Gimbal-mounted linear ultrasonic speaker assembly

• US 9,826,330 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2016
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shintani, Peter, Carlsson, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): MONIKANG, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US15/068,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20170265014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 381 59, 381 87, 381335-336
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/025 Transducer mountings or cabinet supports enabling variable orientation of transducer of cabinet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/403 Linear arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2203/12 Beamforming aspects for stereophonic sound reproduction with loudspeaker arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/09 Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/11 Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field H04S2420/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

Audio spatial effects are provided using a gimbal-mounted ultrasonic speaker array in which a vertical line of ultrasonic speakers are provided on a speaker mount and are angled to direct sound at respective different elevation angles. The speaker mount can be rotated by a gimbal. In this way, the azimuth angle of the linear array is established in response to a control signal from, e.g., a game console or video player, with elevational angle of the desired sound beam being established by selecting one or more of the speakers in the linear array with the appropriate elevation angle.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one speaker mount;

plural ultrasonic speakers arranged on the speaker mount and spaced vertically from each other, each ultrasonic speaker being configured to emit sound along a respective sonic axis;

a gimbal assembly coupled to the speaker mount;

at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

receive a control signal representing motion of an object in a computer simulation; and

responsive to the control signal, actuate the gimbal assembly to move the plural ultrasonic speakers such that the sound axes move azimuthally.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising the processor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to:

responsive to the control signal, actuate a first speaker on the speaker mount responsive to a determination that a sonic axis of the first speaker satisfies the control signal more closely than the sonic axes of speakers other than the first speaker.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control signal is received from a computer game console outputting a main audio channel for playing on non-ultrasonic speakers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein responsive to the control signal, the instructions are executable to move the speaker mount to direct sound to a location associated with a listener.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the instructions are executable to direct sound at a reflection location such that reflected sound arrives at the location associated with the listener.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control signal represents at least one audio effect data in a received audio channel.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sonic axes establish respective angles with respect to a vertical axis, the angles being different from each other.

9. A method comprising:

receiving at least one control signal representing motion of an object in a computer simulation;

actuating a gimbal assembly to move an ultrasonic speaker mount at least in part based on an azimuthal component of the control signal; and

selecting one of plural speakers on the speaker mount to play the audio effect at least in part based on an elevational component of the control signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the ultrasonic speakers are configured to emit sound along respective sonic axes, and the control signal causes the gimbal assemble to move the speaker such that the sound axis moves azimuthally.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sonic axes establish respective angles with respect to a vertical axis, the angles being different from each other.

12. The method of claim 9, comprising moving the speaker to direct sound to a location associated with a listener.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the audio effect is established at least in part from input to a computer game input device.

14. Device comprising:

at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

receive a control signal that is based at least in part on motion of an object in a computer game;

responsive to the control signal, actuate a gimbal assembly to move an ultrasonic speaker assembly azimuthally; and

responsive to the control signal, select for play of demanded audio one of plural speakers on the speaker assembly.

15. The device of claim 14, comprising the processor.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the ultrasonic speakers are configured to emit sound along respective sonic axes, wherein the sonic axes establish respective angles with respect to a vertical axis, the angles being different from each other.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein responsive to the control signal, the instructions are executable to move the speaker mount to direct sound to a location associated with a listener.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the control signal represents at least one audio effect data in a received audio channel from a source also outputting a main audio channel for playing on non-ultrasonic speakers.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the audio effect data is established at least in part from input to a computer game input device outputting a main audio channel for playing on non-ultrasonic speakers.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the instructions are executable to determine the location associated with a listener using headphones associated with a game console.