Device including a built-in electroacoustic transducer for optimum speech reproduction

• US 6,681,024 B2
• Filed: 08/04/1998
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Knowles IPC Sendirian Berhad (Knowles Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Renner, Heinz, Klein, Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENDLETON, DIONNE
• Application Number:
  US09/128,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20010040975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,995 Days
• Field of Search: 381/374, 381/385, 381/386, 381/387, 381/389, 381/365, 381/333, 381/303, 381/336, 381/104, 381/301, 381/388, 381/182, 381/351, 381/338, 181/151, 181/154, 181/171, 181/199, 181/141, 297/217.4, 297/397, 590/4
• US Class Current: 381/389
• 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

A device (8) which includes an electroacoustic transducer (7) for the acoustic reproduction of sound signals to an ear (14) of a user (2) who assumes a user position at the device. The transducer is optimized for the acoustic reproduction of speech-signal sound waves and is equipped with arrangement means (25) for realizing a distinct directivity for the speech-signal sound waves emitted by the transducer. As a result of its directivity, the transducer directs the speech-signal sound waves which it emits preferentially to the ear of a user who is in the user posture.

Claims

1. A device in which a user can assume a user posture, said device comprising:

at least one electroacoustic transducer; and

a carrier for carrying said at least one electroacoustic transducer and for supporting an upper torso portion of said user, said carrier being made of an acoustically dense material and extending comparatively close to at least one ear of a user who is in the user posture, said at least one electroacoustic transducer being attached to the carrier adjacent the portion thereof which supports the upper torso for acoustic reproduction of sound signals for the ear of the user who is in the user posture, said at least one electroacoustic transducer comprising sound-generation means for generating and emitting sound waves, characterized in that the transducer is constructed for an optimum acoustic reproduction of speech-signal sound waves,

additional means for realizing a distinct directivity for the speech-signal sound waves emitted by said at least one electroacoustic transducer, whereby,

as a result of said distinct directivity, the speech-signal sound waves emitted from said at least one electroacoustic transducer are directed preferentially to the ear of the user who is in the user posture, and the additional, means comprises a baffle interposed between the at least one electroacoustic transducer and an acoustic free space, the at least one electroacoustic transducer being connected to the baffle in an acoustically imperforate manner, said baffle having at least one sound port for connecting a front volume, situated in front of the sound generation means, to the acoustic free space, and at least one opening for connecting a back volume, situated behind the sound generation means, to the acoustic free space, whereby the baffle delays the speech-signal sound waves emitted into the acoustic free space via the back volume and the at least one opening, with respect to the speech-signal sound waves emitted via the front volume and the at least one sound port, to different extents in different directions.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, in addition to the baffle, the additional means comprises a foam-material configuration which constitutes an acoustic delay element, the foam-material configuration being arranged in the area of a sound path of the speech-signal sound waves emitted into the acoustic free space via the back volume and the at least one opening, and partly encloses the at least one electroacoustic transducer.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the foam-material configuration extends at least up to the at least one opening in the baffle.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the foam-material configuration tills a space in the at least one opening in the battle up to the carrier.

5. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the foam-material configuration is pot-shaped and is accommodated in a correspondingly pot-shaped recess in the carrier, and the at least one electroacoustic transducer is mounted in the pot-shaped foam-material configuration.

6. A device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the foam-material configuration includes a single foam-material part.

7. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the foam-material configuration comprises open-pore and densified polyurethane.

8. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the foam-material configuration comprises open-pore and densified polyethylene.

9. A device in which a user can assume a user posture, said device comprising:

at least one electroacoustic transducer; and

a carrier for carrying said at least one electroacoustic transducer and for supporting an upper torso portion of said user, said carrier being made of an acoustically dense material and extending comparatively close to at least one ear of a user who is in the user posture, said at least one electroacoustic transducer being attached to the carrier for acoustic reproduction of sound signals for the ear of the user who is in the user posture, said at least one electroacoustic transducer comprising sound-generation means for generating and emitting sound waves, characterized in that the transducer is constructed for an optimum acoustic reproduction of speech-signal sound waves, additional means for realizing a distinct directivity for the speech-signal sound waves emitted by said at least one electroacoustic transducer, whereby,

as a result of said distinct directivity, the speech-signal sound waves emitted from said at least one electroacoustic transducer are directed preferentially into an anterior acoustic free space and directly to the ambient air in the direction of the ear of the user who is in the user posture, characterized in that the additional means comprises a foam-material configuration including at least two foam-material parts having different foam-material structures and operative as an acoustic delay element and being arranged in a sound path of sound waves emitted into the acoustic free space via the back volume of the electroacoustic transducer, the foam-material parts at least circumferentially enclosing the at least one electroacoustic transducer in the area of the back volume, said at least two foam-material parts directly adjoining one another pairwise and each of said at least two foam-material parts directly adjoining an acoustic free space anterior of the electroacoustic transducer.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that one of the at least two foam-material parts comprises an acoustically dense foam material.

11. A directional loudspeaker apparatus comprising:

an electroacoustic transducer for generating and emitting sound waves,

a carrier made of an acoustically dense material and having a recess therein in which the electroacoustic transducer is attached, the recess in said carrier being located in a portion thereof separate from any headrest if present for a user of the loudspeaker apparatus, such that the electroacoustic transducer can emit sound waves to the ear of the user of the loudspeaker apparatus, and

additional means for realizing a distinct directivity for the sound waves emitted by said electroacoustic transducer, whereby, as a result of said distinct directivity, the sound waves emitted from said electroacoustic transducer are directed preferentially to the ear of the user along a linear path from the electroacoustic transducer to the ear of the user and wherein the additional means comprises a form-material body operative as an acoustic delay element and being arranged in a sound path of the sound waves emitted into the acoustics free spaced via the back volume of the electroacoustic transducer.

12. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the electroacoustic transducer is arranged to generate and emit only speech-signal sound waves.

13. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said carrier comprises a seat for the user of the loudspeaker apparatus, and the recess is located in the back-rest portion of the seat.

14. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the additional means comprises a foam-material acoustic delay body including at least first and second foam-material acoustic delay parts having different foam-material structures, the foam-material parts at least circumferentially enclosing the electroacoustic transducer in the area of the back volume so as to realize the distinct directivity for the sound waves.

15. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein the first foam-material part comprises an acoustically dense foam-material and the second foam-material part comprises an acoustically permeable foam-material.

16. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said electroacoustic transducer has a housing that is acoustically open at its rear surface and the additional means further comprises a foam-material body operative as an acoustic delay element and which at least partly encloses the electroacoustic transducer, the foam material body being arranged in a sound path of the sound waves emitted into the acoustic free space via the acoustically open rear surface of the transducer.

17. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the electroacoustic transducer is arranged in the carrier recess so as to emit the sound waves via an anterior acoustic free space and directly into the ambient air in a direction that will linearly intersect the ear of the user of the loudspeaker apparatus.

18. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the additional means comprises a foam-material body operative as an acoustic delay element and being arranged in a Sound path of the sound waves emitted into the acoustic free space via the back volume of the electroacoustic transducer, and the foam material body includes at least first and second foam material acoustic delay parts having different foam material structures, the foam material parts at least circumferentially enclosing the electroacoustic transducer in the area of the back volume so as to realize the distinct directivity for the sound waves.

19. A directional loudspeaker apparatus, comprising:

an electroacoustic transducer for generating and emitting sound waves,

a carrier made of an acoustically dense material and having a recess therein in which the electroacoustic transducer is attached, the recess in said carrier being located in a portion thereof separate from any headrest if present for a user of the loudspeaker apparatus, such that the electroacoustic transducer can emit sound waves to the ear of the user of the loudspeaker apparatus, and

additional means for realizing a distinct directivity for the sound waves emitted by said electroacoustic transducer, whereby, as a result of said distinct directivity, the sound waves emitted from said electroacoustic transducer are directed preferentially to the ear of the user along a linear path from the electroacoustic transducer to the ear of the user,

and wherein the additional means comprises a battle interposed between the electroacoustic transducer and an acoustic free space and with the electroacoustic transducer connected to the baffle in an acoustically imperforate manner, said baffle having at least one sound port for coupling a front volume of the electroacoustic transducer to the acoustic free space and at least one opening for coupling a back volume thereof to the acoustic free space, whereby the baffle delays the sounds waves emitted into the acoustic tree space via the back volume and the at least one opening with respect to the sound waves emitted via the front volume and the at least one sound port.

20. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein the additional means further comprises a foam-material body operative as an acoustic delay element and which at least partly encloses the electroacoustic transducer, the foam material body being arranged in a sound path of the sound waves emitted into the acoustic free space via the back volume and the at least one opening.

21. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the foam material body extends at least up to the at least one opening in the baffle.

22. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the carrier recess is pot-shaped and the foam-material body has a corresponding pot-shape, and

the electroacoustic transducer is mounted in the pot-shaped foam-material body.

23. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the foam-material body comprises an open pore material.

24. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein the electroacoustic transducer is arranged in the carrier recess so as to emit the sound waves through the at least one sound port of the baffle in a direction that will linearly intersect the ear of the user of the loudspeaker apparatus.

25. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the carrier recess is pot-shaped and the foam-material body is in two parts, wherein

the first part is disc-shaped and is disposed in a bottom wall of the carrier recess, and supports a bottom wall of the electroacoustic, transducer, and

the second part has a semi-annular shape and it borders on said at least one opening in the baffle.

26. A directional loud speaker apparatus comprising:

an electroacoustical transducer for generating and emitting sound waves, a carrier made of an acoustically dense material and having a recess therein in which the electroacoustic transducer is attached, the recess in said carrier being located in a portion thereof separate from any headrest if present for a user of the loudspeaker apparatus, such that the electroacoustic transducer can emit sound waves to the ear of the user of the loudspeaker apparatus, and additional means for realizing distinct directivity for the sound waves emitted by the electroacoustic transducer, whereby as a result of said directivity, the sound waves emitted from said electroacoustic transducer are directed preferentially to the ear of the user along a linear path from the electroacoustic transducer to the ear of the user, and wherein the additional means comprises a baffle interposed between the electroacoustic transducer and an acoustic free space and with the electroacoustic transducer connected to the baffle, said baffle having at least one sound port for coupling a front volume of the electroacoustic transducer directly to the acoustic free space along said linear path from the electroacoustic transducer to the ear of the user, and at least one port for coupling a back volume situated behind the electroacoustic transducer, to the acoustic free space.

27. The loudspeaker apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein the additional means further comprises a foam material body operative as an acoustic delay element and which at least partly encloses the electroacoutic transducer, the foam material body being arranged in a sound path of the Sound waves emitted into the acoustic tree space via the back volume of the electroacoustic transducer.