Audio speaker with spatially selective sound cancelling

• US 9,263,023 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Anazawa, Isao Ginn
• Primary Examiner(s): Huber, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/063,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20150117657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/175 using interference effects; Masking sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/20 Arrangements for obtaining desired frequency or directional characteristics for stereophonic purpose H04R5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/323 for loudspeakers H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2203/12 Beamforming aspects for stereophonic sound reproduction with loudspeaker arrays
• 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 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A system and method for reproducing audio sound. Audio sound, based on an audio signal, is emitted within a space comprising an audio beamwidth. Modulated ultrasonic sound energy based on a modulated ultrasonic sound signal is emitted in an ultrasonic sound direction within an ultrasonic beamwidth that is less than and within the audio beamwidth. The modulated ultrasonic sound signal is generated such that the emitted modulated ultrasonic sound energy creates an audible cancellation sound with an amplitude substantially equal to an amplitude of the audio sound at a point within the ultrasonic beamwidth so as to combine with and cancel the audio sound at the point by being substantially out of phase with the audio sound along the ultrasonic sound direction.

Claims

1. An audio sound reproduction system, comprising:

an audio frequency sound transducer system configured to emit an audio sound within a space comprising an audio beamwidth, wherein the audio sound is based on an audio signal;

an ultrasonic sound transducer component configured to emit modulated ultrasonic sound energy in at least one ultrasonic sound direction, each ultrasonic sound direction having a respective ultrasonic beamwidth that is less than and within the audio beamwidth, wherein the modulated ultrasonic sound energy is based on a modulated ultrasonic sound signal;

an object detector configured to;

determine a respective object location for at least one object within the audio beamwidth, the respective object locations being independent of the ultrasonic beamwidth; and

produce a respective indication of the respective object location for the at least one object; and

an ultrasonic signal generator, coupled to the object detector, configured to generate the modulated ultrasonic sound signal, the ultrasonic signal generator configured to generate, based on the respective indication, the modulated ultrasonic sound signal such that the modulated ultrasonic sound energy emitted by the ultrasonic sound transducer creates an audible cancellation sound with an amplitude substantially equal to an amplitude of the audio sound at the respective object location so as to combine with and cancel the audio sound at the respective object location by being substantially out of phase with the audio sound along each ultrasonic sound direction.

2. The audio sound reproduction system of claim 1, wherein the audio frequency sound transducer system comprises at least one audio frequency speaker, and wherein the ultrasonic sound transducer component comprises at least one ultrasonic sound transducer.

3. The audio sound reproduction system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic sound transducer component comprises at least one directional ultrasonic sound transducer component configured to emit ultrasonic sound in the at least one ultrasonic sound direction.

4. The audio sound reproduction system of claim 3, wherein the ultrasonic sound transducer component comprises a plurality of ultrasonic sound transducers disposed at respective locations relative to the audio frequency sound transducer system,

and wherein the ultrasonic signal generator is further configured to:

determine the at least one ultrasonic sound direction based on the respective indication of the respective object location, and

generate, based on the modulated ultrasonic sound signal, a plurality of modulated ultrasonic sound signals, wherein each modulated ultrasonic sound signal within the plurality of modulated ultrasonic sound signals corresponds to a respective ultrasonic sound transducer within the plurality of ultrasonic sound transducers,

wherein each respective modulated ultrasonic sound signal has a phase and amplitude relationship with other respective modulated ultrasonic sound signals such that, based on a relationship among the location of each ultrasonic sound transducer relative to other ultrasonic sound transducers, emissions produced by the plurality of ultrasonic sound transducers based on the plurality of modulated ultrasonic sound signals constructively combine along each ultrasonic sound direction to create the audible cancellation sound.

5. The audio sound reproduction system of claim 1, wherein the respective indication of the respective object location comprises a distance to the respective object and a direction of the respective object relative to the ultrasonic sound transducer component.

6. The audio sound reproduction system of claim 4, wherein the object detector is further configured to:

detect a presence of a plurality of objects within the audio beamwidth;

determine a respective location to each object in the plurality of objects; and

determine a plurality of directions comprising a respective direction to each respective location, and

wherein the ultrasonic signal generator is further configured to generate the plurality of modulated ultrasonic sound signals such that, based on a relationship among the location of each ultrasonic sound transducer relative to other ultrasonic sound transducers, emissions produced by the plurality of ultrasonic sound transducers based on the plurality of modulated ultrasonic sound signals constructively combine along the plurality of directions to create an audible cancellation sound with an amplitude substantially equal to an amplitude of the audio sound at each respective object location that is substantially out of phase with the audio signal at each respective object location.

7. The audio sound reproduction system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic sound transducer component comprises a plurality of ultrasonic sound transducers disposed at respective locations relative to the audio frequency sound transducer system,

wherein respective ultrasonic sound transducers within the plurality of ultrasonic sound transducers are configured to emit sound in a respective direction different from a direction of emission of other ultrasonic sound transducers within the plurality of ultrasonic sound transducers,

and wherein the ultrasonic signal generator is further configured to:

determine the at least one ultrasonic sound direction based on the respective indication of the respective object location;

select, based on the at least one ultrasonic sound direction, a respective selected ultrasonic sound transducer that emits ultrasonic sound in a respective direction corresponding to each of the at least one ultrasonic sound direction; and

use the respective selected ultrasonic sound transducer to emit modulated ultrasonic sound energy to combine with and cancel the audio sound at the respective object location.

8. A method of reproducing audio sound, the method comprising:

emitting, with an audio frequency sound transducer system, an audio sound within a space comprising an audio beamwidth, wherein the audio sound is based on an audio signal;

emitting modulated ultrasonic sound energy in at least one ultrasonic sound direction, each ultrasonic sound direction having a respective ultrasonic beamwidth that is less than and within the audio beamwidth, wherein the modulated ultrasonic sound energy is based on a modulated ultrasonic sound signal;

determining a respective object location for at least one object within the audio beamwidth, the respective object locations being independent of the ultrasonic beamwidth;

producing a respective indication of the respective object location for the at least one object; and

generating, based on the respective indication, the modulated ultrasonic sound signal such that an emitted modulated ultrasonic sound energy creates an audible cancellation sound with an amplitude substantially equal to an amplitude of the audio sound at the respective object location so as to combine with and cancel the audio sound at the respective object location by being substantially out of phase with the audio sound along each ultrasonic sound direction.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the emitting the audio sound comprises emitting the audio sound with at least one audio frequency speaker, and wherein the emitting modulated ultrasonic sound energy comprises emitting the modulated ultrasonic sound energy with at least one ultrasonic sound transducer.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the emitting modulated ultrasonic sound energy comprises emitting the modulated ultrasonic sound energy with at least one directional ultrasonic sound transducer configured to emit ultrasonic sound in the at least one ultrasonic sound direction.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the emitting modulated ultrasonic sound energy comprises emitting the modulated ultrasonic sound energy with a plurality of ultrasonic sound transducers disposed at respective locations relative to the audio frequency sound transducer system, the method further comprising:

determining the at least one ultrasonic sound direction based on the respective indication of the respective object location, and

generating, based on the modulated ultrasonic sound signal, a plurality of modulated ultrasonic sound signals, wherein each modulated ultrasonic sound signal within the plurality of modulated ultrasonic sound signals corresponds to a respective ultrasonic sound transducer within the plurality of ultrasonic sound transducers,

wherein each respective modulated ultrasonic sound signal has a phase and amplitude relationship with other respective modulated ultrasonic sound signals such that, based on a relationship among the location of each ultrasonic sound transducer relative to other ultrasonic sound transducers, emissions produced by the plurality of ultrasonic sound transducers based on the plurality of modulated ultrasonic sound signals constructively combine along each ultrasonic sound direction to create the audible cancellation sound.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions for:

emitting, with an audio frequency sound transducer system, an audio sound within a space comprising an audio beamwidth, wherein the audio sound is based on an audio signal;

emitting modulated ultrasonic sound energy in at least one ultrasonic sound direction, each ultrasonic sound direction having a respective ultrasonic beamwidth that is less than and within the audio beamwidth, wherein the modulated ultrasonic sound energy is based on a modulated ultrasonic sound signal;

determining a respective object location for at least one object within the audio beamwidth, the respective object locations being independent of the ultrasonic beamwidth;

producing a respective indication of the respective object location for the at least one object; and

generating, based on the respective indication, the modulated ultrasonic sound signal such that an emitted modulated ultrasonic sound energy creates an audible cancellation sound with an amplitude substantially equal to an amplitude of the audio sound at the respective object location so as to combine with and cancel the audio sound at the respective object location by being substantially out of phase with the audio sound along each ultrasonic sound direction.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions for emitting the audio sound comprise instructions for emitting the audio sound with at least one audio frequency speaker, and wherein the instructions for emitting modulated ultrasonic sound energy comprise instructions for emitting the modulated ultrasonic sound energy with at least one ultrasonic sound transducer.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions for emitting modulated ultrasonic sound energy comprise instructions for emitting the modulated ultrasonic sound energy with at least one directional ultrasonic sound transducer configured to emit ultrasonic sound in the at least one ultrasonic sound direction.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions for emitting modulated ultrasonic sound energy comprise instructions for emitting the modulated ultrasonic sound energy with a plurality of ultrasonic sound transducers disposed at respective locations relative to the audio frequency sound transducer system, the computer readable storage medium further comprising instructions for:

determining the at least one ultrasonic sound direction based on the respective indication of the respective object location, and

generating, based on the modulated ultrasonic sound signal, a plurality of modulated ultrasonic sound signals, wherein each modulated ultrasonic sound signal within the plurality of modulated ultrasonic sound signals corresponds to a respective ultrasonic sound transducer within the plurality of ultrasonic sound transducers,

wherein each respective modulated ultrasonic sound signal has a phase and amplitude relationship with other respective modulated ultrasonic sound signals such that, based on a relationship among the location of each ultrasonic sound transducer relative to other ultrasonic sound transducers, emissions produced by the plurality of ultrasonic sound transducers are based on the plurality of modulated ultrasonic sound signals constructively combine along each ultrasonic sound direction to create the audible cancellation sound.