Automatic and simultaneous control of loudness and loudness compensation of an audio signal

• US 20040240684A1
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Knoll, Kevin, Cerasuolo, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/448,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240684A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/104
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands

Abstract

The invention disclosed is a room volume control that simultaneously and automatically controls both the loudness and the loudness compensation of sound from speakers of an audio system as the volume level is changed. A resistive volume control having a movable contact provides a different resistor value from an input terminal of the volume control to the movable contact for controlling the loudness of an audio signal. A parallel circuit of an inductor and a capacitor coupled through the movable contact is in series with the resistor value of the resistive volume control from the input terminal to the movable contact for controlling the loudness compensation of the audio signal.

Claims

1. An audio loudness and loudness compensation circuit capable of simultaneously and automatically controlling the loudness compensation of audio as the loudness of the audio is changed comprising:

a resistor coupled to an input terminal for receiving an audio signal and a movable contact for moving along the resistor for providing a different resistor value from the input terminal to the movable contact capable of controlling the loudness of audio from a speaker, and

a parallel circuit of a capacitor and an inductor coupled through the movable contact to be in series with the resistor value from the input terminal to the movable contact wherein the resistor value in series with the parallel circuit is a band reject filter capable of controlling the loudness compensation of the audio signal from the speaker.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the resistor is a wire.

3. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the resistor is a wire wound around an insulator.

4. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the resistor is a carbon member.

5. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the inductor has a metal core.

6. The circuit of claim 2 wherein the inductor has a metal core.

7. The circuit of claim 3 wherein the inductor has a metal core.

8. The circuit of claim 4 wherein the inductor has a metal core.

9. An audio loudness and loudness compensation circuit capable of simultaneously and automatically controlling the loudness compensation of audio as the loudness of the audio is changed comprising:

a resistor volume control having at least one input terminal coupled to at least first and second resistors coupled in series and a movable contact adapted to be selectively coupled to the input terminal either directly or through the first or the first and second resistors, and

a capacitor in parallel with an inductor coupled between the movable contact and an output terminal wherein the value of the resistor between the at least one input terminal and the movable contact of the resistor volume control is capable of controlling the loudness of audio from a speaker and the value of the capacitor in parallel with the value of the inductor in combination with the value of the resistor between the at least one input terminal and the movable contact of the resistor volume control is capable of controlling the loudness compensation of audio from the speaker.

11. The circuit of claim 9 wherein the capacitor, inductor and series resistor coupled to the capacitor and inductor comprises a passive band reject filter for controlling loudness compensation.

12. The circuit of claim 11 wherein the metal core is magnetic.

13. The circuit of claim 12 wherein, at a selected volume level, the magnetic core of the inductor saturates to cause a decrease of the value of inductance of the inductor.

14. The circuit of claim 13 wherein the decrease of the value of inductance of the inductor is temporary.

15. The circuit of claim 13 wherein the decrease of the value of inductance of the inductor occurs quickly.

16. The circuit of claim 15 wherein the amount of band rejection decreases as the value of the inductance decreases.

10. The circuit of claim 10 wherein the inductor has a metal core.

17. An audio loudness and loudness compensation control comprising:

a resistive volume control having step contacts located at junctions of series coupled resistors and a movable contact for making contact with a selected one of the step contacts wherein each step contact provides a different resistor value to a signal from an input terminal of the volume control to the movable contact for controlling the loudness of an audio signal, and

a parallel circuit of an inductor and a capacitor coupled in series through the movable contact to a step contact in the resistive volume control for controlling the loudness compensation of the audio signal.

18. The control of claim 17 wherein the inductor of the parallel circuit has a metal core.

19. The control of claim 17 wherein the parallel circuit resonates at a frequency below !000 Hz.

20. The control of claim 17 wherein the parallel circuit and resistors in the resistive volume control from the input terminal to the movable contact form a band reject filter.

21. The control of claim 18 wherein the metal core is magnetic.

22. The control of claim 17 wherein the resistance of the volume control from the input terminal to the movable contact increases as the loudness of audio from the speaker decreases.

23. The control of claim 18 wherein the magnetic core of the inductor is sized to saturate at high loudness levels.

24. The control of claim 23 wherein the magnetic core of the inductor is saturated at a loudness level above 50 Phons.