Fire sound simulator

• US 5,774,040 A
• Filed: 08/11/1997
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dominic H. Lastoria
• Original Assignee: Dominic H. Lastoria
• Inventors: Lastoria, Dominic H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US08/909,188
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 340/384.3, 340/384.7, 340/577, 340/584, 340/691, 40/428, 472/64, 472/65
• US Class Current: 340/384.3
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 5/04 Arrangements for making sound-effects
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 3/006 simulating flames
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

A new Fire Sound Simulator for simulating the hissing, popping and crackling sound of a fire includes a white noise generator for generating a white noise signal representative of a hissing sound, a ROM-based sound generator for generating a popping signal representative of a popping sound, a ROM-based sound generator for generating a crackling signal representative of a crackling sound, a microcontroller operably coupled to the ROM-based sound generator for generating the popping signal and the ROM-based sound generator for generating the crackling signal, the microcontroller generating a first start signal for activating the ROM-based sound generator for generating the popping signal and a second start signal for activating the ROM-based sound generator for generating the crackling signal, a mixer for mixing the white noise signal, the popping signal and the crackling signal, and for generating an amplifier input signal, the mixer being operably coupled to the microcontroller, an audio amplifier for amplifying the amplifier input signal and for generating an amplifier output signal and a sound speaker connected to receive the amplifier output signal.

Claims

1. A Fire Sound Simulator powered by a direct current power source comprising:

a white noise generator for generating a white noise signal representative of a hissing sound;

a means for generating a popping signal representative of a popping sound;

a means for generating a crackling signal representative of a crackling sound;

a microcontroller operably coupled to the means for generating the popping signal and the means for generating the crackling signal, the microcontroller generating a first start signal for activating the means for generating the popping signal and a second start signal for activating the means for generating the crackling signal;

a mixing means for mixing the white noise signal, the popping signal and the crackling signal, and for generating an amplifier input signal, the mixing means being operably coupled to the microcontroller;

an audio amplifier for amplifying the amplifier input signal and for generating an amplifier output signal; and

a sound speaker connected to receive the amplifier output signal.

2. The Fire Sound Simulator of claim 1, wherein the means for generating a popping signal representative of a popping sound further comprise a first ROM-based sound generator coupled to a first low pass filter through a first digital to analog converter.

3. The Fire Sound Simulator of claim 2, wherein the first ROM-based sound generator further comprises a first counting means for counting through a finite set of 8 bit words, one of the bits being a done bit, the done bit for signaling the last 8 bit word in the finite set, the remaining bits being representative of a plurality of sampled popping sounds, and wherein the microcontroller further comprises means for selecting the finite set of 8 bit words from among a plurality of finite sets of 8 bit words.

4. The Fire Sound Simulator of claim 3, wherein the means for generating a crackling signal representative of a crackling sound further comprise a second ROM-based sound generator coupled to second low pass filter through a second digital to analog converter.

5. The Fire Sound Simulator of claim 4, wherein the second ROM-based sound generator further comprises a second counting means for counting through a finite set of 8 bit words, one of the bits being a done bit, the done bit for signaling the last 8 bit word in the finite set, the remaining bits being representative of a plurality of sampled crackling sounds, and wherein the microcontroller further comprises means for selecting the finite set of 8 bit words from among a plurality of finite sets of 8 bit words.

6. The Fire Sound Simulator of claim 1 further comprising a means for controlling the frequency of generation of the first and second start signals.

7. The Fire Sound Simulator of claim 6, wherein the means for controlling the frequency of generation of the first and second start signals further comprise a third analog to digital converter coupled to the white noise generator, the third analog to digital converter for sampling the white noise signal at a rate of ten samples per second and generating a random value, and further comprising a fourth analog to digital converter coupled to a potentiometer for generating a user-selected value, the microcontroller comprising means for comparing the random value to the user-selected value and generating the first and second start signals provided the random value exceeds the user-selected value.

8. The Fire Sound Simulator of claim 1, wherein the mixing means further comprise a first digital potentiometer connected to receive the white noise signal, a second digital potentiometer connected to receive the popping signal, a third digital potentiometer connected to receive the crackling signal, the first, second and third digital potentiometers being operably coupled to the microcontroller, the microcontroller further comprising means for randomly setting the first, second and third digital potentiometers.

9. A Fire Sound Simulator powered by a direct current power source comprising:

a housing having disposed therein,

a white noise generator for generating a white noise signal representative of a hissing sound;

a means for generating a popping signal representative of a popping sound;

a means for generating a crackling signal representative of a crackling sound;

a microcontroller operably coupled to the means for generating the popping signal and the means for generating the crackling signal, the microcontroller generating a first start signal for activating the means for generating the popping signal and a second start signal for activating the means for generating the crackling signal;

a mixing means for mixing the white noise signal, the popping signal and the crackling signal, and for generating an amplifier input signal, the mixing means being operably coupled to the microcontroller;

an audio amplifier for amplifying the amplifier input signal and for generating an amplifier output signal; and

a sound speaker connected to receive the amplifier output signal.