US4227050A — Virtual sound source system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 175 words

A system for generating binaural sound in a rectangular room from a stereo recording made of a live performance, said room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a low frequency range loudspeaker means; a high frequency range loudspeaker means; said low frequency range loudspeaker means disposed to radiate energy therefrom rearwardly and sidewardly so as to reflect off the front wall, sidewalls and ceiling of the room whereby upon advancing into the listening room it converges upon the listening area thereof; and dispersing means including a portion of a parabaloid of revolution having a reflective surface; said high frequency range loudspeaker means disposed generally at the focus of the parabaloid of revolution to radiate energy therefrom upwardly to reflect off the reflective surface thereof such that said high frequency range energy is divergingly dispersed forwardly by said dispersing means over a horizontal and vertical angular range whereby upon advancing into the listening room it reflects off the sidewalls and ceiling of the room and converges upon the listening area thereof.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 175 words

A system for generating binaural sound in a rectangular room from a stereo recording made of a live performance, said room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a low frequency range loudspeaker means; a high frequency range loudspeaker means; said low frequency range loudspeaker means disposed to radiate energy therefrom rearwardly and sidewardly so as to reflect off the front wall, sidewalls and ceiling of the room whereby upon advancing into the listening room it converges upon the listening area thereof; and dispersing means including a portion of a parabaloid of revolution having a reflective surface; said high frequency range loudspeaker means disposed generally at the focus of the parabaloid of revolution to radiate energy therefrom upwardly to reflect off the reflective surface thereof such that said high frequency range energy is divergingly dispersed forwardly by said dispersing means over a horizontal and vertical angular range whereby upon advancing into the listening room it reflects off the sidewalls and ceiling of the room and converges upon the listening area thereof.

Claim 3

Independent Claim 248 words

A system for generating binaural sound in a listening room from the two channels of stereo recording made of a live performance, said listening room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a pair of enclosed speaker cabinets respectively disposed on the sides of the front wall of said listening room; each said speaker cabinet including: a low frequency range loudspeaker mounted thereon to substantially face the front of the listening room so that low frequency sound reproduced from a channel of said stereo recording is reflected off the front wall, sidewalls and ceiling of the listening room so as to converge onto the listening area thereof; a dispersing chamber on the top of said speaker cabinet having an outlet port facing the listening area of the room; a reflector in the rear of said dispersing chamber having a convex surface; and a high frequency range loudspeaker mounted below said reflector so that high frequency sound reproduced from a channel of said recording is laterally and angularly reflected off the convex surface thereof into the dispersing chamber and out the outlet port thereof such that a portion of said high frequency sound strikes the sidewalls and ceiling of the room so as to converge onto the listening area thereof; whereby primary propagation paths of sound are physically created throughout the listening area in the room in a manner similar to and in context with those present in a concert hall during a live performance.

Claim 4

Independent Claim 248 words

A system for generating binaural sound in a listening room from the two channels of stereo recording made of a live performance, said listening room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a pair of enclosed speaker cabinets respectively disposed on the sides of the front wall of said listening room; each said speaker cabinet including: a low frequency range loudspeaker mounted thereon to substantially face the front of the listening room so that low frequency sound reproduced from a channel of said stereo recording is reflected off the front wall, sidewalls and ceiling of the listening room so as to converge onto the listening area thereof; a dispersing chamber on the top of said speaker cabinet having an outlet port facing the listening area of the room; a reflector in the rear of said dispersing chamber having a convex surface; and a high frequency range loudspeaker mounted below said reflector so that high frequency sound reproduced from a channel of said recording is laterally and angularly reflected off the convex surface thereof into the dispersing chamber and out the outlet port thereof such that a portion of said high frequency sound strikes the sidewalls and ceiling of the room so as to converge onto the listening area thereof; whereby primary propagation paths of sound are physically created throughout the listening area in the room in a manner similar to and in context with those present in a concert hall during a live performance.

Claim 5

Independent Claim 219 words

A system for generating binaural sound in a listening room from the two channels of a stereo recording made of a live performance in a concert hall, said listening room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a pair of speaker cabinets for respectively reproducing said two channels of stereo recording; each said cabinet including: a low frequency range loudspeaker disposed to radiate energy from a channel of said stereo recording such that it is reflected off the front wall, sidewalls, and ceiling of the listening room so as to converge onto the listening area thereof; a V-shaped mixing chamber having a top and bottom wall and disposed with an opening facing the listening area of the room; a segment of a parabaloid located in the corner of said mixing chamber; and a high frequency range loudspeaker disposed to face upwardly to reflect energy off of said segment of a parabaloid into the mixing chamber from which it is divergingly dispersed forwardly onto the sidewalls and ceiling of the listening room so as to convergingly reflect onto the listening area thereof; whereby said pair of speaker cabinets produce primary propagation paths of sound in the listening room having configurations similar to and in context with those present in a concert hall during the live performance.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 219 words

A system for generating binaural sound in a listening room from the two channels of a stereo recording made of a live performance in a concert hall, said listening room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a pair of speaker cabinets for respectively reproducing said two channels of stereo recording; each said cabinet including: a low frequency range loudspeaker disposed to radiate energy from a channel of said stereo recording such that it is reflected off the front wall, sidewalls, and ceiling of the listening room so as to converge onto the listening area thereof; a V-shaped mixing chamber having a top and bottom wall and disposed with an opening facing the listening area of the room; a segment of a parabaloid located in the corner of said mixing chamber; and a high frequency range loudspeaker disposed to face upwardly to reflect energy off of said segment of a parabaloid into the mixing chamber from which it is divergingly dispersed forwardly onto the sidewalls and ceiling of the listening room so as to convergingly reflect onto the listening area thereof; whereby said pair of speaker cabinets produce primary propagation paths of sound in the listening room having configurations similar to and in context with those present in a concert hall during the live performance.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 45 words

A sound generating system in accordance with claim 3 wherein the top wall of said chamber is shorter than its bottom wall so as to divergingly disperse said high frequency sound angularly upwardly such that it convergingly reflects from the ceiling onto the listening area.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 37 words

A sound generating system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said segment of a parabaloid is shaped to form circular sections in horizontal planes and parabolic sections in vertical planes radially extending from its center of revolution.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 26 words

A sound generating systen in accordance with claim 3 wherein the V-shaped mixing chamber has sidewalls shaped to define an included angle of approximately 114 degrees.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 40 words

A sound generating system in accordance with claim 3 wherein the low frequency range loudspeakers are disposed on said respective speaker cabinets at an angle of approximately 26 degrees on either side of the front wall of the listening room.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 223 words

A system for generating binaural sound from a stereo recording in a rectangular listening room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a pair of speaker cabinets positioned along either side of the front wall of said listening room; each said speaker cabinets including: a dispersing means including a portion of a parabolic reflector; an upwardly facing high frequency range speaker disposed below said portion of a parabolic reflector for radiating high frequency energy therefrom which is divergingly dispersed by said dispersing means over a horizontal and vertical arcuate range into the listening room such that a portion of said high frequency energy convergingly reflects from said sidewalls and ceiling onto the listening area thereof; and a low frequency range speaker facing the front wall at a small angle toward an adjacent corner thereof for radiating low frequency energy such that it convergingly reflects off the front wall, sidewalls and ceiling of the listening room onto the listening area thereof; whereby primary propagation paths of sound are created in the listening area which upon striking each ear of a listener provide a unique composition no matter where the listener is located in the listening area from which the listener is able to sense the direction, distance, and size of the original sound with the realism of a live performance.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 223 words

A system for generating binaural sound from a stereo recording in a rectangular listening room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a pair of speaker cabinets positioned along either side of the front wall of said listening room; each said speaker cabinets including: a dispersing means including a portion of a parabolic reflector; an upwardly facing high frequency range speaker disposed below said portion of a parabolic reflector for radiating high frequency energy therefrom which is divergingly dispersed by said dispersing means over a horizontal and vertical arcuate range into the listening room such that a portion of said high frequency energy convergingly reflects from said sidewalls and ceiling onto the listening area thereof; and a low frequency range speaker facing the front wall at a small angle toward an adjacent corner thereof for radiating low frequency energy such that it convergingly reflects off the front wall, sidewalls and ceiling of the listening room onto the listening area thereof; whereby primary propagation paths of sound are created in the listening area which upon striking each ear of a listener provide a unique composition no matter where the listener is located in the listening area from which the listener is able to sense the direction, distance, and size of the original sound with the realism of a live performance.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 271 words

A system for generating binaural sound from two channels of stereo recordings in a rectangular listening room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a pair of speaker cabinets, each said speaker cabinets having a rearwardly facing low frequency range loudspeaker mounted on an angularly disposed panel on the rear thereof, a V shaped mixing chamber with a forwardly facing outlet port, a portion of a parabaloid in the corner of said V shaped chamber, and an upwardly facing high frequency range loudspeaker mounted below said portion of a parabaloid; said speaker cabinets being positioned along the front wall of said listening room with their low frequency range loudspeakers facing rearwardly at a small angle toward the respective front side corners thereof and with the outlet ports of their V shaped chambers facing forwardly onto the listening area of the room; whereby the low frequency range of the sound reproduced from the two channels of stereo recording radiate from the respective rearwardly facing low frequency range loudspeakers and reflect off either side of the front wall, sidewall and ceiling of the room so as to advance forwardly with wavefronts converging onto the listening area thereof; and whereby the high frequency range of the sound reproduced from the two channels of stereo recording radiate from the respective upwardly facing high frequency range loudspeakers so as to reflect off the respective portions of a parabaloid such as to divergingly disperse sound through the outlet ports of the mixing chambers onto the sidewalls and ceiling of the listening room from which the sound convergingly reflects onto the listening area thereof.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 271 words

A system for generating binaural sound from two channels of stereo recordings in a rectangular listening room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a pair of speaker cabinets, each said speaker cabinets having a rearwardly facing low frequency range loudspeaker mounted on an angularly disposed panel on the rear thereof, a V shaped mixing chamber with a forwardly facing outlet port, a portion of a parabaloid in the corner of said V shaped chamber, and an upwardly facing high frequency range loudspeaker mounted below said portion of a parabaloid; said speaker cabinets being positioned along the front wall of said listening room with their low frequency range loudspeakers facing rearwardly at a small angle toward the respective front side corners thereof and with the outlet ports of their V shaped chambers facing forwardly onto the listening area of the room; whereby the low frequency range of the sound reproduced from the two channels of stereo recording radiate from the respective rearwardly facing low frequency range loudspeakers and reflect off either side of the front wall, sidewall and ceiling of the room so as to advance forwardly with wavefronts converging onto the listening area thereof; and whereby the high frequency range of the sound reproduced from the two channels of stereo recording radiate from the respective upwardly facing high frequency range loudspeakers so as to reflect off the respective portions of a parabaloid such as to divergingly disperse sound through the outlet ports of the mixing chambers onto the sidewalls and ceiling of the listening room from which the sound convergingly reflects onto the listening area thereof.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 49 words

A system for generating binaural sound from two channels of stereo recording as defined in claim 9 including a crossover and equalizing electrical circuit for feeding high frequency sound signals to the high frequency range loudspeakers and for feeding low frequency sound signals to the low frequency range loudspeakers.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 30 words

A system for generating binaural sound from two channels of stereo recording as defined in claim 10 wherein the crossover point for feeding said sound signals is approximately 350 Hz.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 242 words

A system for generating sound reproduced from a pair of stereo channel recordings in a rectangular listening room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a pair of speaker cabinets each having a V shaped chamber with an outlet port facing the front thereof; a segment of a parabaloid disposed in the corner of each of the chambers; an upwardly facing high frequency loudspeaker disposed in each of said cabinets below said segment of a parabaloid; a rearwardly facing low frequency loudspeaker disposed on the rear of each of said cabinets; said cabinets positioned adjacent either side of the front wall of said listening room; and circuit means for feeding low frequency sound reproduced from said pair of stereo channel recordings to the respective low frequency loudspeakers and for feeding high frequency sound reproduced from said pair of stereo channel recordings to the respective high frequency loudspeakers; whereby the low frequency loudspeakers provide for radiating low frequency sounds for convergingly reflecting off the front wall, sidewalls and ceiling of the room into the listening area thereof; and whereby the high frequency loudspeakers provide for radiating high frequency sounds such that they reflect off the segments of the parabaloids and are divergingly dispersed through the outlet ports of said chambers such that they convergingly reflect off the sidewalls and ceiling onto the listening area of the room, thereby providing a binarual effect throughout the listening area of the room.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 242 words

A system for generating sound reproduced from a pair of stereo channel recordings in a rectangular listening room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a pair of speaker cabinets each having a V shaped chamber with an outlet port facing the front thereof; a segment of a parabaloid disposed in the corner of each of the chambers; an upwardly facing high frequency loudspeaker disposed in each of said cabinets below said segment of a parabaloid; a rearwardly facing low frequency loudspeaker disposed on the rear of each of said cabinets; said cabinets positioned adjacent either side of the front wall of said listening room; and circuit means for feeding low frequency sound reproduced from said pair of stereo channel recordings to the respective low frequency loudspeakers and for feeding high frequency sound reproduced from said pair of stereo channel recordings to the respective high frequency loudspeakers; whereby the low frequency loudspeakers provide for radiating low frequency sounds for convergingly reflecting off the front wall, sidewalls and ceiling of the room into the listening area thereof; and whereby the high frequency loudspeakers provide for radiating high frequency sounds such that they reflect off the segments of the parabaloids and are divergingly dispersed through the outlet ports of said chambers such that they convergingly reflect off the sidewalls and ceiling onto the listening area of the room, thereby providing a binarual effect throughout the listening area of the room.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 305 words

A sound system for generating sound reproduced from a pair of stereo channel recordings in a rectangular room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a pair of speaker cabinets disposed in said room on either side of the front wall thereof; each of said speaker cabinets including: a V shaped mixing chamber with an outlet port facing the listening area of said room; a portion of a parabaloid located in the corner of said mixing chamber; a low frequency loudspeaker disposed to face the front wall at a slight angle toward the adjacent corner of the room; a high frequency loudspeaker disposed to face the bottom of said portion of a parabaloid; and a crossover network for feeding stereo signals below approximately 350 Hz. as reproduced from said pair of stereo recordings to respective low frequency loudspeakers and for feeding stereo signals above approximately 350 Hz. as reproduced from said pair of stereo recordings to respective high frequency loudspeakers; said low frequency loudspeakers providing sound which reflects off either side of the front wall, sidewalls and ceiling of the room such that it advances into the listening area thereof with a wavefront similar to the manner in which low frequency sound is advanced toward a listener in a concert hall; and said high frequency loudspeakers providing sound which reflects off said portion of a parabaloid and is divergingly dispersed through the outlet ports of said chambers forwardly and angularly onto the sidewalls and ceiling of the room from which the sound converges upon the listening area of the room similar to the manner in which high frequency sound is advanced toward a listener in the concert hall; whereby a listener in the room receives binarual signals and therefore perceives an aural illusion of the original performance in a concert hall.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 305 words

A sound system for generating sound reproduced from a pair of stereo channel recordings in a rectangular room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: a pair of speaker cabinets disposed in said room on either side of the front wall thereof; each of said speaker cabinets including: a V shaped mixing chamber with an outlet port facing the listening area of said room; a portion of a parabaloid located in the corner of said mixing chamber; a low frequency loudspeaker disposed to face the front wall at a slight angle toward the adjacent corner of the room; a high frequency loudspeaker disposed to face the bottom of said portion of a parabaloid; and a crossover network for feeding stereo signals below approximately 350 Hz. as reproduced from said pair of stereo recordings to respective low frequency loudspeakers and for feeding stereo signals above approximately 350 Hz. as reproduced from said pair of stereo recordings to respective high frequency loudspeakers; said low frequency loudspeakers providing sound which reflects off either side of the front wall, sidewalls and ceiling of the room such that it advances into the listening area thereof with a wavefront similar to the manner in which low frequency sound is advanced toward a listener in a concert hall; and said high frequency loudspeakers providing sound which reflects off said portion of a parabaloid and is divergingly dispersed through the outlet ports of said chambers forwardly and angularly onto the sidewalls and ceiling of the room from which the sound converges upon the listening area of the room similar to the manner in which high frequency sound is advanced toward a listener in the concert hall; whereby a listener in the room receives binarual signals and therefore perceives an aural illusion of the original performance in a concert hall.

Claim 21

Independent Claim 163 words

A method for converting a stereo recording into binaural signals in a listening room having a frontwall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said method including the steps of: radiating the low frequency sounds of said stereo recording onto either side of the front wall, the sidewalls, and the ceiling such that all said low frequency sounds convergingly reflect forwardly onto the listening area of the room; and radiating the high frequency sounds of said stereo recording onto portions of parabolic reflectors which provide for divergingly dispersing all said high frequency sounds forwardly and angularly onto the ceiling and sidewalls of the room such that they convergingly reflect onto the listening area of the room; whereby the convergingly reflected sounds provide primary propagation paths of sound throughout the listening area a particular set of which combine depending on the location of the listener to provide composite signals at his ears for discerning distance, direction, size and location of the sounds as in a live performance.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 163 words

A method for converting a stereo recording into binaural signals in a listening room having a frontwall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said method including the steps of: radiating the low frequency sounds of said stereo recording onto either side of the front wall, the sidewalls, and the ceiling such that all said low frequency sounds convergingly reflect forwardly onto the listening area of the room; and radiating the high frequency sounds of said stereo recording onto portions of parabolic reflectors which provide for divergingly dispersing all said high frequency sounds forwardly and angularly onto the ceiling and sidewalls of the room such that they convergingly reflect onto the listening area of the room; whereby the convergingly reflected sounds provide primary propagation paths of sound throughout the listening area a particular set of which combine depending on the location of the listener to provide composite signals at his ears for discerning distance, direction, size and location of the sounds as in a live performance.

Claim 23

Independent Claim 185 words

A system for generating binarual sound in a room from a stereo recording made of a live performance, said room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: low frequency range loudspeaker means for reflecting all the reproduced low frequency range sound waves off the front wall, sidewalls and ceiling of the room so as to converge onto the listening area thereof; high frequency range loudspeaker means; dispersing means for reflecting and dispersing all the high frequency range sound waves reproduced by said high frequency range loudspeaker means forwardly into the listening area of the room over a lateral range of approximately 114 degrees and a vertical range of approximately 80 degrees such that portions of said high frequency sound waves reflect off the sidewalls and ceiling of the room so as to converge onto the listening area thereof; whereby primary propagation paths of sound waves are physically created in the listening area of the room from the low and high frequency range of sound waves similar to the paths these ranges of sound waves have when recorded during the live performance.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 185 words

A system for generating binarual sound in a room from a stereo recording made of a live performance, said room having a front wall, sidewalls and a ceiling, said system comprising: low frequency range loudspeaker means for reflecting all the reproduced low frequency range sound waves off the front wall, sidewalls and ceiling of the room so as to converge onto the listening area thereof; high frequency range loudspeaker means; dispersing means for reflecting and dispersing all the high frequency range sound waves reproduced by said high frequency range loudspeaker means forwardly into the listening area of the room over a lateral range of approximately 114 degrees and a vertical range of approximately 80 degrees such that portions of said high frequency sound waves reflect off the sidewalls and ceiling of the room so as to converge onto the listening area thereof; whereby primary propagation paths of sound waves are physically created in the listening area of the room from the low and high frequency range of sound waves similar to the paths these ranges of sound waves have when recorded during the live performance.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1983-10-07	1984-04-07	1984-10-07	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1987-10-07	1988-04-07	1988-10-07	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1991-10-07	1992-04-07	1992-10-07	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Virtual sound source system

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