Linear speaker array

• US 5,946,401 A
• Filed: 11/19/1997
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Walt Disney Company
• Original Assignee: The Walt Disney Company
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N.
• Application Number:
  US08/974,387
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 381/24, 381/188, 381/205, 381/82, 381/86, 381/90, 381/182, 381/89, 381/152, 381/337, 381/338, 381/339, 381/386, 381/83, 381/84, 381/85, 472/57-60, 181/144, 181/196
• US Class Current: 381/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/26 Spatial arrangements of separate transducers responsive to two or more frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

A sound delivery system comprises at least one elongated speaker mounting element. A multiplicity of individual speakers are mounted in the mounting element to form a linear array of speakers with each speaker being adapted to radiate sound in a direction transverse to the array. The number of speakers and the spacing between them are selected so as to focus the sound emanated by the speakers by reducing dispersion of sound in the direction of the linear array. A device is also included for coupling audio signals to the speakers.

Claims

1. A linear speaker array comprising:

means for mounting a multiplicity of closely spaced speakers in a horizontal linear array along a predetermined track, and

means for coupling an audio signal having a pre-selected information content sequentially to successive groups of speakers along the array at a predetermined rate, the number of speakers in each group being less than the number of speakers in the array, wherein said coupling means couples different audio signals to different groups of speakers whereby different audio signals move sequentially at said predetermined rate from group to group along the linear array.