US3139150A - Sound interceptors for stereophonic perception - Google Patents

Description

June 30, 1964 M. WElL 3,139,150

SOUND INTERCEPTORS FOR STEREOPHONIC PERCEPTION Filed Sept. 18, 1962 INVENTOR MA X/M/L IAN WE/L ATTORNE V5 United States Patent SOUND INTERCEPTORS FOR STEREOPHONIC PERCEPTION Maximilian Wei], 5% 5th Ave., New York, N.Y. Filed Sept. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 224,346 Claims. (Cl. 181-25) This invention relates to the art of audio signal perception, more particularly to a listening aid permitting the listener to enjoy a true stereophonic eifect in listening to sounds, emanating from two or more sources.

As conducive to an understanding of the invention,

it is noted that a variety of techniques have been evolved for reproducing sounds stereophonically in an attempt to simulate for the listener the effects of live sound, creating for the listener the impression of the actual presence of the sound producer. Thus, the ultimate goal, for example, in the case of music reproduction is to provide the listener with a reproduced sound which closely simulates the sound obtained in the actual presence of the orchestra or concert artist. Since the listener in a concert hall is subjected to sounds emanating from various parts of the stage or reverberating from various parts of the concert hall there is a spatial effect produced which, coupled with the visual effect, has heretofore been relatively unreproducible in a home. Directionality of the sound has been employed, in an attempt to achieve the desired spatial perspective, by reproducing some of the sounds through a speaker placed to the left of the room, while other sounds are reproduced through another speaker to the right of the room. A ping pong effect often results, however, causing the listener to turn his head back and forth from left to right with resulting discomfort and irritation. Musically, the sounds are frequently disjointed and in general distorted. To obviate this, blending of the left and right sounds has been attempted in the ideal stereophonic installation. However, even where the listener is positioned at some central point with respect to the speakers, the sound appears to emanate from some point between the speakers as it does with monophonic reproduction. This results in constriction of the sound to a single point source which, though stereophonic in origin, is often relatively indistinguishable from simple monophonic reproduction.

Attempts to superimpose synthetic reverberation to provide the spatial fullness obtained in the actual presence of the orchestra or concert artist, produce ballooning of all of the sound even though only part of the composition is eifective in producing spatial effect at the actual concert. Thus, such synthetic reverberation has the effect of destroying the definition and clarity of the component parts of the musical sound.

The present method of listening to reproduced stereophonic music lacks means providing the depth and perspective counterpart of the stereo viewer. The music from the speakers is radiated into the room haphazardly which often results in distortion, and a failure to develop the much desired spatial effect, analogous to perspective and depth in stereo viewing.

It is accordingly among the important objects of this invention to provide means, including both method and apparatus enabling a listener to perceive stereophonically reproduced sound in a fashion providing the necessary spatial effect so as to give the impression of presence of the actual sound producing source.

Another object of the invention is to provide sound perceiving means providing the listener with the dimensional effects of the sound permeating the full width of the room.

A further object of the invention is to provide the listener with the dynamics which are normally compressed during original recording of sound reproducing records.

It is also an object of the invention to provide listening means recreating the tonal swells regarded as essential in listening to good music.

It is also an object of the invention to provide listening means insuring the presence of the higher frequencies which are normally lost because of off-beam listening in stereophonic installations.

Another object of the invention is to provide listening means permitting the amplifiers and speakers of the sound reproducing equipment to work at lower levels thus reducing hum and other background noises.

According to the invention, the novel sound perceiving listening means involves the utilization of sound inter ceptors which will be understood, as hereinafter described, to comprise a shell-like member adapted to be positioned over the ears of the listener. The shell-like member is provided with an apertured sound receiving front wall, a sound wave guide surface formed on the interior of a side wall, and pressure relief and vent openings in top and bottom walls to promote comfort on the part of the wearer. In use these interceptors are positioned on the head of the wearer and are adjustably mounted to permit desired angling of the interceptors with respect to the sound sources.

An important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the novel interceptors serve to pick up more of the sound from the left and right sides respectively, while at the same time permitting the point source perception from the center, thus enriching the heard sound.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the concentration of sound at the ears of the listener permits the volume of the sound source to be reduced, thus reducing noise levels to improve fidelity.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown a preferred embodiment of the several features of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a top plan view looking down on the head of a wearer showing schematically how the interceptors function with respect to two spaced sound sources,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an interceptor showing the sound wave guide surface from the exterior thereof,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the interceptor of FIG. 2 showing the interior part thereof,

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 44 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional View taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the novel interceptor 10 with a shell-like configuration comprises a five sided casing, or shell broadly speaking, having a configuration like that of an open sided box. The outside wall 11 is preferably formed as the segment of a right circular cylinder having a radius of curvature illustratively 4 /2 inches.

Front wall 12 is provided with a honeycomb of sound entry apertures 13 which prevent cavity resonance within the usual musical frequencies. A cushioning pad 13 of foam rubber or the like padding material is provided on the edge of the front Wall 12 remote from side Wall 11 as viewed in FIG. 2.

Top and bottom walls 15 and 16 respectively are sub stantially identical in configuration and are joined to side wall 11 and front Wall 12 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In order to insure free air flow about the ear of the wearer, a vent cutout 17 is formed in each of top and bottom walls 15 and 16. In order to prevent reverberation of any sound waves encompassed within the interceptor 10, a

plurality of reverberation preventing pressure release aper-' tures 18 are formed adjacent the rear end of top and bottom walls and 16. Rear wall closes off the structure as best shown in FIG. 3.

Securement of the novel interceptor it} to the head i of the wearer is preferably accomplished by means of spring steel strap contoured as shown in FIG. 2 resiliently to engage and extend over the top of the head of the wearer and bowed at its end 26. A strap engaging sleeve 27 is flexibly secured to the outer surface of side wall 11 by "means of a cushioning block 28 formed of rubber or some synthetic having similar properties so that when strap'25 is inserted within sleeve 27, movement 7 of the strap with respect to the interceptor will not prop the position of the unit on the head.

In order to provide for adjustment of the interceptor with respect to the head of the wearer, adjusting pin 39 the head of the wearer.

In use of the above describednovel interceptor, desired spatial effects are provided for the listener attempting to hearstereophonically played back sounds, by the listener donning the interceptors, one over each ear. The interceptors it), as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, are so arranged that rear wall 20 of interceptor 10 contacts the head of the wearer at a point behind the ear with which the interceptor is associated. In other words, the right hand interceptor will be positioned so that the rear wall 20 engages behind the right ear while the left hand interceptor engages behind the left ear.

The top and bottom walls 15, 16 extend above the top and bottomrespectively of the ear of the listener.

The listener in the presence of stereophonically reproduced sound emanating from two separate sources Sll and 52, as shown in FIG. 1, hears the sound from the right hand speaker S2 with ;his right car which picks up more of the sound from the right hand speaker than would be normally the case in the absence of the interceptor while conversely, the sound emanating from the left hand speaker S1 is channeled into the left ear of the listener.

At the same time that the listener is perceiving the sounds from his right and left sides respectively, he also hears sound from the usual point source midway between the speakers. Utilizing the interceptors provides results such that, in addition to the point source effect, there is direct perception, from the right and left hand side, with the desired spatial effect.

By virtue of the fact that the sounds emanating from the laterally spaced speakers are directly channeled to the ears of the listener, it is found possible to reduce the necessary volume to provide desired listening effects and the listener is also provided with the feeling that sound emanates from the width of the sound sources whether stereophonic or monophonic, in which latter case at least two speakers are used.

itis thus seen that by utilization of the novel interceptors 10, a spatial effect is provided for the listener in which the'increase in sound'over the normal perception available from each of the right and left hand speakers respectively, coupled with the normal point source per-.

ception provides a fully developed spatial effect permeating the full width of the room.

reproduction or monophonic reproduction in which latter' case at least two speakers are used. I 7

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patents of the United States is: Y

1. Apparatus for intercepting sound waves for providing desired spatial effects in audio signal perception of sounds from a plurality of spaced sound sources, said means comprising sound intercepting means increasing the flowof sound from a right hand sound source to the right ear of the listener, sound intercepting means increasing the sound flow from. a left hand soundsource to the left ear of the listener, said aforementioned sound intercepting means acting in concert with normal sound perception of the listener, whereby a depth perspective effect will be provided, each of said sound intercepting means being adapted to be positioned over an associated ear of the listener and comprising a shell-like casing having an outside wall, a front wall atone end, top and bottom walls and a rear wall, said front wall having'a honeycomb of sound entry apertures which deliver the collected sound waves directly into the ear.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the front wall is of greater width than said rear wall, whereby when the casings are positioned over the earsof the listener with the front walls directed forwardly, the outside walls will be inclined inwardly toward the back of the listeners head, so that each of the casings will be directed outwardly toward the sound sources.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said honeycomb comprises a plurality of elongated passageways each having substantially parallel walls, substantially venting means is provided in at least one of the top and bottom walls to relieve the air pressure built up to the rear of the front wall, at the ear of the listener, thereby preventing reverberations and distortion.

' 5. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the front'wall is of greater width than said rear wall, whereby when the casings are positioned over the ears of the listener with the front walls directed forwardly, the outside walls 'will be inclined inwardly toward the back of the listeners head, said front wall having a cushioning pad secured to the edge thereof remote from the outside wall. 6. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which means are provided to mount said intercepter casings on the head of the listener, said means comprising a resilient curved strap of rigid material, having its ends secured to the outer walls respectively of said intercepter casings adjacent the rear wall. 7 v

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which sound vibration cushioning means is secured to each of said of the listeners head, means are provided to mount said intercepter casings on the head of the listener, said means comprising a resilient curved strap of rigid material hav-- ing its ends secured to the outer walls respectivelyof said intercepter casings adjacent the rear walls thereof,

the casings with respect to the head of the listener.

9. The combination set forth in claim 8 in which said last named means comprises a threaded adjusting pin, said front wall having a'threaded transverse aperture to receive said adjusting pin, said adjusting pin extending beyond said aperture and mounting an adjusting knob on its outer end and a cushion pad on its inner end adapted to engage the head of the listener.

10. As an article of manufacture a sound intercepter comprising a shell-like casing having an outside wall, a

rear Wall, venting means provided in at least one of the top and bottom walls to relieve the air pressure built up a to the rear of the front wallat the ear of the listener and vibration cushioning means defining a mount secured to 5 the outside wall adjacent the rear wall.

front wall at one end, top and bottom walls and a rear wall, said front wall having a honeycomb of sound entry apertures which deliver the collected sound direction to the ear, said front wall being of greater width than said 1 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Switzerland Feb. 15,

Claims (1)

1. APPARATUS FOR INTERCEPTING SOUND WAVES FOR PROVIDING DESIRED SPATIAL EFFECTS IN AUDIO SIGNAL PERCEPTION OF SOUNDS FROM A PLURALITY OF SPACED SOUND SOURCES, SAID MEANS COMPRISING SOUND INTERCEPTING MEANS INCREASING THE FLOW OF SOUND FROM A RIGHT HAND SOUND SOURCE TO THE RIGHT EAR OF THE LISTENER, SOUND INTERCEPTING MEANS INCREASING THE SOUND FLOW FROM A LEFT HAND SOUND SOURCE TO THE LEFT EAR OF THE LISTENER, SAID AFOREMENTIONED SOUND INTERCEPTING MEANS ACTING IN CONCERT WITH NORMAL SOUND PERCEPTION OF THE LISTENER, WHEREBY A DEPTH PERSPECTIVE

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