Compact loudspeaker system
First Claim
1. An apparatus configured to reproduce sound audible to humans, the apparatus comprising:
- an array of speaker drivers comprising a front-facing speaker driver, a rear-facing speaker driver, a left-facing speaker driver, and a right-facing speaker driver, wherein each of the front-facing speaker driver, the rear-facing speaker driver, the left-facing speaker driver, and the right-facing speaker driver is generally facing outward, wherein the front-facing speaker driver, the rear-facing speaker driver, the left-facing speaker driver, and the right-facing speaker driver are mounted in a single chassis; and
a circuit configured to drive the front-facing speaker driver with a mid channel signal comprising a sum of a left channel signal and a right channel signal, wherein the circuit is configured to drive the rear-facing speaker driver with a signal having the same content as the mid channel signal, wherein the circuit is configured to drive the left-facing speaker driver at least partially with a side channel signal comprising a difference between the left channel signal and the right channel signal, and wherein the circuit is configured to drive the right-facing speaker driver such that the right-facing speaker driver has side channel signal content that is out-of-phase with respect to the left-facing speaker driver.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A loudspeaker configuration capable of generating stereophonic sound separation from relatively loudspeaker drivers that are not necessarily widely separated. For example, such a loudspeaker configuration can be used to generate relatively good sound separation from a single chassis, such as a single speaker box, a boom box, a clock radio or the like. This can advantageously save space in many environments. One embodiment uses four mid-tweeter speaker drivers and a bass driver. The four mid-tweeter speaker drivers are arranged facing outward approximately 90 degrees apart from each other. A speaker driver facing the listener reproduces a mid channel signal, for example, L+R. A speaker driver facing away from the listener reproduces the same mid channel signal or a delayed version of the mid channel signal. A left facing speaker reproduces a side channel, for example, L−R. A right facing speaker reproduces a side channel, for example, R−L. The acoustic combination of the sound produced by the four speaker drivers creates a virtual left and right loudspeaker as experienced by the listener.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An apparatus configured to reproduce sound audible to humans, the apparatus comprising:
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an array of speaker drivers comprising a front-facing speaker driver, a rear-facing speaker driver, a left-facing speaker driver, and a right-facing speaker driver, wherein each of the front-facing speaker driver, the rear-facing speaker driver, the left-facing speaker driver, and the right-facing speaker driver is generally facing outward, wherein the front-facing speaker driver, the rear-facing speaker driver, the left-facing speaker driver, and the right-facing speaker driver are mounted in a single chassis; and a circuit configured to drive the front-facing speaker driver with a mid channel signal comprising a sum of a left channel signal and a right channel signal, wherein the circuit is configured to drive the rear-facing speaker driver with a signal having the same content as the mid channel signal, wherein the circuit is configured to drive the left-facing speaker driver at least partially with a side channel signal comprising a difference between the left channel signal and the right channel signal, and wherein the circuit is configured to drive the right-facing speaker driver such that the right-facing speaker driver has side channel signal content that is out-of-phase with respect to the left-facing speaker driver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus configured to reproduce sound audible to humans, the apparatus comprising:
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an array of speaker drivers comprising a front-facing speaker driver, a rear-facing speaker driver, a left-facing speaker driver, and a right-facing speaker driver, wherein each of the front-facing speaker driver, the rear-facing speaker driver, the left-facing speaker driver, and the right-facing speaker driver is generally facing outward; and a circuit configured to drive the front-facing speaker driver with a mid channel signal, wherein the circuit is configured to drive the rear-facing speaker driver with a signal having the same content as the mid channel signal, wherein the circuit is configured to drive the left-facing speaker driver at least partially with a side channel signal, wherein the circuit is configured to drive the right-facing speaker driver such that the right-facing speaker driver has side channel signal content that is out-of-phase with respect to the left-facing speaker driver, wherein the circuit is configured to receive a left channel signal and a right channel signal, and wherein the circuit is configured to process the left channel signal and the right channel signal to generate the mid channel signal and the side channel signal; a delay circuit configured to delay the mid channel signal to generate a delayed mid channel signal; a first amplifier configured to amplify the mid channel signal, wherein the front-facing speaker driver is coupled to an output of the first amplifier; a second amplifier configured to amplify the delayed mid channel signal, wherein the rear-facing speaker driver is coupled to an output of the second amplifier, wherein the delayed mid channel signal is delayed from the mid channel signal such that sound waves emanating from the front-facing speaker and sound waves emanating from the rear-facing speaker are substantially aligned at the rear-facing speaker, wherein the rear-facing speaker driver is out-of-phase with respect to the front-facing speaker driver such that destructive interference of the sound waves occurs towards the rear of the apparatus; and a third amplifier configured to amplify the side channel signal, wherein the left-facing speaker driver is coupled in phase to an output of the third amplifier, and wherein the right-facing speaker driver is coupled out-of-phase to the output of the third amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 24)
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16. A method of reproducing sound, the method comprising:
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reproducing a first mid channel signal using a first speaker driver generally facing a listener, wherein the first mid channel signal is generated from a left channel signal and a right channel signal; reproducing a second mid channel signal using a second speaker driver generally facing away from the listener, wherein the second mid channel signal can be the same signal as or a different signal than the first mid channel signal, wherein the second mid channel signal is generated from the left channel signal and the right channel signal; reproducing a first side channel signal using a third speaker driver generally facing outward in a direction parallel with the listener'"'"'s left, wherein the first side channel signal is generated from a difference between the left channel signal and the right channel signal; and reproducing a second side channel signal using a fourth speaker driver generally facing outward in a direction parallel with the listener'"'"'s right, wherein the second side channel signal is out of phase with respect to the first side channel signal, wherein the second side channel is generated from a difference between the left channel signal and the right channel signal; wherein the first speaker driver, the second speaker driver, the third speaker driver, and the fourth speaker driver are arranged in a single chassis. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A method of reproducing sound, the method comprising:
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reproducing a first mid channel signal using a first speaker driver generally facing a listener, wherein the first mid channel signal is generated from a left channel signal and a right channel signal; reproducing a second mid channel signal using a second speaker driver generally facing away from the listener, wherein the second mid channel signal can be the same signal as or a different signal than the first mid channel signal, wherein the second mid channel signal is generated from the left channel signal and the right channel signal; reproducing a first side channel signal using a third speaker driver generally facing outward in a direction parallel with the listener'"'"'s left, wherein the first side channel signal is generated from a difference between the left channel signal and the right channel signal; reproducing a second side channel signal using a fourth speaker driver generally facing outward in a direction parallel with the listener'"'"'s right, wherein the second side channel signal is out of phase with respect to the first side channel signal, wherein the second side channel is generated from a difference between the left channel signal and the right channel signal; and delaying and inverting the second mid channel signal relative to the first mid channel signal such that sound waves emanating from the first speaker driver and sound waves emanating from the second speaker driver are substantially aligned at the second speaker driver such that destructive interference occurs. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification