EP3735781A1

EP3735781A1 - System for converting unidirectional sound systems to multidirectional sound systems

Info

Publication number: EP3735781A1
Application number: EP18700136.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mehmet Ercan TEKIN; Ugur HALATOGLU
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2018-01-03
Filing date: 2018-01-03
Publication date: 2020-11-11
Also published as: TR201819887A2; WO2019134739A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for converting unidirectional sound systems to multidirectional sound systems. The present invention more particularly relates to a sound system comprising a unidirectional sound system (1) and a 360° sound apparatus (2), said unidirectional sound system (1) positioned relative to said a 360° sound apparatus (2) in a position turned sideways and placed above said 360° sound apparatus (2) such that the sound is directed to said 360° sound apparatus (2).

Description

[Title established by the ISA under Rule 37.2] SYSTEM FOR CONVERTING UNIDIRECTIONAL SOUND SYSTEMS TO MULTIDIRECTIONAL SOUND SYSTEMS

The present invention relates to a system and method for converting unidirectional sound systems to multidirectional sound systems.
It is well-known that sound systems that are currently available are unidirectional sound systems due to the speakers therein positioned unidirectionally. It is not possible for unidirectional sound systems that are positioned at fixed directions to provide the same sound quality to all listeners. While the highest quality sound is provided to in the forward direction, the surrounding directions receive increasingly lower quality sound. Sound quality is the worst in the backwards direction. In order to solve this issue, 360^o sound systems have been developed. 360^o sound systems allow the same quality of sound to be delivered in every direction.
Among others, a prior art publication in the technical field of the invention may be referred to as US4182931, which discloses a 360^o, in-phase audio propagation system utilizing sound propagation in conjunction with various types of active reflectors. In a first embodiment two bass speakers or woofers are mounted in an air-tight casing, the first speaker being mounted internal to the casing and facing outwardly through an aperture, the second speaker being mounted collinear with the first speaker. The casing is supported so that the first speaker is spaced from the floor facing downwardly whereby sound is reflected in a 360^o pattern from the floor. The two speakers are driven out of phase with each other so that air within the chamber is alternately compressed and rarefied in accordance with a speaker driving signal, thereby preventing either speaker from resonating or overreacting to the driving signal. Sound from the front of the first speaker combines with and is reinforced by sound from the back of the second speaker thereby providing essentially a 360^o propagation pattern.
Unidirectional sound systems which were widely available before the development of 360^o sound systems are still being used today. The present invention provides a 360^o sound apparatus whereby unidirectional sound systems can be converted to 360^o sound systems. In this manner, users can enjoy multi-directionally uniform sound quality without needing to change their sound systems.
The present invention provides a system and method for converting unidirectional sound systems to multidirectional sound systems, as provided by the characterizing features defined in Claim 1.
Primary object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for converting unidirectional sound systems to multidirectional sound systems.
The present invention proposes a sound system comprising a unidirectional sound system and a 360^o sound apparatus. The unidirectional sound system is placed on the 360^o sound apparatus by which sound is distributed in a multi-directional manner thanks to a sound wave redirector of the 360^o sound apparatus having a conical shape and more preferably a pseudosphere shape.
Accompanying drawings are given solely for the purpose of exemplifying a 360^o sound apparatus, whose advantages over prior art were outlined above and will be explained in brief hereinafter.
The drawings are not meant to delimit the scope of protection as identified in the Claims, nor should they be referred to alone in an effort to interpret the scope identified in said Claims without recourse to the technical disclosure in the description of the present invention.
The drawings are only exemplary in the sense that they do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensions and relative proportions of the respective components of the system.
Fig. 1A demonstrates a front view of a unidirectional sound system.
Fig. 1B demonstrates a top view of a unidirectional sound system.
Fig. 2 demonstrates a simplified general block diagram representation of sound in space provided by a unidirectional sound system.
Fig. 3A demonstrates a front view of a unidirectional sound system attached to a 360^o sound apparatus according to present invention.
Fig. 3B demonstrates a top view of a unidirectional sound system attached to a 360^o sound apparatus according to present invention.
Fig. 4 demonstrates a simplified general block diagram representation of sound in space provided by a unidirectional sound system attached to a 360^o sound apparatus according to present invention.
The following numerals are assigned to different part number used in the detailed description:
1) Unidirectional sound system
2) 360^o sound apparatus
3) Feet
4) Base
5) Sound wave redirector
The present invention proposes a 360^o sound apparatus (2) attachable to a unidirectional sound system (1) whereby unidirectional sound systems (1) can be converted to 360^o sound systems. In this manner, users can enjoy multi-directionally uniform sound quality without needing to change their sound systems.
Fig. 2 illustrates a unidirectional sound system (1) positioned in the middle of a room. People (A, B, C and D) are located the same distance away from said unidirectional sound system (1) in different directions. The dashed lines show uniform sound performance. In this case, Person A receives the highest quality of sound while persons B, C and D receive lower quality of sound. In order for persons B, C and D to receive the best sound quality the unidirectional sound system (1) must be pointed towards their respective locations.
Fig. 4 illustrates a 360^o sound apparatus (2) attached to a unidirectional sound system (1) positioned in the middle of a room. When the sound system is operational, persons A, B, C and D located the same distance away receive the same quality of sound. In this system, sound performance is uniform in every direction.
Fig. 3A and 3B illustrate a 360^o sound apparatus (2) attached to a unidirectional sound system (1). Unidirectional sound system (1) is first turned sideways and positioned above 360^o sound apparatus (2). 360^o sound apparatus (2) and unidirectional sound system (1) are attached via feet (3). 360^o sound apparatus (2) comprises a base (4) the size and shape of which is adjustable based on the unidirectional sound system (1) used. 360^o sound apparatus (2) also comprises a sound wave redirector (5) having a conical shape whereby sound is provided in uniform quality in all directions. In this manner, unidirectional sound systems (1) can be converted to 360^o sound systems.
In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, said sound wave redirector (5) is designed in the form of a pseudosphere, i.e. having a surface of constant negative curvature formed by the rotation of a tractrix about its asymptote.
In a nutshell, the present invention proposes a sound system comprising a unidirectional sound system (1) and a 360^o sound apparatus (2), said unidirectional sound system (1) positioned relative to said 360o sound apparatus (2) in a position turned sideways and placed above said 360o sound apparatus (2) such that the sound is directed to said 360o sound apparatus (2).
In one aspect of the present invention, said 360^o sound apparatus (2) comprises a sound wave redirector (5) having a conical shape whereby sound is provided uniformly in directions perpendicular to the direction of sound generated by said unidirectional sound system (1).
In a further aspect of the present invention, said 360^o sound apparatus (2) and unidirectional sound system (1) are attached to each other via feet (3) of the 360o sound apparatus (2).
In a further aspect of the present invention, said 360^o sound apparatus (2) comprises a base (4) the size of which is adjustable based on the size of the unidirectional sound system (1).
In a further aspect of the present invention, the size of said base (4) of the 360o sound apparatus (2) is telescopically adjustable.
In a further aspect of the present invention, said conical shape sound wave redirector (5) is designed in the form of a pseudosphere, which is found to be more effective compared to a purely conical shape.
Therefore, the present invention is devised under the recognition that unidirectional sound systems (1) that are widely available cannot provide the same sound quality in multiple directions.

Claims

A sound system comprising a unidirectional sound system (1) and a 360^o sound apparatus (2), said unidirectional sound system (1) positioned relative to said 360^o sound apparatus (2) in a position turned sideways and placed above said 360^o sound apparatus (2) such that the sound is directed to said 360^o sound apparatus (2) characterized in that;

said 360^o sound apparatus (2) comprises a sound wave redirector (5) having a conical shape whereby sound is provided uniformly in directions perpendicular to the direction of sound generated by said unidirectional sound system (1).
A sound system as in Claim 1, characterized in that said 360^o sound apparatus (2) and unidirectional sound system (1) are attached to each other via feet (3) of the 360^o sound apparatus (2).
A sound system as in Claim 1, characterized in that said 360^o sound apparatus (2) comprises a base (4) the size of which is adjustable based on the size of the unidirectional sound system (1).
A sound system as in Claim 3, characterized in that the size of said base (4) of the 360^o sound apparatus (2) is telescopically adjustable.
A sound system as in Claim 1, characterized in that said conical shape sound wave redirector (5) is designed in the form of a pseudosphere.