatic transducers

Abstract

An electrostatic ultrasonic transducer includes: a first electrode provided with a through hole; a second electrode provided with a through hole forming a pair with the through hole of the first electrode; an oscillation film sandwiched between the pair of electrodes and having an electrode layer wherein a direct current bias voltage is applied to the electrode layer, the oscillation film being driven by applying an alternating current signal between the pair of electrodes and the electrode layer; a holding member for holding the pair of electrodes and the oscillation film; electrode patterns respectively formed by lamination on the first and second electrodes corresponding to plural driving functions; and a controlling unit for carrying out control so that voltage corresponding to a driving condition defining the driving function is applied between the electrode pattern formed by lamination and the electrode layer of the oscillation film.

Claims

1. An electrostatic ultrasonic transducer comprising:

a first electrode including a through hole and plural electrode patterns;

a second electrode including a through hole forming a pair with the through hole of the first electrode and plural electrode patterns forming a pair with the electrode patterns;

an oscillation film including an electrode layer and sandwiched between a pair of electrodes formed from the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a controlling unit for applying voltage between the electrode patterns of the pair of electrodes and the electrode layer of the oscillation film to drive the oscillation film under plural driving conditions.

2. The electrostatic ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, wherein

the electrode comprises:

an electrode pattern for oscillation for oscillating the oscillation film; and

an electrode pattern for fixing for fixing the oscillation film to the pair of electrodes, and

the controlling unit applies voltage between the electrode layer of the oscillation film and the electrode pattern for fixing so that a part of the oscillation film would be fixed to the pair of electrodes in oscillating the oscillation film.

3. The electrostatic ultrasonic transducer according to claim 2, wherein

the electrode pattern for oscillation is divided so that the oscillation film would be divided into plural blocks for drive and

the controlling unit controls a phase of an alternating current signal applied between the electrode layer of the oscillation film and each block of the electrode pattern for oscillation so as to give a predetermined difference in phase between the respective adjacent blocks in oscillating the oscillation film.

7. An ultrasonic speaker comprising the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1.

9. A method of reproducing a sound signal by means of an electrostatic ultrasonic transducer, using the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1,

the method comprising:

generating a signal wave in an audible frequency band by means of a signal source;

generating a carrier wave in an ultrasonic frequency band by means of a carrier wave supplying source;

generating a modulated signal obtained by modulating the carrier wave with the signal wave in the audible frequency band; and

applying the modulated signal between the e electrode and the electrode layer of the oscillation film to drive the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer.

11. An ultra directional acoustic system for reproducing a sound signal supplied from an acoustic source to form a virtual sound source in the vicinity of a sound wave reflection surface such as a screen by means of an ultrasonic speaker using the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, the ultra directional acoustic system comprising:

an ultrasonic speaker for reproducing a signal in a middle and high sound range among sound signals supplied from the acoustic source; and

a low-sound reproducing speaker for reproducing a sound in a low sound range among the sound signals supplied from the acoustic source.

13. A display device including the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer according to claim 1, comprising:

an ultrasonic speaker for reproducing a signal sound in an audible frequency band from sound signals supplied from an acoustic source; and

a projection optical system for projecting an image on a projection surface.

4. An electrostatic ultrasonic transducer comprising:

an electrode including plural electrode patterns and including convex and concave parts on the surface thereof;

an oscillation film including an electrode layer and held on the surface of the electrode; and

a controlling unit for applying voltage between the electrode pattern of the electrode and the electrode layer of the oscillation film to drive the oscillation film under plural driving conditions.

5. The electrostatic ultrasonic transducer according to claim 4, wherein

the electrode comprises:

an electrode pattern for oscillation for oscillating the oscillation film; and

an electrode pattern for fixing for fixing the oscillation film to the electrode, and

the controlling unit applies voltage between the electrode layer of the oscillation film and the electrode pattern for fixing so that a part of the oscillation film would be fixed to the electrode in oscillating the oscillation film.

6. The electrostatic ultrasonic transducer according to claim 5, wherein

the electrode pattern for oscillation is divided so that the oscillation film would be divided into plural blocks for drive and

the controlling unit controls a phase of an alternating current signal applied between the electrode layer of the oscillation film and each block of the electrode pattern for oscillation so as to give-a predetermined difference in phase between the respective adjacent blocks in oscillating the oscillation film.

8. An ultrasonic speaker comprising the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer according to claim 4.

10. A method of reproducing a sound signal by means of an electrostatic ultrasonic transducer, using the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer according to claim 4,

the method comprising:

generating a signal wave in an audible frequency band by means of a signal source;

generating a carrier wave in an ultrasonic frequency band by means of a carrier wave supplying source;

generating a modulated signal obtained by modulating the carrier wave with the signal wave in the audible frequency band; and

applying the modulated signal between the electrode and the electrode layer of the oscillation film to drive the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer.

12. An ultra directional acoustic system for reproducing a sound signal supplied from an acoustic source to form a virtual sound source in the vicinity of a sound wave reflection surface such as a screen by means of an ultrasonic speaker using the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer according to claim 4, the ultra directional acoustic system comprising:

an ultrasonic speaker for reproducing a signal in a middle and high sound range among sound signals supplied from the acoustic source; and

a low-sound reproducing speaker for reproducing a sound in a low sound range among the sound signals supplied from the acoustic source.

14. A display device including the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer according to claim 4, comprising:

an ultrasonic speaker for reproducing a signal sound in an audible frequency band from sound signals supplied from an acoustic source; and

a projection optical system for projecting an image on a projection surface.