Reproduction apparatus with audio directionality indication of the location of screen information

• US 20050047624A1
• Filed: 08/20/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kleen, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,602,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/388
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

A reproduction device has at least one screen for displaying information, with at least four sound reproduction devices respectively at the corners of the screen, which are separately driven depending on the local screen position of a user-relevant item of information such that direction information relating to the screen information is conveyed to the user by the resulting acoustic signal that is produced by the combined, individual driving, which is perceivable by the user.

Claims

1. A reproduction apparatus comprising:

at least one display visual display at which an information item is displayed at a location on the visual display;

at least four sound reproduction devices respectively disposed at corners of said visual display; and

a control unit for individually driving said sound reproduction devices to control respective individual audio emissions therefrom to produce a combined, humanly perceptible collective audio emission having a directionality indicative of the location of said information item on said visual display.

2. A reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sound reproduction devices are speakers.

3. A reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sound reproduction devices are individually variable with regard to the volume of the individual audio emission therefrom.

4. A reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said visual display comprises a single monitor screen having said corners.

5. A reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said visual display comprises a plurality of monitor screens arranged in a screen array, said screen array having said corners.

6. A reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 5 comprising an additional sound reproduction device disposed at one side of said array.

7. A reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 5 comprising a plurality of additional sound reproduction devices respectively disposed at sides of said array.

8. A reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising a user interface connected to said control unit allowing calibration of said sound reproduction devices by a user to selectively set said individual acoustic emissions dependent on said location of said image information.

9. A reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sound reproduction devices are rigidly fixed to said visual display.

10. A reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said visual display has a housing, and wherein said sound reproduction devices are integrated in said housing.

11. A reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sound reproduction devices are individually movable relative to said visual display.