loudspeaker device

Abstract

To provide a loudspeaker arrangement disposed closer to listener's ears.SOLUTION: A loudspeaker arrangement includes: a seat configured to support a listener sitting in the seat so that a head 103 of the listener is in a listening position; and loudspeaker arrays 104, 105 which each are secured to the seat and disposed at least partially in a position in front of a backrest of the seat and to one side of the head when the head is in the listening position, the loudspeaker arrays each including one or more loudspeakers. The loudspeaker arrays each have a main broadcasting axes 108, 109 that is representative of a respective main broadcasting direction. The main broadcasting directions of the loudspeaker arrays point to the head.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] cross reference This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 746,817, filed October 17, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a loudspeaker device. [Background technology]

[0003] For example, individual sound zone (ISZ) systems can generate virtual sources, or mutually isolated acoustic zones, also referred to in this context as "individual sound zones" (ISZs) or simply sound zones, within any given space. The creation of individual sound zones has attracted increasing attention not only because it can provide different acoustic sources within various areas, but also because speakerphone conversations are expected to occur within acoustically isolated zones. ISZ systems generate acoustic wave fields that create acoustically illuminated (enhanced) zones in certain locations, called bright zones, and acoustically darkened (suppressed) zones in other areas, called dark zones. The greater the acoustic contrast between the bright and dark zones, the more effective the crosstalk cancellation (CTC) between specific zones will be, and the better the ISZ system will perform.

[0004] A typical ISZ system, for example, when installed in a vehicle, utilizes loudspeakers integrated into the headrests of seats. Therefore, the loudspeakers are positioned behind the listener's head when the listener is seated in the seat, which often means that they are at the rear end of the corresponding sound zone. This leads to undesirable acoustic performance in the bright zone, as the sound is inevitably perceived as coming from behind, thereby creating an unnatural sound impression for the listener. Furthermore, when sound is diffracted by the listener's head and shoulders, the sound emitted by the loudspeakers in the headrests becomes very scattered, which can further worsen CTC performance. It is desirable to improve the performance of ISZ systems and similar systems that utilize loudspeaker devices. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An exemplary loudspeaker apparatus includes a seat configured to support a listener seated in the seat so that the listener's head is in a listening position, and a loudspeaker array secured to the seat and disposed at least partially in front of the seat back and to the side of the head when the head is in the listening position, the loudspeaker array including at least one loudspeaker and having a main broadcast axis representing a main broadcast direction, the main broadcast direction of the loudspeaker array pointing toward the head.

[0006] Other devices, features, and advantages will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following detailed description and the accompanying figures. All such additional devices, features, and advantages are intended to be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

[0007] The device may 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 reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. For example, the present application provides the following: (Item 1) A loudspeaker device comprising: a seat configured to support a listener seated in the seat so that the listener's head is within a listening position; a loudspeaker array secured to the seat and disposed at least partially in front of a seat back and to one side of the head when the head is in the listening position, the loudspeaker array comprising at least one loudspeaker and having a main broadcast axis representing a main broadcast direction, the main broadcast direction of the loudspeaker array pointing toward the head; The loudspeaker device according to claim 1, (Item 2) a further loudspeaker array secured to the seat and disposed at least partially in front of the seat back and to one side of the head when the head is in the listening position; the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array are disposed on either side of the head; 10. The loudspeaker apparatus of claim 9, wherein the further loudspeaker array comprises at least one loudspeaker and has a main broadcast axis representing a main broadcast direction, the main broadcast direction of the further loudspeaker array pointing towards the head. (Item 3) 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the main broadcast direction of at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array points towards the lower jaw or mouth of the head. (Item 4) A headrest attached to the seat is further included, 10. The device according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array is fixed to the seat via the headrest. (Item 5) 10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a support structure configured to secure at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array to the seat. (Item 6) 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the support structure is tiltable, shiftable or retractable at the headrest or the backrest of the seat. (Item 7) 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array is integrated into a housing. (Item 8) 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing has at least two separate acoustic capacitance sections. (Item 9) a central point having a level along a z-axis, said level corresponding to said level of the jaw or mouth of said head along said z-axis; 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the z-axis intersects a midpoint of at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array and extends vertically. (Item 10) at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array is tilted by an angle between the z-axis and y-axis; 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the y-axis perpendicularly intersects the center point and the angle between the z-axis and the y-axis is between 0° and 50°. (Item 11) at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array is tilted at an angle between the y-axis and x-axis; 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the x-axis extends horizontally, intersecting the center point and the headrest, and the angle between the y-axis and the x-axis is between 0° and 30°. (Item 12) 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the central point is at a position along the x-axis corresponding to the listener's ear, behind the listener's ear, or in front of the listener's ear. (Item 13) said loudspeaker array and said further loudspeaker array, each with said centre point; 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the distance between the center point of the loudspeaker array and the center point of the further loudspeaker array is greater than the width of a headrest and less than or equal to the width of the backrest of the seat. (Item 14) 10. The apparatus of claim 1, having an upper level configured to allow an unobstructed panoramic view of the listener. (Item 15) 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array comprises two identical loudspeakers. (Item 16) 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a center point of at least one of the loudspeaker array comprising identical loudspeakers and the further loudspeaker array comprising identical loudspeakers is defined by half the distance between the two identical loudspeakers or by the center of one of the two identical loudspeakers. (Item 17) 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array further comprises two loudspeakers with different spectral characteristics. (Item 18) 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein one of the two loudspeakers with different spectral characteristics has a lower frequency characteristic and the other of the loudspeakers has a higher frequency characteristic. (Item 19) 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the midpoint of at least one of the loudspeaker array comprising loudspeakers with different spectral characteristics and the further loudspeaker array comprising loudspeakers with different spectral characteristics is defined by the centers of the two loudspeakers with the higher frequency characteristics. (Item 20) 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the center points of at least one of the loudspeaker array comprising loudspeakers with different spectral characteristics and the further loudspeaker array comprising loudspeakers with different spectral characteristics are arranged at positions corresponding to the ears of the listener or to a position corresponding to a position between the ears of the listener and a headrest of the seat or the backrest of the seat. (Item 21) 10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising at least one microphone disposed in at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array. (Item 22) 10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the at least one microphone disposed adjacent to the listener's ear or the listener's mouth. (Item 23) 10. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one microphone disposed in the upper half of the housing. (Item 24) 1. A loudspeaker apparatus in a seat having a headrest configured to support a listener in the seat such that the listener's head is in a listening position, the apparatus comprising: The headrest further comprises a tiltable, shiftable, or storable support structure; a first loudspeaker array secured to the support structure in a first housing on a first carrier, the first loudspeaker array being disposed in a position forward of the seat back and at least partially to one side of the head when the head is in the listening position; at least one loudspeaker in the first loudspeaker array having a main broadcast axis representing a main broadcast direction, the main broadcast direction of the loudspeaker array pointing towards the head; a second loudspeaker array secured to the support structure in a second housing on a second carrier, the second loudspeaker array being disposed in a position forward of the seat back and at least partially to one side of the head when the head is in the listening position, the first loudspeaker array and the second loudspeaker array being disposed on either side of the head; at least one loudspeaker in the second loudspeaker array having a main broadcast axis representing a main broadcast direction, the main broadcast direction of the second loudspeaker array pointing toward the head; Equipped with The apparatus, wherein at least one of the first loudspeaker array, the second loudspeaker array, the first housing, the second housing, the first carrier, and the second carrier has a defined breakaway edge. (Item 25) The device described in the above item, further comprising a first acoustic capacitance portion associated with the first housing and a second acoustic capacitance portion associated with the second housing. (Item 26) further comprising a central point having a level along a z-axis, the level corresponding to the level of the jaw or mouth of the head along the z-axis; 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the z-axis intersects a midpoint of at least one of the first loudspeaker array and the second loudspeaker array and extends vertically. (Item 27) 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the distance between the center point of the first loudspeaker array and the center point of the second loudspeaker array is greater than the width of the headrest and less than or equal to the width of the backrest of the seat. (Item 28) 10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an upper level configured to allow an unobstructed panoramic view of the listener. (Item 29) 10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising at least one microphone disposed in at least one of the first loudspeaker array, the second loudspeaker array, the first housing, the second housing, the first carrier, and the second carrier. (Item 30) The device of any one of the preceding items, wherein the at least one microphone is arranged in the first housing, the second housing, the first carrier, and the upper half of the second carrier. (Item 31) 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one microphone is disposed adjacent to the listener's mouth or an ear of the listener. (Summary) An exemplary loudspeaker apparatus includes a seat configured to support a listener seated in the seat so that the listener's head is in a listening position, and a loudspeaker array secured to the seat and disposed in front of the seat back and to the side of the head when the head is in the listening position, the loudspeaker array including at least one loudspeaker and having a main broadcast axis representing a main broadcast direction, the main broadcast direction of the loudspeaker array pointing toward the head. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a listener seated in a seat with an exemplary acoustic headrest. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the situation shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a top view of the situation shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of the situation shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a loudspeaker having a single loudspeaker integrated into a housing. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a loudspeaker array having two identical loudspeakers integrated into a housing. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a dual loudspeaker integrated into a housing. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] It has been found that placing loudspeakers closer to the listener's ears, for example, at a lateral position relative to the listener's head, not only produces a more natural sound perception in the bright zone, but also achieves better CTC performance. Further improvements can be achieved by taking into account the acoustic characteristics of the room (e.g., defined by the size and location of hard reflective surfaces). A loudspeaker device designed accordingly improves the acoustics of the bright zone by acoustically spotlighting the ear location, reduces the perceived reflected sound energy in the dark zone, and uses improved positioning of the headrest speakers, thereby significantly reducing acoustic interference caused by reflections from the listener's head and shoulders and from reflective surfaces in the room. By adapting the loudspeaker positions to the (bright and dark) sound zones, improvements are achieved in the passive side of the system.

[0010] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a listener 101 from the front right of the listener 101, which defines a listening position for the listener's head 103 when the listener 101 is seated in a seat (not shown) equipped with a headrest 102. Two loudspeaker arrays 104 and 105 (array 105 is not visible in Figure 1) are attached to the seat via headrest 102 and are positioned in front of the seat back and on either side of head 103 when head 103 is in the listening position. This means that loudspeaker arrays 104 and 105 are positioned to the sides of head 103, i.e., adjacent ears 106 and 107 of head 103 (ear 107 is not visible in Figure 1). Loudspeaker arrays 104 and 105 have main broadcast axes (directions) 108, 109 that represent their respective main broadcast directions. The main broadcast direction of the two loudspeaker arrays 104 and 105 points towards the head 103. In the example shown, the main broadcast direction points towards the mandible 110 or mouth 111 of the head 103.

[0011] The loudspeaker arrays 104 and 105 may be fixed to the seat directly (not shown) or indirectly (as shown). In the example shown, an essentially U-shaped rigid sheet 112 made of metal, plastic, or any other suitable rigid material, which may be coated wholly or partially with a foam layer or any other suitable soft material for the safety and / or comfort of the occupant, is fitted from top to bottom over the headrest 102. A more or less U-shaped support structure 113 is fixed to the seat 112 on its rear side, i.e., on the side facing away from the head 103, and is arranged to support the loudspeaker arrays 104 and 105 in a lateral position relative to the head 103. Alternatively, the support structure may be fixed directly to the headrest 102 or the seat (e.g., its backrest). In the example shown, the support structure 113 includes a number (e.g., five) interconnected parts, but may alternatively be designed integrally, i.e., in a single piece. In a further alternative, the single or multi-piece support structure may be incorporated into the seat back or headrest. Furthermore, the support structure may be tiltable, shiftable, or retractable, manually or automatically, electrically, hydraulically, or mechanically, to facilitate listener entry. The loudspeaker arrays 104 and 105 may be incorporated into respective housings 114 and 115 (vented or non-vented) that can secure the loudspeaker arrays 104 and 105 to the support structure 113.

[0012] Figure 2 is a front view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, in which the z-axis is represented by a straight arrow Z that intersects (originates at) the midpoint A of loudspeaker 105 (and, additionally or alternatively, 104) and extends vertically. The y-axis is represented by a straight arrow Y that originates at the midpoint A of loudspeaker 105 (104) and intersects (extends vertically away from) the loudspeaker array, and the angle α between the z-axis and the y-axis is represented by a curved arrow. Furthermore, the midpoints of loudspeaker arrays 104 and 105 are represented in Figure 2 by points A and B. Midpoint A (as well as midpoint B) may correspond to the level of the listener's lower chin 110, as viewed from a level along the z-axis, and the dimensions of the enclosures 114, 115 in which the loudspeaker arrays 104 and 105 are incorporated may be sized to provide the listener 101 with an unobstructed panoramic view without adversely affecting the acoustic and CTC performance in the bright zone.

[0013] Furthermore, with a loudspeaker array disposed at this level, during operation, fewer reflections occur at the listener's head than at a higher level, e.g., ear level, resulting in better CTC performance. In another example, the distance between points A and B is selected to be greater than the width of the headrest 102 but less than or equal to the width of the seat back. The distance may be, for example, 350 mm to allow free and safe movement of the listener 101. The corresponding tilt of the loudspeaker array 105 (104), represented by angle α, may be chosen to be somewhere between 0° and 50°. The angle α generally has some importance in the separation of light and dark zones, particularly considering the materials and shape used in constructing or covering the room, e.g., its ceiling. For example, if a hard reflective surface, such as glass, is used in the ceiling, the angle of sound reflection allows sound to be transmitted from the light zone to the dark zone due to reflections that occur on the seat occupant's head and the ceiling, as well as reflections that depend on where the seat occupant is seated in the room. Therefore, angle α can be selected to minimize reflections that can be perceived in the dark zone. For example, if the ceiling is not reflective (e.g., not a sunroof), angle α can be selected to be larger so that the sound-absorbing properties of the ceiling (e.g., sound-absorbing materials in the ceiling material) attenuate the sound and thus reduce the reflected sound energy transmitted to the dark zone, which improves CTC performance. For example, angle α can be selected to be approximately 20°.

[0014] Figure 3 is a top view of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2, where the x-axis is represented by a straight arrow X that intersects (originates from) the midpoint A of loudspeaker array 105 (additionally or alternatively, 104) and extends horizontally. Again, the y-axis is represented by a straight arrow Y that intersects (originates from) the midpoint A of loudspeaker array 105 (104) and extends away from loudspeaker array 105 (104) under an angle β (indicated by a curved arrow) relative to the x-axis. The midpoints of loudspeaker arrays 104 and 105 are indicated in Figure 3 by points A and B. The center points A and B can be positioned so that an imaginary line between them crosses the listener's ears 106, 107, allowing for an optimal balance between bright zone performance and CTC, as opposed to positioning the loudspeaker array behind the ears, i.e., closer to the headrest, which would result in worse acoustics in the bright zone and somewhat better CTC. If the loudspeaker array were positioned further away from the headrest in the x-direction, the perceptible sweet spot region would also move forward, resulting in better acoustics in the bright zone but somewhat worse CTC. The distance from the headrest to the center position of the loudspeaker array could be, for example, about 130 mm.

[0015] The corresponding tilt of the loudspeaker array, represented by angle β, can be anywhere between 0° and 30°. This angle has some significance in separating the bright and dark zones in that it allows sound to be reflected at the listener's head in directions other than the direction of the immediately adjacent seat occupant position. This tilt angle also allows for the expansion of the bright zone, which is beneficial to perceived performance even when the head moves toward the listening position. This tilt angle also allows for an increase in the area available to the listener's head. Angle β can be, for example, approximately 15°.

[0016] Figure 4 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Figures 1-3, where the x- and z-axes discussed above in relation to Figures 2 and 3 are shown in relation to a tilt angle γ between the x- and z-axes, which does not significantly affect zone separation and CTC due to the rotational symmetry of the directional pattern (radiation characteristics) of the loudspeaker array 105 (104).

[0017] 5-7, loudspeaker arrays 104 and 105 can each include one or more loudspeakers. As shown in FIG. 5, a minimum configuration utilizes one loudspeaker 501 per array (and housing 502). This minimum configuration may be adopted for cost and space reasons. In this configuration, the center point of the loudspeaker surface forms a center point A (B) of the array that can be placed in a position corresponding to the position of the listener's ear(s) along the x-axis. The performance of the overall device may be further improved by using two or more speakers. However, considering the range of improvements in the number of loudspeakers, two loudspeakers per array has been found to provide the best cost-performance ratio. As shown in FIG. 6, when two loudspeakers 601 and 602 are used per array 603 (and housing 604), the loudspeaker midpoint A (B) can be located exactly between loudspeakers 601 and 602 to coincide with the position of the listener's ear(s) along the x-axis. Alternatively, the midpoint can be the center of either loudspeaker 601 or 602. In a further example, two (or more) loudspeakers per array are located as close to each other as possible. Furthermore, each speaker can optionally operate with its own sealed acoustic capacitance, thereby minimizing the mutual interference of each speaker to the greatest extent possible. Employing more than two loudspeakers per array also enables the use of beamforming algorithms to further improve acoustic and CTC performance in bright zones.

[0018] 7, two loudspeakers 701 and 702 with different spectral characteristics form an array 703 that is integrated into a housing 704. To improve the low-frequency separation of the different sound zones, one of the loudspeakers, e.g., loudspeaker 701, is a lower-frequency loudspeaker such as a woofer or a suitable mid-range loudspeaker, while the other loudspeaker 702 can be a higher-frequency loudspeaker such as a suitable mid-range loudspeaker or tweeter.

[0019] In a further example, the center point of the loudspeaker 702 can form the center point A (B) of the array 703. In yet a further example, the center point A (B) of the array 703 can be positioned along the x-axis near the position of the listener's ear(s), while the lower frequency loudspeaker 701 is mounted behind the position of the listener's ear(s), i.e., closer to the headrest along the x-axis than the position of the loudspeaker 702. In a further example (not shown), the lower frequency loudspeaker can also be mounted directly on the headrest or seat back, but pointed toward the listener's ear. The headrest, and more particularly the seat back, can be equipped with larger loudspeakers, such as higher power, lower frequency loudspeakers, which may be utilized in some applications, such as individual sound zone systems and road noise control systems.

[0020] In a further example, the lower frequency loudspeaker 701 and the higher frequency loudspeaker 702 are placed as close as possible to each other. However, for design, safety, or spacing reasons, it may be desirable to move the lower frequency loudspeaker closer to the headrest, into the headrest, or into the seatback. This change in loudspeaker location may lead to a deterioration in low-frequency CTC performance, but this can be overcome by using more powerful loudspeakers, thus offering some improvement in low-frequency performance over typical placements due to the closer proximity of the lower frequency loudspeakers to their respective zones, which allows for a large improvement in CTC performance.

[0021] Referring again to the example shown in FIG. 1, the support structure 113 is in this case a multi-piece structure, as already outlined, with two end pieces 116 and 117 that function as carriers for the housings 114 and 115, in which the loudspeaker arrays 104 and 105 are integrated, by surrounding the housings 114 and 115 on all sides. The front side, meanwhile, is designed to reveal a desired breakaway edge, which has been found to not only improve rider safety but also allow better acoustic performance at high frequencies to be perceived in the bright zone. It has also been found that a hard breakaway edge (without a soft molding) having a depth of 5-10 mm provides excellent acoustic results without any negative effect on CTC. A waveguide 119 (120) is positioned between the housings 114 (115) and the end pieces 116 (117). The housing 114 (115) can be shifted towards the interior of the end piece 116 (117). The waveguide 119 (120) can include a hard breakaway edge to enhance higher frequency performance, for example up to 20 kHz.

[0022] With further reference to FIG. 1 , incorporating one or more microphones 118 into the array can similarly improve the housing and / or carrier in systems involving individual sound zone systems and similar requirements, such as hands-free phone systems, in-car communication systems, automatic noise control systems, and the like, since the microphones are positioned in close proximity to the possible location of the listener's mouth or ear—in the example shown in FIG. 1 , on the housings 114, 115 in the center (upper half) between the front and rear sections of the carriers 116, 117. Depending on the position of the carrier along the x-axis, the microphone(s) can alternatively be disposed in the front or rear section of the carrier. Alternatively, the microphone(s) may be incorporated into the housing or loudspeaker array instead of the carrier. When one or more microphones are disposed on either side of the head, this can avoid shifts in recorded sound levels when the listener rotates their head. Beamforming can be applied to further improve performance, thereby increasing the effective signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, since the microphone position(s) are already well within the reverberation radius in most situations, a single microphone per side will suffice in most cases. In some instances, the microphones are aimed at the listener's head, e.g., the rider's mouth, like a loudspeaker. In this way, the sound-isolating effect of the housing and / or carrier helps to suppress sounds from sources other than the rider's mouth.

[0023] The description of the embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. Suitable modifications and variations to the embodiments may be made in light of the above description or may be acquired from practicing the methods. The apparatus described is exemplary in nature and may include additional elements and / or omit elements.

[0024] As used in this application, elements listed in the singular and preceded by the terms "a" or "an" should be understood as not excluding a plurality of such elements or steps, unless such exclusion is expressly stated. Furthermore, references to "one embodiment" or "one example" of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. The terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements or a particular positional order on their objects.

[0025] While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the invention. In particular, those skilled in the art will recognize the interchangeability of various features from different embodiments. While these techniques and devices have been disclosed in the context of specific embodiments and examples, it will be understood that these techniques and systems may extend beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other embodiments and / or uses and obvious modifications thereof.

Claims

1. A loudspeaker device, the loudspeaker device comprising: a seat configured to support a listener seated in the seat; a loudspeaker array secured to the seat and disposed at least partially in front of a seat back and laterally adjacent to the head of the listener, the loudspeaker array having at least one loudspeaker having a center point, an x-axis defined as originating from the center point and extending horizontally, a y-axis defined as originating from the center point and extending vertically away from the loudspeaker array, and a z-axis defined as originating from the center point and extending vertically away from the loudspeaker array; a loudspeaker array defined as extending in a vertical direction, the y-axis representing a main direction, the loudspeaker array emitting sound along the main direction, the loudspeaker array being adjustable so that the loudspeaker array is disposed below the ears of the listener, the center point of the loudspeaker array being located below the ears of the listener at the level of the chin or mouth of the head, and the main direction of the loudspeaker array pointing towards the chin or mouth of the head; Equipped with a first tilt angle of the main direction to minimize reflections in dark zones, the first tilt angle being an angle between the y-axis and the z-axis in a range of 0° to 50°; a second tilt angle of the primary direction reflects sound at the head in a direction other than toward a seat occupant in an immediately adjacent position relative to the listener, the second tilt angle being an angle between the x-axis and the y-axis in the range of 0° to 30°.

2. and a further loudspeaker array secured to the seat and disposed at least partially in front of the seat back and adjacent to the head of the listener along the lateral direction such that the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array are disposed on either side of the head, the further loudspeaker array having at least one loudspeaker having a center point, and a further y-axis extending from the center point of the further loudspeaker array to the head of the listener.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the further y-axis is defined as extending vertically apart, the further y-axis representing a main direction, the further loudspeaker array emitting sound along the main direction represented by the further y-axis, the further loudspeaker array being adjustable such that the further loudspeaker array is disposed below the ear of the listener, the central point of the further loudspeaker array being placed below the ear of the listener at the level of the chin or mouth of the head, and the main direction of the further loudspeaker array pointing towards the chin or mouth of the head.

3. a headrest attached to the seat; 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array is fixed to the seat via the headrest.

4. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a support structure configured to secure at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array to the seat.

5. 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the support structure is tiltable, shiftable, or retractable at the headrest or the backrest of the seat.

6. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array is integrated into a housing.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the housing has at least two separate acoustic volumes.

8. the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array, each with the centre point; 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the distance between the center point of the loudspeaker array and the center point of the further loudspeaker array is greater than a width of a headrest and less than or equal to a width of the backrest of the seat.

9. 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device has an upper level configured to allow an unobstructed panoramic view of the listener.

10. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array comprises two identical loudspeakers.

11. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the center point of at least one of the loudspeaker array comprising identical loudspeakers and the further loudspeaker array comprising identical loudspeakers is defined by half the distance between the two identical loudspeakers or by the center of one of the two identical loudspeakers.

12. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array further comprises two loudspeakers with different spectral characteristics.

13. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein one of the two loudspeakers with different spectral characteristics has a lower frequency characteristic and the other of the two loudspeakers has a higher frequency characteristic.

14. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the center point of the loudspeaker array comprising a loudspeaker with a different spectral characteristic is defined by a position corresponding to the center point of the speaker with the higher frequency characteristic, and wherein the center point of the further loudspeaker array comprising a loudspeaker with a different spectral characteristic is defined by a position corresponding to the center point of the speaker with the higher frequency characteristic.

15. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the center points of at least one of the loudspeaker array comprising loudspeakers with different spectral characteristics and the further loudspeaker array comprising loudspeakers with different spectral characteristics are arranged at positions corresponding to the ears of the listener or to positions corresponding to positions between the ears of the listener and a headrest or the backrest of the seat.

16. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising at least one microphone disposed in at least one of the loudspeaker array and the further loudspeaker array.

17. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising the at least one microphone disposed adjacent an ear of the listener or adjacent a mouth of the listener.

18. The device of claim 7 , further comprising at least one microphone disposed in the upper half of the housing.

19. 1. A loudspeaker apparatus in a seat having a headrest configured to support a listener in the seat, the apparatus comprising: a tiltable, shiftable, or storable support structure in the headrest; a first loudspeaker array secured to the support structure within a first housing on a first carrier, the first loudspeaker array being partially disposed in a position forward of the seat back and disposed laterally adjacent the head of the listener; at least one loudspeaker in the first loudspeaker array having a first center point, a first y-axis defined as originating at the first center point and extending vertically away from the first loudspeaker array, the first y-axis representing a first main direction, the first loudspeaker array emitting sound along the first main direction, the first loudspeaker array being adjustable such that the first loudspeaker array is disposed below the ears of the listener, the first center point having a level along the vertically extending z-axis corresponding to the level of a mouth or a lower jaw of the head along the z-axis, the first main direction of the first loudspeaker array pointing toward the mouth or lower jaw of the head; a second loudspeaker array fixed to the support structure in a second housing on a second carrier, the second loudspeaker array being disposed at least partially in front of the seat back and adjacent to the head along the lateral direction such that the first loudspeaker array and the second loudspeaker array are disposed on either side of the head; at least one loudspeaker in the second loudspeaker array having a second center point, a second y-axis defined as originating at the second center point and extending vertically away from the second loudspeaker array, the second y-axis representing a second main direction, the second loudspeaker array emitting sound along the second main direction, the second loudspeaker array being adjustable such that the second loudspeaker array is disposed below the ears of the listener, the second center point having a level along the z-axis corresponding to the level of the mouth or chin of the head along the z-axis, the second main direction of the second loudspeaker array pointing toward the mouth or chin of the head, and the z-axis intersecting the first center point or the second center point; Equipped with a first tilt angle of the first main direction or the second main direction minimizes reflections in dark zones, the first tilt angle being between 0° and 50°; a second tilt angle of the first principal direction or the second principal direction reflects sound at the head in a direction other than the direction of a seat occupant in an immediately adjacent position relative to the listener, the second tilt angle being an angle between a horizontally extending x-axis and the first y-axis or between the x-axis and the second y-axis in a range of 0° to 30°; an arrangement in which at least one of the first loudspeaker array, the first housing, and the first carrier is positioned relative to another one of the first loudspeaker array, the first housing, and the first carrier to define a take-off edge, thereby creating a waveguide, and at least one of the second loudspeaker array, the second housing, and the second carrier is positioned relative to another one of the second loudspeaker array, the second housing, and the second carrier to define a take-off edge, thereby creating a waveguide.

20. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a first acoustic capacitance associated with the first housing and a second acoustic capacitance associated with the second housing.

21. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein a distance between the first center point of the first loudspeaker array and the second center point of the second loudspeaker array is greater than a width of the headrest and less than or equal to a width of the backrest of the seat.

22. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an upper level configured to allow an unobstructed panoramic view of the listener.

23. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising at least one microphone disposed in at least one of the first loudspeaker array, the second loudspeaker array, the first housing, the second housing, the first carrier, and the second carrier.

24. 24. The device of claim 23, wherein the at least one microphone is disposed in at least one of the first housing, the second housing, the first carrier, and an upper half of the second carrier.

25. 24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one microphone is disposed adjacent the mouth of the listener or adjacent the ear of the listener.

Images