Title: Seatback audio system
Abstract: A seatback audio system having one or more speakers mounted in a surface of a seatback or a headrest. The speakers may be separated by a sound barrier to reduce cross-talk between the speakers. The surface may have a concave area where the speakers and the sound barrier are mounted. Alternatively, the surface may have two concave areas, and one speaker may be mounted in each concave area. The system may include a manual or an automated positioning system for one or both of the speakers. The system may also include a soft-cell waveguide having a plurality of tubes to direct the sound from one or both of the speakers. The seatback may include a backrest and a removable headrest, each including an electrical connector, where the one or more speakers are mounted to the headrest and the electrical connectors form a circuit when the headrest is mounted to the backrest.
Patent Number: 6,991,289 Issued on 01/31/2006 to House
| Inventors:
|
House; William Neal (Greenwood, IN)
|
| Assignee:
|
Harman International Industries, Incorporated (Northridge, CA)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
631184 |
| Filed:
|
July 31, 2003 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
297/217.4; 181/141; 181/148 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
A47C 7/62 (20060101); A47C 31/00 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
297/2174,217.5
181/141,146
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 2452103 | Oct., 1948 | Conradt et al.
| |
| 2501993 | Mar., 1950 | Conradt.
| |
| 2527656 | Oct., 1950 | Reinsdorf.
| |
| 2710662 | Jun., 1955 | Camras.
| |
| 2802906 | Aug., 1957 | Goldenberg et al.
| |
| 2908766 | Oct., 1959 | Taylor.
| |
| 3156500 | Nov., 1964 | Kerr.
| |
| 3385393 | May., 1968 | Gold.
| |
| 3512605 | May., 1970 | McCorkle.
| |
| 3556088 | Jan., 1971 | Leonardini.
| |
| 3880152 | Apr., 1975 | Nohmura.
| |
| 3918551 | Nov., 1975 | Rizo-Patron.
| |
| 3944020 | Mar., 1976 | Brown.
| |
| 3976162 | Aug., 1976 | Cummings.
| |
| 4020284 | Apr., 1977 | Phillips.
| |
| 4023566 | May., 1977 | Martinmaas.
| |
| 4025724 | May., 1977 | Davidson, Jr. et al.
| |
| 4027112 | May., 1977 | Heppner et al.
| |
| 4038499 | Jul., 1977 | Yeaple.
| |
| 4042791 | Aug., 1977 | Wiseman.
| |
| 4055170 | Oct., 1977 | Nohmura.
| |
| 4061877 | Dec., 1977 | Phillips.
| |
| 4064376 | Dec., 1977 | Yamada.
| |
| 4075438 | Feb., 1978 | Kappel.
| |
| 4124249 | Nov., 1978 | Abbeloos.
| |
| 4156177 | May., 1979 | Coates.
| |
| 4210784 | Jul., 1980 | Phillips.
| |
| 4254067 | Mar., 1981 | Elliott.
| |
| 4289936 | Sep., 1981 | Civitello.
| |
| 4310307 | Jan., 1982 | Bellisario.
| |
| 4440443 | Apr., 1984 | Nordskog.
| |
| 4490842 | Dec., 1984 | Watanabe.
| |
| D277630 | Feb., 1985 | Olsen et al.
| |
| 4565405 | Jan., 1986 | Mayer.
| |
| 4638884 | Jan., 1987 | Lee.
| |
| 4641345 | Feb., 1987 | Takahashi.
| |
| 4696370 | Sep., 1987 | Tokumo et al.
| |
| 4758047 | Jul., 1988 | Hennington.
| |
| 4778027 | Oct., 1988 | Taylor.
| |
| 4797934 | Jan., 1989 | Hufnagel.
| |
| 4866888 | Sep., 1989 | Murai et al.
| |
| 4877105 | Oct., 1989 | Mugikura.
| |
| 4979777 | Dec., 1990 | Takada.
| |
| 4991222 | Feb., 1991 | Nixdorf.
| |
| 5101810 | Apr., 1992 | Skille et al.
| |
| 5113852 | May., 1992 | Murtonen.
| |
| 5143055 | Sep., 1992 | Eakin.
| |
| 5147109 | Sep., 1992 | Jolly.
| |
| 5191177 | Mar., 1993 | Chi.
| |
| 5193118 | Mar., 1993 | Latham-Brown et al.
| |
| 5199075 | Mar., 1993 | Fosgate.
| |
| 5301237 | Apr., 1994 | Fosgate.
| |
| 5314403 | May., 1994 | Shaw.
| |
| 5318340 | Jun., 1994 | Henry.
| |
| 5387026 | Feb., 1995 | Matsuhashi et al.
| |
| 5398992 | Mar., 1995 | Daniels.
| |
| D361674 | Aug., 1995 | Carter, Sr.
| |
| 5482352 | Jan., 1996 | Leal et al.
| |
| 5608806 | Mar., 1997 | Hinojosa.
| |
| 5687246 | Nov., 1997 | Lancon.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 198 40 444 | May., 1999 | DE.
| |
| 0 993 230 | Apr., 2000 | EP.
| |
| 1995264689 | Oct., 1995 | JP.
| |
Primary Examiner: Barfield; Anthony D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Parent Case Text
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/400,369
filed Jul. 31, 2002. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein
by reference.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An seatback audio system for use with a seat, comprising:
a seatback having a surface;
a first speaker having a first lateral dimension coupled to the surface of the seatback;
a second speaker having a second lateral dimension coupled to the surface of
the setback; and
a sound barrier coupled to the surface of the seatback and positioned between
the first speaker and the second speaker to form a partition that provides stereo
separation of sound waves to be emanated from the lint and second speakers;
where the sound barrier has an outermost arcuated surface extending from the
surface of the seatback by a distance.
2. The seatback audio system of claim 1 where the first lateral dimension is
equal to the second lateral dimension.
3. The setback audio system of claim 1 where the distance is greater than one-eighth
of the first lateral dimension.
4. The seatback audio system of claim 1 where the distance is greater than one-quarter
of the first lateral dimension.
5. The setback audio system of claim 1 where the distance is greater than one-half
of the first lateral dimension.
6. The seatback audio system of claim 1 where the surface of the setback includes
a first concave surface and a second concave surface, and the first speaker is
coupled to the first concave surface and the second speaker is coupled to the second
concave surface.
7. The seatback audio system of claim 1 where the first speaker and the second
speaker are arranged as a dipole.
8. The seatback audio system of claim 1 where the seatback includes a headrest,
and the surface of the seatback is the surface of the headrest.
9. The seatback audio system of claim 1 where the first speaker produces a right
audio channel of an audio program, and the second speaker produces a left audio
channel of an audio program.
10. The seatback audio system of claim 1 where the first speaker is coupled to
an automated positioning system, and automated positioning system is coupled to
the surface of the seatback.
11. The seatback audio system of claim 10 where automated positioning system includes:
a housing;
a movable speaker mount;
a motor having a first gear coupled to the housing; and
a second gear coupled to the movable speaker mount;
where the first speaker is coupled to the movable speaker mount, and the first
and second gears interact to move the movable speaker mount.
12. The seatback audio system of claim 10 where automated positioning system includes:
a housing;
a movable speaker mount;
a motor having a first gear coupled to the movable speaker mount; and
a second gear coupled to the housing;
where the first speaker is coupled to the movable speaker mount, and the first
and second gears interact to move the movable speaker mount.
13. The seatback audio system of claim 1 comprising a soft-cell waveguide, the
soft-cell waveguide having:
an innermost surface coupled to the first speaker;
an outermost surface spaced from the innermost surface; and
a plurality of hollow tubes extending from the innermost surface to the outermost surface.
14. A seatback audio system for use with a seat, comprising:
a seatback;
a first speaker having a first lateral dimension coupled to the seatback;
a second speaker having a second lateral dimension coupled to the seatback; and
a soft-cell waveguide, the soft-cell waveguide having:
an innermost surface coupled to the first speaker;
an outermost surface spaced from the innermost surface; and
a plurality of hollow tubes extending from the innermost surface to the outermost surface.
15. The seatback audio system of claim 14 where the plurality of hollow tubes
includes at least ten tubes.
16. The seatback audio system of claim 14 where the plurality of hollow tubes
includes at least twenty tubes.
17. The seatback audio system of claim 14 where the plurality of hollow tubes
are honeycomb in shape.
18. The seatback audio system of claim 14 where the plurality of hollow tubes
are round in shape.
19. The seatback audio system of claim 14 where the plurality of hollow tubes
are cylindrical in shape.
20. The seatback audio system of claim 14 where the soft-cell waveguide is formed
from a flexible, resilient material.
21. The seatback audio system of claim 20 where the soft-cell waveguide is formed
from open-cell foam.
22. The seatback audio system of claim 20 where the soft-cell waveguide is formed
from closed-cell foam.
23. The seatback audio system of claim 14 where the surface of the seatback includes
a recessed surface, the first speaker is coupled to the recessed surface.
24. An seatback audio system, comprising:
a headrest including a front surface and a mounting post having a first electrical connector;
a speaker coupled to the front surface of the headrest and electrically coupled
to the first electrical connector; and
a backrest including a mounting port adapted to receive the mounting post, the
mounting port having a second electrical connector;
where the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are
adapted to form an electrical connection when the mounting port receives the mounting post.
25. The seatback audio system of claim 24, where the headrest has front surface,
further including a second speaker coupled to the front surface of the headrest
and electrically coupled to the first connector, and a sound barrier coupled to
the front surface of the headrest and positioned between the first speaker and
the second speaker.
26. An seatback audio system for use with a seat, comprising:
a first speaker having a first lateral dimension configured to be coupled to
a seatback;
a second speaker having a second lateral dimension configured to be coupled to
the seatback and separated from the first speaker;
a sound barrier configured to be coupled to the seatback and configured to be
positioned between the first speaker and the second speaker;
where the sound barrier baa an outermost surface configured to be spaced apart
from a surface of the seatback; and
a soft-cell waveguide, the soft-cell waveguide comprising:
an innermost surface coupled to the first speaker;
an outermost surface spaced from the innermost surface; and
a plurality of hollow tubes extending from the innermost surface to the outermost surface.
27. The seatback audio system of claim 26 where the first lateral dimension is
equal to the second lateral dimension.
28. The seatback audio system of claim 26 where the surface of the seatback includes
a first concave surface and a second concave surface, and the first speaker is
coupled to the first concave surface and the second speaker is coupled to the second
concave surface.
29. The seatback audio system of claim 26 where the first speaker and the second
speaker are ranged as a dipole.
30. The seatback audio system of claim 26 where the seatback includes a headrest,
and the surface is on the headrest.
31. The seatback audio system of claim 26 where the first speaker produces a
right audio channel of an audio program, and the second speaker produces a left
audio channel of an audio program.
32. The seatback audio system of claim 26 where a periphery of the outermost
surface is elliptical.
33. The seatback audio system of claim 26 where the outermost surface is concaved
and forms an elliptical periphery.
34. The seatback audio system of claim 26 where the first speaker is coupled
to an automated positioning system, and the automated positioning system is coupled
to the surface of the seatback.
35. The seatback audio system of claim 34 where the automated positioning system includes:
a housing;
a movable speaker mount;
a motor having a first gear coupled to the housing; and
a second gear coupled to the movable speaker mount;
where the first speaker is coupled to the movable speaker mount, and the first
and second gears interact to move the movable speaker mount.
36. The seatback audio system of claim 35 where automated positioning system includes:
a housing;
a movable speaker mount;
a motor having a first gear coupled to the movable speaker mount; and
a second gear coupled to the housing;
where the first speaker is coupled to the movable speaker mount, and the first
and second gears interact to move the movable speaker mount.
37. The seatback audio system of claim 35, where the seatback includes a backrest
and a headrest, and the surface is on the headrest,
the headrest comprising a mounting post having a first electrical connector that
is coupled with at least one of the first and second speakers,
where the backrest includes a mounting port configured to receive the mounting
post and a second electrical connector that is positioned in the backrest to couple
with the first electrical connector when the mounting port receives the mounting post.
38. An seatback audio system, comprising:
a headrest including a surface and a mounting post having a first electrical connector;
a speaker coupled to the surface of the headrest and electrically coupled to
the first electrical connector; and
a backrest including a mounting port adapted to receive the mounting post, the
mounting port having a second electrical connector;
where the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are
adapted to form an electrical connection when the mounting port receives the mounting
post, the electrical connection to provide electrical power to the seatback audio system.
39. The seatback audio system of claim 38, where the surface further includes
a second speaker mounted in the surface and electrically coupled to the first connector,
and a sound barrier coupled mounted in the surface and positioned between the first
speaker and the second speaker.
40. The seatback audio system of claim 8 where the headrest includes a mounting
post having a first electrical connector that is coupled with a least one of the
first and second speakers, and the seatback further includes a backrest, where
the backrest includes a mounting port and a second electrical connector, the mounting
port configured to receive the mounting post, and the second electrical connector
is positioned in the backrest to couple with the first electrical connector when
the mounting port receives the mounting post.
41. A seatback audio system for use with a seat, comprising:
a first speaker having a first lateral dimension, the first speaker coupled to
a seatback;
a second speaker having a second lateral dimension, the second speaker coupled
to the seatback separated away from the first speaker; and
a sound barrier coupled to project outwardly from the seatback and interposed
between the first speaker and the second speaker to maintain separation of sound
waves to be emanated from the respective first and second speakers.
42. The seatback audio system of claim 41 where the sound barrier is configured
to cooperatively operate with a body of an occupant of the seat to further maintain
separation of sound waves to be emanated from the respective first and second speakers.
43. The seatback audio system of claim 41 where the first speaker and the second
speaker are arranged as a dipole.
44. The seatback audio system of claim 41 where the sound barrier is positioned
on the seatback to align with at least one of a head or a neck of an occupant of
the seat.
45. The seatback audio system of claim 41 where the first speaker produces a
right audio channel of an audio program, and the second speaker produces a left
audio channel of an audio program.
46. The seatback audio system of claim 41 where the first speaker is coupled
to an automated positioning system, and where the automated positioning system
is coupled to the seatback.
47. The seatback audio system of claim 46 where the automated positioning system includes:
a housing;
a movable speaker mount;
a motor having a first gear coupled to the housing; and
a second gear coupled to the movable speaker mount;
where the first speaker is coupled to the movable speaker mount, and the first
and second gears interact to move the movable speaker mount.
48. The seatback audio system of claim 46 where the automated positioning system includes:
a housing;
a movable speaker mount;
a motor having a first gear coupled to the movable speaker mount; and
a second gear coupled to the housing;
where the first speaker is coupled to the movable speaker mount, and the first
and second gears interact to move the movable speaker mount.
49. The seatback audio system of claim 41 further comprising a soft-cell waveguide
disposed in front of the first speaker, where the soft-cell waveguide comprises
a plurality of hollow tubes extending substantially perpendicular to the first
lateral dimension of the first speaker.
50. The seatback audio system of claim 41 further comprising a soft-cell waveguide
having a first surface disposed contiguous with the first speaker, and a plurality
of hollow tubes extending from the first surface to a second surface of the soft-cell
waveguide that is spaced away from the first speaker.
51. The seatback audio system of claim 41, further comprising a first soft-cell
waveguide having a plurality of hollow tubes projecting outwardly from the first
speaker and a second soft-cell waveguide having a plurality of hollow tubes projecting
outwardly from the second speaker.
52. The seatback audio system of claim 41, further comprising a plurality of
hollow tubes formed from a soft-cell material and positioned to rest against the
first speaker.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to an audio system, and more particularly, to an audio
system that may be used in a seatback.
2. Related Art
Loudspeakers or speakers may be mounted in a seatback for a variety
of applications. For example, it may be desirable to mount stereo speakers in the
seatbacks of a home theatre, an amusement park ride, a theater, an automobile,
an aircraft, a train, or the like. Seat-mounted speakers may provide entertainment
audio, such as music or a movie soundtrack, and/or informative audio (telematics),
such as instructions from a pilot, or directions from a speech-enabled vehicle
navigation system.
Speakers mounted in a vehicle seatback convert electrical signals into sound.
The sound may provide entertainment through music or provide information through
instructions or directions. In some speaker systems, it may be desirable to receive
sound through a direct path to the front of a listener. The sound may use two or
more separate channels, such as stereo, that give the sound a more natural distribution.
A seat positioned in front of a speaker may offer listeners a distorted version
of a sound as obstructions or absorbent materials may change a sound's characteristics.
When speakers are mounted in a seatback in close proximity to one another, there
may be an increased possibility of cross-talk, in which undesired signals or sounds
are heard through the coupling of channels. Therefore, there is a need for a seatback
audio system that maintains channel separation and generates sound that is perceived
to have traveled directly to the front of the listener.
It also may be desirable to provide a seat configured to receive one or more
sets
of seatback speakers. For example, an automobile manufacturer may provide an automobile
seat having a receptacle configured to receive a headrest having an integrated
speaker. A need exists for a semi-automated or automated electrical connection
between a seat and a portion of a seatback having an integrated speaker.
SUMMARY
The seatback audio system has one or more speakers mounted in a surface of a
seatback. The speakers may be separated by a sound barrier to reduce cross-talk
between the speakers. The sound barrier may be an acoustically absorbent material,
or it may be an acoustically reflective material.
The front surface of the seatback may have a concave area where the speakers
and the sound barrier are mounted. Alternatively, the front surface of the seatback
may have two concave areas, and one speaker may be mounted in each concave area.
The sound barrier may be mounted to the "flat" portion of the front surface, between
the two concave areas.
The system may also include a manual, semi-automated, or an automated positioning
system for one or both of the speakers. The system may additionally include a soft-cell
waveguide having a plurality of tubes to direct the sound from one or both of the
speakers. Each tube of the soft-cell waveguide may act as a horn, directing sound
from the respective speaker to an intended location such as the listener's ear.
The seatback may include a backrest and a removable headrest, where the one or
more speakers are mounted to the headrest. The backrest the headrest may each include
an electrical connector. The electrical connectors may form a circuit when the
headrest is mounted to the backrest, thus enabling operation of the one or more speakers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings
and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis
instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover,
in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout
the different views.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first example of a seatback audio system having
a dipole speaker arrangement.
FIG. 2 is a cutaway side view of the first example seatback audio system of
FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second example of a seatback audio system
having speakers mounted in a concave area of a headrest.
FIG. 4 is a cutaway side view of the second seatback audio system of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a third example of a seatback audio system having
speakers mounted in a concave area of a backrest.
FIG. 6 is a cutaway side view of the third example seatback audio system of
FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fourth example of a seatback audio system
having speakers mounted in a concave area of a seatback.
FIG. 8 is a cutaway side view of the fourth example seatback audio system of
FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a cutaway side view of the fourth example seatback audio system of
FIG. 7 showing a seat occupant.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an example of a seatback audio system with
a snap-on connector arrangement.
FIG. 11 is a cutaway side view of a connector of the example seatback audio
system of FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 is a side view of examples of various seatback audio soft-cell waveguides.
FIG. 13 is a front view of the example of various seatback audio soft-cell waveguides
of FIG. 12.
FIG. 14 is a front view of alternative example configurations of the various
seatback audio soft-cell waveguides of FIG. 12.
FIG. 15 is a cutaway side view of an example of a seatback audio system including
a seatback audio soft-cell waveguide of FIG. 12.
FIG. 16 is a cutaway side view of an example of a manual seatback speaker positioning system.
FIG. 17 is a bottom view of an example of an automated seatback speaker positioning system.
FIG. 18 is a cutaway side view of the example automated speaker positioning
system of FIG. 17.
FIG. 19 is a front view of an example of a seatback audio system having an automated
positioning feature.
FIG. 20 is a cutaway side view of the example seatback audio system of FIG. 19.
FIG. 21 is a side view of an example headrest adapted for use with the seatback
audio system of FIG. 19.
FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the example headrest of FIG. 21 assembled with
the example seatback audio system of FIG. 19.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An audio seatback system is disclosed that produces an audio sound field utilizing
a seatback. The seatback may be a backrest, a headrest, an integrated backrest/headrest
combination, or a headrest coupled to a backrest. Speakers may be included with
the backrest, the headrest, or an integrated combination thereof. The seatback
audio system may take several forms and may be used as the primary speakers for
a sound system, in conjunction with low frequency speakers, or may be added to
a conventional audio system to improve the spatial characteristics of stereo or
surround sound systems. The speakers of the seatback audio system may be utilized
for any channel within any system, such as the left/right, side/rear reproduction
channels of a surround sound system.
The speakers may function to convey telematics, warning or entertainment signals
(music or dialog). The audio seatback system may incorporate several techniques
or combinations thereof to accomplish specific audio requirements. These include:
backrest and headrest geometry, number of speakers used, speaker locations on the
headrest and/or backrest, and relative positioning of the speakers on the headrest
and/or backrest.
Several illustrative audio seatback system configurations are described below.
Many more configurations and implementations are possible within the scope of the
invention. The configurations described below are for illustration only. Accordingly,
the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and
their equivalents.
First Seatback Audio System
A first example seatback audio system
100 for providing audio to a seat
occupant is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The seatback audio system
100 may have
a stereo dipole speaker arrangement, which includes speakers
108 and
110.
The speakers
108 and
110 may be mounted in a concave area
104
of a front surface of a headrest
102. As used herein, the term "front surface"
refers to a surface of a seatback that faces the seat occupant. While the examples
refer to front surface mounted speakers, speakers may be mounted in any surface
of the headrest, including the rear surface, such as in conjunction with passenger
entertainment systems and the like.
The seatback audio system
100 may also include a sound barrier
106.
The sound barrier
106 is located between the speakers
108 and
110.
The speakers
108 and
110 may each be, for example, a miniature high-fidelity
transducer, such as a 12 to 50 mm driver of the type found in laptop computers,
a planer ("flat") transducer, or some other type of transducer suited for mounting
in seatback.
As shown in FIG. 2, the speakers
108 and
110 may be mounted so
that
their faces lie flush with the surface of the concave area
104. In vehicles,
the placement of the speakers
108 and
110 may be made such that specific
impact safety requirements are met. This may be accomplished by, for example, recessing
the speakers
108 and
110 into the headrest
102 in a foam housing
to minimize impact with any portion of the occupant's body. The diameters speakers
108 and
110 may be suitably small and recessed into the surrounding
foam housing to minimize impact by a portion of the human body during an impact condition.
In stereo audio systems, it is desirable to maintain stereo separation (reduce
"cross-talk") between the left and the right channels, so that sound from the right
channel speaker does not reach the left ear of a listener, and vice versa. Cross-talk
may be reduced by guiding sound waves, that is, by either reflecting or absorbing
sound waves. Sound barrier
106 reduces cross-talk by guiding the sound waves
emanating from the speakers
108 and
110 in a direction outwardly
from the center or away from the opposite ear of the listener.
The sound barrier
106 may be mounted to conform to the surface of the
concave area
104, and to protrude outwardly therefrom at least one-eighth
of the lateral dimension of one of the speakers
108 and
110. The
sound barrier
106 may be formed from an acoustically reflective or an acoustically
absorbent material. For example, the sound barrier
106 may be formed from
foam, plastic, wood, or the like. Additionally, the sound barrier
106 may
be formed of some other rigid or flexible material, and covered with upholstery,
such cloth, vinyl, or leather. In order to accommodate safety concerns, the sound
barrier
106 may be formed from a soft, resilient material, such as foam.
Where the sound barrier
106 is formed from an acoustically reflective
material, it may reduce cross-talk by reflecting sound waves emanating from speakers
108 and
110 outwardly from the center of the headrest
102.
Where the sound barrier
106 is formed from an acoustically absorbent material,
it may reduce cross-talk by absorbing sound waves traveling from speakers
108
and
110 towards the center of the headrest
102.
The sound waves emanating from speakers
108 and
110 may be further
reflected outward by the occupant's head and neck, which may also act as a sound
barrier between the speakers
108 and
110. By positioning the headrest
102 so that the speakers
108 and
110 are in the region between
the occupant's ears and shoulders, a portion of the sound waves generated by the
speakers
108 and
110 may be reflected up off the occupant's shoulders.
A manual, semi-automatic, or automatic positioning system, as discussed with respect
to FIGS. 16,
17,
18,
19,
20,
21, and
22
may be used to optimize the location of the speakers
108 and
110
relative to the occupant's ears.
The geometry of the headrest
102 also may serve as a wave guide to control
the directivity of the sound field generated by speakers
108 and
110.
For example, the concave area
104 may be deepened and narrowed to improve
isolation of the occupant's sound field from others. Additionally, the geometry
of the headrest
102 may also enable it to act as a physical barrier between
the left and right speakers
108 and
110.
Second Seatback Audio System
A second illustrative seatback audio system
300 is shown in FIGS. 3 and
4. The seatback audio system
300 may include speakers
308 and
310
mounted in a concave area
304 of a headrest
302. The seatback audio
system
300 may also include a sound barrier
306. The speakers
308
and
310 and the sound barrier
306 may be similar to the speakers
108 and
110 and the sound barrier
106 of the seatback audio
system
100.
As shown in FIG. 4, the speakers
308 and
310 and the sound barrier
306 are mounted to the headrest
102 in a similar manner to the analogous
items in the seatback audio system
100. In the seatback audio system
300,
however, the speakers
308 and
310 are mounted horizontally farther
from the center of the headrest
302. By increasing the separation of the
speakers
308 and
310 in this manner, cross-talk may be reduced, thereby
improving left/right signal separation.
Like the sound barrier
106, the sound barrier
306 may reduce "cross-talk"
by reflecting or absorbing sound waves emanating from speakers
308 and
310.
The sound waves may also be reflected outward by the occupant's head and neck,
and up from off of the occupant's shoulders. A manual, semi-automatic, or automatic
positioning system may be used to optimize the location of the speakers
308
and
310 relative to the occupant's ears.
Third Seatback Audio System
A third illustrative seatback audio system
500 is shown in FIGS. 5 and
6.
The seatback audio system
500 may include a speaker
510 mounted in
a concave area
506 of a backrest
504. A second speaker
512
may be mounted in a second concave area
506 of the backrest
504.
The seatback audio system
500 may also include a sound barrier
514.
A headrest
502 is shown for illustration. The geometry of the backrest
504
may be chosen to provide sound isolation to others by using a portion of the backrest
504 as a physical barrier to reduce and or control the dispersion pattern
of the speakers
510 and
512. For example, the concave areas
506
and
508 may be deepened and narrowed to improve isolation of the occupant's
sound field from others. Additionally, the lateral contour of the backrest
504
may also enable it to act as a physical barrier between the speakers
510
and
512.
As shown in FIG. 6, the speakers
510 and
512 may be mounted so
that
their faces lie flush with the surface of the concave areas
510 and
512.
The sound barrier
514 may be mounted to conform to the surface of the backrest
504, and to protrude outwardly therefrom at least one-eighth of the lateral
dimension of one of the speakers
510 and
512. The speakers
510
and
512 may be similar to the speakers
108 and
110.
The sound barrier
514 may be formed from a resilient acoustically reflective
or an acoustically absorbent material. For example, the sound barrier
514
may be formed from some type of foam. Other materials, such as those described
previously, also may be used. The sound barrier
514 may reduce "cross-talk"
by reflecting or absorbing sound waves emanating from speakers
510 and
512.
The sound barrier
514 may be positioned such that it is in contact with
the occupant's back or shoulders. Thus, the concave areas
506 and
508,
the sound barrier
514, and the occupant's back may direct sound from the
speakers
510 and
512 to the occupant's respective ears. The sound
waves also may be reflected outward by the occupant's neck, further increasing
right/left separation. A manual, semi-automatic, or automatic positioning system
may be used to optimize the location of the speakers
508 and
510
relative to the occupant's ears.
Fourth Seatback Audio System
A fourth illustrative seatback audio system
700 is shown in FIGS. 7,
8
and
9. The seatback audio system
700 may include a speaker
706
mounted in a concave area
702 of a seatback
712. A second speaker
708 may be mounted in a second concave area
704 of the seatback
712.
The seatback audio system
700 may also include a sound barrier
710.
The geometry of the seatback
712 may be chosen to provide sound isolation
to others by using a portion of the seatback
712 as a physical barrier to
reduce and or control the dispersion pattern of the speakers
706 and
708.
As shown in FIG. 7, the speakers
706 and
708 may be mounted so
that
their faces lie flush with the surface of the concave areas
702 and
704.
The sound barrier
710 may be mounted to conform to the surface of the seatback
712, and to protrude outwardly therefrom at least one-eighth of the lateral
dimension of one of the speakers
706 and
708. The speakers
706
and
708 may be similar to the speakers
108 and
110. The sound
barrier
710 may be formed from a resilient acoustically reflective or an
acoustically absorbent material as discussed previously. For example, the sound
barrier
710 may be formed from some type of foam, which may be upholstered.
As shown in FIG. 9, the sound barrier
710 may be positioned such that
it
is in contact with the occupant's back and/or shoulders, and also may be positioned
so that it is aligned with the occupant's spine. The sound barrier
710 may
reflect or absorb sound waves. Thus, the concave areas
702 and
704,
the sound barrier
710, and the occupant's back and/or neck and/or shoulders
may direct sound from the speakers
706 and
708 to the occupant's
respective ears. The sound waves may also be reflected outward by the occupant's
neck and/or head, further increasing right/left separation. A manual, semi-automatic,
or automatic positioning system may be used to optimize the location of the speakers
508 and
510 relative to the occupant's ears.
Removable Seatback Audio System
A removable seatback audio system
1000 having a snap-on connector
1010
is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The removable seatback audio system
1000 may
include speakers
1004 and
1006, and sound barrier
1002, similar
to the seatback audio systems described above. The seatback audio system
1000
also includes a mounting post
1008 having an electrical connector
1010.
As shown in FIG. 11, the seatback
1102 may have a mounting port
1104
for receiving the mounting post
1008. A locking tab
1110 may removably
couple to a socket
1116 to secure the removable seatback audio system
1000
to the seatback
1102. Wires (not shown) may be located in a channel
1106
which extends though the mounting post
1008 to the body of the removable
seatback audio system
1000. The channel
1106 may be annular or rectangular
or any shape that will house the wires.
The electrical connector
1010 may be adapted to mate with an electrical
connector
1016 located in a seatback
1102. The electrical connector
1010 may include a connector housing
1108 having multiple terminals
1112. Likewise, the electrical connector
1016 may include multiple
terminals
1116. As shown in FIG. 11, the housing
1108 and the electrical
connector
1016 include four terminals
1112 and
1116, respectively.
The terminals
1116 may be coupled to an audio amplifier (not shown) that
generates positive and negative polarity speaker signals.
The terminals
1112 and
1116 may be coupled to conduct the positive
and negative polarity signals for each of the speakers
1004 and
1006.
When the mounting post
1008 is received by the mounting port
1104,
the terminals
1112 and
1116 may form circuits between the amplifier
and the speakers
1004 and
1006, thereby providing speaker signals
to the speakers
1004 and
1006.
Seatback Audio Soft-Cell Waveguides
Seatback audio soft-cell waveguides
1204,
1208, and
1212
are shown in FIGS. 12,
13,
14, and
15. Speakers
1202,
1206, and
1210 may be miniature high-fidelity transducers, such as
12 to 50 mm drivers of the type found in laptop computers, or some other type of
transducer suited for mounting in seatback. Soft-cell waveguides
1204,
1208,
and
1212 may be formed from an open-cell or closed cell type foam, such
as reticulated polyester foam and may comprise several soft cylindrical tubes formed
in a honeycomb arrangement, as shown in FIG. 13. The height of the soft-cell waveguides
1204,
1208, and
1212 may be at least one-eighth of a lateral
dimension of the respective speakers
1202,
1206, and
1210.
The honeycomb hollow tube arrangements may be used to control the directivity
pattern of sound fields generated by the speakers
1202,
1206, and
1210. For example, the wave guide
1204 may be adapted for directing
sound away from the speaker
1202 in a straight dispersion pattern. This
directivity may improve the spatial attributes of sound filed generated by the
speakers
1202, and may also better isolate the occupant's sound field. For
example, the wave guide
1208 may be adapted for directing sound away from
the speaker
1202 in an elliptical dispersion pattern having a lateral major
axis. The wave guide
1212 may be adapted for directing sound away from the
speaker
1202 in a dispersion pattern having an elliptical dispersion pattern
having a vertical major axis.
FIG. 14. shows alternative configurations for the soft-cell waveguides
1204
and
1212. The soft-cell waveguide
1204 has tubes that are shaped
like slots. The tubes of waveguide
1204 may produce a sound field that has
a wide horizontal dimension and a narrow vertical dimension. The soft-cell waveguide
1212 has an arrangement of elliptically-cross sectioned tubes. The tubes
nearest the center of the soft-cell waveguide
1212 have a major axis in
the horizontal direction, while the tubes nearest the edge have a major axis in
the vertical direction. The configuration of the tubes in the soft-cell waveguide
1212 may produce a sound field that has a wide horizontal and vertical dispersion.
An example seatback audio system
1500 is shown in FIG. 15. The seatback
audio system
1500 may include the speaker
1202 mounted in a headrest.
The speaker
1202 is covered by the soft-cell waveguide
1204. As explained
above, this arrangement of the speaker
1202 and the soft-cell waveguide
1204 helps control the directivity pattern of the generated sound field
to reduce undesired effects, such as cross-talk. Such an arrangement of the speaker
1202 and the soft-cell waveguide
1204 may be used with any of the
seatback audio systems
100,
300,
500,
700, and
1000.
For example, in the seatback audio systems
300, the wave guide
1212
may be used to direct sound from speaker
308 in dispersion pattern having
in an elliptical pattern having a vertical major axis. Such a dispersion pattern
may decrease sound waves heading toward the barrier
306 and the speaker
310. Such a dispersion pattern also may decrease sound waves heading away
from the headrest
300 in a lateral direction, where another person may be seated.
Manual Seatback Speaker Positioning System
A seatback audio system may be used by different seat occupants at different
times.
Different occupants may have differing physical characteristics, such as height,
distance between ears, and head, neck and shoulder geometry. Also, from day to
day, a single occupant may wear different apparel having different acoustical characteristics,
such as acoustic reflection and absorption. A manual seatback speaker positioning
system
1600 for use with a seatback audio system is shown in FIG. 16. The
manual seatback speaker positioning system
1600 may allow for improved acoustics
by compensating for some these individual physical and acoustical characteristics
of an occupant.
The manual speaker positioning system
1600 may be used with any of the
seatback audio systems
100,
300,
500,
700, and
1000
by mounting the socket
1606 in the respective seatback. The speaker positioning
system
1600 includes a speaker
1602, a ball
1604, and a socket
1606. The socket
1606 has an aperture
1608 positioned opposite
the speaker
1602. A stop post
1610 is coupled to the ball
1604
and may protrude through the aperture
1608.
The speaker positioning system
1600 provides the capability to pivot speakers
in the X, Y, and Z planes. Repositioning the speaker
1602 may allow for
improved sound field acoustics for the occupant. For example, the occupant may
exert manual force on a speaker grill (not shown) to reposition the speaker
1602
such that the sound waves exit the speaker
1602 at an angle allowing for
improved acoustics for the occupant. Such speaker placement, however, may depend
on characteristics of the occupant such as size, height, hearing ability, etc.
27. As an alternative, speaker positioning system
1600 may be reconfigured
so that the speaker
1602 is mounted to the socket
1606, and the ball
1604 is coupled to the seatback.
First Automated Seatback Speaker Positioning System
FIG. 17 is a bottom view of an automated seatback speaker positioning system
1700 for use with a seatback audio system. FIG. 18 is a side view of the
automated speaker positioning system
1700. Like the manual seatback speaker
positioning system
1600, the automated speaker positioning system
1700
may be used with any of the seatback audio systems
100,
300,
500,
700, and
1000 by mounting the socket
1606 in the respective
seatback. The automated seatback speaker positi
