|Publication number||US7999226 B1|
|Application number||US 11/805,986|
|Publication date||Aug 16, 2011|
|Priority date||May 25, 2007|
|Publication number||11805986, 805986, US 7999226 B1, US 7999226B1, US-B1-7999226, US7999226 B1, US7999226B1|
|Inventors||Thomas J. Koller, Jerry C. Ramey|
|Original Assignee||Lightspeed Technologies, Inc.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (4), Referenced by (1), Classifications (5), Legal Events (4)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The technology disclosed herein relates to infrared signal based amplification systems such as can be used in a classroom or auditorium environment for amplifying the voice of one or more presenters. More specifically, the technology relates to a supported infrared sensor assembly and speaker arrangement for an infrared amplification system.
One prior art infrared amplification system provided by Lightspeed Technologies, Inc., for uses, such as in a classroom, includes one or more microphones for converting a presenter's voice into infrared signal representations thereof and transmitting these infrared signals to an infrared receiver. In this known embodiment, the infrared receiver is mounted to the ceiling of a room. This receiver has a black colored base on which a circular array of infrared signal sensors, in this case diodes, is placed. The array of diodes is formed by a first circle of 16 diodes extending perpendicularly outwardly from the base. A surrounding circle 16 of diodes is also included with the diodes of the surrounding circle being tilted inwardly at a 45 degree angle to create a circular array 32 of diodes of vertically positioned diodes that each have an angled diode therebetween. A red circular dome infrared lens overlies the diode array. An apertured RF signal shield is interposed between the infrared lens and diodes of the array. The infrared receiver is connected by electrical wires to an amplifier which in turn is connected to a speaker with both the amplifier and speaker being at remote locations from the receiver. The receiver is capable of receiving signals from more than one channel (16 diodes per channel) that are separated for amplification. Various components can be coupled to the amplifier such as a VCR or DVD to provide additional signal sources for the amplifier and speaker. A bending wave speaker from New Transducers Limited (a NXT™ speaker) is one example of a suitable speaker that has been used in such a system.
Although offering many advantages, a system such as described above can be expensive and time consuming to install. In addition, there are other disadvantages associated with such a system.
Therefore, a need exists for improvements in infrared signal based amplification systems.
In accordance with one aspect of the technology disclosed herein, a portable infrared signal sensing, processing and speaker assembly is disclosed that is easy to set up and use and is easy to move from location to location, such as from one classroom to another classroom depending upon the needs of a school.
As yet another aspect of the disclosed technology, infrared sensors positioned along the sides of a speaker can be utilized with the device supported on a base or wall to orient the sensors in an upright and more desirably vertical orientation for enhanced infrared signal detection.
As a more specific aspect of an example of the disclosed technology, an exemplary infrared sensor assembly and speaker support can comprise a base; a speaker coupled to the base, the speaker comprising a front surface, a back surface, first and second side surfaces and top and bottom surfaces; the base comprising first and second infrared sensor support surfaces projecting outwardly beyond the respective first and second speaker side surfaces; a first sensor support coupled to the first sensor support surface and a second sensor support coupled to the second sensor support surface; a first elongated sensor array comprising a plurality of infrared signal sensors associated with and supported by the first sensor support along one side of the speaker and a second elongated sensor array comprising a plurality of infrared signal sensors associated with and supported by the second sensor support along the opposite side of the speaker; a first interfering signal shield positioned and operable to shield the first elongated array from infrared interference signals and a second interfering signal shield positioned and operable to shield the first elongated array from infrared interference signals; a first infrared signal passing lens overlaying the first elongated array and a second infrared signal passing lens overlaying the second elongated array; and a first infrared signal reflective surface positioned at least in part beneath the first lens to reflect infrared signals toward the infrared signal sensors of the first array and a second infrared signal reflective surface positioned at least in part beneath the second lens so as to reflect infrared signals toward the infrared signal sensors of the second array.
As a further aspect of the technology, the first and second infrared signal reflecting surfaces can comprise a surface extending outwardly in a direction away from the associated sensor support surfaces and toward a surface intersecting the front surface of the speaker. These surfaces can be portions of the side surfaces of the speaker and are desirably of an infrared reflecting color, such as a white color. The infrared reflecting surfaces can also comprises portions of the infrared sensor support surfaces.
As another aspect of the technology, the lenses can each have an elongated arcuate portion and be positioned to overlie the reflective surfaces and to block light from reaching the sensors except through the lenses.
As yet another aspect of the technology, the speaker can be rectangular with the first and second elongated sensor arrays being adjacent to respective speaker side surfaces.
As another specific example of the disclosed technology, an exemplary infrared sensor assembly and speaker support can comprise a base comprising a top edge, a bottom edge and first and second side edges, the base also can comprise an outwardly facing speaker mounting surface; a speaker can be coupled to the speaker mounting surface, the speaker having first and second speaker side portions, the base being wider than the speaker such that first and second projecting side portions of the base project outwardly beyond the respective first and second speaker side portions, a first array comprising plural infrared signal sensors carried by the first projecting side portions and positioned along the first speaker side portion, a second array comprising plural infrared signal sensors carried by the second projecting side portions and positioned along the second speaker side portion, and wherein at least portions of first and second speaker side portions are white. In this example, the speaker can also be rectangular and all of the infrared signal sensors of the apparatus can be included in the first and second arrays. The base in this example is desirably adapted for support with the speaker side portions and arrays in an upright orientation.
Additional features and aspects of the disclosed technology are described below. The invention is directed toward all novel and non-obvious aspects of the technology disclosed herein both alone and in combinations and sub-combinations with one another.
The description below proceeds with reference to several embodiments. These are exemplary embodiments only and are not to be viewed as limiting the scope of the invention disclosed herein.
With reference to
It should be noted that other orientations and configurations of infrared sensors can be used. However, by using an elongated array of upright oriented sensors (that is sensors arranged in top to bottom spacing along the sides of a speaker), such as in one or more vertically oriented rows of sensors in a linear array, enhanced infrared signal detection results. An upright sensor array also assists in cooling the array through enhanced convection and heat sinking. Also, although any type of speaker can be used, a bending wave speaker assists in confining the sound into the room to which it is directed. For example, in
Referring again to
With reference to
The illustrated speaker 48 can comprise a front surface 130 through which sound is directed into a room or other space containing the assembly 40, a rear surface 132 for mounting or coupling to the base surface 72. In addition, the speaker can comprise a top edge portion 174, a bottom edge portion 136 and respective speaker side edge portions 138,140. The illustrated speaker can be of another configuration, such as circular or of a different shape. If circular, the side surfaces of the speaker would typically be an arc of a circle. An exemplary speaker is a bending wave speaker utilizing a honeycomb panel with an exciter and soft foam around the edges. One exemplary speaker is a NXT brand speaker developed by New Transducers Limited. Other speakers are suitable, such as an Nlightn speaker from Carlsboro and speakers from TEAC Company, such as TEAC MC-DX 20B and TEAC MC-DX25 speakers. Again, the technology is not limited to a particular type of speaker, although a rectangular bending wave flat panel speaker is desirable.
Referring again to
A first elongated sensor support 170, which can comprise a circuit board strip, can be coupled to the support surface of end portion 160. A second sensor support 172, which can be like support 170, can be coupled to an outwardly facing supporting surface of end portion 162. In this description, the term “coupled” means both direct mounting of one component to another with no intervening components as well as indirect mounting of one component to another through one or more connecting components. In this case, the strip 170 abuts a portion of the outwardly facing surface of end portion 160 while strip 172 abuts a portion of the outwardly facing surface of end portion 162. At least portions of the outwardly facing surface of end portion 160 and of the outwardly facing surface of end portion 162, comprise an infrared signal reflective surface for the purposes of reflecting infrared signals toward infrared sensors mounted to the respective strips 170,172. More desirably, the entire outwardly facing surface of end portions 160 and 162 are provided with these infrared signal reflective characteristics. In a specific approach, these infrared reflective surfaces can be a light color and are most desirably white. Desirably, white corresponding to Pantone Ink color having ninety-eight percent or more Pantone Trans. White by volume are suitable. More specific examples of desirable color is white substantially corresponding to the following range of Pantone, Inc. color descriptions with percentages being the percentage of the total volume:
The respective infrared sensor supports 170,172, which may be of other configurations, provide support for respective elongated arrays of infrared sensors. By elongated, it is meant an array of sensors that includes a plurality of sensors such as infrared detecting diodes, with a Siemens SFH213 diode being a specific example, being positioned in a lengthwise elongated pattern on the respective supports. In the illustrated example, the sensors can be positioned in an array at locations along the associated side of the speaker. The individual sensors of the arrays are not shown in
With reference to
An infrared signal passing lens 220 overlays the infrared sensors carried by support 170. Another infrared signal passing lens 224 overlays the infrared signal sensors carried by the strip 172. The interference signal shields 190,192 in this embodiment are interposed between the respective lenses 220,224 and infrared sensors carried by the strips 170,172. With reference to
The array of sensors carried by the support 170 can be identical to the array of sensors carried by the support 172. For this reason, only the array 44 carried by the support 170 will be described in connection with
With reference to
Having illustrated and described the principles of the technology with reference to several embodiments, it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the technology may be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from the inventive principles disclosed herein. I claim all such modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
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|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US8861744||Jul 22, 2011||Oct 14, 2014||Lightspeed Technologies, Inc.||Distributed audio system|
|Cooperative Classification||G09B5/08, H04R2420/07, H04R27/00|
|May 25, 2007||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: LIGHTSPEED TECHNOLOGIES INC., OREGON
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:KOLLER, THOMAS J.;RAMEY, JERRY C.;REEL/FRAME:019412/0406
Effective date: 20070524
|Mar 27, 2015||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|May 7, 2015||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|May 7, 2015||SULP||Surcharge for late payment|