SOUND VIEWER APPARATUS

• US 3,568,144 A
• Filed: 03/14/1968
• Issued: 03/02/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Streb Maria L M
• Original Assignee: Streb Maria L M
• Inventors: STREB MARIA L M
• Application Number:
  US04/713,027
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/246 Signals or brake- or lighting devices mounted on the road vehicle and controlled from the vehicle or train
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/06 Transformation of speech into a non-audible representation, e.g. speech visualisation or speech processing for tactile aids G10L15/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A sound viewer apparatus is described, including means for receiving an audio signal and converting it into an electrical signal, at least one amplifier for adjusting the intensity level of the electrical signal; a plurality of filters, each having a band-pass corresponding to the major frequency components of the audio signal produced by a particular device (viz a car engine, train whistle, horn or emergency vehicle siren); indicator means, such as lamps, connected to the output of the filters; and automatic gain control means responsive to the output of each filter for adjusting the electrical signal input to the amplifier for maintaining the input to the indicators at a level whereby the indicator means (lamps) can clearly show, by relative brightness, which type of device produced the audio sound and its relative intensity.

Claims

1. A sound apparatus for a vehicle for visually warning the presence of n different audio signals each of which have at least a particular frequency characteristic of a sound producing device comprising:

a. a transducer means for converting said n different audio signals into corresponding electrical signal voltages having the same corresponding frequencies as said audio signals;

b. filter means having n different filters each having a predetermined band-pass for passing only those electrical signal voltages having a frequency lying within said predetermined band-pass therethrough;

c. a plurality of corresponding n indicator means coupled to said n different filters for visually indicating the passage of said electrical signal voltages therethrough so that the presence of said audio signals is visually indicated thereby;

d. summing means connected to each of said n different filters for deriving a rectified signal voltage which is a function of the sum of said corresponding electrical signal voltages passed by said n different filters; and

e. attenuation means connected between said transducer means and said summing means for attenuating said corresponding electrical signal voltages when said rectified signal voltage is higher than a given reference voltage.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said attenuation means includes variable resistor means for selectively varying said reference voltage.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said attenuation means includes a transistor having a base electrode connected to said summing means for providing a low impedance switch between said transducer means and ground.

4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said attenuation means includes a transistor connected between ground and said transducer means for attenuating said corresponding electrical signal voltages to said indicator means in the same ratio as received by said transducer.

5. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said filters are active band-pass filters.

6. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said transducer means is a microphone mounted on said vehicle for receiving said audio signals outside of said vehicle.

7. The invention defined in claim 1 further including a plurality of n gating means each connected between a corresponding one of said filters and a corresponding one of said indicating means for passing only said electrical signal voltages above a given voltage level.

8. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said summing means includes diodes means connected to said filter means and a summing resistor connected to said attenuation means for adjusting the intensity of said output signal voltages from said transducer means.