Method and apparatus for outputting sound through speaker

• US 10,038,947 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong-bae, Kim, Dae-joung, Park, Dong-kyu, Son, Sung-ha, Lee, Gyeong-tae, Lee, Joo-yeon, Jo, Jong-in, Kim, Sung-joo, Jung, Dong-hyun, Hwang, Seon-ho, Ahn, Dae-kyung, Woo, Sang-sung, Hyun, Sang-min
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAHNERT, FRIEDRICH
• Application Number:
  US14/523,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20150117686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 381152, 381333, 381337-339, 381388, 381347, 381391, 455350, 455347, 37943302
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/26 Spatial arrangements of separate transducers responsive to two or more frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• 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 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/045 using the distributed mode principle, i.e. whereby the acoustic radiation is emanated from uniformly distributed free bending wave vibration induced in a stiff panel and not from pistonic motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

An apparatus including a first speaker configured to output higher-frequency sound from among sound of a channel via at least one slit, and a second speaker configured to output lower-frequency sound from among the sound of the channel via at least one other slit. The at least one slit may have a thickness that is less than a wavelength of sound emitted.

Claims

1. A speaker apparatus comprising:

a first speaker configured to output a first sound of a sound signal via a first slit;

a second speaker configured to output a second sound of the sound signal via a second slit; and

a controller configured to control the first speaker and the second speaker,

wherein the controller determines whether the speaker apparatus is disposed on a vertical plane, obtains a first signal of a first sound including an elevation effect from the sound signal and a second signal of a second sound including low directivity from the sound signal, and controls the first speaker to output the first sound via the first slit and controls the second speaker to output the second sound via the second slit if it is determined that the speaker apparatus is disposed on the vertical plane,

wherein the speaker apparatus further comprises at least two slidable plates, and

the first slit from among slits between the at least two slidable plates is located in one direction of the speaker apparatus and the second slit from among the slits between the at least two slidable plates is located in an opposite direction from the first slit.

2. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, wherein each slit of the first and second slits has a thickness that is less than a wavelength of sound to be emitted.

3. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first speaker and the second speaker are further configured to output sound of different channels, respectively, according to each location of the first and second speakers.

4. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to sense a position of a user,

wherein the first and second speakers are configured to output sound by being moved according to the sensed position of the user, or the apparatus is configured to output sound via a slit that is adjacent to the sensed position of the user.

5. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying an image,

wherein the first and second speakers are configured to output sound related to the displayed image.

6. The speaker apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a flat panel speaker configured to output sound at a location on the image displayed on the display at which the sound is generated using bending waves.

7. The speaker apparatus of claim 6, wherein the flat panel speaker is configured to output a haptic effect using the bending waves.

8. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to sense a position of the speaker apparatus,

wherein the controller determines whether the speaker apparatus is disposed on the vertical plane, based on the sensed position of the speaker apparatus.

9. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least two slidable plates, and

wherein the first slit from among slits between the at least two slidable plates is located in an upper portion of the speaker apparatus and the second slit from among slits between the at least two slidable plates is located in a lower portion of the speaker apparatus.

10. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, wherein an outputting sound via the first slit is reflected from a surface of a ceiling above the speaker apparatus.

11. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, wherein an outputting sound via the second slit includes a low-frequency sound of the first sound.

12. A method of outputting sound by a speaker apparatus including a first speaker and a second speaker, the method comprising:

determining whether the speaker apparatus is disposed on a vertical plane, the first speaker being configured to output a first sound of a sound signal via a first slit and the second speaker being configured to output a second sound of the sound signal via a second slit;

obtaining a first signal of a first sound including an elevation effect from the sound signal and a second signal of a second sound including low directivity from the sound signal to be output; and

outputting the first sound by the first speaker via the first slit and the second sound by the second speaker via the second slit in response to determining that the speaker apparatus is disposed on the vertical plane,

wherein the speaker apparatus further comprises at least two slidable plates, and

the first slit from among slits between the at least two slidable plates is located in one direction of the speaker apparatus and the second slit from among the slits between the at least two slidable plates is located in an opposite direction from the first slit.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program that is executable by a computer to perform the method of outputting sound of claim 12.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining comprises:

sensing a position of the speaker apparatus; and

determining whether the speaker apparatus is disposed on the vertical plane, based on the sensed position of the speaker apparatus.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the speaker apparatus comprises at least two slidable plates, and

the first slit from among slits between the at least two slidable plates is located in an upper portion of the speaker apparatus and the second slit from among slits between the at least two slidable plates is located in a lower portion of the speaker apparatus.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein an outputting sound via the first slit is reflected from a surface of a ceiling above the speaker apparatus.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein an outputting sound via the second slit includes a low-frequency sound of the first sound.