Apparatus and methods for enhancing an electronic audio signal

• US 5,361,306 A
• Filed: 02/23/1993
• Issued: 11/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Truesound, Inc.
• Original Assignee: True Dimensional Sound, Inc.
• Inventors: Garcia, Arturo J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kelly, Mark D.
• Application Number:
  US08/021,209
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 381/79, 381/86, 381/98, 455/41
• US Class Current: 381/98
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/18 in untuned amplifiers

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for enhancing an electronic audio signal by adding enhancing harmonics to the electronic audio signal. The present invention includes a field inducing coil through which input electronic audio signals are to be transmitted to set up an electromagnetic field. The field inducing coil is weakly coupled to an electromagnetic field receptor such that when an input electronic audio signal is transmitted through the inducing coil only a small portion of the electromagnetic field cuts or passes through the field receptor in order to produce an induced electronic audio signal having a greater harmonic content than the input electronic audio signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for enhancing the quality of electronic audio signals comprising:

an input stage having a field inducing coil through which input electronic audio signals are to be transmitted to set-up an electromagnetic field; and

an output stage having an electromagnetic field receptor and an output, said field inducing coil and said electromagnetic field receptor being weakly coupled such that when an input electronic audio signal is transmitted through said field inducing coil, only a small portion of the electromagnetic field set up by said inducing coil cuts or passes through said field receptor and an enhanced electronic audio signal is available at said output having an accentuated higher harmonic content compared to that of the input electronic audio signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said field inducing coil being a winding having at least one turn.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, said field inducing coil being a winding having a plurality of turns.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, said electromagnetic field receptor being a winding having at least one turn.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, said electromagnetic field receptor being a winding having a plurality of turns.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, said field inducing coil being a primary winding and said electromagnetic receptor being a secondary winding.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, said windings being supported on at least one low permeability core.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, said at least one core having a permeability of approximately unity.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, said electromagnetic field receptor being at least one from the group consisting of a tube, a length of wire, a coil and a plate.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, said input stage including an input amplifier through which the input electronic audio signal is to be transmitted before being transmitted through said field inducing coil.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, said output stage including an output amplifier through which the enhanced electronic audio signal is to be transmitted.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, said input stage including an input amplifier through which the input electronic audio signal is to be transmitted before being transmitted through said field inducing coil, and said output stage includes an output amplifier through which the enhanced electronic audio signal is to be transmitted.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 including frequency reshaping means for counteracting undesirable frequency shaping caused by said weak coupling.

14. A method of enhancing the quality of electronic audio signals, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one input electronic audio signal;

transmitting the at least one input electronic audio signal through a field inducing coil, thereby setting up at least one electromagnetic field; and

cutting or passing only a small portion of the at least one electromagnetic field through an electromagnetic field receptor to produce a weak coupling and generate at least one enhanced electronic audio signal having an accentuated higher harmonic content compared to that of the input electronic audio signal.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

processing the at least one enhanced electronic audio signal into audible sound.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

recording said at least one enhanced electronic audio signal onto a recording medium.

17. The method of claim 16, said recording medium being magnetic tape.

18. A magnetic tape recording medium having at least one enhanced electronic audio signal recorded thereon by the method of claim 17.

19. The method of claim 16, said recording medium being an optical disk.

20. An optical disk recording medium having at least one enhanced electronic audio signal recorded thereon by the method of claim 19.

21. A recording medium having at least one enhanced electronic audio signal recorded thereon by the method of claim 16.

22. The method of claim 14 including reshaping one or the other or both of the at least one input electronic audio signal and the at least one enhanced electronic audio signal to counteract undesirable frequency shaping caused by the cutting or passing of only a small portion of the at least one electromagnetic field through the field receptor.