Stereophonic sound producing apparatus for a game machine

• US 4,574,391 A
• Filed: 10/27/1983
• Issued: 03/04/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Morishima, Masaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US06/545,855
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 381/17, 381/18, 381/19, 381/20, 381/21, 381/22, 381/1, 381/24, 381/119, 381/104, 273/85 G
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 5/005 of the pseudo five- or more-channel type, e.g. virtual surround
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 5/02 of the pseudo four-channel type, e.g. in which rear channel signals are derived from two-channel stereo signals

Abstract

A stereophonic sound producing apparatus employs four speakers, a background-sound input signal and input-sound signals, to provide an on-the-spot "live action" feeling. The sounds are combined and varied such that a sound such as an artillery shell has a simulated sound and an aurally simulated movement discernible to a human ear. Mixers and attenuators are used, so that a digital "1" or "0" signal serves to operate the on-the-spot "live action" sound effects. A cockpit is provided, together with a video display. A video signal and/or background sound signal is provided by a digitally encoded disk.

Claims

1. A stereophonic sound producing apparatus for a game machine, comprising a left-hand and a right-hand background sound input terminals which receive signals from a first signal source;

front and rear game sound input terminals receiving signals from a second signal source;

left-hand and right-hand control signal input terminal receiving control signals from said second signal source; and

first, second, third and fourth loudspeakers disposed at a forwardly right-hand side, a forwardly left side, a rearwardly right-hand side, and a rearwardly left side with respect to a seat disposed generally at a center portion of a game machine body, each loudspeaker being connected at respective precedent stages thereof to first, second, third, and fourth power amplifiers and to first, second, third and fourth mixers, respectively;

said right-hand background sound input terminal being connected to said first mixer and to said fourth mixer through a first phase shifter, said left-hand background input terminal being connected to said second mixer and to said third mixer through a second phase shifter;

one of said front and said rear game sound input terminals being connected to said first and said second mixers, the other one of front and said rear game sound input being connected to each of said third and said fourth mixers separately through respective first and second variable gain controllers;

said left-hand and said right-hand control signal input terminals being connected to respective ones of said first and said second variable gain controllers respectively, such that sterophonic sounds are obtained by logical signals supplied from said left-hand and right-hand control signal input terminals.

4. A stereophonic sound producing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first signal source comprises a laser disc player.

6. A stereophonic sound producing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second source comprises a computer.

2. A stereophonic sound producing apparatus for a game machine, comprising:

left-hand and right-hand background input terminals receiving signals from a first signal source;

front and rear game sound input terminals receiving sound signals from a second signal source;

left-hand and right-hand control signal input terminals receiving control signals from said second signal source; and

first, second, third and fourth loudspeakers disposed at a forwardly right-hand side, a forwardly left side, a rearwardly right-hand side and a rearwardly left side with respect to a seat disposed generally at a center portion of a game machine body;

said seat having a woofer-range speaker which is connected with each of said background sound and said game sound input terminals through a fifth mixer, a low pass filter, and a power amplifier;

each of said loudspeakers being connected at respective precedent stages thereof to first, second, third, and fourth power amplifiers and to first, second, third and fourth mixers, respectively;

said right-hand background sound input terminal being connected to said first mixer and also to said fourth mixer through a first phase shifter;

said left-hand background input terminal being connected to said second mixer and also to said third mixer through a second phase shifter;

one of said front and said rear game sound input terminals being connected to said first and said second mixers, the other one of said front and said rear game sound input terminals being connected to each of said third and said fourth mixer separately through respective first and second variable gain controllers;

said left-hand and said right-hand control signal input terminals being connected to respective ones of said first and said second variable gain controllers respectively, such that stereophonic sounds are obtainable by logical signals supplied from said control signal input terminals.

3. A sterephonic sound producing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said fifth mixer is connected with each of said left-hand and right-hand background sound input terminals and said front and rear game sound input terminals.

5. A stereophonic sound producing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first signal source comprises a laser disc player.

7. A stereophonic sound producing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second signal source comprises a computer.