SPEAKER DEVICE

• US 20090279721A1
• Filed: 04/09/2007
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shoji
• Application Number:
  US12/296,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20090279721A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

A speaker device includes first speaker units 2 and 5 and second speaker units 3 and 6 that are arranged symmetrically as viewed from a listening center axis X1-X2. The first speaker units 2 and 5 emit sounds in inward directions and reproduces at least the mid-range and above, and the second speaker units 3 and 6 emit sounds in a front direction and attenuates the treble range. With respect to a listening position in a front direction of one of the speaker systems 1 and 4, a sound arriving to the listening position from the first speaker unit of the speaker system located closer to the listening position, and a sound arriving thereto from the second speaker unit of the same speaker system, are destructive to each other in the mid-range due to a phase difference, whereby a sound pressure in the mid-range arriving from the speaker system located closer to the listening position is attenuated more, as compared with a sound pressure in the mid-range arriving from the speaker system located farther from the listening position. It is possible to achieve an excellent effect of expanding a listening position range for obtaining the center sound image localization, the natural sound quality without sense of discomfort, the large sound pressure reproduction, and the downsizing.

Claims

1. A speaker device comprising:

a pair of speaker systems, each speaker system having a first speaker unit and a second speaker unit; and

a signal adjustment part for adjusting a frequency characteristic of an input signal,

the first speaker units being arranged symmetrically with respect to a listening center axis, and the second speaker units being arranged symmetrically with respect to the listening center axis, when the pair of speaker systems are arranged symmetrically with respect to the listening center axis,

wherein the first and second speaker units are arranged so that the first speaker unit emits a sound in an inward direction, and the second speaker unit emits a sound in a front direction of the speaker system or in an outward direction as compared with the direction of the first speaker unit, where the inward direction is defined as a direction in which the listening center axis is viewed from each speaker system,

the signal adjustment part is configured so as to adjust the input signal so that the first speaker unit emits a sound at least in a mid-range and above;

the second speaker unit emits a reproduction sound whose treble range is attenuated; and

, with respect to a listening position in a front direction of one of the speaker systems, a sound arriving to the listening position from the first speaker unit of the speaker system located closer to the listening position, and a sound arriving to the listening position from the second speaker unit of the same speaker system, are destructive to each other in the mid-range owing to a phase difference between the sounds,

whereby a sound pressure in the mid-range arriving from the speaker system located closer to the listening position is attenuated more, as compared with a sound pressure in the mid-range arriving from the speaker system located farther from the listening position.

2. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the mid-range is set to a frequency range including a part or an entirety of the second formant frequency and the third formant frequency of human voice.

3. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein

the first speaker unit is arranged on an inner side with respect to the second speaker unit as viewed from the listening center axis, and

in the mid-range, a phase of an emitted sound of the first speaker unit is delayed as compared with a phase of an emitted sound of the second speaker unit.

4. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein

the first speaker unit is arranged on an outer side with respect to the second speaker unit as viewed from the listening center axis, and

in the mid-range, a phase of an emitted sound of the first speaker unit is advanced as compared with a phase of an emitted sound of the second speaker unit.

5. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein a bass range of the first speaker unit is attenuated.

6. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the first speaker unit and the second speaker unit are arranged in a vertical relationship.

7. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the first speaker unit has a multiway configuration.

8. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the speaker systems function as a center speaker for multichannel reproduction, thereby having a configuration in which a front speaker system and the center speaker for multichannel reproduction are integrated.

9. The speaker device according to claim 8, wherein a center channel signal with treble range being attenuated, and a front channel signal are supplied in a superimposed state to the second speaker unit.