Patent Application
20160293150
The present disclosure relates generally to sound production assemblies, and more particularly, audio demonstration and experimentation kits, including components thereof.
With the increase in prevalence of mobile computing devices, children are being introduced to computing technology at a younger age. For example, it is common for a child to be proficient in operating a mobile phone or a tablet computer. It is desirable to encourage children's interest and familiarity with aspects of audio, video, and communications technologies.
In one implementation, a system includes a receiver to receive an audio signal and a controller to detect a magnitude of the audio signal. In response to the detection, the controller generates a sub-audible signal that is substantially coincident with the detected magnitude.
In another example, a system includes a platform to move in a reciprocal manner in response to vibrations associated with an audio signal. A controller detects a magnitude of the audio signal, and in response, generates an enhancing signal. The enhancing signal is substantially coincident with the detected magnitude and affects the movement of the platform.
In another example, a system includes a platform to move in a reciprocal manner in response to vibrations associated with an audio signal. A controller detects a plurality of magnitudes in the audio signal and generates enhancing signals to increase the vibrations according to the detected magnitudes.
Other features, objects, and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description and drawings.
A system encourages experimentation with audio frequency and speaker technologies while causing an inanimate figure to appear to dance. The system applies a bandpass filter to an incoming audio stream. In one example, the bandpass filter passes low bass band frequency audio. The system monitors the magnitude of the audio content in a frequency band of interest. When an amplitude peak or other threshold magnitude is detected, a controller injects a short pulse (e.g., 3 cycles) of a sub-audible low frequency sine wave to a platform. Preferably, the sub-audible low frequency sine wave is at a resonance frequency of the platform to maximize its movement. The figure is positioned on the platform and appears to dance to the beat of the music.
In an example, the sub-audible low frequency sine wave is at a resonance frequency of the platform to maximize its movement. To a naked ear, the tone (sub-audible) is absent. However, the eye of the observer sees the maximum effect by exciting the resonance of the system. The audio system of an implementation has its resonance tuned to a frequency that is sub-audible.
The audio production system 102 includes a magnet speaker assembly 112 that causes a diaphragm 114 to vibrate according to a received audio signal. The audio signal is bandpass filtered to allow only those frequencies of the audio signal that are associated with a bass frequency, or other portion that tracks a beat of music (i.e., the voice band, around 20 Hz to around 300 Hz). The diaphragm 114 physically communicates those vibrations to the
Because the sub-audible resonant pulses bolster vibrations coincident with the musical beat, the
An audio signal source 210 provides an audio signal to a receiver of the controller 202. An illustrative audio signal source 210 includes an MP3 player, a radio, a telephone, a computer, and a satellite feed, among others. The connection to the controller 202 may be wired or wireless. A full spectrum audio signal 212 is downloaded or otherwise received by the controller 202. A bandpass filter 214 is used to reject frequencies of the received audio signal that fall outside of a desired band (i.e., lower than around 20 Hz and higher than around 300 Hz).
The controller 202 executes program code 216 stored in a memory 218 to designate and monitor for magnitudes in the filtered audio signal. The magnitudes of an example include peaks in the audio signal. The peaks correspond to percussion or other instrumentation generating the musical beat. When a peak is detected, the controller 202 executes the program code 216 to generate enhancing signals comprising bursts that resonate and actuate the platform 206 at time that is coincident with the detected peak. In this manner, the platform 206 is made to move in synchronization with the musical beat.
The controller 202 shown in
The platform 206 includes a substantially planar surface so that the
The frequency at which the platform 206 reciprocates is known to the controller 202. For example, the platform 206 may be actuated by the frequencies inherent to the audio signal. Such actuation occurs where the platform 206 is in contact with or comprises part of a speaker assembly. A strobe light 204 is optionally controlled to pop, or briefly illuminate, the
While a centralized controller 202 is shown in the block diagram of
In one implementation, the peaks 302, 304, 306, 308 are determined whenever an audio curve crosses a predetermined magnitude level, as denoted by the dashed, parallel line 312. In an example, magnitudes are predetermined. In another implementation, the controller uses comparative or fuzzy logic to determine the peaks based on relative change in amplitude relative to a previous signal measurement.
The audio signal is passed on to the controller and monitored at 706. For example, the controller of
When no threshold magnitude is detected at 708, the system continues monitoring at 706. Alternatively, in response to a peak being detected at 708, the controller initiates generates an enhancing signal at 710. For example, the controller generates a short burst of non-audible sinusoids. The enhancing signal is communicated at 712 to the platform to cause the figure to more obviously bounce to the musical beat. The enhancing signal may be a sub-audible low frequency sine wave at a resonance frequency of the platform to maximize its movement. The figure is positioned on the platform and appears to dance to the beat of the music.
The system continues to monitor for a next occurring threshold magnitude at 706 after the flash operation.
Examples described herein may take the form of an entirely hardware implementation, an entirely software implementation, or an implementation containing both hardware and software elements. The disclosed methods are implemented in software that is embedded in processor readable storage medium and executed by a processor that includes but is not limited to firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.
Further, examples take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system. For the purposes of this description, a computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium includes an apparatus that tangibly embodies a computer program and that contains, stores, communicates, propagates, or transport s the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
In various examples, the medium includes an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system (or apparatus or device) or a propagation medium. Examples of a computer-readable storage medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disc and an optical disc. Current examples of optical discs include compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), compact disc-read/write (CD-R/W) and digital versatile disc (DVD).
A data processing system suitable for storing and/or executing program code includes at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus. The memory elements include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code, bulk storage, and cache memories that may provide temporary or more permanent storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution. Input/output or I/O devices (including but not limited to keyboards, displays, pointing devices, etc.) of an example are coupled to the data processing system either directly or through intervening I/O controllers. Network adapters are also coupled to the data processing system of the example to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks. Moderns, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters.
The previous description of the disclosed examples is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosed examples. Various modifications to these examples will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other examples without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope possible consistent with the principles and features as defined by the following claims.
