Transparent parametric transducer and related methods

• US 9,258,651 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Turtle Beach Corporation
• Original Assignee: Turtle Beach Corporation
• Inventors: Norris, Elwood Grant, Kappus, Brian Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mustafizur
• Application Number:
  US14/056,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20150109534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 348/730, 348/733, 348/751, 348/761, 348/766, 348/725, 348/724, 348/711, 348/707, 348/706, 348/564, 348/462, 348/372, 348/333.13, 348/231.4, 348/208.1, 381/28, 381/55, 381/77, 381/85, 381/98, 381/111, 381/116, 381/120, 381/152, 381/179, 381/191, 381/300, 381/316, 381/323, 381/331, 381/332, 381/333, 381/338, 381/387, 381/388, 455/566, 455/572, 455/292, 455/293, 455/149, 345/173, 345/174
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/10 Resonant transducers, i.e. adapted to produce maximum output at a predetermined frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• 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 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops

Abstract

A transparent ultrasonic audio speaker includes an emitter and a driver. The emitter can include first and second transparent conductive sheets. The conductive sheets can comprise a base layer and a conductive layer, and can be transparent. The transparent ultrasonic audio speaker can be configured to be positioned on or in place of the display screen of a content device.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic audio speaker, comprising:

an emitter, the emitter comprising;

a first transparent conductive sheet;

a second transparent conductive sheet; and

a driver circuit having two inputs configured to be coupled to receive an audio modulated ultrasonic carrier signal from an amplifier and two outputs, wherein a first output is coupled to a conductive region of the first transparent conductive sheet and the second output is coupled to a conductive region of the second transparent conductive sheet.

15. The ultrasonic audio speaker according to claim 1, wherein the driver circuit comprises an inductor connected parallel to the emitter.

16. The ultrasonic audio speaker according to claim 1, wherein the driver circuit further comprises a bias voltage source configured to apply a bias voltage across the emitter.

17. The ultrasonic audio speaker according to claim 16, wherein the bias voltage is within the range of from 200 to 500 volts.

18. The ultrasonic audio speaker according to claim 16, wherein the bias voltage is large enough to overcome a reverse bias on the emitter.

2. An ultrasonic audio speaker, comprising:

an emitter, the emitter comprising;

a first transparent conductive sheet; and

a second transparent conductive sheet;

wherein the first transparent conductive sheet comprises a glass sheet having a base layer and a conductive layer.

3. The ultrasonic audio speaker according to claim 2, wherein the first conductive glass sheet has a resonant frequency, and wherein the modulated ultrasonic carrier signal has a carrier frequency at the resonant frequency of the first conductive glass sheet.

4. The ultrasonic audio speaker according to claim 3, wherein the driver circuit comprises an inductor connected to form a parallel resonant circuit with the emitter.

5. The ultrasonic audio speaker according to claim 2, wherein the conductive layer of the first transparent conductive sheet has a resistance of less than 100 ohms/square.

6. The ultrasonic audio speaker according to claim 2, wherein the conductive layer of the first transparent conductive sheet has a resistance of less than 50 ohms/square.

7. The ultrasonic audio speaker according to claim 2, wherein the second transparent conductive sheet comprises a glass sheet having a base layer and a conductive layer.

8. An ultrasonic audio speaker, comprising:

an emitter, the emitter comprising;

a first transparent conductive sheet; and

a second transparent conductive sheet;

wherein the first transparent conductive sheet comprises a first glass sheet with a first conductive layer, and the second transparent conductive sheet comprises a second glass sheet with a second conductive layer.

9. The ultrasonic audio speaker according to claim 8, wherein the first and second conductive layers comprise a layer of conductive material deposed on the respective first and second glass sheets.

10. The ultrasonic audio speaker according to claim 8, wherein the first and second conductive layers comprise a region of conductive material diffused into the respective first and second glass sheets.

11. The ultrasonic audio speaker according to claim 8, wherein each of the first and second conductive layers comprise a layer of conductive material deposed on one of the first and second glass sheets, and a region of conductive material diffused into the other one of the first and second glass sheets.

12. An ultrasonic audio speaker, comprising:

an emitter, the emitter comprising;

a first transparent conductive sheet; and

a second transparent conductive sheet;

wherein the first and second transparent conductive sheets comprise, respectively, a first and second sheet of conductive glass, wherein each of the first and second sheets of conductive glass comprise a conductive region.

13. An ultrasonic audio speaker, comprising:

an emitter, the emitter comprising;

a first transparent conductive sheet; and

a second transparent conductive sheet;

wherein the first and second transparent conductive sheets each have a transmittance of greater than 90% in the visible spectrum.

14. An ultrasonic audio speaker, comprising:

an emitter, the emitter comprising;

a first transparent conductive sheet; and

a second transparent conductive sheet;

wherein the first transparent conductive sheet is in the range of .20-.30 mil in thickness and the second transparent conductive sheet is in the range of 15-25 mils in thickness.

19. An electronic content device, comprising:

a power supply;

a content engine coupled to receive power from the power supply and to generate electrical signals representing audio content and electrical signals representing display content;

a display coupled to the content engine and configured to receive the electrical signals representing display content and to generate a visual representation of the display content;

a transparent ultrasonic carrier audio emitter disposed on the display, the emitter comprising;

a first transparent conductive sheet;

a second transparent conductive sheet; and

a transparent insulating layer disposed between the first and second conductive layer, wherein the first and second transparent conductive sheets are disposed in touching relation to the insulating layer;

an amplifier coupled to receive the electrical signals representing audio content; and

a driver circuit having two inputs configured to be coupled to receive the audio content modulated onto an ultrasonic carrier signal from the amplifier, and two outputs, wherein a first output is coupled to the first transparent conductive sheet and the second output is coupled to the second transparent conductive sheet.

20. The electronic content device according to claim 19, further comprising an insulating layer disposed between the first and second transparent conductive sheets.

21. The electronic content device according to claim 19, further comprising a bias voltage source configured to apply a bias voltage across the emitter.

22. The electronic content device according to claim 21, wherein the bias voltage is within the range of from 200 to 500 volts.

23. The ultrasonic audio speaker according to claim 21, wherein the bias voltage is large enough to overcome a reverse bias on the emitter.

24. A transparent ultrasonic emitter configured to emit an audio-modulated ultrasonic carrier signal.

25. A smartphone, comprising:

a power supply;

a content engine coupled to receive power from the power supply and to generate electrical signals representing audio content and electrical signals representing display content;

a display coupled to the content engine and configured to receive the electrical signals representing display content and to generate a visual representation of the display content;

a transparent ultrasonic carrier audio emitter disposed on the display, the emitter comprising;

a first transparent conductive sheet; and

a second transparent conductive sheet;

an amplifier coupled to receive the electrical signals representing audio content; and

a driver circuit having two inputs configured to be coupled to receive the audio content modulated onto an ultrasonic carrier signal from the amplifier, and two outputs, wherein a first output is coupled to the first transparent conductive sheet and the second output is coupled to the second transparent conductive sheet.

26. A television, comprising:

a power supply;

a content engine coupled to receive power from the power supply and to generate electrical signals representing audio content and electrical signals representing display content;

a display coupled to the content engine and configured to receive the electrical signals representing display content and to generate a visual representation of the display content;

a transparent ultrasonic carrier audio emitter disposed on the display, the emitter comprising;

a first transparent conductive sheet; and

a second transparent conductive sheet;

an amplifier coupled to receive the electrical signals representing audio content; and

a driver circuit having two inputs configured to be coupled to receive the audio content modulated onto an ultrasonic carrier signal from the amplifier, and two outputs, wherein a first output is coupled to the first transparent conductive sheet and the second output is coupled to the second transparent conductive sheet.