Equalizer apparatus

• US 4,464,781 A
• Filed: 07/09/1981
• Issued: 08/07/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kaneko, Akio, Kajiwara, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hickey, R. J.
• Application Number:
  US06/281,712
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 179/1 B, 179/1 D, 179/1 SW, 179/1 G, 179/1 GQ, 333/28 R, 333/28 T, 381/11, 381/12, 381/98, 381/18-21
• US Class Current: 381/12
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/025 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/007 in which the audio signals are in digital form data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/40 Visual indication of stereophonic sound image

Abstract

An equalizer apparatus for audio equipment capable of selecting between a 2-speaker system and a 4-speaker system, including a display device indicating proper operation of the control knobs of the equalizer. The display device includes a first illuminable element of a first color for indicating operation of one channel of stereophonic sound reproduction, a second illuminable element of a second color for indicating operation of the other channel of stereophonically reproduced sound, and color coded means corresponding to said first and second colors for indicating which of the control knobs produce data signals for the first channel and which of the control knobs produce data signals for the second channel. Further, the color coded means may indicate which of the control knobs produce data signals for each of the divided frequencies of the respective channels during operation of the audio equipment in the manner simulating quadriphonic sound.

Claims

1. An equalizer for audio equipment capable of producing two-channel sound stereophonically or simulated quadraphonically by dividing the audio signals for each channel into two frequency bands, including data means including respective control knobs for providing data signals corresponding to changes desired in the frequency characteristics of the sound reproduced by the audio equipment, control means receiving said data signals for altering the frequency characteristics of the reproduced sound according to the data signals received, and display means indicating whether the sound is being reproduced stereophonically or simulated quadraphonically and the operation of said data means, said display means including a first illuminable element of a first color for indicating operation of one channel of stereophonic sound reproduction, a second illuminable element of a second color for indicating operation of the other channel of stereophonically reproduced sound, and color coded means corresponding to said first and second colors for indicating which of said control knobs produce data signals for said first channel and which of said control knobs produce data signals for said second channel, said color coded means further serving to indicate by said first and second colors which of said control knobs produce data for each of the divided frequencies of the respective channels during operating of said audio equipment to stimulate quadraphonic sound.

2. An equalizer according to claim 1, said data means including a plurality of control knobs operated manually for setting desired data signals and each corresponding to a subband of the frequency range of the audio signal for one or the other channel.

3. An equalizer according to claim 2, said data means including a memory receiving data signals preset by operation of said control knobs for storing said data signals for later recall for said control means.

4. An equalizer according to claim 1, further including a memory receiving said data signals for later recall for said control means.

7. An equalizer according to claim 1, said color coded means including a first border of said first color surrounding the control knobs adapted to produce data signals for said first channel and a second border of said second color surrounding the control knobs adapted to produce data signals for said second channel.

8. An equalizer according to claim 7, said audio equipment being adapted to be used in an automobile.

10. An equalizer according to claim 1, said audio equipment being adapted to be used in an automobile.

5. An equalizer for audio equipment capable of producing two-channel sound stereophonically or simulated quadraphonically by dividing the audio signal for each channel into two frequency bands, including data means including respective control knobs for providing data signals corresponding to changes desired in the frequency characteristics of the sound reproduced by the audio equipment, control means receiving said data signals for altering the frequency characteristics of the reproduced sound according to the data signals received, and display means indicating whether the sound is being reproduced stereophonically or simulated quadraphonically and the operation of said data means, said display means including a first illuminable element of a first color for indicating operation of one channel of stereophonic sound reproduction, a second illuminable element of a second color for indicating operation of the other channel of stereophonically reproduced sound, and color coded means corresponding to said first and second colors for indicating which of said control knobs produce data signals for said first channel and which of said control knobs produce data signals for said second channels, said color coded means further serving to indicate which of said control knobs produce data signals for each of the divided frequencies of the respective channels during operation of said audio equipment simulating quadraphonic sound by including a first border of said first color surrounding the control knobs adapted to produce data signals for said first channel, a second border of said second color surrounding the control knobs adapted to produce data signals for said second channel, a third border fitted within said first border and being of a color distinguishable from said first color, said third border surrounding those of said control knobs adapted to produce one of the divided frequencies of said first channel, and a fourth border fitted within said second border and being of a color distinguishable from said second color, said fourth border surrounding those knobs adapted to produce one of the divided frequencies of said second channel.

6. An equalizer according to claim 5, said audio equipment adapted to be used in an automobile.

9. An equalizer according to claim 5, said audio equipment being adapted to be used in an automobile.