Sound system

• US 7,110,550 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomita, Yuji, Kowaki, Hiroshi, Matsui, Hideki, Motojima, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US09/809,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20010022841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 381/27, 381/22, 381/104, 381/302, 381/307, 381/86, 381/107, 381/109
• US Class Current: 381/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/00 Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field

Abstract

The present invention was developed in order to realize a multi-channel sound system wherein appropriate output (balance and fader) control can be conducted without adversely affecting the program contents, and a sound system, which can reproduce a plurality of channel signals including at least left and right front channels and a center channel for forward-placed speakers, comprises a gain controller to control the gain of either left or right channel signal and a gain controller to control the gain of the center channel signal depending on the gain control of the left or right channel signal.

Claims

1. A sound system for reproducing a plurality of channel signals including at least left and right front channels and a center channel for forward-placed speakers, the sound system comprising:

an attenuating means for attenuating either a left channel signal or a right channel signal according to an operation on an operating part; and

a controlling means for controlling an attenuation of a center channel signal depending on the attenuation of the left channel signal or the right channel signal.

2. A sound system according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means attenuates the center channel signal in the range of 0.3n to 0.8n %, when the attenuating means attenuates either the left channel signal or the right channel signal in the n % range of an original signal level.

3. A sound system for reproducing a plurality of channel signals including at least left and right front channels and a center channel for forward-placed speakers, the sound system comprising:

an attenuating means for attenuating either a left channel signal or a right channel signal according to an operation on an operating part;

a first adding means for adding at least a portion of the attenuated left or right channel signal to a center channel signal; and

a second adding means for adding at least a portion of the center channel signal to the right or left channel signal not being attenuated.

4. A sound system according to claim 3, wherein when the attenuating means attenuates either the left channel signal or the right channel signal in the n₁% range of an original signal level:

the first adding means adds an amount of the attenuated left or right channel signal to the center channel signal in the range of 0.2n₁ to 0.8n₁%; and

the second adding means adds an amount of the center channel signal to the right or left channel signal not being attenuated in the range of 0.1n₁ to 0.6n₁% of an original signal level of the center channel signal.

5. A sound system according to claim 4, further comprising delaying means intervened before the first and second adding means.

6. A sound system according to claim 3, further comprising delaying means intervened before the first and second adding means.

7. A sound system according to claim 3, further comprising an additional attenuating means for reducing a level of a highest of the left, center, or right channel signal on which addition is conducted so that the level of the channel signal after the addition does not change.

8. A sound system according to claim 3, further comprising:

an additional attenuating means for reducing a level of a highest of the left, center, or right channel signal on which addition is conducted so that the level of the channel signal after the addition does not change; and

a controlling means for controlling by again reducing the attenuated left or right channel signal level depending on an attenuation factor by which the additional attenuating means conducts attenuation.

9. A sound system for reproducing a plurality of channel signals including at least left and right front channels for forward-placed speakers and left and right rear channels for rear-placed speakers, the sound system comprising:

an attenuating means for attenuating either front side channel signals or rear side channel signals according to an operation on an operating part; and

an adding means for adding the attenuated side channel signals to the side channel signals not being attenuated.

10. A sound system according to claim 9, wherein when the attenuating means attenuates either the front side channel signals or the rear side channel signals in the n₂% range of an original signal level:

the adding means adds an amount of the attenuated side channel signals to the side channel signals not being attenuated in the range of 0.2n₂ to 0.8n₂%.

11. A sound system according to claim 10, further comprising a delaying means intervened before the adding means.

12. A sound system according to claim 9, further comprising a delaying means intervened before the adding means.

13. A sound system for reproducing a plurality of channel signals including at least left and right front channels for forward-placed speakers and left and right rear channels for rear-placed speakers, the sound system comprising:

an attenuating means for attenuating either left side channel signals or right side channel signals according to an operation on an operating part; and

an adding means for adding at least a portion of the attenuated side channel signals to the side channel signals not being attenuated.

14. A sound system according to claim 13, wherein when the attenuating means attenuates either the left side channel signals or the right side channel signals in the n₃% range of original signal levels of the left side channel signals or the right side channel signals:

the adding means adds an amount of the attenuated side channel signals to the side channel signals not being attenuated in the range of 0.2n₃ to 0.8n₃%.

15. A sound system according to claim 14, further comprising a delaying means intervened before the adding means.

16. A sound system according to claim 13, further comprising a delaying means intervened before the adding means.