Stereophonic sound system
First Claim
1. Apparatus for a stereophonic sound system comprising:
- (i) a left channel input and a right channel input, respectively arranged to receive left and right audio signals produced by laterally separated left and right microphones;
(ii) for each channel, separator means connected to the input to separate the attack from the steady state portion of each respective audio signal and produce an attack signal and a remainder or attackless signal;
(iii) comparator means connected to said left and right separator means, having a series of at least three output channels and arranged to receive and compare left and right attack signals to determine their arrival time difference and to generate and allocate resultant attack signals to particular output channels;
(iv) multiplier means connected to said left and right separator means and to said comparator means, having a series of outputs corresponding to said comparator output channels and arranged to receive said left and right attackless signals, multiply said attackless signals with said resultant attack signals and produce a combined attack audio signal at a corresponding output; and
(v) a lateral array of high frequency sound radiators each connected to a related output channel of said multiplier means, the allocation of a resultant attack signal to a particular channel by the comparator means and eventually to the reproduction of an attack audio signal by a particular radiator in the array being in accordance with the arrival time difference between the left attack signal and the right attack signal from a given input sound whereby the position of the particular radiator corresponds angularly to the azimuth position of the source of the input sound relative to the microphones.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A stereophonic sound system has the conventional components of a stereo pre-amplifier, to receive and amplify left and right audio signals, originating from left and right channel microphones, and feed left and right power amplifiers for left and right loudspeakers and additionally has left and right attack separator circuits (6+18, 8+20) connected to receive input audio signals from the pre-amplifier (70) and acting to separate the attack components from the steady-state components of the input audio signals, the steady-state components being fed to the left and right power amplifiers (42, 44) and the attack components being fed to an attack correlator (30) which compares the arrival times of the attack components from the left and right audio signals and calculates an azimuth angle corresponding to the point of origin (8) of the original sound, an attack distributor (40) is connected to the outputs of the correlator and distributes transient attack signals to one of a series of small power amplifiers (46, 48, 50, 52) which amplify the transient attack signal for a respective one of a series of high frequency speakers (58, 60 62, 64) arranged between the main left and right speakers (54, 56); by this means the attack portions of the original audio signals can be perceived by a listener as originating from points spread out between the main speakers, which points individually have a relation to the azimuth angle of individual sounds relative to the microphones.
15 Citations
8 Claims
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1. Apparatus for a stereophonic sound system comprising:
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(i) a left channel input and a right channel input, respectively arranged to receive left and right audio signals produced by laterally separated left and right microphones; (ii) for each channel, separator means connected to the input to separate the attack from the steady state portion of each respective audio signal and produce an attack signal and a remainder or attackless signal; (iii) comparator means connected to said left and right separator means, having a series of at least three output channels and arranged to receive and compare left and right attack signals to determine their arrival time difference and to generate and allocate resultant attack signals to particular output channels; (iv) multiplier means connected to said left and right separator means and to said comparator means, having a series of outputs corresponding to said comparator output channels and arranged to receive said left and right attackless signals, multiply said attackless signals with said resultant attack signals and produce a combined attack audio signal at a corresponding output; and (v) a lateral array of high frequency sound radiators each connected to a related output channel of said multiplier means, the allocation of a resultant attack signal to a particular channel by the comparator means and eventually to the reproduction of an attack audio signal by a particular radiator in the array being in accordance with the arrival time difference between the left attack signal and the right attack signal from a given input sound whereby the position of the particular radiator corresponds angularly to the azimuth position of the source of the input sound relative to the microphones. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification