Piezoelectric film sonic emitter

• US 6,606,389 B1
• Filed: 09/02/1999
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Turtle Beach Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Technology Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Selfridge, Alan Robert, Khuri-Yakub, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Minsun Oh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Grier, Laura A.
• Application Number:
  US09/388,787
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 381/190, 381/173, 381/111, 381/114, 381/191, 381/77, 310/324, 310/328, 310/800
• US Class Current: 381/111
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/02 Synthesis of acoustic waves synthesis of speech G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2217/03 Parametric transducers where sound is generated or captured by the acoustic demodulation of amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves

Abstract

A speaker device for emitting subsonic, sonic or ultrasonic compression waves comprising a a rigid emitter plate attached to the drum, and a plurality of apertures formed within the plate which are covered by a thin piezoelectric film disposed across the emitter plate. The thin film at the apertures distends into an arcuate emitter configuration capable of constricting and extending in response to variations in the applied electrical input at the piezoelectric film to thereby create a compression wave in a surrounding environment. Parametric ultrasonic frequency input is supplied to the piezoelectric film to propagate multiple ultrasonic frequencies having a difference component corresponding to the desired subsonic, sonic or ultrasonic frequency range.

Claims

1. A system for indirectly generating at least one new sonic or subsonic frequency from at least two ultrasonic frequencies of different value, said system comprising:

an emitter plate having an outer face and an inner face, said plate including a plurality of apertures;

a piezoelectric membrane including an array of arcuate emitter faces disposed on the emitter plate, said array of arcuate emitter faces being positioned over the plurality of apertures; and

electrical input means coupled to the membrane for developing a vibration response at the plurality of apertures and associated arcuate emitter configurations, wherein the vibrations operate as an ultrasonic frequency emitter for concurrently propagating (i) a first ultrasonic frequency and (ii) a second ultrasonic frequency which interacts with the first ultrasonic frequency within a compressible transmission medium to propagate a difference frequency within a sonic bandwidth.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein electrical input means includes a modulating means coupled to the membrane to thereby supply the electrical signals for generating the first and the second ultrasonic frequencies as modulated output of an input ultrasonic frequency and a sonic frequency, said first and second ultrasonic frequencies having a difference in value equal to the at least one new sonic or subsonic frequency.

3. A parametric speaker including a support plate and a thin piezoelectric film having an ultrasonic emitter array for emission of ultrasonic compression waves into a non-linear air medium, wherein the ultrasonic emitter array comprises an array of arcuate emitter cells disposed across the piezoelectric film, electrical input means coupled to the film for developing a vibration response at the arcuate emitter cells, wherein the vibrations operate as an ultrasonic frequency emitter for concurrently propagating (i) a first ultrasonic frequency and (ii) a second ultrasonic frequency which interacts with the first ultrasonic frequency within a compressible transmission medium to propagate a difference frequency within a sonic bandwidth.

4. A parametric speaker as defined in claim 3, wherein the piezoelectric film comprises polyvinylidiene di-flouride.