Loudspeaker Column Arrays With Beam Steering and Width Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional loudspeaker systems face challenges in achieving accurate sound timbre and stable sound images over a wide listening area due to adverse interactions with the listening environment, limited directional control, and aesthetic constraints, while also struggling with midrange warmth and upper frequency response.
Innovation Solution
A sound reproduction system featuring a column or array of drive units with integrated sound processing for improved steerability, directional control, and beam overlay capabilities, including staggered or curved arrangements of drive units and signal processing techniques to simulate curved arrays, allowing for adjustable beam width and directionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional stereo playback with two speakers is used, then the illusion of continuous sound stage can be created when listener is seated symmetrically, but the phantom image flops to nearest speaker when listener moves away from symmetry position, destroying stereo illusion
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the audio output into multiple independent channels (front left, front right, center, surround left, surround right, etc.) that can be independently controlled and positioned. This segmentation allows each sound source to be precisely localized to its intended spatial position regardless of listener movement, maintaining accurate sound staging through multi-channel separation rather than relying on phantom images from limited speakers.
2Ease of operation
If horn-loaded speakers are used to achieve controlled directional response, then directional control is improved, but distortion increases at high levels due to non-linearity of air at horn mouth
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines multiple speaker drivers (woofers, mid-range drivers, tweeters) with different radiation patterns and frequency responses to achieve controlled directional response across the full audio spectrum. By merging conventional direct radiator speakers with carefully designed horn-loaded tweeters and mid-range drivers, the system obtains directional control without relying solely on large horn structures that cause high-level distortion, distributing the directional control function across multiple complementary elements.
3Ease of operation
If column speaker with long line of closely spaced identical speaker drive units is used to provide directionality at lower frequencies, then directional control at low frequencies is improved, but the system becomes expensive and design is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies directional control selectively to different frequency ranges using appropriately designed drivers rather than using identical closely-spaced units across the entire spectrum. Conventional direct radiator speakers handle low frequencies with naturally omnidirectional radiation, while horn-loaded drivers provide directional control for mid-range and high frequencies. This local quality approach optimizes directional control where needed without the complexity and cost of long column arrays for all frequencies.
4Ease of operation
If multiple horn speakers covering different parts of audio spectrum are used to maintain constant directivity over wide frequency range, then directional control is improved, but the system requires multiple speakers increasing complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a unified multi-channel speaker configuration where each channel (front left, front right, center, surround left, surround right) can be independently positioned and controlled to achieve constant directivity across the full audio spectrum. Rather than requiring separate horn speakers for each frequency band, the multi-channel system provides universal directional control through spatial separation and independent channel management, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining constant directivity benefits.
Data Source
AI summary
A sound reproduction system includes one or more arrays of drive units, coupled with sound processing allowing improved steerability, directional control, width control, and/or beam overlay. A speaker column may comprise two arrays facing one another, the drive units being perpendicular to the speaker unit front, with the acoustic output of each line array being compressed, turned and output from an elongate slot. The drive units may be staggered with respect to those in the opposing array. The arrays may be arc-shaped else straight. Selective delays to simulate an arced pattern. Differential delays applied to the drive units in a sub-array allow beam steering. Additional drive units, such as high frequency drivers, may be added along the length of the elongate slot or elsewhere to increase the dynamic frequency range of the speaker system. A collocated sound processor and amplifier output stage may be integrated with the speaker unit.