Acoustic Surface Actuation With Inverse Filtering for Sound Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing acoustic devices with complex or non-dedicated vibrating surfaces, such as partitions or touchscreen devices, suffer from poor sound quality due to areas vibrating out of phase and interference, making it difficult to control sound emission effectively.
Innovation Solution
An acoustic device with a surface capable of generating sound using actuators, controlled by inverse filtering to manage vibrations, ensuring in-phase vibrations where needed and canceling out-of-phase vibrations, thereby improving sound quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a complex or non-dedicated surface is used for sound generation, then the device can be integrated into existing structures or have aesthetic functions, but the sound quality deteriorates due to out-of-phase vibrations and interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by dividing the surface into multiple zones with different vibration control characteristics. Specific areas (such as attachment zones or complex geometry regions) are identified and treated differently through targeted actuator placement and inverse filtering, allowing each local region to contribute optimally to sound generation while maintaining the overall surface's aesthetic and structural functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through inverse filtering, where the system calculates control signals based on the desired sound output and the known vibrational characteristics of the surface. This feedback mechanism allows the actuators to compensate for out-of-phase vibrations and interference patterns, maintaining high sound quality despite using complex or integrated surfaces.
2Reliability
If traditional control methods are used without inverse filtering, then the device complexity is lower, but the sound quality is poor due to uncontrolled vibrations in certain areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating the inverse filter characteristics based on the surface's vibrational modes and geometric properties. This allows the control system to compensate for problematic vibration patterns before they occur, rather than requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms, thus improving sound quality while keeping the control system manageable.
3Reliability
If multiple actuators are used to control different areas of the surface, then vibration control improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the surface into multiple controllable zones, each served by specific actuators. This allows independent control of different regions to achieve homogeneous vibration patterns while avoiding the need for a single complex actuator system. The segmentation is optimized so that each actuator controls a manageable portion of the surface, balancing control precision with system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device achieves improved sound quality by actively controlling vibrations across different areas of the surface, compensating for interference and reverberation, allowing for high-quality sound generation on complex or integrated surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a surface intended to be vibrated in order to generate a sound and at least two actuators so as to vibrate said surface
Implementation Method 2
Inverse filtering makes it possible to locally process acoustic distortions which can deteriorate the quality of the sound... cancel the vibrations in these areas
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an acoustic device including a structure comprising a surface (1) capable of being vibrated at least at one control point so as to emit a sound, and actuators (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5) capable of causing a surface deformation at the control points (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5) so as to vibrate same, means (6) for controlling the actuators (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5) configured to send control signals to the actuators (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5), comprising means (8) for calculating said control signals, said calculating means implementing an inverse filtering operation, so as to emit, from a sound to be generated, control signals to the actuators (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5), so as to vibrate at least some of the control points (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z5) and to emit the given sound, and at least partially compensating for the distortion, reverberation and propagation of the waves.