Device For and Method of Generating a Virbration Source-Driving-Signal

• US 20080240484A1
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MMD Hong Kong Holding Limited
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Lu, Feng, Wagenaars, Wilhelmus Maria, Tanghe, Loic Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/370
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/14 Cross-over networks

Abstract

A device (100) for generating a vibration source driving signal (DS) is described, which device (100) comprises an input (101) for receiving an input signal (IS) and an output (102) for providing said driving signal (DS), generating means (103; 803) for generating a control signal (CS) which is representative of dynamic signal changes of the input signal (IS), and a processing unit (105; 201; 301; 401; 804) adapted to process a source signal (SRS; IAS) based on the control signal (CS) yielding said driving signal (DS).

Claims

1. A device (100;

802) for generating a vibration source driving signal (DS), the device comprising

an input (101) for receiving an input signal (IS) and

an output (102) for supplying said driving signal (DS),

generating means (103;

803) adapted to generate a control signal (CS) which is representative of dynamic signal changes of the input signal (IS), and

a processing unit (105;

201;

301;

401;

804) adapted to process a source signal (SRS;

IAS) based on the control signal (CS) yielding said driving signal (DS).

2. The device (100;

802) according to claim 1, wherein the generating means (103) are adapted to generate a stationary signal (StS) and a fluctuating signal (FlS) from the input signal (IS) and are adapted to generate said control signal (CS) based on a combination of said stationary signal (StS) and said fluctuating signal (FlS).

3. The device (100;

802) according to claim 2, wherein the generating means (103) comprises a first detection unit (106) having a first time response, which first detection unit (106) is adapted to supply the stationary signal (StS), and

a second detection unit (107) having a second time response, which second detection unit (107) is adapted to supply the fluctuating signal (FlS).

4. The device (100;

802) according to claim 1, wherein the generating means (803) comprises a delay unit (901) for delaying the input signal (IS) yielding a delayed signal (DYS), and a subtracting unit (902) adapted to subtract the delayed signal (DYS) from the input signal (IS) yielding said control signal (CS).

5. The device (100;

802) according to claim 4, additionally comprising an envelope determination unit (809) adapted to process the input signal yielding an envelope signal, wherein the generating means (803) are adapted to determine from the envelope signal a steady-state signal yielding said control signal (CS).

6. The device (802) according to claim 4, comprising a level detector (808) adapted to provide level information (LI) of the signal level of the source signal (IAS), wherein the processing unit (804) is adapted to generate said driving signal (DS) based on the level information (LI) and the control signal (CS).

7. The device (802) according to claim 6, wherein the level detector (808) is adapted as dynamic level detector (1101) for following changes in the level of the source signal (IAS) yielding a dynamic level signal, and wherein a threshold unit (1102) is provided, which threshold unit (1102) is adapted to provide said level information (LI) based on the dynamic level signal and a threshold value.

8. The device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit (103) is adapted as a gain control unit (201) comprising an amplifier (501) and dynamic range manipulation means (502), which dynamic range manipulation means (502) are adapted to manipulate the control signal (CS) yielding a manipulated control signal (CS′

) and which amplifier (501) is adapted to amplify the source signal (SRS) based on the manipulated control signal (CS′

).

9. The device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the source signal is the input signal or a direct-current signal or an alternating-current signal.

10. An audio signal-processing system (200;

300;

400;

600;

800), comprising a device (100;

802) for generating a vibration source driving signal according to claim 1, and

a vibration source (202;

303;

403) for generating vibrations based on the driving signal (DS), and/or

an audio signal source (601;

801) adapted to provide an input audio signal (IAS).

11. The system (200;

300;

400;

600;

800) according to claim 10, wherein the vibration source (202;

303;

403) is adapted as an electrodynamic vibration unit or a vibration direct-current motor or an electrically resonant system having a high Q-factor.

12. The system (600;

800) according to claim 10, additionally comprising sound reproduction means (602;

810) adapted to reproduce sound based on the input audio signal (IAS).

13. The system (600;

800) according to claim 12, comprising a modification unit (807) adapted to modify the input audio signal (IAS) for reproduction by the sound reproduction means (602;

810), which modification unit (807) comprises a high-pass filter and/or a delay circuit.

14. The system (600) according to claim 10, realized as at least one of the group consisting of a vibration headphone, a gaming headphone, a vibration chair, a vibration shaker, a subwoofer, a CD player, a DVD player, a hard disk-based media player, an Internet radio device, a public entertainment device, an MP3 player, a vehicle entertainment device, a car entertainment device, a portable audio player, a portable video player, a mobile phone, a medical communication system, a body-worn device, and a hearing aid device.

15. A method of generating a vibration source driving signal (DS), the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an input signal (IS),

generating a control signal (CS) which is representative of dynamic signal changes of the input signal (IS), and

processing a source signal (SRS;

IAS) based on the control signal (CS) yielding said driving signal (DS).

16. A program element, which, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to control or carry out a method of generating a vibration source driving signal (DS), the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an input signal (IS),

generating a control signal (CS) which is representative of dynamic signal changes of the input signal (IS), and

processing a source signal (SRS;

IAS) based on the control signal (CS) yielding said driving signal (DS).

17. A computer-readable medium, in which a computer program is stored which, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to control or carry out a method of generating a vibration source driving signal (DS), the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an input signal (IS),

generating a control signal (CS) which is representative of dynamic signal changes of the input signal (IS), and

processing a source signal (SRS;

IAS) based on the control signal (CS) yielding said driving signal (DS).