Electrostatic speaker system for vehicle

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an electrostatic speaker system (225), a vehicle audio system (200) including the electrostatic speaker system (225), and a vehicle (300) including the vehicle audio system (200). An electrostatic speaker system (225) includes a voltage conversion module (245) and an electrostatic transducer (230). The voltage conversion module (245) is configured to: receive a low voltage "speaker level" signal (220) from a vehicle audio source (205); and converts the received low voltage loudspeaker level signal (220) into a high voltage audio signal (220a). The electrostatic transducer (230) is configured to receive a high voltage audio signal (from the voltage conversion module) and to convert the high voltage audio signal (220a) into sound waves for output by the electrostatic speaker system (225). The voltage conversion module (245) comprises at least one audio transformer (250) configured to boost a voltage of the low voltage loudspeaker level signal (220) to a predefined voltage level for the high voltage audio signal (220a).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a speaker system, and more particularly to the use of an electrostatic speaker system in an audio system for a vehicle. Aspects of the invention relate to an electrostatic speaker system, a vehicle audio system, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicle audio systems undergo periodic upgrades and improvements, especially now that vehicle audio system designs need to evolve and adapt to the ever-changing needs of consumers and the entire automotive industry.

[0003] For example, consumers are looking for improvements in the sound quality of their vehicle's audio systems. There is also a growing demand for increasingly immersive and / or interactive experiences when listening to audio in their vehicles. Additionally, there has been a growing trend in recent years towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly approaches to vehicle design, as evidenced by the increased use of clean technologies and the growing adoption of electric (or hybrid) vehicles.

[0004] The goal is to integrate the latest modern vehicle audio systems into the existing design of the vehicle's sound and powertrain, thereby avoiding the costs associated with large-scale changes to the underlying vehicle design.

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address one or more disadvantages associated with the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides, as described below, an electrostatic speaker system, a vehicle audio system including an electrostatic speaker system, and a vehicle including a vehicle audio system.

[0007] According to one aspect of the invention, an electrostatic speaker system for a vehicle is provided. The speaker system includes a voltage conversion module and an electrostatic transducer. The voltage conversion module is configured to receive a low-voltage "speaker level" signal from a vehicle audio source and convert the received low-voltage speaker level signal into a high-voltage audio signal. The electrostatic transducer is configured to receive the high-voltage audio signal (from the voltage conversion module) and convert the high-voltage audio signal into a sound wave for output by the electrostatic speaker system. The voltage conversion module includes at least one audio transformer configured to increase the voltage of the low-voltage speaker level signal to a predetermined voltage level for the high-voltage audio signal.

[0008] As used above, the terms "low voltage" and "high voltage" are primarily intended to distinguish the relative voltages of the input and output signals of a voltage conversion module—that is, the output signal voltage is significantly higher than the input signal voltage. Additionally, the term "speaker level" signal is a commonly used technical term understood by those skilled in the art, indicating an amplified audio signal. For example, in the above case, the speaker level signal corresponds to the audio signal output from the audio system of a vehicle including an audio amplifier. This term is used here in contrast to the "line level" signal, which is also a commonly used technical term understood by those skilled in the art, referring to different types of signals and more specifically indicating pre-amplification of the audio signal.

[0009] The term “audio transformer” used here is also a common technical term that those skilled in the art will understand. It indicates that the transformer in question corresponds to a transformer that is particularly well-suited for processing audio signals because it produces a low / minimal amount of distortion in the typical audio frequency range.

[0010] The electrostatic speaker system described above can convert incoming audio signals into a predefined output voltage level required to operate the electrostatic transducer, because the operating voltage of the electrostatic transducer is typically much higher than the voltage used for audio signals in standard vehicle audio systems. As a result of implementing this system, the vehicle audio source used to provide the input signal can correspond to the standard audio source currently installed in vehicle audio speaker systems—that is, the combination of a normal audio system and amplifier implemented in existing vehicles. Therefore, the electrostatic speaker system described above allows for the retrofitting of electrostatic transducers into existing vehicle systems to provide improved audio quality and efficiency superior to existing audio speakers, while still retaining as many of the original vehicle audio system components as possible.

[0011] Alternatively, the transformer is a toroidal transformer.

[0012] In some cases, speaker level signals have voltages in the range of 5 V to 50 V, for example, between 5 V and 45 V, and more specifically between 8 V and 42 V. In some cases, predefined voltage levels are between 550 V and 650 V, and more specifically around 600 V.

[0013] In some cases, the aforementioned electrostatic speaker system is arranged in any of the following vehicle components: (a) head protection devices for vehicle seats (sometimes commonly referred to as "headrests"); (b) interior trim components of the vehicle (e.g., interior panels such as door panels or front panel / dashboard); and (c) vehicle seats, such as in the upright support portion of the (front) seat of the vehicle.

[0014] Therefore, it will be understood that since the voltage converter module is located together with the electrostatic transducer in the vehicle component to provide the necessary voltage boost function in situ, the vehicle audio signal can still be used as the input to the electrostatic speaker system even if the vehicle audio source itself is not installed near the speaker location.

[0015] Alternatively, the audio signal can be located in the frequency range of 125 Hz to 50 kHz. Electrostatic speaker systems are found to be particularly suitable for replacing existing vehicle audio speakers within this frequency range. However, the audio signal can also be located in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

[0016] In some cases, electrostatic loudspeaker systems also include a high-voltage module configured to output high-voltage power to control the electrostatic transducer.

[0017] Alternatively, the electrostatic speaker system can be configured to be powered by the vehicle's battery. In some cases, the battery power is supplied to or via a high-voltage module.

[0018] The electrostatic speaker system described above can be configured and / or designed for retrofitting into existing vehicle audio systems. This means the electrostatic speaker system will be compatible with existing vehicle audio systems and can be plugged in directly and easily to replace certain components of the existing vehicle audio system, regardless of differences in voltage requirements. By using the electrostatic speaker system described above, many components of the existing audio system can be preserved as much as possible, thereby minimizing the disruption associated with the retrofit process.

[0019] According to another aspect of the invention, a vehicle audio system is provided, comprising any of the aforementioned electrostatic speaker systems. In some cases, the multiple electrostatic speaker systems may have different sizes and / or may be arranged in various different locations within the vehicle. The aforementioned electrostatic speaker systems are compact and easy to implement and install, making them a good option for replacing various components in existing audio systems throughout the vehicle.

[0020] According to another aspect of the invention, a vehicle is provided that includes any electrostatic speaker system or vehicle audio system as described above.

[0021] Within the scope of this application, it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples, and alternatives set forth in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims, and / or in the following description and drawings, and in particular their various features, may be employed independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment may be combined in any manner and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to amend any initially filed claim or accordingly file any new claim, including the right to modify any initially filed claim to incorporate any feature dependent on and / or incorporated into any other claim, even though it was not initially claimed in this manner. Attached Figure Description

[0022] One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an existing vehicle audio system, including a typical audio speaker, is shown.

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a vehicle audio system including an electrostatic speaker system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 3 An implementation according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the vehicle's audio system; and

[0026] Figure 4 A top view showing a side-by-side comparison of an existing vehicle audio system implemented in a vehicle and an example implementation of a vehicle audio system including multiple electrostatic speaker systems according to an embodiment of the present invention implemented in the same vehicle. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To better understand the background and advantages of the electrostatic loudspeaker system of the present invention, reference will now be made to... Figure 1 Provide a description of existing vehicle audio systems, including typical audio speakers that electrostatic speaker systems are intended to replace.

[0028] As shown in the figure, a conventional vehicle audio system 100 includes a vehicle audio source 105 connected to an audio amplifier 110 via a digital bus 115. The audio amplifier 110 amplifies the input signal from the audio source 105 and is configured to output a relatively low-voltage "speaker-level" audio signal 120. This audio signal 120 has a corresponding voltage in the tens of volts range: for example, in the range of 2 V to 50 V, particularly between 5 V and 45 V, and more specifically between 8 V and 42 V. The term "speaker-level" signal is a commonly used technical term understood by those skilled in the art to indicate an amplified audio signal. This term is used here to highlight the contrast between the aforementioned signal and a "line-level" signal, which is also a commonly used technical term understood by those skilled in the art to refer to different types of signals and, more specifically, to indicate pre-amplified audio signals. The audio signal is located in the frequency range of approximately 100 Hz to 60 kHz, and more specifically, between approximately 125 Hz and 50 kHz; and / or anywhere between approximately 20 Hz and 20 kHz.

[0029] The vehicle audio system 100 also includes an audio speaker system 125, which provides audio transducer functionality: an audio signal 120 output from the audio amplifier 110 is sent to the audio speaker system 125, which is configured to convert the input audio signal 120 into sound waves. More specifically, the audio speaker system 125 includes a magnet 130 and a cylindrical coil 135 of wires located between the magnetic poles of the magnet 130. The incoming audio signal 120 is transmitted through the coil 135 in alternating directions, causing the coil to move back and forth between the magnetic poles of the magnet 130 based on Faraday's law. The audio speaker system 125 also includes a speaker cone 140 attached to one end of the coil 135, and thus also reciprocated in time with the movement of the coil 135. When the speaker cone 140 moves, it generates pressure waves in the surrounding air, which propagate and are detected as sound waves by the listener.

[0030] The applicant has recognized that other types of transducers exist capable of generating sound waves and thus being used as loudspeakers. For example, instead of the existing audio loudspeaker system 125 described above, an electrostatic transducer can be used in a loudspeaker system to generate audio waves. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, an electrostatic transducer is designed in its most general sense to generate sound via a force applied to a membrane (or diaphragm) suspended in an electrostatic field. More specifically, an electrostatic transducer typically comprises a membrane (e.g., a flexible sheet coated with a conductive material) sandwiched between two conductive stators (or grids), with a small air gap maintained on either side of the membrane. An incoming audio signal is used to drive the stators, resulting in an electrostatic field between the stators proportional to the audio signal. The membrane is charged and maintained at a high voltage relative to the stators. Therefore, a force is applied to the membrane, causing it to move, thereby driving the air on either side of the membrane to generate pressure waves (sound waves).

[0031] The applicant has recognized that there are several benefits associated with the use of electrostatic transducers (e.g., improved audio response and sound quality, improved versatility of implementation), and that in some cases, it would be useful to replace the existing vehicle audio speaker system 125 with an electrostatic speaker system.

[0032] However, the applicant also recognizes that various challenges need to be overcome when performing such a replacement, particularly when retrofitting an electrostatic speaker system into an existing vehicle audio system. At least some of these challenges stem from the need to provide an audio signal of appropriate strength to the electrostatic speaker system, because in order to generate sufficient field strength to cause proper movement of the diaphragm, the audio signal sent to the stator must be high voltage (e.g., on the order of hundreds or thousands of volts). However, as previously stated, the audio signal 120 output by the amplifier in the existing vehicle audio system is a "speaker level" signal, which has a relatively low voltage of only tens of volts (at most).

[0033] Now refer to Figure 2 The invention describes an implementation of a vehicle audio system 200 according to an aspect of the present invention, wherein an electrostatic speaker system has been integrated into (retrofitted into) an existing vehicle audio system.

[0034] The modified vehicle audio system 200 includes a vehicle audio source 205 connected to an audio amplifier 210 via a digital bus 215. The audio amplifier 210 amplifies the input signal from the audio source 205 and is configured to output a relatively low-voltage "speaker-level" audio signal 220. These components are similar to those previously referenced. Figure 1 The described audio source 105, audio amplifier 110, and digital bus 115 are identical; therefore, the output speaker-level audio signal 220 corresponds to... Figure 1 The output audio signal is 120. In other words, this part of the vehicle's audio system remains essentially unchanged after the modification process.

[0035] The vehicle audio system 200 also includes an electrostatic speaker system 225 that provides transducer functionality. Specifically, the electrostatic speaker system 225 includes an electrostatic transducer 230 configured to convert an audio signal 220 output from the audio amplifier 210 into sound waves. More specifically, the electrostatic transducer 230 includes a pair of stators 235a, 235b and a diaphragm 240 located between the pair of stators 235a, 235b. These components are configured to operate substantially in the manner described above with respect to a general electrostatic transducer, i.e., the stators 235a, 235b are configured to receive the input audio signal and generate an electrostatic field; and the diaphragm 240 is configured to move within the electrostatic field and generate sound waves.

[0036] Additionally, the electrostatic loudspeaker system 225 also includes a voltage conversion module 245, which is configured to receive an audio signal 220 output from the audio amplifier 215 and convert the input signal (as previously mentioned, which corresponds to a relatively low voltage loudspeaker level signal) into a relatively high voltage audio signal 220a, which can be used by the stators 235a, 235b to generate an electrostatic field of sufficient strength to move the diaphragm 240.

[0037] To perform its function, the voltage conversion module 245 includes at least one audio transformer 250 (i.e., a transformer with audio quality) configured to "boost" the voltage of the input audio signal 220 to a predefined voltage level suitable for operating the electrostatic transducers 230 (and specifically the stators 235a, 235b) in a desired manner. This predefined voltage value is typically on the order of several hundred V (e.g., between approximately 500 V and 700 V), in specific instances between 550 V and 650 V, and more specifically approximately 600 V. The transformer 250 used in the voltage conversion module 245 can correspond to any suitable transformer with audio quality and capable of providing the necessary boost function for the audio signal. In a specific example, the transformer 250 can be implemented as a toroidal transformer.

[0038] Advantageously, using an audio transformer in the voltage conversion module 245 to provide the desired signal boost utilizes a simple and straightforward solution that optimizes the desired result while minimizing the additional number of electronic components that need to be installed. This minimizes the overall physical size of the voltage conversion module 245, which is useful because the module needs to be installed physically close to the electrostatic transducer 230 to provide the necessary functionality. Therefore, the voltage conversion module 245 can be combined with the electrostatic transducer 230 without unduly increasing the overall size of the electrostatic speaker system 225. This is particularly advantageous when replacing speaker systems installed in space-constrained locations within a vehicle.

[0039] Additional electronic (processing) components may also be provided as part of the electrostatic loudspeaker system 225, such as a smoothing component 255, which is configured to smooth the boosted signal input before it is fed to the electrostatic transducer 230. Although these smoothing components... Figure 2 They are shown as part of forming voltage conversion module 245, but they can alternatively be provided as completely independent modules.

[0040] As previously mentioned, for the electrostatic transducer to function correctly, the membrane located between the stators needs to be charged to a high potential (voltage). Thus, the vehicle audio system 200 also includes a high-voltage module 260, configured to provide the necessary high-voltage power to charge the membrane 240 in the electrostatic transducer 230. The high-voltage module 260 is essentially a small voltage conversion module (box) capable of converting a low input voltage (12 V) to a significantly higher output voltage. The high-voltage module 260 can be installed in various locations within a vehicle with adequate space, such as in the loading area. The appropriate power level provided by the high-voltage module 260 is typically in the range of several kilovolts (e.g., between approximately 2 kV and 5 kV), in specific cases between 2.5 kV and 4 kV, more specifically between 2 kV and 3 kV, and still more specifically around 3 kV. Other voltages may be more suitable for other implementations.

[0041] The power supply 265, which provides appropriate power to the high-voltage module 260, also forms part of the vehicle audio system 200. This power supply 265 can correspond to a standard (vehicle) battery used to power other components of the vehicle in which the audio system 200 will be installed. Therefore, although the power and signal strength requirements differ from those of the standard audio system 125 and the electrostatic speaker system 225, the vehicle audio system 200 can be seamlessly integrated (and retrofitted) into existing vehicle systems.

[0042] Now refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4This describes an example of how to implement the improved vehicle audio system 200 in a vehicle and seamlessly integrate it with existing vehicle and audio system components.

[0043] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a vehicle 300 according to one aspect of the present invention is shown, in which the aforementioned vehicle audio system 200 can be modified to replace the existing vehicle audio system 100.

[0044] Vehicle 300 includes a vehicle audio source 305 and a vehicle battery 310. Vehicle audio source 305 corresponds to a previously referenced... Figure 1 and 2 The description includes the combined audio sources 105 and 205, audio amplifiers 110 and 210, and digital buses 115 and 225, which form part of the existing vehicle audio system 100. The vehicle audio source 305 is configured to output a relatively low-voltage speaker-level audio signal 315 corresponding to the previously described audio signals 120 and 220.

[0045] As shown in the figure, the electrostatic speaker system 225, specifically the electrostatic transducer 230 and voltage conversion module 245, can be installed inside a vehicle. This is... Figure 3 The general outline is shown, but as will be considered later. Figure 4 As will be understood, multiple electrostatic speaker systems 225 may be installed in vehicle 300, for example, in a specific component of a vehicle currently equipped with audio speakers 125.

[0046] The vehicle audio source 305 is operatively connected to the electrostatic speaker system 225, and more specifically to the voltage conversion module 245, such that the speaker level audio signal 315 is provided as input to the voltage conversion module 245 for boost conversion (see reference). Figure 2 (Described in the manner described). The vehicle battery 310 is operatively connected to the electrostatic speaker system 225, and more specifically to the electrostatic transducer 230 (e.g., to the membrane 240), such that the power 320 output by the vehicle battery 310 can be used to charge the membrane 240 to an appropriate level for the operation of the electrostatic transducer and subsequent sound wave output.

[0047] Figure 4 The diagram shows a first vehicle implementation 400a and a second vehicle implementation 400b. These two vehicle implementations correspond to the same overall vehicle type and design. The main difference is that the existing vehicle audio system 100 is installed in the first vehicle implementation 400a, while the improved vehicle audio system 200 is installed in the second vehicle implementation 400b.

[0048] In the first vehicle implementation 400a, the vehicle audio system 100 includes one or more audio speaker systems 405a, 410a, 415a, each corresponding to one of the audio speaker systems 125 described above, and located in one of various vehicle interior components. For example, the first plurality of audio speaker systems 405a are installed in one or more vehicle front panel components of the first vehicle implementation 400a (e.g., in a dashboard or dashboard equivalent). The second plurality of audio speaker systems 410a are installed in one or more vehicle side panels and / or door components of the first vehicle implementation 400a (e.g., in / near a footwell, in a door panel). The third plurality of audio speaker systems 415a are installed in one or more portions of the vehicle seating arrangement of the first vehicle implementation 400a. For example, one or more of the audio speaker systems 415a are installed in the head protection device (also commonly referred to as a "headrest") of each of a plurality of seats 420a in the vehicle seating arrangement.

[0049] In the second (improved) vehicle implementation 400b, the vehicle audio system 200 includes one or more electrostatic speaker systems 405b, 410b, 415b, also located in various vehicle interior components (each electrostatic speaker system corresponds to one of the previously described electrostatic speaker systems 225). As can be seen in the side-by-side comparison, the first plurality of audio speaker systems 405a—those located in the vehicle front panel components—have been replaced by the first plurality of electrostatic speaker systems 405b. Similarly, the second plurality of audio speaker systems 410a—those located in the vehicle side panels and / or door components—have been replaced by the second plurality of electrostatic speaker systems 410b. Finally, the third plurality of audio speaker systems 415a—those located within the vehicle seating arrangement—have been replaced by the third plurality of electrostatic speaker systems 415b.

[0050] As from Figure 4 As can be seen, the improved vehicle audio system 200 design proposed in the second vehicle implementation has a reduced total number of electrostatic speaker systems 225 compared to the number of audio speakers 125 present in the existing vehicle audio system 100. More specifically, it will be understood that replacing the existing speaker system with the improved speaker system is not necessarily on a one-to-one basis: some of the audio speaker systems 125 (e.g., those in the vehicle seating arrangement) can be replaced with fewer electrostatic speaker systems 225. This reduces component costs and increases the ease of retrofitting.

[0051] Therefore, the proposed vehicle audio system 200 offers improved ease of installation for the new speaker system, as well as improved ease of operation for the newly installed speaker system due to its smaller number. However, the quality of the audio output by the vehicle speaker system 200 is maintained (or even improved) due to the inherently improved quality and efficiency of the electrostatic speaker system itself. Furthermore, the electrostatic speaker system 225 is capable of operating over a relatively wide frequency range (as described above) and is therefore able to replace various speaker types present in existing audio systems, including mid-range speakers and high-frequency "tweeter" speakers.

[0052] As briefly mentioned above, one reason for maintaining the small size of the electrostatic loudspeaker system 225 is that the voltage conversion module 245 has an appropriate number of components to perform its function while still minimizing the overall size of the module. Since the voltage conversion module 245 needs to be implemented in a location that is physically very close to the electrostatic transducer 230 to perform its function effectively, the fact that the voltage conversion module 245 has a beneficial small size means that the size of the entire loudspeaker system is also beneficial.

[0053] The configuration of the electrostatic speaker system 225 according to various aspects of the invention makes each speaker system small enough while also producing sound of sufficient quality, so that it can be easily and universally implemented within vehicle systems. Figure 4 As shown, this is particularly advantageous when multiple such speaker systems need to be retrofitted into a vehicle. Furthermore, as a result of the design of the electrostatic speaker system 225, the retrofit process still allows a large portion of the existing vehicle audio system 100 components to remain in the vehicle and be reused in the new vehicle audio system 200.

[0054] Overall, the retrofitting process for the new and improved vehicle audio system 200 has been optimized; therefore, it can be easily and efficiently replicated in multiple vehicles.

[0055] It should be understood that various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the scope of this application. For example, it should be understood that different vehicles will have different existing vehicle audio system 100 arrangements; therefore, the exact number (and location) of the modified electrostatic speaker systems 225 may differ. Figure 4 The illustrative example shown is as follows.

Claims

1. An electrostatic speaker system for a vehicle, comprising: The voltage conversion module is configured as follows: Receive low-voltage speaker level signals from the vehicle's audio source; as well as The low-voltage speaker level signal is converted into a high-voltage audio signal, wherein the voltage conversion module includes at least one audio transformer configured to boost the voltage of the low-voltage speaker level signal to a predefined voltage level for the high-voltage audio signal; as well as An electrostatic transducer is configured to receive the high-voltage audio signal and convert the high-voltage audio signal into sound waves for output by the electrostatic speaker system.

2. The electrostatic loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein, The transformer is a toroidal transformer.

3. The electrostatic loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein, The speaker level signal has a voltage in the range of 8 V to 42 V, and the predefined voltage level is approximately 600 V.

4. The electrostatic speaker system of claim 1, wherein the electrostatic speaker system is arranged in any of the following vehicle components: a head protection device for a vehicle seat; an interior trim component of the vehicle; and a front seat of the vehicle.

5. The electrostatic loudspeaker system according to claim 1, wherein, The audio signal is located in the frequency range of 125 Hz to 50 kHz.

6. The electrostatic loudspeaker system of claim 1 further includes a high-voltage module configured to output high-voltage power to control the electrostatic transducer.

7. The electrostatic speaker system of claim 1, wherein the electrostatic speaker system is configured to be retrofitted into an existing vehicle audio system.

8. The electrostatic speaker system of claim 1, wherein the electrostatic speaker system is configured to be powered by the vehicle's battery.

9. A vehicle audio system comprising a plurality of electrostatic speaker systems according to claim 1.

10. The vehicle audio system according to claim 9, wherein, The multiple electrostatic speaker systems have different sizes and / or are arranged in different locations within the vehicle.

11. A vehicle comprising an electrostatic speaker system according to claim 1 or a vehicle audio system according to claim 9.

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