Self-bias emitter circuit

• US 8,988,911 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Turtle Beach Corporation
• Original Assignee: Turtle Beach Corporation
• Inventors: Norris, Elwood G.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US13/917,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20140369531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 363/125, 363/126, 323/358, 323/359, 330/290, 330/297, 330/298
• US Class Current: 363/126
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/02 Loudspeakers H04R19/01 takes precedence
• 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

Self-bias emitter circuit configurations can use the amplitude of an input AC carrier signal to provide a DC bias voltage across an emitter for suitable operation. A self-bias emitter circuit can include a transductor with primary matched with an amplifier, while secondary can be matched to the emitter. Self-bias emitter circuit can also include a full-wave bridge rectifier or a center tap inductor in conjunction with two diodes to rectify the AC carrier signal into a corresponding DC voltage. This DC voltage can be subsequently filtered by a capacitor to provide a steady DC bias voltage across the emitter. Sufficiently small, decoupling capacitors can be installed at each side of the full-wave rectifier in order to decouple the DC bias voltage, while a sufficiently large capacitor can be installed between the emitter and secondary for preventing the applied DC bias voltage from flowing back to secondary.

Claims

1. An emitter circuit in a parametric loudspeaker for providing a bias voltage, the emitter circuit comprising:

an emitter configured to emit ultrasonic signals;

a full-wave bridge rectifier configured to convert an alternating current (AC) carrier signal into a corresponding direct current (DC) voltage; and

a filter capacitor configured to reduce variations of the DC voltage at an output of the full-wave bridge rectifier in order to provide a DC bias voltage across the emitter, wherein the DC bias voltage is applied across the emitter without affecting carrier information used by the emitter to emit parametric information.

2. The emitter circuit of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to receive the AC carrier signal as input and rectify the AC carrier signal into a steady DC bias voltage.

3. The emitter circuit of claim 1, further comprising a transductor with a primary winding and a secondary winding, the transductor configured to match an impedance of the primary winding to an impedance of an amplifier with the secondary winding configured to form a part of a parallel resonant circuit with the emitter.

4. The emitter circuit of claim 3, further comprising a decoupling capacitor configured to decouple the DC bias voltage from the secondary winding and to avoid shunting the AC carrier signal into the full-wave bridge rectifier.

5. The emitter circuit of claim 3, further comprising a capacitor configured to prevent the DC bias voltage from flowing back to the secondary winding.

6. The emitter circuit of claim 2, wherein the AC carrier signal includes a modulated AC carrier signal or an unmodulated AC carrier signal.

7. The emitter circuit of claim 1, wherein the DC bias voltage can correspond with a peak of the AC carrier signal.

8. An emitter circuit in a parametric loudspeaker for providing a bias voltage, comprising;

an emitter configured to emit ultrasonic signals;

a transductor including a primary winding and a secondary winding, the secondary winding including a first portion and a second portion;

a full-wave bridge rectifier coupled to the second portion of the secondary winding, the full-wave bridge rectifier operable to convert an alternating current (AC) carrier signal into a corresponding direct current (DC) voltage; and

a filter capacitor configured to smooth the corresponding DC voltage in order to provide a DC bias voltage across the emitter.

9. The emitter circuit of claim 8, wherein a number of turns of the first portion of the secondary winding and the second portion of the second secondary winding is determined based on a desired amplitude of the DC bias voltage.

10. The emitter circuit of claim 8, wherein the transductor is configured to:

match an impedance of the primary winding to an impedance of an amplifier with the secondary winding configured to form a part of a parallel resonant circuit with the emitter.

11. The emitter circuit of claim 10, wherein the step-up voltage conversion provides the DC bias voltage across the emitter.

12. The emitter circuit of claim 8, wherein the emitter circuit includes a center tapped inductor to provide full-wave rectification of the AC carrier signal.

13. The emitter circuit of claim 8, wherein the emitter circuit includes a voltage doubler used in conjunction with the filter capacitor for providing the DC bias voltage to the emitter.

14. The emitter circuit of claim 8, further comprising a diode to limit an amplitude of the DC bias voltage applied across the emitter.

15. A method for providing a bias voltage across an emitter, the method comprising:

receiving an alternating current (AC) carrier signal at an emitter circuit, the emitter circuit including a transductor with a primary winding and a secondary winding, the emitter circuit being included in a parametric loudspeaker;

converting the AC carrier signal into a corresponding direct current (DC) voltage; and

reducing variations of the DC voltage to provide a DC bias voltage across the emitter included in the emitter circuit, the emitter being configured to emit ultrasonic signals.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

matching an impedance of the primary winding to an impedance of an amplifier; and

configuring the secondary winding to form a part of a parallel resonant circuit with the emitter.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising decoupling the DC bias voltage from the secondary winding to avoid shunting the AC carrier signal into a full-wave bridge rectifier associated with the emitter circuit.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising preventing the DC bias voltage from flowing back to the secondary winding of the transductor.