APPARATUS FOR GENERATING DIRECTIONAL SOUND AND MOBILE TERMINAL USING THE SAME

• US 20090154736A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Park, Kang Ho, Lee, Sung Q, Lee, Sang Kyun, Kim, Hye Jin, Kim, Jong Dae, Lee, Jae Woo
• Application Number:
  US12/240,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20090154736A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/300
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/323 for loudspeakers H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/403 Linear arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus for generating directional sound and a mobile terminal using the apparatus. The apparatus includes a signal controller for dividing and generating a reference signal into signals having three or more levels and phases, a first signal processor and a second signal processor for controlling a first signal and a second signal having levels and phases canceling each other among the signals generated from the signal controller, a central signal processor for controlling a signal having the same level and phase as the reference signal among the signals generated from the signal controller, a first speaker array and a second speaker array for converting signals output from the first signal processor and the second signal processor into sound signals and outputting the sound signals, and a central speaker for converting a signal output from the central signal processor into a sound signal and outputting the sound signal, and arranged between the first speaker array and the second speaker array.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating directional sound, comprising:

a signal controller for dividing and generating a reference signal into signals having three or more levels and phases;

a first signal processor and a second signal processor for controlling a first signal and a second signal having levels and phases canceling each other among the signals generated from the signal controller;

a central signal processor for controlling a signal having the same level and phase as the reference signal among the signals generated from the signal controller;

a first speaker array and a second speaker array for converting signals output from the first signal processor and the second signal processor into sound signals, and outputting the sound signals; and

a central speaker for converting a signal output from the central signal processor into a sound signal and outputting the sound signal, and arranged between the first speaker array and the second speaker array.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first speaker array and the second speaker array are arranged along a left side and a right side of the central speaker at the same interval.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first switch and a second switch for cutting signals transferred to the first signal processor and the second signal processor among the signals generated from the signal controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first amplifier, a second amplifier and a central amplifier for amplifying the signals output from the first signal processor, the second signal processor and the central signal processor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first signal processor, the second signal processor and the central signal processor comprise:

an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC);

a Digital Signal Processor (DSP);

a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC); and

a low-power amplifier.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the DSP processes a digital signal using a unique phase and a filter coefficient corresponding to a signal input to each signal processor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal controller generates the first and second signals having levels and phases determined to reinforce each other in a region in front of the central speaker, and to cancel each other in a region outside a previously set angle from the region in front of the central speaker.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sound signals output from the first speaker array, the second speaker array and the central speaker are within an audio frequency band.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first speaker array, the second speaker array and the central speaker include a piezoelectric speaker.

10. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a speaker unit for generating a sound signal;

a first speaker array having a plurality of speakers arranged in a left side of the speaker unit; and

a second speaker array having a plurality of speakers arranged in a right side of the speaker unit,

wherein sound signals output from the first speaker array and the second speaker array cancel each other out of a specific range.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the first speaker array and the second speaker array are detachable from the mobile terminal.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the first and second speaker arrays include hinges at portions adjacent to the speaker unit, and are folded at the hinges to be inserted into left and right sides of the mobile terminal.