Directed audio for enclosed environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023133951-A1
Application number	US-202217966753-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 14, 2022
Priority date	Nov 1, 2021
Publication date	May 4, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Implementations of the subject technology provide directional audio for enclosed environments. In one or more implementations, an apparatus may include an enclosed environment, and one or more a dual directional speakers, one or more ringed arrays of speakers, one or more isobaric cross-firing speakers, and/or one or more door-mounted speaker arrays that are operable to direct sound to one or more desired locations within the enclosed environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a structural support member; a safety component mounted to the structural support member; a curved glass enclosure structure sealingly mounted to the structural support member; a first directional speaker mounted to a first side of the structural support member; and a second directional speaker mounted to a second side of the structural support member.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first directional speaker and the second directional speaker each comprise a sound-generating element mounted between a pair of acoustic ducts.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the pair of acoustic ducts of the first directional speaker have a common longitudinal axis that is parallel to a common longitudinal axis of the second directional speaker.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a vehicle, wherein the structural support member defines a structural space, and wherein the safety component comprises an airbag that is mounted in the structural space.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising first, second, third, and fourth seats, wherein the first seat faces the second seat, the third seat faces the fourth seat, the first directional speaker is disposed between the first and second seats, and the second directional speaker is disposed between the third and fourth seats.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first directional speaker comprises a first elongated channel that directs audio output toward the first seat and a second elongated channel that directs audio output toward the second seat, and wherein the second directional speaker comprises a third elongated channel that directs audio output toward the third seat and a fourth elongated channel that directs audio output toward the fourth seat.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first elongated channel and the second elongated channel are formed by a common channel housing, and each have a corresponding slot in the common channel housing.

8 . An apparatus, comprising:
an enclosure; a seat within the enclosure, the seat having a seat back with a first side configured to interface with an occupant within the enclosure, and an opposing second side; and a speaker array spaced apart from the opposing second side of the seat back and having a center, the speaker array comprising:
a first array of speakers mounted at a first common radial distance from the center of the speaker array; and
a second array of speakers mounted at a second common radial distance from the center of the speaker array, the second common radial distance larger than the first common radial distance.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising control circuitry configured to:
receive a first audio channel and a second audio channel; and operate the speaker array to:
beam a first sound corresponding to the first audio channel toward the seat; and
beam a second sound corresponding to the second audio channel toward a portion of the enclosure away from the seat.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to operate the speaker array to beam the second sound directly away from the seat toward a rear wall of the enclosure, to beam a third sound corresponding to a third audio channel toward a first corner of the enclosure and to beam a fourth sound corresponding to a fourth audio channel toward a second corner of the enclosure.

11 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the speaker array is separated from the opposing second side of the seat back in a direction parallel to a plane that passes through a common point on each speaker of the first array of speakers.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first array of speakers is a first triangular array of three speakers, and the second array of speakers is a second triangular array of three speakers, and wherein the speakers of the second triangular array have a common size that is larger than a common size of the speakers of the first triangular array.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising control circuitry for the speaker array, the control circuitry comprising a control channel and a digital signal processor for each speaker of the first array of speakers and each speaker of the second array of speakers.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein each speaker of the first array of speakers forms a speaker pair with a respective speaker of the second array of speakers, the apparatus further comprising control circuitry for the speaker array, the control circuitry comprising:
a control channel and a digital signal processor for each speaker pair; and a passive crossover circuit for each control channel.

15 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first triangular array of three speakers includes at least one acoustic duct.

16 . The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
an additional seat within the enclosure, the additional seat having a seat back with a first side facing the first side of the seat back of the seat and configured to interface with another occupant within the enclosure, and an opposing second side; and an additional speaker array spaced apart from the opposing second side of the seat back of the additional seat and having a center, the additional speaker array comprising:
a first array of speakers mounted at a first common radial distance from the center of the additional speaker array; and
a second array of speakers mounted at a second common radial distance from the center of the additional speaker array, the second common radial distance larger than the first common radial distance.

17 . An apparatus, comprising:
an enclosure; a first seat within the enclosure and facing in a first direction; a second seat within the enclosure and facing in a second direction substantially opposite the first direction; and a first isobaric speaker mounted nearer the first seat than the second seat, the first isobaric speaker including:
a housing defining a back volume;
a first speaker diaphragm having a first surface adjacent the back volume and an opposing second surface facing the first seat; and
a second speaker diaphragm having a first surface adjacent the back volume and an opposing second surface facing away from the first seat.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the first isobaric speaker is operable in a first out-of-phase mode of operation in which the first speaker diaphragm directs a positive polarity sound toward the first seat and the second speaker diaphragm moves out of phase with the first speaker diaphragm to generate a negative polarity sound that cancels a portion of the positive polarity sound in a direction of the second seat.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the first isobaric speaker is operable in a second out-of-phase mode of operation in which the second speaker diaphragm directs a positive polarity sound toward the second seat and the first speaker diaphragm moves out of phase with the second speaker diaphragm to generate a negative polarity sound that cancels a portion of the positive polarity sound in a direction of the first seat.

20 . The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a second isobaric speaker mounted nearer the second seat than the first seat, the second isobaric speaker including:
a housing defining a back volume; a first speaker diaphragm having a first surface adjacent the back volume and an opposing second surface facing the second seat; and a second speaker

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Boothe Daniel K
• Wilk Chris
• Ilkorur Onur I
• Johnson Marty E
• Parker Jason T
• Baldioceda Oreamuno Andrea

Classifications

• H04R2201/401

  2D or 3D arrays of transducers · CPC title

• H04R1/342

  for microphones · CPC title

• H04R1/406

  microphones · CPC title

• H04R2499/13

  Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles · CPC title

• H04R3/12

  for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} · CPC title