Audio speaker system for automotive vehicle

• US 4,866,776 A
• Filed: 10/26/1984
• Issued: 09/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yanagishima, Takayuki, Kasai, Junichi, Imai, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US07/665,110
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• Field of Search: 381/86, 381/24, 381/1, 381/18
• US Class Current: 381/302
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

An automotive audio speaker system includes a set of main speakers and a set of sub-speakers. The main speakers are distributed about the vehicle cabin so as to focus audio sound near the center thereof. The main speakers reproduce separate right and left audio channels, either singly or in groups, and the sub-speakers reproduce monaural sound resulting from combination of the right and left channels. The sub-speakers are arranged and operated in such a manner that the audio focus is divided and displaced to form a number of acoustic images, each coinciding with a passenger seat. Seat sensors capable of detecting the presence of a passenger in a corresponding seat may be used to control the operation of the sub-speakers, either by adjusting their relative volumes or by distributing the right and/or left audio channels thereamong.

Claims

1. A speaker system for an automotive audio system comprising;

a plurality of main speakers so arranged in a vehicle cabin as to produce acoustic vibrations concentrated near the center of the vehicle cabin, each of said main speakers receiving one of a right and a left audio signal channel from an audio signal source to reproduce a single channel of acoustic vibrations;

one or more sub-speakers arranged in the vehicle cabin and connected to receive audio signals from said audio signal source, said sub-speakers being arranged to produce acoustic vibrations which interact with acoustic vibrations produced by said main speakers so as to form a plurality of acoustic images in the vehicle cabin, each of said acoustic images being formed in the vicinity of a passenger seat,

a plurality of seat sensors for detecting the presence of passengers in corresponding seats; and

means responsive to said seat sensors for controlling the distribution of said right and left audio signal channels between or among said sub-speakers in accordance with the distribution of passengers within the vehicle cabin indicated by said seat sensors.

2. A speaker system for an automotive audio system comprising:

a plurality of main speakers so arranged in a vehicle cabin as to produce acoustic vibrations concentrated near the center of the vehicle cabin, each of said main speakers receiving one of a right and a left audio signal channel from an audio signal source to reproduce a single channel of acoustic vibrations;

PG,19

one or more sub-speakers arranged in the vehicle cabin and connected to receive audio signals from said audio signal source, said sub-speakers being arranged to produce acoustic vibrations which interact with acoustic vibrations produced by said main speakers so as to form a plurality of acoustic images in the vehicle cabin, each of said acoustic images being formed in the vicinity of a passenger seat,

a plurality of seat sensors detecting the presence of a passenger on corresponding seats; and

a controller associated with said seat sensors and controlling the amplitude of audio signals sent to each main speaker in accordance with the sensed distribution of passengers within the vehicle cabin to form said acoustic image in the vicinity of the vehicle seat occupied by said passenger.

3. The speaker system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said controller controls the relative amplitudes of the right and left audio channels in accordance with the distribution of passengers.

4. The speaker system as set forth in claim 2, wherein a first pair of sub-speakers are located near a front seat in said vehicle cabin along the central axis of the vehicle, the sub-speakers of said first pair facing opposite halves of the front seat relative to the central axis, and a second pair of sub-speakers are located near a rear seat in said vehicle cabin along the central axis of the vehicle, the sub-speakers of said second pair facing opposite halves of the rear seat.

5. The speaker system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said sub-speakers are mounted on seat backs of front seats in said vehicle cabin and face rearward.

6. The speaker system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said sub-speakers are mounted in front of respectively corresponding passenger seats.

7. The speaker system as set forth in claim 2, which further comprises a controller controlling the amplitude of audio signals sent to each of said sub-speakers in accordance with the difference between the amplitudes of the right and left audio channels.

8. The speaker system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said sub-speakers are each connected to receive an audio signal resulting from the mixing of said right and left audio signal channels.

9. A speaker system for an audio system in an automotive vehicle defining therein a vehicle cabin in which a plurality of seats are arranged, comprising:

a main speaker system including at least one pair of left-channel speaker and right-channel speaker for reproducing left-and right-channel audio signals from an audio source, said left-and right-channel speakers being arranged to concentrate acoustic vibration near the center of the vehicle cabin to form an acoustic image there about;

an auxiliary speaker system connected to said audio signal source for receiving audio signals for generating acoustic vibration to offset said acoustic image to a selected direction and at a selected magnitude; and

a controller associated with said main and auxiliary speaker systems for automatically adjusting magnitude of acoustic vibration generated by said main speaker system and/or said auxiliary speaker system for causing offset of said acoustic image to a predetermined position.

10. A speaker system for an audio system in an automotive vehicle defining therein a vehicle cabin in which a plurality of seats are arranged, comprising:

a main speaker system including at least one pair of left-channel speaker and a right-channel speaker for reproducing left-right-channel audio signals from an audio source, said left-and right-channel speakers being arranged to concentrate acoustic vibration near the center of the vehicle cabin to form an acoustic image there about;

an auxiliary speaker system connected to said audio signal source for receiving audio signals for generating acoustic vibration to form acoustic images at preselected positions offsetting from the center to a selected direction and at a selected magnitude; and

a controller associated with said main and auxiliary speaker system for automatically adjusting magnitude of acoustic vibration generated by said main speaker system and/or said auxiliary speaker system for causing offset of said acoustic images to predetermined positions.