This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-096975, filed on May 13, 2016; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a speaker system.
A piezoelectric speaker generates a sound by a piezoelectric element (transformed by a voltage) and a diaphragm (it is called “shim material”) for piezoelectric element attached thereto. For example, it is used for a beeping sound of a personal alarm, an electric device, and so on. The piezoelectric element is non-magnetic material as itself. Accordingly, it is expected to be used under a strong magnetic field environment in which a general dynamic type-speaker cannot be used, for example, inside MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) device.
However, as to an earphone and a headphone including the piezoelectric speaker, the sound quality is poor.
According to one embodiment, a speaker system includes a plurality of filters and a plurality of speakers. The filters filter a first signal to generate a plurality of second signals. The speakers convert the second signals into respective sound waves. Each speaker has a diaphragm and a vibration source installed in the diaphragm. Diaphragms of the speakers have at least two different shapes. Respective transfer characteristics of the diaphragms are different from each other. Each filter corresponding to the respective transfer characteristics is set such that a transfer characteristic of a synthetic sound wave of the respective sound waves approaches a target transfer characteristic.
Various embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The package 2 to accommodate an ear further includes a sound collector 5 to synthesize two sound waves (generated from diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2), a holder 6 (to install the sound collector 5) and a cushion (ear pad) 7.
The package 2 includes a front face 2a, a back face 2b opposing thereto, and a side face 2c supposing the front face 2a and the back face 2b. For example, the back face 2b has a box type-component, and the inside is basically in the air. The package is basically sealed under a condition of the ear being inserted. Accordingly, the outside noise is insulated, and audibility is good.
A plurality of diaphragms is installed along the back face 2b. Here, in order to simplify, the case that two diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2 are aligned along top and bottom direction.
The two diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2 are supported so as to be clamped by the back face 2b and a presser 9 (specially installed). The back face 2b and the presser 9 include a plurality of clamping members 8 to clamp circumferences of the diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2. The clamping member 8 may be an elastic material such as a rubber or a packing.
On the back face 2b and the presser 9, a little smaller hole than each area of the diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2 is formed. The number of the holes is equal to the number of diaphragms 3 supported on the back face 2b. As a result, under a condition that the diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2 are supported by the back face 2b and the presser 9, a user can view the diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2 from the front face and the back face. The diaphragms are located between the front face 2a and the back face 2b.
Vibration sources 4-1 and 4-2 apply a vibration to the diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2, and preferably installed around a center of respective back faces of the diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2. Except for the center, for example, the vibration sources may be installed at a location corresponding to a multiple of ⅓ of a long side and a short side where all modes of the diaphragm are excited, i.e., (⅓, ⅓), (⅔, ⅓), (⅓, ⅔), (⅔, ⅔). As the vibration sources, for example, a piezo speaker, a piezo actuator, or a vibro actuator, are preferably used. By using the piezo actuator, they can be used in a strong magnetic field environment. A method for fixing the vibration source to the diaphragm is explained afterward.
The holder 6 is installed around a center between the face side 2a and the diaphragm 3. The sound collector 5 is fixed at the holder 6. Furthermore, a distance between the holder 6 and the diaphragm 3 can be adjusted. The sound collector 5 is used as a microphone for evaluation to create the filter 12 (explained afterward). After creating the filter 12, the sound collector 5 is not always necessary component. However, if the speaker system 1 is used as an active noise control system (ANC), wave sounds collected by the sound collector 5 are used to reduce a noise in a listener's external auditory canal 14.
The cushion (ear pad) 7 is installed so as to surround an opening of the front face 2a. As a material of the cushion (ear pad) 7, a material (such as a sponge) used for a general head-phone may be used.
The case of two speakers 11-1 and 11-2 was explained. However, a plurality of speakers may be prepared.
Hereafter, a method for flattening a frequency characteristic of the speaker system 1 is explained.
In the speaker system 1 of the first embodiment, a frequency characteristic from an input signal to an output signal can be flattened. As mentioned-above, the filters 12-1 and 12-2 corresponding to the speakers 11-1 and 11-2 are included. Accordingly, a signal inputted to the speaker 11-1 is filtered by the filter 12-1. Furthermore, a signal inputted to the speaker 11-2 is filtered by the filter 12-2.
The filters 12-1 and 12-2 are designed so as to satisfy the following equation (1).
P1·H1+P2·H2=D (1)
Here, H1 and H2 represent respective transfer characteristics of the filters 12-1 and 12-2. P1 represents a transfer characteristic from the speaker 11-1 to the sound collector 5, and P2 represents a transfer characteristic from the speaker 11-2 to the sound collector 5. A target transfer characteristic D represents a transfer characteristic from the input signal to the output signal (i.e., a sound pressure of a synthetic sound wave at the sound collector 5) as a target. The transfer characteristics P1 and P2 are previously measured.
In this case, the sound collector 5 functions as an evaluation microphone used for measuring transfer characteristics P1 and P2, and used to design the filters 12-1 and 12-2. The sound collector 5 is preferably installed at a location imaged as an entrance of the listener's external auditory canal 14. As mentioned-above, the speakers 11-1 and 11-2 are set so that transfer characteristics P1 and P2 are mutually different. Accordingly, respective shapes of the diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2 in
The input signal is filtered by the filters 12-1 and 12-2 designed so as to approach the target transfer characteristic of the equation (1), and outputted to the speakers 11-1 and 11-2 as respective output signals. The speakers 11-1 and 11-2 convert the respective output signals to a sound wave. Respective sound waves generated from the speakers 11-1 and 11-2 are outputted as a synthetic sound wave at an evaluation point (the entrance of the listener's external auditory canal) where the sound collector 5 is set. This synthetic sound wave has a flat frequency characteristic similar to the target transfer characteristic at a target band.
For example, if shapes of the diaphragms 3 have N kinds (different), transfer characteristics from respective speakers 11-1, 11-2, . . . , 11-N to the sound corrector 5 have N kinds. The sound collector 5 synthesizes respective sound waves generated from the speakers 11-1, 11-2, . . . , 11-N, and guides a synthetic sound wave to the listener's external auditory canal 14. If the target transfer characteristic is D, the filters 12-1, 12-2, . . . , 12-N are designed so as to satisfy the following equation (2).
Σi=1NPi·Hi=D (2)
Here, Hi represents a transfer characteristic of the filter 12-I, Pi represents a transfer characteristic from the speaker 11-I to the sound collector 5, and D represents a target transfer characteristic from the input signal to the output signal (i.e., a sound pressure of the synthetic sound wave at the sound collector 5). The transfer characteristics P1, P2, . . . , PN are previously measured.
The speakers 11-1, 11-2, . . . , 11-N are designed so that transfer characteristics P1, P2, . . . , PN are mutually different and have a complementary relationship.
In general, the target transfer characteristic is preferably flat transfer characteristic over all frequency bands. However, actually, by considering a characteristic of the speaker itself and a spatial characteristic, the target transfer characteristic is set so as to be flat at a specific frequency band. For example, in case of playing music or sound, a transfer characteristic from 100 Hz to 20 kHz needs to be flat. However, a band of the flat transfer characteristic need not be further wider. Furthermore, if the speaker system is applied to ANC, a noise sound to be reduced by ANC has a low frequency generally. Accordingly, the target transfer characteristic is preferably designed so as to be flat from 100 Hz to 2.5 kHz. In this way, the target transfer characteristic is set based on the status. In following explanation, the target band is set so as to flatten a frequency range larger than (or equal to) 100 Hz and smaller than (or equal to) 2.5 kHz.
If the shapes of the diaphragms 3 have two kinds, and if transfer characteristics H1 and H2 of the filters 12-1 and 12-2 satisfy the equation (1), a transfer characteristic from the input signal (input) to the output signal (output) approaches the target transfer characteristic. As a method for determining transfer characteristics H1 and H2 satisfying the equation (1) for example, MINT (multiple-input/output inverse-filtering theorem) is utilized. The method for designing the filters 12-1 and 12-2 is not limited to MINT, and may be arbitrary another method.
In case of using MINT, respective transfer characteristics of P1 and P2 are preferably not overlapped and have a complementary relationship. Accordingly, in order to acquire an ideal target transfer characteristic D, a shape of the diaphragm, a method for supporting the diaphragm, a method (or a location) for fixing the vibration source to the diaphragm, are preferably suitable.
Hereafter, the speaker system of the first embodiment is explained as practical examples.
As the speakers, two diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2 are used. A size of the diaphragm 3-1 is 56.6 mm×35.8 mm×0.2 mm (height×width×thickness). A size of the diaphragm 3-2 is 46.2 mm×40 mm×0.2 mm (height×width×thickness). A material of the diaphragms is PET and a method for supporting the diaphragms is four sides simple support. Respective shapes of the diaphragms are calculated using following equation (3).
A natural angular frequency for four sides simple support is calculated by following equation (3) (a,b: thickness of side, m,n: integral number representing mode, Do, ρ: natural value of material, h: thickness).
Accordingly, if a length of each side of the diaphragm 3 is a multiple (same ratio) of any combination among (1/√3, 1/√3, 1/√4, 1/√5, 1/√7 1/√11, . . . ), the model density is raised. In the present design, a size of the diaphragm 3-1 is 0.08 times of (1/√2 (height), 1/√5 (width)), and a size of the diaphragm 3-2 is 0.08 times of (1/√3 (height), 1/√4 (width)).
An installed location of the vibration source 4 is a center of the diaphragm 3, and a size thereof is 5 mm×5 mm. The sound collector 5 is installed at a center of the diaphragm 3 and at a location having height 30 mm from the center.
As the speakers, two diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2 are used. A size of the diaphragm 3-1 is 56.6 mm×35.8 mm×0.2 mm (height×width×thickness). A size of the diaphragm 3-2 is 40 mm×10 mm×0.2 mm (height×width×thickness). A material of the diaphragms is PET and a method for supporting the diaphragm 3-1 is four sides simple support. A method for supporting the diaphragm 3-2 is one side fixation and supported on the back side plate so as to be a cantilever. An installed location of the vibration source 4-1 on the diaphragm 3-1 is a center on the square area shown in
A natural angular frequency of the cantilever (one side fixation) is represented as following equation (4). Accordingly, the diaphragm 3-2 is designed so that the natural angular frequency thereof and the natural angular frequency of the diaphragm 3-1 (of four sides simple support) have a complementary relationship (a: length of lever, b: width, h: thickness, ρS2: surface density, I: second moment of area).
As another example, a case that the diaphragm 3 has a circular shape can be thought out. If a method for supporting the diaphragm 3 is simply supported, the natural angular frequency thereof is calculated by following equation (5). By using the equation (5), the circular shape can be suitably designed.
From results of the embodiments 1 and 2, a resonance frequency of each diaphragm 3 had better be designed so that a gain difference between transfer characteristics H1 and H2 of filters at the target band is within 20 dB and a difference between input/output characteristic (after applying the filter) and the target transfer characteristic is within 12 dB.
A method for fixing the vibration source 4 with the diaphragm 3 is explained.
At this point, as to the foaming material 22, the acoustic impedance is near the air, and the radiation efficiency is good. Accordingly, the foaming material 22 is suitable as a low band-sound producing material. If the foaming material 22 is stuck on the diaphragm 3 as it is, vibration of the diaphragm 3 is impeded. Accordingly, the foaming material 22 is stuck via the bolt 20 so as to transfer the vibration of the vibration source 4 is transferred to the diaphragm 3 and the foaming material 22 respectively. Furthermore, sound producing efficiency of the foaming material 22 is due to the surface area. Accordingly, a large foaming material 22 as much as possible is preferably attached.
As mentioned-above, according to the first embodiment, by using two diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2 having different shapes, respective transfer characteristics of the diaphragms are designed so as to satisfy the complementary relationship. As a result, a band of one transfer characteristic can be complemented by another transfer characteristic, which is not realized by the one transfer characteristic. Namely, by using filters designed so that a transfer characteristic from the input signal to the output signal is flattened at desired frequency band, a difference between a transfer characteristic of the input signal and a transfer characteristic of the output signal can be reduced.
(Modification 1 of the First Embodiment)
In the modification 1, a cavity 15 is installed in contact with the back face 2b so as to cover the vibration source 4 installed on the back face of the diaphragm 3. For example, the cavity 15 seals the diaphragm 3 and the vibration source 4 from the back face 2b on which the cavity 15 is attached.
By installing the cavity 15, sound pressure due to baffle effect can be increased. A shape of the cavity 15 is a box type basically. However, the shape may be variously changed, such as a cylinder type or a circle type. Other components of the speaker system are same as those of the speaker system of the first embodiment.
(Modification 2 of the First Embodiment)
In the modification 2, the back face 2b of the package 2 is separated from the side face 2c, and a space is set between the back face 2b and the side face 2c. The back face 2b and the side face 2c are connected at respective edge parts by a plurality of poles (supports). The number of the poles 16 is the number able to stably fix the back face 2b, the side face 2c and the front face 2a, regularly, four. As a result, in the package in which the listener's ear is inserted, the listener's feeling of sealing can be reduced. Furthermore, the outside speech can be acquired. Other components thereof are same as those of the speaker system of the first embodiment.
In the second embodiment, the opening of the front face 2a of the package is omitted, and a tube connector 17 is set instead of the opening. A tube 18 is installed onto the tube connector 17 and transmits a sound wave to the listener's external auditory canal. At a tip of the external auditory side of the tube 18, an auricular insertion part 19 may be set. The auricular insertion part 19 includes an ear phone and so on. At the tip of the tube 18, an ear muff to cover the ear may be set instead of the auricular insertion part 19.
The tube 18 means a hollow tube able to transmit the sound wave. As the tube 18, for example, a softy tube formed by a flexible material such as a resin may be used. If the tube 18 is formed by non-magnetic material, the speaker system of the second embodiment can be used in the strong magnetic field environment such as MRI device.
If the speaker system of the second embodiment is used for ANC, the sound collector 5 is installed adjacent to the auricular insertion part 19. In this case, an entrance of the auricular is a position to output the sound wave.
In the second embodiment, different from the first embodiment, as to the back face 2b, a size attachable to the listener's ear need not be taken into consideration. Accordingly, in case of using two diaphragms 3 having different vibration characteristics, a size of the diaphragm 3 can be increased. As a result, the sound having lower frequency can be effectively output.
In this case, the filter 12 to acquire the target transfer characteristic D is designed by following equation (6).
P1·H1+P2·H2+P3·H3=D (6)
Here, H1, H2 and H3 represent respective transfer characteristics of filters 12-1, 12-2 and 12-3. P1, P2 and P3 represent respective transfer characteristics from each speaker 11-1, 11-2 and 11-3 to the sound collector 5. D represents a target transfer characteristic from the input signal to the output signal (i.e., a sound pressure of a synthetic sound wave at the sound collector 5). The transfer characteristics P1, P2 and P3 are previously measured.
In this way, by using diaphragms 3-1, 3-2 and 3-3 having respective different shapes, MINT can be applied more easily.
Furthermore, the diaphragm 3 used for this case has two kinds of diaphragms 3-1 and 3-2. Accordingly, two kinds of filters 12-1 and 12-2 are applied. The transfer characteristics P1 and P2 to derive the filters 12-1 and 12-2 are transfer characteristics from respective diaphragms 3 (respective speakers 11) to the sound collector 5. The filters 12-1 and 12-2 are designed so as to satisfy the equation (1).
As shown in
In
In the third embodiment, a shape of the package 30 (to be used in MRI device) for the listener's ear is explained.
The speaker systems of the first and second embodiments are used in above-mentioned MRI device. Furthermore, by installing the diaphragm 3 into MRI device, the speaker system is expected to be functioning as ANC to protect noise in MRI device.
In the third embodiment, for example, in the bore 33 of MRI device 31, two pairs of speakers 35-1 and 35-2 having two different shapes are installed for right and left ears. The speaker 35 is composed by a diaphragm and a vibration source. Respective shapes of diaphragms of two speakers 35-1 and 35-2 are different. As the vibration source, a piezoelectric element such as a piezo speaker is preferably used.
By the sound collector 5 installed into the package 30 covering the test subject's ear, above-mentioned filters 12-1 and 12-2 are adjusted. In
As a method for aligning speakers 35, except for the method for aligning along a circumference direction of the bore 33, the method for aligning along a depth direction of the bore or the method for aligning at an edge face of the bore may be used. Furthermore, the number of speakers 35 may be larger than (or equal to) two. If two speakers 35-1 and 35-2 having different shapes are one pair, when N pairs thereof are aligned, sound increasing of “6 log 2N[dB]” is estimated.
A location of the sound collector 5 is important for MRI device. If non-magnetic material microphone (such as an optical microphone) is used as the sound collector 5, it is preferably installed near an entrance of the external auditory canal. The optical microphone is expensive. Accordingly, a microphone (such as MEMS microphone) not including a magnetic material is preferably used. In case of using HEMS microphone, the influence occurs on MRI image. Accordingly, this microphone needs to be separated as 1˜3 cm from the entrance of the external auditory canal.
Hereafter, as to shape of the package 30, detail principle is explained. In the package 30, in order for the test subject (wearing the package) to remove a feeling of pressure or to easily hear the external sound, an entrance or an opening of the sound is preferably prepared. However, if the opening is too large, a sound pressure (to be transferred to the package 30) from a control sound source further drops, the sound pressure largely drops than a sound pressure (entering into the package 30) of a noise source of a control target, and sound pressure-interference by ANC cannot be performed. Accordingly, if the package 30 includes the opening, by installing a reflector (such as a rib) around the opening and by lowering the averaged sound absorption ratio, sound increasing is preferably attempted.
In general, the sound pressure inside the package 30 is in proportion to the averaged sound absorption ratio. A product of air-damping and spatial resonance frequency in enclosed region is represented as an equation (7). Here, c is a sound velocity, S is a surface area of the package, α is an averaged sound absorption ratio, and V is a housing capacity.
The averaged sound absorption ratio α is defined by an equation (8). Specifically, a product of a sound absorption ratio αi (determined by a material of an inner wall of the package (viewed from the inside of the package to the outside)) and an installation area Si of the material is divided by a housing surface area S.
In order to simplify, a rectangular parallelepiped is explained as an example. If all six faces (N=6) have the sound absorption ratio α1, the averaged sound absorption ratio α is equal to α1. If all six faces are openings, reflection does not occur in the opening (viewed from the inside to the outside), and the sound absorption ratio is 1. By above-mentioned reason, if the opening is always necessary for one face and if other faces do not absorb sound as much as possible, increasing of the averaged sound absorption ratio can be suppressed.
Accordingly, at the opening except for the side wall, to the extent so as not to disturb flow of sound wave, a plurality of partitions is preferably installed. Furthermore, if the partitions are installed at an interval L(m) and at a length d(m) along a direction of the sound source arriving, in space surrounded by the partitions, the sound wave is changed to a plane wave at a frequency smaller than (or equal to) f(Hz) defined by an equation (9).
Except for build-up effect, by aligning respective phases of wave surfaces of advancing sound waves (rectifying effect), reduction of the sound pressure can be performed by phase-interference. For example, if a range to set the plane wave is 1500˜3500 Hz, it is necessary that d is larger than (or equal to) 0.11 m and L is smaller than (or equal to) 0.05 m. In
Next, outline of the package 30 using this principle is explained. The package 30 includes a front face 30a, a back face 30b opposing the front face 30a, and a side face 30c.
In this case, the noise source is entered into the package 30 from the opening of back face 30b. As mentioned-above, if the partition 36 does not exist, a sound wave of high and middle frequency zone is not changed to a plane wave, and effect of sound wave-interference cannot be expected.
In order to remove this demerit, if a space for installation does not exist, a sound wave from the control sound source is inserted into the opening of a lower part of the side face 3c. In this case, at a bottom stair of the rib 37, an opening to take in a sound wave of the control sound source (entered from the lower part) is formed. The sound wave of the control sound source from this opening is propagated to the rib 37 in order, and approaches to a plane wave by rectifying effect. Here, in comparison with the partition 36 of
For example, a polyethylene tube is good. As a merit to use the tube 38, a radiation face of the control sound wave is a section of the tube. Accordingly, the radiation effect is low, the sound wave is not propagated except for the control area, and unnecessary area of sound increasing does not occur at ANC. Furthermore, in case of ANC for right and left ears, effect of crosstalk need not be taken into consideration and the control calculation-amount is reduced.
In the second embodiment, two diaphragms 3 having different shapes are installed into the same package, and the sound wave therefrom is transmitted by the tube 18. However, respective diaphragms 3 may be installed into different packages (not the same package). Furthermore, as respective lengths of the tube 18 and the tube 38, by shifting pipeline resonances thereof, they are preferably determined so as to easily accomplish the faithful reproduction.
Furthermore, modifications of the partition 36 are shown hereafter,
Attenuation (reduction amount) η of the radiation acoustic power is determined by a distance between two point sound sources and calculated by following equation (10).
As shown in the equation (10), the attenuation of the radiation acoustic power is changed by a product of a wave length k and the distance d.
Accordingly, at a range smaller than “kd=π/2”, i.e., “d<λ/4”, the acoustic power begins to lower. In order to lower to the extent of 10 dB, “d<λ/4” is preferred.
Accordingly, by designing a shape of the partition 36, it is effective to shorten the distance between two point sound sources as much as possible.
If two point sound sources are located adjacently, as shown in
This attenuation is represented by following equation (11). In
In this way, the attenuation of acoustic power can approximate the above-mentioned theoretical limitation.
If such counterplan to shorten the distance between point sound sources cannot be performed physically, as shown in
However, as to these control sound sources, it is assumption that the amplitude and the phase characteristic thereof are same respectively. Accordingly, if respective sound waves from the control sound sources are transmitted via the tubes 38, this case needs to take care, such that lengths of the respective tubes are equally set.
If sound waves of the noise source and the control sound source are inputted to different transmission paths (formed by respective partitions), attenuation η of acoustic power is calculated by following equation (12). In the equation (12), “d” is an interval between the noise source and the control sound source, and “L” is a distance between two control sound sources.
Furthermore, if the control microphone 39 cannot be located along the center axis passing through two control sound sources, the control microphone 39 is located at one peak of an isosceles triangle formed by two control sound sources and the control microphone. By this location, the attenuation effect improves. Especially, if the control microphone is located farther from the control sound source, the attenuation effect more improves.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of examples only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.
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