METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING A DISPLACEMENT AND MOVEMENT OF A SOUND PRODUCING UNIT OF A WOOFER

• US 20090190789A1
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VLSI Solution Oy
• Original Assignee: VLSI Solution Oy
• Inventors: Seppa, Pekka, Ritoniemi, Tapani, Liitola, Toni
• Granted Patent: US 8,300,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/387
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/002 Damping circuit arrangements for transducers, e.g. motional feedback circuits

Abstract

A system for adjusting a response of a loudspeaker system. The system includes a woofer installed in a housing. The woofer includes a woofer cone. A transmitter for transmitting an ultrasonic audio signal towards the woofer cone. A receiver for receiving the ultrasonic audio signal. A detection unit for determining the position of the woofer cone on the basis of a difference between the phase of the reflected ultrasonic audio signal with respect to the ultrasonic audio signal transmitted from the transmitter. A control unit for adjusting a spring constant of the membrane of the loudspeaker system on the basis of the determined position. A method for adjusting a response of a loudspeaker system, to a module to be used in the system. A computer program product including computer code for adjusting a response of the loudspeaker system.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a loudspeaker system comprising a woofer installed in a housing, said woofer comprising a sound producing unit;

a transmitter for transmitting an ultrasonic audio signal;

a receiver for receiving the ultrasonic audio signal;

a detection unit for determining the position of the sound producing unit on the basis of a phase difference between the ultrasonic audio signal received by the receiver and the ultrasonic audio signal transmitted from the transmitter, said phase difference being dependent on the length of the signal path between the transmitter and the receiver;

a control unit for adjusting a spring constant effecting to the sound producing unit of the woofer on the basis of the determined position.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the ultrasonic signal towards the sound producing unit, wherein the receiver is configured to receive an ultrasonic signal reflected by the sound producing unit.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured for transmitting the ultrasonic audio signal towards the sound producing unit, wherein the receiver is configured for receiving the ultrasonic audio signal reflected by the sound producing unit.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a clock generator for generating a clock signal;

a divider for dividing the clock signal to a smaller frequency, wherein the transmitter is configured for forming a pulsed signal on the basis of the divided clock signal to be used as said the ultrasonic audio signal;

a detector for detecting pulses of the ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic receiver; and

a counter for counting time between an activating edge of the signal to be transmitted and an deactivating edge of the received signal.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the counter comprises:

a start input for starting the counting of time at said activating edge of the signal to be transmitted;

a stop input for stopping the counting of time at said deactivating edge of the received signal.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein said deactivating edge of the received signal is the subsequent edge after the activating edge of the signal to be transmitted which stated the counting of time.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a phase overlap control unit for determining an overflow/underflow situation, in which overflow situation two activating edges of the signal to be transmitted occur between two deactivating edges of the received signal, and in which underflow situation two deactivating edges of the received signal occur between two activating edges of the signal to be transmitted.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to calculate a negative spring constant for the loudspeaker system, said negative spring constant being based on the determined position of the sound producing unit, and to form an adjustment signal on the basis of the calculated negative spring constant to be added to an audio signal.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the system is configured to calculate said negative spring constant on the basis of the equation

K_tot=K_d+K_b+K_e

in which

K_d=the spring of the woofer cone,

K_b=the acoustic spring of the housing, and

K_tot=the total spring constant,

wherein the control unit is configured to set the negative spring constant (K_e) to a value by which the total spring constant (K_tot) remains positive.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein either the receiver or the transmitter is installed to the sound producing unit, wherein the receiver is configured for receiving the ultrasonic audio signal directly from the ultrasonic transmitter.

11. A method for adjusting a response of a loudspeaker system comprising a woofer installed in a housing, said woofer comprising a sound producing unit, the method comprising:

transmitting an ultrasonic audio signal;

receiving the ultrasonic audio signal;

determining the position of the sound producing unit on the basis of a phase difference between the received ultrasonic audio signal and the transmitted ultrasonic audio signal, said phase difference being dependent on the length of the signal path between the transmitter and the receiver; and

adjusting a spring constant effecting to the sound producing unit of the woofer on the basis of the determined position.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting the ultrasonic audio signal towards the sound producing unit; and

receiving the ultrasonic audio signal reflected by the sound producing unit.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

generating a clock signal;

dividing the clock signal to a smaller frequency;

forming a pulsed signal on the basis of the divided clock signal to be used as said the ultrasonic audio signal;

detecting pulses of the ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic receiver; and

counting time between an activating edge of the signal to be transmitted and an deactivating edge of the received signal.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising:

starting the counting of time at said activating edge of the signal to be transmitted;

stopping the counting of time at said deactivating edge of the received signal.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said deactivating edge of the received signal is the subsequent edge after the activating edge of the signal to be transmitted which stated the counting of time.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining an overflow or an underflow situation by forming a first pulse count value by measuring time between an activating edge of the signal to be transmitted and an deactivating edge of the received signal,

forming a second pulse count value by measuring time between another activating edge of the signal to be transmitted and another deactivating edge of the received signal,

comparing the difference between the first pulse count value and the second pulse count value with a reference value, wherein the overflow situation is determined if the comparison indicates that the difference is greater than the reference value, and the underflow situation is determined if the comparison indicates that the difference is smaller than the negation of the reference value.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

calculating a negative spring constant for the woofer, said negative spring constant being based on the determined position of the sound producing unit; and

forming an adjustment signal on the basis of the calculated negative spring constant to be added to an audio signal.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

calculating said negative spring constant on the basis of the equation

K_tot=K_d+K_b+K_e

in which

K_d=the spring of the sound producing unit,

K_b=the acoustic spring of the housing, and

K_tot=the total spring constant,

wherein the method further comprises setting the negative spring constant to a value by which the total spring constant remains positive.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

using a rising edge of the signal to be transmitted as said starting the counting of time at said activating edge; and

using a rising edge of the received signal as said deactivating edge.

20. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

using a rising edge of the signal to be transmitted as said starting the counting of time at said activating edge; and

using both a rising edge and a falling edge of the received signal as said deactivating edge.

21. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

using a falling edge of the signal to be transmitted as said starting the counting of time at said activating edge; and

using a falling edge of the received signal as said deactivating edge.

22. A module to be used in a system comprising a loudspeaker system comprising a woofer installed in a housing, said woofer comprising a sound producing unit, a transmitter for transmitting an ultrasonic audio signal;

and a receiver for receiving the ultrasonic audio signal, said module comprising;

a detection unit for determining the position of the sound producing unit on the basis of a phase difference between the received ultrasonic audio signal and the ultrasonic audio signal transmitted from the transmitter, said phase difference being dependent on the length of the signal path between the transmitter and the receiver; and

a control unit for adjusting a spring constant effecting to the sound producing unit of the woofer on the basis of the determined position.

23. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

computer code recorded on the computer readable medium and executable by a processor for adjusting a response of a loudspeaker system comprising a woofer installed in a housing, said woofer comprising a sound producing unit, the computer code for

transmitting an ultrasonic audio signal;

receiving the modulated ultrasonic audio signal;

determining the position of the sound producing unit on the basis of a phase difference between the received ultrasonic audio signal and the transmitted ultrasonic audio signal, said phase difference being dependent on the length of the signal path between the transmitter and the receiver; and

adjusting a spring constant effecting to the sound producing unit of the woofer on the basis of the determined position.

24. The computer program product according to claim 23, wherein the computer code is further for linearizing the operation of the woofer on the basis of the measurement of the position of the woofer cone.

25. The computer program product according to claim 24, wherein the computer code for linearizing the operation of the woofer comprises computer code for adjusting one or more of the following parameters:

the BI parameter, or

the compliance.

26. The computer program product according to claim 24, wherein the computer code for linearizing the operation of the woofer comprises computer code for adjusting at least one parameter which depends on the position, the velocity or the acceleration of the sound producing unit f the woofer.