Speaker apparatus, method for processing input signals thereof, and audio system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11070909-B2
Application number	US-201716640020-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2017
Priority date	Aug 31, 2017
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

A speaker apparatus, a method for processing input signals of the speaker apparatus and an audio system are provided. The speaker apparatus includes: a first plurality of speakers, arranged at an interval in a row, where acoustic energy radiation generated by the first plurality of speakers is greater in a first zone than in a second zone in a first frequency range; a second plurality of speakers, symmetrically disposed at two sides of the first plurality of speakers with openings at the two sides facing outwardly, where acoustic energy radiation generated by the second plurality of speakers is greater in a third zone than in a fourth zone in a second frequency range; and the first frequency range overlaps with the second frequency range. Therefore, the speaker apparatus, the method and the audio system can achieve a wide spacious effect and provide a near-real surround experience to listeners.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A speaker apparatus, comprising:
a first plurality of speakers, arranged at an interval in a row, where acoustic energy radiation generated by the first plurality of speakers is greater in a first zone than in a second zone in a first frequency range; and
a second plurality of speakers, symmetrically disposed at two sides of the row of the first plurality of speakers with openings at the two sides facing outwardly, where acoustic energy radiation generated by the second plurality of speakers is greater in a third zone than in a fourth zone in a second frequency range;
wherein the first frequency range overlaps with the second frequency range.

2. The speaker apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first zone covers a side area of the row of the first plurality of speakers, the second zone covers an area in front or back of the row of the first plurality of speakers, the third zone covers an area where the openings of the second plurality of speakers face, and the fourth zone covers a side area of the second plurality of speakers.

3. The speaker apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein sound pressure produced by the first plurality of speakers is greater in the first zone than in the second zone in a frequency range of 150 Hz to 3 kHz.

4. The speaker apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein sound pressure produced by the second plurality of speakers is greater in the third area than in the fourth area in a frequency range of 2 kHz to 20 kHz.

5. The speaker apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the second plurality of speakers comprises a tweeter and a horn connected with the tweeter, and the horn comprises an input opening connected with the tweeter, and an output opening facing outwardly.

6. The speaker apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a ratio of a size of the output opening of the horn to a size of the input opening of the horn is greater than two.

7. The speaker apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a length of the horn is greater than half of the interval between adjacent speakers in the row of the first plurality of speakers.

8. The speaker apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the interval between adjacent speakers in the row of the first plurality of speakers ranges from 2 cm to 16 cm, and length of the horn ranges from 2 cm to 16 cm.

9. The speaker apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein input signals of the first plurality of speakers are processed by a beamforming method based on Digital Signal Processing (DSP), so as to make the acoustic energy radiation generated by the first plurality of speakers greater in the first zone than in the second zone.

10. A method for processing input signals of a speaker apparatus, wherein the speaker apparatus comprises a first plurality of speakers arranged at an interval in a row and a second plurality of speakers symmetrically disposed at two sides of the row of the first plurality of speakers with openings at the two sides facing outwardly, acoustic energy radiation of the first plurality of speakers is greater in a first zone than in a second zone in a first frequency range, acoustic energy radiation of the second plurality of speakers is greater in a third zone than in a fourth zone in a second frequency range, and the first frequency range overlaps with the second frequency range, comprising:
obtaining digital signals based on the input signals;
filtering the digital signals to obtain first digital signals in the first frequency range and second digital signals in the second frequency range; and
processing the first digital signals using a beamforming method based on Digital Signal Processing (DSP), to make the acoustic energy radiation generated by the first plurality of speakers greater in the first zone than in the second zone;
wherein the processed first digital signals are adapted to be input to the first plurality of speakers, and the second digital signals are adapted to be input to the second plurality of speakers.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the digital signals are filtered by a first filter and a second filter to obtain the first digital signals and the second digital signals respectively, and each of the second plurality of speakers comprises a tweeter and a horn connected with the tweeter, determining a crossover frequency of the first filter and the second filter comprises:
determining the interval between adjacent speakers in the row of the first plurality of speakers;
obtaining an upper frequency limit of the first plurality of speakers based on equation

f
ua

=

c

2
⁢
Δ
⁢

⁢
x

,

(
1
)

where c is sound speed and Δx is the interval between the adjacent speakers in the row of the first plurality of speakers;
determining length of the horn;
obtaining a lower frequency limit of the second plurality of speakers based on equation (2):

f
lh

=

c

4
⁢

L
h

,

(
2
)

where c is sound speed and L h is the length of the horn;
determining the crossover frequency based on the upper frequency limit and the lower frequency limit; and
determining whether the determined crossover frequency matches with a performance of the second plurality of speakers:
when the determined crossover frequency does not match the performance of the second plurality of speakers, repeating the steps of determining the crossover frequency;
when the determined crossover frequency matches the performance of the second plurality of speakers, the determined crossover frequency is determined to be the crossover frequency of the first filter and the second filter.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the crossover frequency ranges from 800 Hz to 5 kHz.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
obtaining first analog signals and second analog signals based on the processed first digital signals and the second digital signals; and
amplifying the first analog signals and the second analog signals;
where the amplified f

Assignees

• Zheng Jianwen
• Li Shengbo
• Harman Int Ind

Inventors

• Zheng Jianwen
• Li Shengbo

Classifications

• H04R1/403 Primary

  loud-speakers · CPC title

• H04R2201/403

  Linear arrays of transducers · CPC title

• H04R2203/12

  Beamforming aspects for stereophonic sound reproduction with loudspeaker arrays · CPC title

• H04R2430/20

  Processing of the output signals of the acoustic transducers of an array for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic (H04R2203/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R1/30

  Combinations of transducers with horns, e.g. with mechanical matching means {, i.e. front-loaded horns}(horns in general G10K; {transducer enclosures or mountings using a back-loaded horn H04R1/2861; application of horns as guiding means to obtain a predetermined directivity characteristic H04R1/345}) · CPC title