Parametric loudspeaker with improved phase characteristics

• US 6,850,623 B1
• Filed: 10/29/1999
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Turtle Beach Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Technology Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Norris, Joseph O., Croft, James J. III, Norris, Elwood G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAHAM, ANDREW R
• Application Number:
  US09/430,801
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: 381/97, 381/77, 381/89, 310/316.02, 318/116
• US Class Current: 381/97
• 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 parametric loudspeaker which uses multiple piezoelectric bimorph transducers. These multiple piezoelectric bimorphs have a resonant frequency which varies from unit to unit. The phase response at and near the resonant frequency changes at a very high rate with slight changes in frequency. The associated modulator electronics have a primary carrier frequency that is optimized for maximum parametric output. This is achieved by aligning the carrier frequency with the flattest portions of the phase curve for maximum phase coordination among the multiple devices.

Claims

1. A parametric loudspeaker system, comprising:

an electronic modulator, adapted to receive audio signals, wherein the electronic modulator generates a carrier frequency to be modulated with the audio signals to produce a modulated signal;

at least two ultrasonic transducers, coupled to the electronic modulator to reproduce the modulated signal, the at least two ultrasonic transducers each having at least one resonant frequency, wherein the carrier frequency is offset from each at least one resonant frequency in view of the rate of change of phase of each transducer in the vicinity of each at least one resonant frequency in order to increase the phase coherence and combined parametric output of said transducers.

2. The parametric loudspeaker system as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier frequency is placed at a frequency that is divergent from the resonant frequency of the transducer by at least 1%.

3. The parametric loudspeaker system as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier frequency is placed at a frequency that is divergent from the resonant frequency of the transducer by 1% to 3%.

4. The parametric loudspeaker system as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier frequency is placed at a frequency that is divergent from the resonant frequency of the transducer by 2% to 4%.

5. The parametric loudspeaker system as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier frequency is placed at a frequency that is divergent from the resonant frequency of the transducer by up to 5%.

6. The parametric loudspeaker system as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier frequency is placed at a frequency that is divergent from the resonant frequency of the transducer by at least 400 Hertz.

7. The parametric loudspeaker system as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier frequency is placed at a frequency that is divergent from the resonant frequency of the transducer by up to 2000 Hertz.

8. The parametric loudspeaker system as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier frequency is placed at a frequency that is divergent from the resonant frequency of the transducer by 400 to 2000 Hertz.

9. The parametric loudspeaker system as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier frequency is placed at a frequency where a rate of phase change for a bimorph transducer is less than 40 degrees phase shift for each 2½

percent shift in frequency.

10. The parametric loudspeaker system as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier frequency is placed at a frequency where a rate of phase change for a bimorph transducer is less than 20 degrees phase shift for each 2½

percent shift in frequency.

11. The parametric loudspeaker system as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier frequency is placed at a frequency where a rate of phase change for a bimorph transducer is between 10 to 40 degrees phase shift for each 2½

percent shift in frequency.

12. The parametric loudspeaker system as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier frequency is placed at a frequency where a rate of phase change for a transducer is less than 40 degrees phase shift for each 2½

percent shift in frequency.

13. The parametric loudspeaker system as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier frequency is placed at a frequency where a rate of phase change for a transducer is less than 20 degrees phase shift for each 2½

percent shift in frequency.

14. The parametric loudspeaker system as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier frequency is placed at a frequency where a rate of phase change for a transducer is between 10 to 40 degrees phase shift for each 2½

percent shift in frequency.

15. The parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 1 wherein the at least one ultrasonic transducer further comprises:

(a) a non-planar base; and

(b) at least two piezoelectric bimorph transducers mounted on the non-planar base, wherein the at least two piezoelectric bimorph transducers are individually aligned substantially equidistant to a point located both forward from and centered on the non-planar base.

16. The parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 15 wherein the point located both forward from and centered on the non-planar base is at a distance of greater than 0.33 meters.

17. The parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 15 wherein the point located both forward from and centered on the non-planar base is at a distance of less than 3.0 meters.

18. The parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 15 wherein the point located both forward from and centered on the non-planar base is at a distance between 0.33 to 3.0 meters.

19. The parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 1, wherein the at least one ultrasonic transducer further comprises:

a non-planar base; and

an array of parametric sound emission areas mounted on the non-planar base, wherein the array of sound emission areas are individually aligned substantially equidistant to a point located both forward from and centered on the array of sound emission areas.

20. The parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 19 wherein the point located both forward from and centered on the array of sound emission areas is at a distance of greater than 0.33 meters.

21. The parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 19 wherein the point located both forward from and centered on the array of sound emission areas is at a distance of greater than 1.0 meters.

22. The parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 19 wherein the point located both forward from and centered on the array of sound emission areas is at a distance of greater than 3.0 meters.

23. The parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 19 wherein the point located both forward from and centered on the array of sound emission areas is at a distance between 0.33 to 3.0 meters.

24. The parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 1 wherein the at least one ultrasonic transducer further comprises:

(a) a point located both forward from and centered on the parametric loudspeaker system; and

(b) at least two piezoelectric bimorph transducers configured in a non-planar fashion, wherein the at least two piezoelectric bimorph transducers are individually aligned substantially equidistant from the point to avoid phase distortions in the transducer output.

25. The parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 24 wherein the point located both forward from and centered on the non-planar base is at a distance between 0.33 to 3.0 meters.

26. The parametric loudspeaker system as in claim 24 further comprising a non-planar mounting means to mount the at least two piezoelectric bimorph speakers.

27. A method for increasing the parametric output of a parametric loudspeaker system, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing multiple parametric emitters that output signals in a frequency band;

(b) correlating and controlling the phase relationships to increase phase coherence between each parametric emitter to maximize parametric output, wherein said controlling and correlating includes offsetting a carrier frequency applied to each emitter from a resonant frequency of each emitter in view of a rate of change of phase of each emitter in the vicinity of each resonant frequency; and

(c) emitting ultrasonic energy from the parametric emitters, wherein the correlated phase relationship increases the parametric output.

28. A method for increasing the parametric output of a parametric loudspeaker system, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a carrier frequency in an electronic modulator;

(b) providing at least two ultrasonic emitters connected to the electronic modulator, wherein the ultrasonic transducers each have a resonant frequency;

(c) offsetting the carrier frequency from each resonant frequency in view of the rate of change of phase of each emitter in the vicinity of said resonant frequency;

(d) modulating the carrier frequency with audio signals received into the electronic modulator, to produce a modulated signal;

(e) reproducing the modulated signal using the offset carrier frequency to increase the combined parametric output of the emitters.

29. The method as in claim 28 wherein step (c) further comprises the step of offsetting the carrier frequency from the resonant frequency by at least 1%.

30. The method as in claim 28 wherein step (c) further comprises the step of offsetting the carrier frequency from the resonant frequency by up to 5%.

31. The method as in claim 28 wherein step (c) further comprises the step of offsetting the carrier frequency from the resonant frequency by 2 to 4%.

32. The method as in claim 28 wherein step (c) further comprises the step of offsetting the carrier frequency from the resonant frequency by at least 400 Hertz.

33. The method as in claim 28 wherein step (c) further comprises the step of offsetting the carrier frequency from the resonant frequency by up to 2000 Hertz.

34. The method as in claim 28 wherein step (c) further comprises the step of offsetting the carrier frequency from the resonant frequency by 400 to 2000 Hertz.