Directional sound generating apparatus and directional speaker array including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9008335-B2
Application number	US-55495109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2009
Priority date	Sep 8, 2008
Publication date	Apr 14, 2015
Grant date	Apr 14, 2015

Abstract

A directional sound generating apparatus and a directional speaker array including the same are disclosed. The directional sound generating apparatus includes a sound transducer, a reflection plate which is located behind the sound transducer, and a blocking plate which is provided between a front portion and a back portion of the sound transducer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A directional speaker array comprising:
one or more sound transducers each configured to output sound of opposite phase from a front and a back thereof, respectively;
a reflection plate which is located behind the sound transducers and which is configured to control the horizontal directivity of sound;
a first blocking plate which is provided between a front portion and a back portion of the sound transducers and which is configured to increase an interference distance between forward and backward sound waves output from the one or more sound transducers; and
one or more second blocking plates provided between the reflection plate and the first blocking plate so as to cover one or more respective sides of a space defined between the reflection plate and the first blocking plate, wherein
the first blocking plate includes one or more openings provided between the sound transducers.

2. The directional speaker array of claim 1 , further comprising a sound absorbing material provided to the reflection plate and/or the first blocking plate.

3. The directional speaker array of claim 2 , wherein the sound absorbing material absorbs high-frequency components of the forward and backward sound waves and/or the backward sound wave output from the sound transducer.

4. The directional speaker array of claim 1 , wherein the first blocking plate extends substantially perpendicular to a traveling direction of sound waves output from the sound transducers and has a narrower width than the reflection plate.

5. The directional speaker array of claim 1 , wherein a width of the one or more second blocking plates is equal to or less than a width of the reflection plate such that the one or more second blocking plates completely or partly covers a space substantially perpendicular to the reflection plate and provided between the reflection plate and the sound transducers.

6. The directional speaker array of claim 1 , wherein the first blocking plate has a narrower width than the reflection plate.

7. The directional speaker array of claim 1 , wherein the reflection plate, the first blocking plate, and the one or more second blocking plates are formed as a single structure.

8. The directional speaker array of claim 1 , wherein a length of a side of the one or more second blocking plates is equal to or less than a length of a side of the reflection plate that is substantially parallel to the side of the one or more second blocking plates.

9. The directional speaker array of claim 1 , wherein:
the reflection plate, the first blocking plate, and the one or more second blocking plates are formed as a single structure.

10. The directional speaker array of claim 1 , wherein a sound pressure of sound radiated from the sound transducers varies according to a wavelength of the sound, a distance between the sound transducers and the reflection plate, and the interference distance between the forward and backward sound waves output from the sound transducers.

11. A directional speaker array comprising:
a plurality of directional sound generating units, at least one of which comprising:
a sound transducer configured to output sound of opposite phase from a front and a back thereof, respectively,
a reflection plate which is located behind, and disposed parallel to, the sound transducer to reflect sound radiated backward from the sound transducer, and
a first blocking plate which is provided between a front portion and a back portion of the sound transducer and which is configured to increase an interference distance between forward and backward sound waves output from the sound transducer, wherein:

the at least one of the plurality of directional sound generating units further comprises one or more second blocking plates provided between the reflection plate and the first blocking plate so as to cover one or more respective sides of a space defined between the reflection plate and the first blocking plate
each of the plurality of directional sound generating units comprises the sound transducer, the reflection plate, the first blocking plate, and the one or more second blocking plates,
the reflection plates are formed as a single reflection plate shared by the plurality of directional sound generating units, and
the first blocking plates are formed as a single first blocking plate shared by the plurality of directional sound generating units.

12. The directional speaker array of claim 11 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of directional sound generating units further comprises a sound absorbing material provided to the reflection plate and/or the first blocking plate.

13. The directional speaker array of claim 12 , wherein the sound absorbing material absorbs high-frequency components of the forward and backward sound waves and/or the backward sound wave output from the corresponding sound transducer.

14. The directional speaker array of claim 11 , wherein the first blocking plate extends substantially perpendicular to a traveling direction of the forward and backward sound waves output from the sound transducer and has a narrower width than the reflection plate.

15. The directional speaker array of claim 11 , wherein a length of a side of the one or more second blocking plates is equal to or less than a length of a side of the reflection plate that is substantially parallel to the side of the one or more second blocking plates.

Assignees

• Choi Jung-Woo
• Kim Young-Tae
• Kim Jung-Ho
• Ko Sang-Chul
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Jung-Woo
• Kim Young-Tae
• Kim Jung-Ho
• Ko Sang-Chul

Classifications

• H04R1/323

  for loudspeakers (H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04R3/12

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

• H04R2201/403

  Linear arrays of transducers · CPC title

• H04R1/345

  for loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R1/288 Primary

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title