LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM

• US 20170085990A1
• Filed: 12/01/2016
• Published: 03/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Sladeczek, Christoph, Beer, Daniel, Franck, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 9,854,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2203/12 Beamforming aspects for stereophonic sound reproduction with loudspeaker arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/024 Positioning of loudspeaker enclosures for spatial sound reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/14 Cross-over networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/00 Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/307 Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

A loudspeaker system for a vehicle includes a loudspeaker array including a plurality of electroacoustic sound transducers that can be controlled individually, such that a user-specific audio signal can be reproduced for different users at different listening positions in a vehicle interior of the vehicle via the plurality of electroacoustic sound transducers. Here, the loudspeaker array or a sound outlet of the loudspeaker array is arranged in particular between at least two of the listening positions in the vehicle interior, i.e. for example between the driver and the passenger seat.

Claims

1. Loudspeaker system for a vehicle, comprising:

a loudspeaker array comprising a plurality of electroacoustic sound transducers that can be controlled individually, such that a user-specific audio signal can be reproduced for different users at different listening positions in a vehicle interior via the plurality of electroacoustic sound transducers,

wherein the loudspeaker array is arranged in a roof lining of the vehicle, centrally between at least all listening positions in the vehicle interior, such that a distance between the loudspeaker array and all of the listening positions is the same, with a deviation of +/−

30%,

wherein the loudspeaker system comprises, per listening position, at least one additional loudspeaker system comprising at least one additional loudspeaker or an additional loudspeaker array,

wherein the additional loudspeaker system comprises a structure-borne sound loudspeaker that is arranged in a foot space allocated to the listening position, in a seat allocated to the listening position and/or a headrest allocated to the listening position and/or that is mechanically coupled to the seat allocated to the listening position;

wherein the loudspeaker system is configured to perform, with the help of the plurality of the electroacoustic sound transducers of the loudspeaker array, acoustic beamforming for forming the beams;

wherein middle and higher frequencies are reproduced in a directed manner for the different listening positions by means of the array, while the low frequencies are only represented locally via the structure-bound sound transducer.

2. Loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein the additional loudspeaker system is closer to the user than the loudspeaker array.

3. Loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein the additional loudspeaker system is arranged in a seat allocated to the listening position, a position of the A column, B column, C column allocated to the listening position and/or the roof lining and/or a headrest allocated to the listening position.

4. Loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein the additional loudspeaker system is configured to output sound such that, with regard to the further listening positions, a large part of the sound reaches the respective listening position.

5. Loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein the additional loudspeaker system is arranged closer to one ear of the user than to the other ear of the user.

6. Loudspeaker array according to claim 5, wherein the loudspeaker array comprises a further plurality of third electroacoustic sound transducers.

7. Loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein the loudspeaker system is configured, with the help of the additional loudspeaker system, to reproduce stereo per listening position or mono with local level increase.

8. Loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein the loudspeaker system is configured to generate, with the help of the plurality of the electroacoustic sound transducers, at least two beams or one stereo beam per listening position;

and/or

wherein the loudspeaker system is configured to virtually position sound sources in space by using transfer functions emulating psychoacoustic effects.

9. Loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein beamforming is based on direct and/or indirect sound reproduction with regard to the user.

10. Loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein a sound pressure level and/or radiation direction per beam allocated to a listening position are selected such that the sound pressure level is below a listening threshold at other listening positions after absorption and/or reflection.

11. Loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein the loudspeaker system is configured to perform beamforming by considering a seat adjustment or a head position of the user at the listening position and/or to track the beams in dependence on the seat adjustment and/or the head position of the user.

12. Loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein the loudspeaker system comprises a control that is configured to individually control the electroacoustic sound transducers.

13. Loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein the loudspeaker system comprises

a loudspeaker array, comprising:

a plurality of first electroacoustic sound transducers arranged on a first line; and

a plurality of second electroacoustic sound transducers arranged on a first line or a line parallel to the first line,

wherein an average distance between the first electroacoustic sound transducers is smaller than an average distance between the second electroacoustic sound transducers;

or a loudspeaker array, comprising;

a plurality of first electroacoustic sound transducers arranged in a first planar area; and

a plurality of second electroacoustic sound transducers arranged in the first planar area,

wherein an average density of the first electroacoustic sound transducers is smaller than an average density of the second electroacoustic sound transducers.

14. Loudspeaker system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of first electroacoustic sound transducers is surrounded all around by the plurality of second electroacoustic sound transducers.

15. Loudspeaker array according to claim 13, wherein at least two of the first electroacoustic sound transducers are encompassed by two of the second electroacoustic sound transducers.

16. Loudspeaker array according to claim 13, wherein the first electroacoustic sound transducers are configured to reproduce a first frequency range defined by a first center frequency and the second electroacoustic sound transducers are configured to reproduce a second frequency range defined by a second center frequency,

wherein the first center frequency is higher than the second center frequency.

17. Loudspeaker system for a vehicle, comprising:

a loudspeaker array comprising a plurality of electroacoustic sound transducers that can be controlled individually, such that a user-specific audio signal can be reproduced for different users at different listening positions in a vehicle interior via the plurality of electroacoustic sound transducers,

wherein the loudspeaker array or a sound outlet of the loudspeaker array is arranged between at least two of the listening positions in the vehicle interior,

wherein the loudspeaker system comprises, per listening position, at least one additional loudspeaker system comprising at least one additional loudspeaker or an additional loudspeaker array,

wherein the additional loudspeaker system comprises a structure-borne sound loudspeaker that is arranged in a foot space allocated to the listening position, in a seat allocated to the listening position and/or a headrest allocated to the listening position and/or that is mechanically coupled to the seat allocated to the listening position,

wherein the loudspeaker system comprises a loudspeaker array, comprising;

a plurality of electroacoustic sound transducers coupled to first sound guides for sound output in a first area, wherein each sound guide comprises a sound outlet opening,

wherein the plurality of sound outlet openings are arranged such that an average distance between the sound outlet openings is smaller than a possible average distance between the juxtaposed electroacoustic sound transducers.