Parametric signal processing systems and methods

• US 9,002,032 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Turtle Beach Corporation
• Original Assignee: Turtle Beach Corporation
• Inventors: Norris, Elwood G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMID, AMMAR T
• Application Number:
  US13/160,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20120148070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 381/103, 381/104, 381/77, 381/137, 381/111, 381/112, 381/116
• US Class Current: 381/103
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 19/04 Transformers or mutual inductances suitable for handling frequencies considerably beyond the audio range resonant circuits H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 3/08 made from powder powder coatings on sheets H01F3/02; on strips or ribbons H01F3/04; on wires H01F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/42 Combinations of transducers with fluid-pressure or other non-electrical amplifying means
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/04 Construction, mounting, or centering of coil

Abstract

A signal processing system for generating a parametric signal comprises an audio compressor, operable to compress a dynamic range of an audio input signal, and an equalization network, operable to equalize the audio signal. A low pass filter is operable to remove high portions of the audio signal and a high pass filter is operable to remove low portions of the audio signal. An oscillator circuit is operable to generate a carrier signal, and a modulation circuit is operable to combine the audio signal with the carrier signal to produce at least one modulated carrier signal.

Claims

1. A method for generating a modulated carrier signal that can be emitted as a parametric wave, comprising:

compressing a dynamic range of an audio signal to generate a compressed audio signal;

equalizing the audio signal to generate an equalized audio signal;

band pass filtering the audio signal to generate a filtered audio signal; and

modulating a carrier signal with the compressed audio signal to generate a single sideband (“

SSB”

) modulated carrier signal;

the single sideband (“

SSB”

) modulated carrier signal being of sufficient intensity so as to demodulate when emitted into a non-linear medium;

wherein modulating the carrier signal includes utilizing a single oscillator circuit to drive at least a pair of modulators, each of which modulates a carrier signal with a filtered audio signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering the modulated carrier signal to remove any audio artifacts prior to delivering the modulated carrier signal to an amplifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein compressing the dynamic range of the audio input signal is performed prior to modulation of the carrier signal by a modulation circuit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the modulated carrier signal to an emitter, the emitter being operable to emit the modulated carrier signal into a non-linear medium.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising an inductor, associated with the emitter, the inductor being coupled adjacent the emitter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the inductor comprises a fully shielded pot core inductor.

7. A method for generating a parametric sound, comprising:

i) processing at least two audio input signals with at least two signal processing systems, each processing system comprising an audio processor, operable to compress a dynamic range of an audio input signal;

an equalization network;

a low pass filter, operable to remove high portions of the audio signal;

a high pass filter, operable to remove low portions of the audio signal;

an oscillator circuit, operable to generate a carrier signal; and

a modulation circuit, operable to combine the audio signal with the carrier signal to produce at least one single sideband (“

SSB”

) modulated carrier signal;

ii) providing the at least one single sideband (“

SSB”

) modulated carrier signal to an emitter assembly; and

iii) emitting the modulated carrier signal from the emitter assembly into a non-linear medium, the modulated carrier signal being of sufficient intensity to demodulate in the non-linear medium;

wherein modulating each audio signal includes utilizing a single oscillator circuit to drive at least a pair of modulators each of which modulates a carrier signal with a filtered audio signal.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising an inductor, associated with the emitter, the inductor being coupled adjacent the emitter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the inductor comprises a pot core inductor.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the dynamic range of the audio signal is compressed prior to combining the audio signal with the carrier signal.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising filtering the modulated carrier signal to remove any audio artifacts prior to delivering the modulated carrier signal to an amplifier.