Rotationally symmetric speaker array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11190870-B2
Application number	US-202016905684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2020
Priority date	Aug 18, 2014
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

A multi-way speaker array is disclosed that includes rings of transducers of different types. The rings of transducers may encircle the cabinet of the speaker array such that the speaker array is rotationally symmetric. The distance between rings of transducers may be based on a logarithmic scale. By separating rings of transducers using logarithmic spacing, denser transducer spacing at short wavelengths is achieved while limiting the number of transducers needed for longer wavelengths by spacing them in larger and larger logarithmic increments. Transducers with overlapping frequency ranges may be used in the speaker array to avoid initial dips or shortfalls in directivity for corresponding beam patterns.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A speaker array, comprising:
a cabinet having a center axis;
a plurality of first transducers arranged about the center axis at a first vertical location and facing a radial direction;
a plurality of second transducers arranged about the center axis at a second vertical location and facing the radial direction; and
a plurality of end transducers at a third vertical location and facing an axial direction;
wherein a first spacing between the first vertical location and the second vertical location in the axial direction is different than a second spacing between the second vertical location and the third vertical location in the axial direction.

2. The speaker array of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of microphones integrated within the speaker array.

3. The speaker array of claim 1 , wherein centers of the plurality of second transducers are aligned with centers of the plurality of first transducers.

4. The speaker array of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first transducers is selected to produce audio frequencies in a first frequency range and the plurality of second transducers is selected to produce audio frequencies in a second frequency range.

5. The speaker array of claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of first transducers is different than a number of the plurality of second transducers, and wherein the plurality of first transducers are evenly spaced about the center axis and the plurality of second transducers are evenly spaced about the center axis such that the speaker array is rotationally symmetric.

6. A speaker array, comprising:
a cabinet having a center axis;
a plurality of transducers arranged about the center axis;
a first end transducer below the plurality of transducers and facing an axial direction; and
a plurality of second end transducers at a vertical location above the plurality of transducers and facing the opposite axial direction.

7. The speaker array of claim 6 further comprising a plurality of microphones integrated within the speaker array.

8. The speaker array of claim 6 , wherein the first end transducer is a subwoofer facing downward.

9. The speaker array of claim 6 , wherein a first vertical spacing between the first end transducer and the plurality of transducers is different than a second vertical spacing between the plurality of transducers and the plurality of second end transducers.

10. The speaker array of claim 9 , wherein the first vertical spacing is greater than the second vertical spacing.

11. The speaker array of claim 6 , wherein the first end transducer is selected to produce audio frequencies in a first frequency range lower than a second frequency range produced by the plurality of transducers.

12. A speaker array, comprising:
a cabinet having a center axis;
a first plurality of transducers of a first transducer type arranged about the center axis;
a second plurality of transducers of a second transducer type arranged about the center axis, wherein the second plurality of transducers are spaced from the first plurality of transducers in an axial direction of the center axis by a first vertical distance; and
a plurality of end transducers of a third transducer type at a vertical location, wherein the plurality of end transducers are spaced from the second plurality of transducers in the axial direction by a second vertical distance different than the first vertical distance.

13. The speaker array of claim 12 , wherein the first transducer type has a first frequency range, wherein the second transducer type has a second frequency range, and wherein the third transducer type has a third frequency range.

14. The speaker array of claim 13 , wherein the second frequency range is lower than the first frequency range.

15. The speaker array of claim 13 , wherein the second vertical distance is greater than the first vertical distance.

16. The speaker array of claim 12 , wherein the second plurality of transducers include a plurality of subwoofers.

17. The speaker array of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of subwoofers face a radial direction.

18. The speaker array of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of end transducers include a subwoofer.

19. The speaker array of claim 18 , wherein the subwoofer faces an axial direction.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Martin E
• Dix Gordon R
• Howes Michael B
• Geaves Gary P
• Saux Tom-Davy William Jendrik

Classifications

• H04R5/02

  Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R1/403 Primary

  loud-speakers · CPC title

• H04R2201/401

  2D or 3D arrays of transducers · CPC title