Parametric audio system for operation in a saturated air medium

• US 7,596,229 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2005
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Turtle Beach Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Technology Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Croft, James J. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin; Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAO, LUNSEE
• Application Number:
  US11/181,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20050281413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 381/77, 381/79, 381/150, 381/190, 381/191, 381/111, 381/75, 381/82, 381/83, 381/96, 381/103, 367/140
• US Class Current: 381/77
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2217/03 Parametric transducers where sound is generated or captured by the acoustic demodulation of amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

A parametric loudspeaker system and method for reducing distortion in a decoupled audio wave by creating a double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal that substantially approximates a non-square-rooted modulation envelope and emitting a parametric ultrasonic wave that corresponds to the double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal from a parametric loudspeaker at a sufficient amplitude to drive the surrounding air into saturation.

Claims

1. A method for operating a parametric loudspeaker system in both a non-saturated air medium and a saturated air medium, comprising:

a) receiving at least one audio input signal;

b) generating an ultrasonic carrier signal;

c) parametrically modulating the audio input signal and ultrasonic carrier signal to produce a parametric ultrasonic signal;

d) operating a signal processor in a first predetermined signal processing mode when the parametric loudspeaker is operating in the non-saturated air medium to create a double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal having a low modulation index;

e) operating the signal processor in a second predetermined signal processing mode that is distinct from the first predetermined signal processing mode when the parametric loudspeaker is operating in the saturated air medium to create a double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal having a higher modulation index than that of the first predetermined signal processing mode; and

f) emitting a parametric ultrasonic wave into the air medium to produce a decoupled audio wave.

2. The method of claim 1, including the more specific step of receiving at least one complex audio input signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of artificially increasing the modulation index of the double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal when the parametric loudspeaker system operates in the saturated air medium.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of gradually increasing the modulation index of the double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal in a transition region between the non-saturated air medium and the saturated air medium.

5. The method of claim 3 comprising the more specific step correlating the artificial increase in the modulation index of the double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal with an increase in amplitude of the audio input signal that results in a decrease in distortion level of the decoupled audio wave.

6. A parametric loudspeaker system for operating in both a non-saturated air medium and a saturated air medium, comprising:

ultrasonic carrier and audio input signal sources for providing an ultrasonic carrier signal and an audio input signal;

a signal processor coupled to the ultrasonic carrier and audio input signal sources, operating in a first predetermined signal processing mode when the parametric loudspeaker is operating in the non-saturated air medium configurable to reduce distortion introduced in a decoupled audio wave in the non-saturated air medium, and operating in a second predetermined signal processing mode when the parametric loudspeaker is operating in the saturated air medium for creating a double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal;

wherein the first predetermined signal processing mode is configured to create a double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal having a modulation envelope that substantially matches an amplitude modulated version of a square-rooted audio input signal, and the second predetermined signal processing mode is configured to produce the double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal wherein the double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal having a modulation envelope that substantially matches an amplitude modulated version of a non-square-rooted audio input signal; and

an electro-acoustical emitter coupled to the signal processor for emitting a parametric ultrasonic wave.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a parametric modulator coupled to the ultrasonic carrier and audio input signal sources, for parametrically modulating the ultrasonic carrier signal with the audio input signal to produce a parametric ultrasonic signal.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the first predetermined signal processing mode is configured to create the double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal having a low modulation index, and the second predetermined signal processing mode is configured to create the double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal having a higher modulation index than that of the first predetermined signal processing mode.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the modulation index of the double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal is artificially increased when the parametric loudspeaker system operates in the saturated air medium.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the modulation index is gradually artificially increased in a transition region between the non-saturated air medium and the saturated air medium.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the artificial increase of the modulation index of the double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal corresponds to an increase in amplitude of the audio input signal that results in a decrease in distortion level of the decoupled audio wave.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the parametric modulator and the signal processor are integrated into a single device.

13. A method for operating a parametric loudspeaker system in both a non-saturated air medium and a saturated air medium, comprising:

a) receiving at least one audio input signal;

b) generating an ultrasonic carrier signal;

c) parametrically modulating the audio input signal and ultrasonic carrier signal to produce a parametric ultrasonic signal;

d) operating a signal processor in a first predetermined signal processing mode when the parametric loudspeaker is operating in the non-saturated air medium to create a double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal, wherein a modulation envelope of the double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal substantially matches an amplitude modulated version of a square-rooted audio input signal;

e) operating the signal processor in a second predetermined signal processing mode that is distinct from the first predetermined signal processing mode when the parametric loudspeaker is operating in the saturated air medium to create a double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal, wherein the modulation envelope substantially matches an amplitude modulated version of a non-square-rooted audio input signal; and

f) emitting a parametric ultrasonic wave into the air medium to produce a decoupled audio wave.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of operating the signal processor in the first predetermined signal processing mode further includes recursively adjusting the modulation envelope until the modulation envelope substantially matches an amplitude modulated version of a square-rooted audio input signal.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising changing gradually from the first predetermined signal processing mode to the second predetermined signal processing mode as the parametric loudspeaker transitions from operating in the non-saturated air medium to operating in the saturated air medium.

16. A method for operating a parametric loudspeaker system in both a non-saturated air medium and a saturated air medium, comprising:

a) receiving at least one audio input signal;

b) generating an ultrasonic carrier signal;

c) parametrically modulating the audio input signal and ultrasonic carrier signal to produce a parametric ultrasonic signal;

d) operating a signal processor in a first predetermined signal processing mode when the parametric loudspeaker is operating in the non-saturated air medium to create a double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal from a preprocessed square-rooted audio input signal;

e) operating the signal processor in a second predetermined signal processing mode that is distinct from the first predetermined signal processing mode when the parametric loudspeaker is operating in the saturated air medium to create a double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal from a non-square-rooted audio input signal; and

f) emitting a parametric ultrasonic wave into the air medium to produce a decoupled audio wave.

17. A parametric loudspeaker system for operating in both a non-saturated air medium and a saturated air medium, comprising:

ultrasonic carrier and audio input signal sources for providing an ultrasonic carrier signal and an audio input signal;

a signal processor coupled to the ultrasonic carrier and audio input signal sources, operating in a first predetermined signal processing mode when the parametric loudspeaker is operating in the non-saturated air medium configurable to reduce distortion introduced in a decoupled audio wave in the non-saturated air medium, and operating in a second predetermined signal processing mode when the parametric loudspeaker is operating in the saturated air medium for creating a double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal;

wherein the first predetermined signal processing mode is configured to create the double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal from a preprocessed square-rooted audio input signal, and the second predetermined signal processing mode is configured to create the double sideband parametric ultrasonic signal from a non-square-rooted audio input signal; and

an electro-acoustical emitter coupled to the signal processor for emitting a parametric ultrasonic wave.