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US4933768A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Sound reproducer

Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1989-07-19
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Granted: 1990-06-12
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Expires: 2009-07-19
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Abstract

Abstract A television receiver includes a volume control circuit (4) for controlling levels of sound signals corresponding to a left channel, a right channel, a center channel and a surround channel and speakers (6 to 10) corresponding to these channels. The television receiver further comprises a test tone circuit (11; 18), a microcomputer (14) and a character display circuit (16). The test tone circuit (11; 18) supplies a test tone of a prescribed frequency sequentially to the speakers (6 to 10) through the volume control circuit (4). The microcomputer (14) provides a command to the character display circuit (16) so that a CRT 17) displays which speaker is currently supplied with the test tone as well as volume levels of the respective speakers.

Inventors

  • 👤 Tsutomu Ishikawa
  • 👤 Ryuichi Ogawa
  • 👤 Masaya Tanno
  • 👤 Fumio Tosaka
  • 👤 Hirofumi Okada
  • 👤 Takayuki Imaida

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 06:30
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04S; H04S7/00; H04S7/40; H04S7/30; H04S7/301; H04S3/00; H04S7/302

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 111 words
A sound reproducer for reproducing sound signals corresponding to a plurality of channels, comprising: volume control means (4) for controlling levels of said sound signals corresponding to said plurality of channels respectively; a plurality of sound regenerating means (6 to 10) provided in correspondence to said plurality of channels for regenerating said sound signals controlled by said volume control means (4) respectively; test signal supply means (11) for supplying a test signal of a prescribed frequency to said plurality of sound regenerating means (6 to 10) through said volume control means (4); and display means (14 to 17) for displaying which sound regenerating means is currently supplied with said test signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 111 words
A sound reproducer for reproducing sound signals corresponding to a plurality of channels, comprising: volume control means (4) for controlling levels of said sound signals corresponding to said plurality of channels respectively; a plurality of sound regenerating means (6 to 10) provided in correspondence to said plurality of channels for regenerating said sound signals controlled by said volume control means (4) respectively; test signal supply means (11) for supplying a test signal of a prescribed frequency to said plurality of sound regenerating means (6 to 10) through said volume control means (4); and display means (14 to 17) for displaying which sound regenerating means is currently supplied with said test signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 43 words
A sound reproducer in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of sound regenerating means are a plurality of speaker means (6 to 10), said test signal supply means is test tone supply means (11), and said test signal is a test tone.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 160 words
A sound reproducer in accordance with claim 2, wherein said plurality of channels include first, second, third and fourth channels, said test tone supply means (11; 18) includes: test tone generating means (110; 21) for generating a test tone of a prescribed frequency, control signal generating means (114; 19, 20, 26) for generating a control signal in a prescribed cycle, and switching means (111 to 113; 22 to 25) for supplying said test tone to said plurality of speaker means (6 to 10) through said volume control means every prescribed period in response to said control signal, and said display means includes: control means (14, 15, 16) for outputting a command signal commanding display of speaker means currently supplied with said test tone in response to said control signal from said control signal generating means, and a display unit (17) for making display along said command signal in response to said command signal from said control means (14, 15, 16).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 104 words
A sound reproducer in accordance with claim 3, wherein said control signal generating means includes: timer means (19) for generating a pair of timing signals having different cycles, a first decoder (2) for decoding said timing signals for generating a plurality of first control signals, and a second decoder (26) for decoding said timing signals for generating a plurality of second control signals corresponding to said four channels, and said control means (14 to 16) for making the speaker means currently supplied with said test tone displayed on said display unit (17) in response to said second control signals from said second decoder (26).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 37 words
A sound reproducer in accordance with claim 3, wherein said control means (14 to 16) make display corresponding to the speaker means currently supplied with said test tone different from that corresponding to remaining said speaker means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 145 words
A sound reproducer in accordance with claim 3, further including decoder means (3) having first and second input terminals (l, r) receiving two-channel sound signals obtained by decoding four-channel sound signals and decoding said two-channel sound signals for outputting sound signals corresponding to four channels, wherein said switching means (111 to 113) supply said test tone to said first input terminal (l) of said decoder means (3) at first timing, an inverted signal of said test tone to said first and second input terminals (l, r) of said decoder means (3) at second timing, said inverted signal of said test tone to said second input terminal (r) of said decoder means (3) at third timing, and said test tone and said inverted signal of said test tone to said first and second input terminals (l, r) of said decoder means (3) at fourth timing respectively.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 31 words
A sound reproducer in accordance with claim 6, further including first switching means (13) for supplying either received said two-channel sound signals or said test tone to said decoder means (3).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 152 words
A sound reproducer in accordance with claim 3, further including decoder means (3) having first and second input terminals (l, r) receiving two-channel sound signals obtained by encoding four-channel sound signals and decoding said two-channel sound signals for outputting sound signals corresponding to four channels, wherein said switching means (22 to 25) supply said test tone to said first input terminal (l) of said decoder means (3) at first timing, a signal obtained by attenuating said test tone to said first and second input terminals (l, r) of said decoder means (3) at second timing, said test tone to said second input terminal (r) of said decoder means (3) at third timing and said signal obtained by attenuating said test tone and an inverted signal of said signal obtained by attenuating said test tone to said first and second input terminals (l, r) of said decoder means (3) at fourth timing respectively.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 31 words
A sound reproducer in accordance with claim 8, further including first switching means (13) for supplying either received said two-channel sound signals or said test tone to said decoder means (3).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 122 words
A sound reproducer for reproducing sound signals corresponding to a plurality of channels, comprising: volume control means (4) for controlling levels of said sound signals corresponding to said plurality of channels respectively; a plurality of sound regenerating means (6 to 10) provided in correspondence to said plurality of channels for regenerating said sound signals controlled by said volume control means (4) respectively; test signal supply means (11) for supplying a test signal of a prescribed frequency to said plurality of sound regenerating means (6 to 10) through said volume control means (4); and display means (14 to 17) for displaying volume levels corresponding to said plurality of channels, as well as which sound regenerating means is currently supplied with said test signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 122 words
A sound reproducer for reproducing sound signals corresponding to a plurality of channels, comprising: volume control means (4) for controlling levels of said sound signals corresponding to said plurality of channels respectively; a plurality of sound regenerating means (6 to 10) provided in correspondence to said plurality of channels for regenerating said sound signals controlled by said volume control means (4) respectively; test signal supply means (11) for supplying a test signal of a prescribed frequency to said plurality of sound regenerating means (6 to 10) through said volume control means (4); and display means (14 to 17) for displaying volume levels corresponding to said plurality of channels, as well as which sound regenerating means is currently supplied with said test signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 122 words
A television receiver having a television screen (17) and reproducing sound signals corresponding to a plurality of channels, comprising: volume control means (14) for controlling levels of said sound signals corresponding to said plurality of channels respectively; a plurality of speaker means (6 to 10) provided in correspondence to said plurality of channels for regenerating said sound signals controlled by said volume control means (4) respectively; test tone supply means (11; 18) for supplying a test tone of a prescribed frequency to said plurality of speaker means (6 to 10) through said volume control means (4) every prescribed period; and display means (14 to 16) for displaying which speaker means is currently supplied with said test tone on said television screen (17).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 122 words
A television receiver having a television screen (17) and reproducing sound signals corresponding to a plurality of channels, comprising: volume control means (14) for controlling levels of said sound signals corresponding to said plurality of channels respectively; a plurality of speaker means (6 to 10) provided in correspondence to said plurality of channels for regenerating said sound signals controlled by said volume control means (4) respectively; test tone supply means (11; 18) for supplying a test tone of a prescribed frequency to said plurality of speaker means (6 to 10) through said volume control means (4) every prescribed period; and display means (14 to 16) for displaying which speaker means is currently supplied with said test tone on said television screen (17).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 30 words
A television receiver in accordance with claim 11, wherein said display means (14 to 16) further display volume levels corresponding to said plurality of channels on said television screen (17).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 140 words
A television receiver in accordance with claim 12, wherein said plurality of channels include first, second, third and fourth channels, said test tone supply means (11; 18) includes: test tone generating means (110; 21) for generating a test tone of a prescribed frequency, control signal generating means (114; 19, 20, 26) for generating a control signal in a prescribed cycle, and switching means (111 to 113, 22 to 25) for supplying said test tone to said plurality of speaker means (6 to 10) through said volume control means (4) every prescribed period in response to said control signal, and said display means includes control means (14 to 16) making display indicating the speaker currently supplied with said test tone on said television screen (17) in response to said control signal from said control signal generating means (114; 19, 20, 26).

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4385814A Cited
US4577188A Cited
GB2154835A Cited
JPS61251400A Cited
US4799260A Cited
US4817149A Cited
EP0276948A2 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-06-11 1993-12-11 1994-06-12 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-06-11 1997-12-11 1998-06-12 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-06-11 2001-12-11 2002-06-12 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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