JP2001211495A - Omnidirectional stereo speaker system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To produce a speaker system whose stereo feeling is satisfactory even though the system is listened to from any 360 degree direction. SOLUTION: Four or more sets of speaker units are alternately mounted on a circumference with a group of three units including two speaker units emitting left and right sounds or a speaker unit emitting a center sound as one set. In such a case, the speaker units emitting the right sound are mounted with a prescribed angle clockwise and the speaker units emitting the left sound are mounted with a prescribed angle counterclockwise so that the right sound can be heard from a right side and the left sound can be heard from a left side even though the speaker system is listened to from any 360 degree direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a speaker system for reproducing stereo sound, and more particularly, to a stereo speaker system capable of obtaining a stereo feeling that does not change from any direction without assuming listening from a specific direction. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional stereo speaker system includes:
It consists of a pair of left and right speaker systems installed at predetermined intervals, and the listener listens to these two speaker systems at the left and right front positions to enjoy a sound with a good stereo feeling.

Further, a speaker system is added to the middle of the left and right speaker systems to form a stereo speaker system with a center channel. The listener can view the left and right speaker systems in the left and right front, and the center channel speaker system in the front. I was listening to the stereo sound where the localization of the center sound was improved by listening.

[0004]

In the conventional stereo speaker system, since the listener cannot obtain a good stereo feeling unless he / she listens to the speaker system in a position where he or she looks right and left forward, the listener moves and one of the speakers moves. A good stereo feeling cannot be obtained in a state approaching the system or in a position where the left and right speaker systems overlap in the same direction. Also, if a speaker system is placed in the center and the surroundings are arranged so that many listeners can watch at the same time, there is a problem that only a small number of listeners can hear sound with good stereo feeling. there were. The same is true for stereo speaker systems with a center channel.

[0005]

According to the stereo speaker system of the present invention, four or more sets of speaker units that emit left and right sounds are alternately arranged on the circumference, and each speaker unit that emits right sounds has: When viewed from above, the sound emission direction is clockwise at an angle of 45 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less with a line segment connecting the speaker unit from the center of the circle to the outside. Each speaker unit that emits the left sound has a line segment that connects the speaker unit from the center of the circle to the outside, and
It is characterized by being turned counterclockwise at an angle of 5 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less.

Further, the stereo speaker system with a center channel according to the present invention comprises four or more sets of speaker units for emitting left and right and center sounds, and speaker units for emitting center sounds on the same circumference as the speaker units for emitting left and right sounds. Is on a circle with the center common to the circle,
Right-center-left or left-center-right. Each speaker unit that emits the right sound, when viewed from above, emits the sound in a clockwise direction at an angle of 45 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less with the line segment connecting the speaker units from the center of the circle and going outward. direction. Each of the speaker units that emits the central sound has a radiation direction corresponding to a line segment connecting the speaker units from the center of the circle and going outward. Each speaker unit that emits the left sound has, as viewed from above, a direction in which the sound is radiated from a line segment connecting the speaker units from the center of the circle to the outside.
It is characterized by being turned counterclockwise at an angle of no less than 90 degrees.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An example of a stereo speaker system according to claim 1 of the present invention is shown in a plan view seen from above in FIG. 1 and in a perspective view in FIG. In this example, speaker units L1 to L8 for reproducing the left sound
And speaker units R1 to R8 for reproducing the right sound
A pair of speaker units are used. These are alternately arranged on the circumference, and R1 to R8 turn clockwise at an angle θ with a straight line connecting the units from the center of the circle, and L1 to L8
Are turned counterclockwise at the same angle θ. The radiation angle of the two speaker units adjacent to each other is 90 degrees, and θ is 57 degrees.

In the speaker system 1, when the listener is at the position 2, the sounds from the L1 and R3 speaker units are best heard, and a good stereo feeling can be obtained. Since the speaker units of L2 and R2 are mounted close to the center, the sound separation is poor and does not give a sufficient stereo feeling. However, since the sound emission direction deviates from the direction of the listener, it is weaker than the sound of L1 and R3. hear. Except for bass with low directivity, the sound of the speaker units other than these is weaker, so that the effect on the stereo feeling is small.

When the listener is at the position 3, L
The sounds from the speaker units 1 and 2 are best heard, and a good stereo feeling can be obtained. The L2 and R1 speaker units located in the center of the front are weak because the sound emission direction deviates greatly from the direction of the listener.
The stereo effect provided by L1 and R2 is not significantly deteriorated.
Further, since the sound of the speaker units other than these is weaker, the influence on the stereo feeling is small.

When the listener is at an intermediate position between the positions 2 and 3, the sound has an intermediate level. However, a good stereo effect can be obtained by the left sound from L1 and the right sound from R2 and R3. Considering the above and the symmetry of the speaker system 1, it can be understood that a sound with a good stereo feeling can be heard at any position around the speaker system 1.

The speaker system according to the present invention utilizes the directivity of the speaker unit to selectively hear sound from a specific speaker unit in accordance with the position of the listener among the speaker units arranged around. This realizes a function that a good stereo feeling can be obtained regardless of the position of the listener. In order to fulfill this function, the direction of the speaker unit that reproduces the left and right sounds, that is, the radiation direction of the sound, makes an angle θ with the straight line connecting each unit from the center of the circle in which the speaker units are lined up. You have to turn clockwise,
Is preferably 45 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less.

Next, an example of a stereo speaker system according to claim 2 of the present invention is shown in a plan view seen from above in FIG. 3 and in a perspective view in FIG. In this example, speaker units L11 to L1 for reproducing the left sound
8 and speaker units R11 to R1 that reproduce the right sound
8. Speaker unit C11 for reproducing the central sound
Eight sets of speaker units C18 to C18 are used.
These are repeatedly arranged counterclockwise in the order of left-center-right. The speaker units for the left and right sounds are located on the same circumference, and the speaker unit for the center sound is located on a circumference with a slightly smaller radius. The radiation angles of the left, center, and right speaker units adjacent to each other are 45 degrees, and the radiation angles of the left and right speaker units are 90 degrees. Here, R11 to R18 form a right angle with a straight line connecting each unit from the center of the circle and turn clockwise.
Numeral 8 is counterclockwise at the same angle, and C11 to C18 are outwards on a straight line connecting the speaker units from the center of the circle and going outward. In this example, φ is 60 degrees.

In the speaker system 4, when the listener is at the position 5, the sounds from the L11, C12, and R13 speaker units are heard best, and the stereo sound at the center of the sound can be obtained with good localization. Can be
Since the speaker units L12 and R12 are close to the center and C11 and C13 are mounted away from the center, they do not give a good stereo feeling. However, since the sound emission direction deviates from the direction of the listener, L11 and C12 do not. , R13
Weaker than the sound of. Except for bass with low directivity, the sound of the speaker units other than these is weaker, so that the effect on the stereo feeling is small.

When the listener is at position 6, L1
The sounds from the speaker units 1, C11, C12, and R12 are heard best, and a good stereo feeling with good localization of the center sound is obtained. The speaker units L12 and R11 located at the front center are weak because the radiation direction of the sound largely deviates from the direction of the listener.
The stereo effect given by 1, C11, C12, and R12 is not significantly deteriorated. Further, since the sound of the speaker units other than these is weaker, the influence on the stereo feeling is small.

When the listener is at an intermediate position between the positions 5 and 6, the listener has an intermediate sense between them, but the left sound from L11, the central sound from C11 and C12, and the right sound from R12 and R13. Good stereo feeling can be obtained. Considering the above and the symmetry of the speaker system 4, it can be understood that a sound with a good stereo feeling can be heard at any position around the speaker system 4.

The number of speaker units required for the speaker system of the present invention is such that at least four sets are provided so as to have rotational symmetry, with one set of left and right or left and right one in the center. is necessary.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an embodiment according to claim 2 in which four sets of right and left and center speaker units are used. If C21 to C24 are removed from this embodiment, an embodiment according to claim 1 is obtained. In this embodiment as well, a sound with a stereo feeling can be heard from any position, but the variation in the audibility depending on the position of the listener is slightly large. In order to suppress this variation, preferably six or more speaker units are required, and more preferably, eight or more speaker units are used as shown in FIGS.

The speaker system of the present invention utilizes the directivity of a speaker unit, and the speaker unit used preferably has a rather strong unidirectionality. FIG. 6 shows the speaker system 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which plates 8 for enhancing directivity are arranged and mounted in front of the speaker unit. However, it is not possible to enhance directivity using an acoustic lens in this way. It is preferable to further improve the stereo feeling of the speaker system.

[0019]

By using the omnidirectional stereo speaker system of the present invention, the listener can hear a sound with a good stereo feeling no matter from which direction.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a different embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which an acoustic lens for enhancing directivity of a speaker unit is attached.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... stereo speaker system according to claim 1 of the present invention 2, 3, 5, 6 ... listeners 4, 7 ... stereo speaker system with center channel according to claim 2 of the present invention L1 to L8, L11 to L18, L21 to L24 ...
Left audio speaker units R1 to R8, R11 to R18, R21 to R24 ...
Left speaker unit C11-C18, C21-C24 Central speaker unit 8 Plate (acoustic lens)

Claims (2)

[Claims]
1. 1. A speaker unit 4 that emits left and right sounds.
   This is a stereo speaker system in which pairs or more are alternately arranged on the circumference. Each speaker unit that emits the right sound, when viewed from above, emits the sound in a clockwise direction at an angle of 45 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less with the line segment connecting the speaker units from the center of the circle and going outward. direction.
   Each speaker unit that emits the left sound, when viewed from above, emits the sound in a counterclockwise direction at an angle of 45 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less with the line segment connecting the speaker units from the center of the circle and going outward. Characterized by
   Omnidirectional stereo speaker system.
2. 2. A speaker unit that emits left and right sounds and a set of four or more speaker units that emit left and right sounds are on the same circumference, and a speaker unit that emits a center sound is a circle having a common center with the circle. It is a stereo speaker system with a center channel that is repeatedly arranged on the circumference in the order of right-center-left or left-center-right. Each speaker unit that emits the right sound,
   When viewed from above, the sound emission direction is clockwise at an angle of 45 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less with a line segment connecting the speaker unit from the center of the circle and going outward. Each of the speaker units that emits the central sound has a radiation direction corresponding to a line segment connecting the speaker units from the center of the circle and going outward. Each speaker unit that emits the left sound, when viewed from above, emits the sound in a counterclockwise direction at an angle of 45 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less with a line segment connecting the speaker units from the center of the circle and going outward. An omnidirectional stereo speaker system characterized by being oriented.