WO2009109589A1

WO2009109589A1 - Acoustic exciter unit

Info

Publication number: WO2009109589A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/052526
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert Bösnecker
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2008-03-06
Filing date: 2009-03-04
Publication date: 2009-09-11
Also published as: DE102008012856A1

Abstract

An acoustic exciter unit (2, 26, 38, 46, 50) is provided, comprising an oscillation exciter module (4), which can be coupled to a sound emitter (6) and has an oscillating element. To this end, it is provided that a lamp (7, 10) is disposed on the oscillation exciter module (4).

Description

description

Acoustic exciter unit

The invention relates to an acoustic exciter unit with a vibration exciter module which can be coupled to a sound emitter and which comprises a vibrating element.

A vibration exciter module of the type mentioned in the introduction is e.g. from EP 1 122 974 Bl. In EP 1 122 974 Bl a flat speaker is called.

A known vibration exciter module for such surface speakers usually has a permanent magnet system with a working according to the electrodynamic principle

Voice coil as a vibrating element, which is mechanically coupled with a sound emitter. If the voice coil is electrically excited by a sound emitter, then their vibrations are transmitted to the sound emitter. As a result, the sound emitter itself is excited to vibrate and so to the sound output. The sound emitter acts at least partially as a membrane of a loudspeaker. In the area loudspeaker, the sound emitter is formed in particular by a sound-radiating surface of any size, thickness and shape.

In EP 1 122 974 B1 the area loudspeaker is integrated in a lighting device. In this case, for example, a translucent panel is resiliently clamped in side parts of a luminaire housing, which forms the sound-radiating surface of the area loudspeaker.

Based on the prior art, the present invention seeks to provide a versatile as possible use acoustic stimulator unit.

The above object is achieved by an acoustic exciter unit with a sound to a transmitter can be coupled vibration exciter module, which comprises a vibrating element, wherein a lighting means is arranged on the vibration exciter module.

The invention is based on the consideration that, following a customer-oriented trend, there is a growing demand for simultaneous light and sound emitting systems. Previous concepts are based, in particular, on integrating an area loudspeaker in a lighting device. For example, a vibration exciter module e.g. attached to the inside of a translucent panel of a light housing. Disadvantageously, this can lead to a shadow through the illuminated by a light source vibration exciter module, which causes a disturbing visual impression.

The invention recognizes the surprisingly simple possibility of realizing a simultaneously light and sound emitting system by means of a self-luminous acoustic exciter unit. For this purpose, a light source is arranged on the vibration exciter module. In this case, the luminous means may for example be fastened directly to the vibration exciter module, or e.g. on a housing of the vibration exciter module. In this context, it may of course also be provided to integrate the light source in the vibration exciter module. Since the acoustic exciter unit itself acts as a light source, an optically disturbing shadow is effectively avoided. To generate sound, the vibration exciter module of the acoustic exciter unit can be coupled to a sound indicator.

By means of such a versatile acoustic exciter unit, it is thus possible to realize a light and sound emitting system in a simple manner.

The vibration exciter module includes, for example, a fixed permanent magnet in the magnetic field itself the vibrating element is located. About a supplied electrical audio signal, which is usually an AC signal, the vibrating element can be excited to a vibration. The electrical audio signal is supplied to the vibrating element, for example, from an audio device, such as a music system.

The oscillating element may, for example, be coupled in vibration-transmitting manner to a housing of the vibration exciter module, so that the housing is also set in corresponding oscillations. When the vibration exciter module is coupled to the sound emitter, the vibrations of the vibration element are transmitted directly or indirectly to the sound emitter, as a result of which the sound emitter itself is excited to oscillate and thereby emits sound.

The illuminant is to be understood in particular in the sense of an active light source, in which a light emission takes place independently of a light irradiation, such as in an incandescent lamp or a light emitting diode, which is referred to briefly as LED. The lighting means may e.g. also be made of a light-emitting material, e.g. from a luminous plastic. It may be provided, for example, to make a housing of the Schingungsanregermoduls at least partially made of such a material or this example. to be attached to the housing. The illuminant signal may be, for example, a control signal for driving the luminous means or a supply signal. The illuminant signal is often given as an electrical DC signal.

The light-emitting means may in particular be arranged indirectly on the vibration exciter module, for example via a vibration-absorbing component that combines with it. The light source is operated by means of the electrical light-emitting signal. Preferably, however, the luminous means is arranged directly on the vibration exciter module. This is particularly favorable with regard to the realization of a mounted assembly of the self-luminous acoustic exciter unit.

Advantageously, the vibrating element comprises a vibrating coil. As mentioned above, a voice coil is often coupled to a permanent magnet system. By an alternating magnetic field, which builds up due to the current flow of the electrical audio signal through the voice coil, it is excited to oscillations in the permanent magnetic field. In addition to such electromagnetic voice coils piezoelectric voice coils are known, which are coupled with a piezo element. A vibration exciter module comprising a voice coil is usually a low-cost mass component, which can be coupled to the sound emitter in a simple manner, for example by gluing.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the lighting means is adapted to emit different colored light. For this purpose, for example, a plurality of lighting means may be provided which are each configured to emit a different light color. The corresponding lighting means can be controlled individually, for example, to emit light, so that different light and color effects can be generated. Likewise, it can be provided that a single light source is designed to emit light of different colors. This refinement increases, in particular, the degrees of freedom for design and creative measures which can be realized with the acoustic exciter unit.

Preferably, the lighting means is designed as a light emitting diode. A light-emitting diode, also called LED for short, is an electronic semiconductor component. If current flows through the light emitting diode, it emits light with a wavelength dependent on the semiconductor material. This means that all primary colors as well as white and mixed colors can be realized by LEDs. Compared to for example conventional Incandescent lamps consume LEDs significantly less energy and have a longer life. Due to the small dimensions, it is also possible to attach multiple LEDs on a vibration exciter module. Likewise, it may be provided to design the lighting means as a flat array of light-emitting diodes.

Advantageously, the vibration exciter module and / or the lighting means can be driven to a vibration excitation or a light emission. By the controllability of the

Illuminant, for example, opens up the possibility, by means of the LEDs targeted image information, e.g. in the form of a seven-segment or dot matrix display. This is e.g. possible to assist in the use of the acoustic exciter unit in an announcement speaker of a public building, a word information of an announcement by means of a corresponding symbolic image information. Thus, for example, in the event of an emergency announcement, the light source can be activated to emit red light, or a red cross can also be displayed in a targeted manner.

In an advantageous embodiment, a coupling input interface to the input of a coupled audio and light source signal is provided, wherein the coupling input interface, a signal decoupler is connected downstream, which is connected by switching technology with the vibration exciter module and the light source. In this variant, the acoustic exciter unit can be supplied with the audio signal and the luminous means signal coupled via a common signal line. Coupled here means that, for example, the lighting signal, the audio signal is modulated, or vice versa. It is also possible for the digital signal to be modulated onto the illuminant signal, or the digital audio signal for a digital illuminant signal. In particular, it is also possible for a "DC voltage" audio signal to be modulated onto an "AC" audio signal. The possibility to connect the audio and the illuminant signal in a coupled manner. lead is particularly favorable, since in this case only one supply line is necessary to the coupling input interface, so that in this connection considerably wiring and material can be saved. The coupled luminous means and audio signal is decoupled by means of the signal decoupler, so that subsequently a separate supply of the illuminant and the audio signal to the luminous means or the oscillation exciter module can take place.

In a further advantageous embodiment, a digital input interface is provided for the input of a digital audio and / or luminous means signal, wherein the digital input interface is followed by a digital-to-analog converter, which switch-connected to the Schwingungsan- regulatory module or the lighting means is. As a result of progress, the use of digital signals has increased dramatically. A digital signal is a discrete signal which encodes binary information. This refinement opens up the possibility of using digital input signals and, for example, resorting to a digital signal network, whereby advantageously the progress in the development of digital signal processing can be utilized. Thus, in this embodiment variant, it is possible, for example, to resort to a digital control system for controlling the illuminant, with the known advantages of digital addressability or digital processing. The same applies here to the controllability of the vibration exciter module. The digital-to-analogue converter converts the digital audio and lighting signals into corresponding analogue signals that can be used by the vibration excitation module or the illuminant. It may be provided, for example, that the amplification of the analog signals to the digital-to-analog converter, an electronic amplifier is connected downstream.

Preferably, the signal decoupler comprises a capacitance. This variant is expediently selected when the "alternating voltage" luminous means signal By means of a circuit comprising a capacitance, it is possible to separate DC components from AC components, in particular the frequency dependence of the AC resistor of a capacitor.

In an alternative advantageous embodiment, the signal decoupler comprises a digital demodulator. This variant is selected, for example, when the "DC" illuminant signal is modulated onto a digital audio signal, or when a digital audio signal and a digital illuminant signal are coupled in. For example, the demodulator "filters" the digital audio signal from the digital audio signal coupled illuminant / audio signal, and in particular it supplies to a digital-to-analog converter, which converts the filtered-out digital audio signal into an analog audio signal.

Advantageously, the vibration exciter module is preceded by a sound correction unit. In the context of sound generation by means of the vibration excitation module, sound distortions may occur, for example, in certain frequency ranges. The sound distortions are often due to non-linear acoustic transmission characteristics of the sound emitter. In order to avoid such sound distortions, a particularly frequency-dependent prefiltering of the audio signal filter takes place by means of the sound correction unit.

In a preferred embodiment, a sound emitter is provided which is coupled to the vibration excitation module for vibration excitation. The design of the Schallabgebers subject in principle no restriction. Thus, the sound emitter can be both a sound-emitting surface in the sense of a surface loudspeaker and, for example, also a membrane of a conventional loudspeaker, for example a so-called cone loudspeaker. In this embodiment, a simultaneous light and sound emitting system is realized. This allows a simple and cost-effective way of lighting and sound concept, for example, in public facilities, such as subways and subway stations, commuter trains and suburban train stations, trains, airplanes, airports, swimming pools, conference halls, concert halls.

In an advantageous variant, the light source is attached to the vibration exciter module via the sound emitter. The advantage of this arrangement is that, for example, a sound and lighting concept can be realized in a simple manner even with a loudspeaker having an opaque sound emitter. In the course of a compact design, it is preferable to arrange the light source or lamps directly in front of the vibration exciter module.

In a preferred variant, the sound emitter is at least partially translucent. For this purpose, the sound emitter can e.g. be made of a glass or it is provided for this purpose with openings, holes or pores. This design variant makes it possible for the vibration exciter module to be mounted with the light means arranged in particular directly thereon as an assembly unit in the interior of a loudspeaker chassis, which forms a closed unit with the sound emitter. Thus, the "self-illuminating" vibration exciter module is protected against destruction and contamination.

Conveniently, the sound emitter is made of acrylic glass. Acrylic glass has a high optical transparency, and is relatively impact-resistant compared to glass. By means of a

In particular, waterproof "light-emitting loudspeakers" can also be realized which can be used, for example, under water or in a spa area of a swimming pool.

Preferably, a transparent image film is applied to the sound emitter. Such a picture film can be both completely transparent and only in partial areas be transparent. The picture film may be, for example, a photographic film with advertising motifs. The image film can also be, for example, a transparent film on which any graphic motifs are printed. By applying a transparent image film, for example, opens up the possibility of using the acoustic exciter unit as a luminous and speaking advertising unit, which works economically in a short time.

Embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. Showing:

1 shows an acoustic exciter unit according to a first

Embodiment, Figure 2 shows an acoustic exciter unit according to a second

Embodiment, 3 shows an acoustic exciter unit according to a third

embodiment,

4 shows an acoustic exciter unit according to a fourth embodiment and

5 shows an acoustic exciter unit according to a fifth

Embodiment.

1 shows an acoustic exciter unit 2 according to a first embodiment. The exciter unit 2 comprises a vibration exciter module 4, a sound emitter 6 and a number of light sources 7. The light sources 7 are embodied here as a number of light-emitting diodes 10.

The vibration exciter module 4 consists essentially of a permanent magnet 12 and a vibrating element configured as a number of voice coils 16. The permanent magnet 12 and the voice coil 16 are combined by means of an annular housing member 18 to form a structural unit.

The vibration exciter module 4 is mechanically coupled via the voice coils 16 to the plate-shaped and opaque sound emitter 6. The voice coils 16 are in the Essentially annularly mounted on the sound emitter 6. On the side facing away from the vibration exciter module 4 of the sound emitter 6, the lighting means 7 are attached.

The voice coils 16 located in the magnetic field of the permanent magnet 12 can be excited to oscillate in the magnetic field. For such excitation, an audio signal from an audio signal source, such as a music system, is input to an audio signal input line 20, and is supplied to the voice coils 16 through a corresponding input interface 22. The audio signal is supplied here as an analog AC signal. Due to a magnetic alternating field, which builds up in the voice coil 16 due to such an analog audio signal, they are excited to oscillate in the magnetic field of the permanent magnet 12.

The voice coils 16 of the vibration exciter module 4 are mechanically and in particular coupled vibration-transmitting to the plate-shaped sound emitter 6, so that their vibrations are transmitted to the plate-shaped sound emitter 6. As a result, the sound emitter 6 itself is excited to oscillate, in particular to flexural vibrations, such that the sound emitter 6 functions as a sound-radiating surface of a surface loudspeaker and emits audible sound to humans.

Upstream of the voice coils 16 is a sound correction unit 25, by means of which nonlinearities in the acoustic transmission characteristic of the sound emitter 6 can be compensated. Such nonlinearities usually lead to a sound distortion in the sound output in certain frequency ranges.

As already described, the light sources 7 are fastened to the side of the sound emitter 6 facing away from the vibration exciter module 4. The illuminants 7, which are shown by way of example in the illustration, are intended to produce a flat luminous means. tel field. The lighting means 7 is supplied via the input interface 22 of a light-emitting signal input line 24, an analog light source signal. The analogue illuminant signal is, in particular, a DC voltage signal by means of which the illuminant 7 can be switched on and off in the sense of a supply voltage. By attaching the light-emitting bulbs 7 to the sound emitter 6 of the acoustic exciter unit 2, it is possible in a simple manner to realize a simultaneous light and sound emitting system. Thus, with the acoustic exciter unit 2 in addition to public address measures and design measures can be realized.

FIG. 2 shows a further embodiment of an acoustic exciter unit 26. As described in FIG. 1, the vibration exciter module 4 is coupled via its voice coils 16 to one side of the plate-shaped sound emitter 6, while the illuminants 7 are fastened to the other side of the sound emitter 6. The lighting means 7 are embodied here as a number of fluorescent tubes.

The illustrated illuminants 7 represent here two spaced-apart continuous illuminant arrays. Unlike in FIG. 1, the audio signal is not supplied to the vibration application module 4 here as an analog audio signal, but as a digital audio signal. The feeding of the digital audio signal takes place at a dedicated digital input interface 30 and is controlled via a corresponding control device 32.

The digital input interface 30 is a digital-to-analog converter 34 downstream. The latter converts the incoming digital audio signal into the corresponding analog "alternating voltage" audio signal .To amplify the analog audio signal resulting from the conversion, the digital-to-analog converter 34 is followed by a signal amplifier 36, which is known per se amplified analog audio signal is supplied to the voice coils 16 of the acoustic exciter unit 26.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the acoustic stimulation unit 38. As in the previous figures, the acoustic stimulator unit 38 again comprises a vibration exciter module 4 with a permanent magnet 12 and a number of voice coils 16, as well as a sound emitter 6 and a number of light sources 7 as in the embodiments described above, which are designed as light-emitting diodes 10

Illuminant 7 here but attached directly to the vibration exciter module 4, in particular to the housing member 18, such that the emitted light from the LEDs 10 hits the sound emitter 6. In this embodiment variant, the sound emitter 6 is made of an acrylic glass so that it is permeable to the light of the light-emitting diodes 10. Thus, the light of the light-emitting diodes 10 can penetrate the sound emitter 6 and illuminate the space facing away from the light-emitting diodes 10, that is to say the space under the acoustic excitation unit 38 as shown. The light intensity of the light-emitting diodes 10 is chosen to be sufficiently high in order to "hide" the vibration excitation module 4 attached to the transparent sound emitter 6 for an observer who is located in the room facing away from the light-emitting diodes 10. In addition, an image film 39 is also applied to the sound emitter 6 which is backlit by the light-emitting diodes 10, which are arranged in the manner of a planar light-emitting diode array, and which contains an advertising message, for example the acoustic exciter unit 38 opens as a luminous and speaking advertising unit, which operates economically in a short time.

The illuminant signal and the audio signal are not supplied separately to the acoustic exciter unit 38 here, but as a coupled illuminant and audio signal. Coupled here means that the analog "DC voltage" - The coupled analogue audio / luminous signal is fed to the acoustic exciter unit 38 by the control device 32 via a coupling input interface 40.

For the supply of the coupled audio / illuminant signal to the coupling input interface 40, in particular only a single signal line 41 is necessary, which can be saved in this connection type considerable wiring effort and material.

Connected downstream of the coupling input interface 40 is a signal decoupler 42, which is connected in terms of circuitry to the LEDs 10 and the voice coils 16.

The signal decoupler 42 decouples the coupled analogue illuminant / audio signal in such a way that a separate supply of the illuminant and the audio signal to the light emitting diodes 10 or the voice coils 16 can take place. The signal decoupler 42 is implemented in this embodiment variant of the vibration excitation module 2 as a circuit which includes a number of capacitors. In particular, due to the frequency dependence of the AC resistance of a capacitor, it is possible by means of such a signal decoupler 42 to separate the "DC" illuminant signal and the "AC" audio signal, which ultimately causes the separate supply of the illuminant and the audio signal to the light emitting diodes 10 or the oscillating coils 16 allowed.

FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment variant of the acoustic exciter unit 46. The light-emitting diodes 10 are arranged here in two, spaced-apart, continuous light emitting diode arrays.

As already described for FIG. 3, the illuminant signal and the audio signal of the acoustic exciter unit 46 also become supplied here as a coupled illuminant / audio signal. Unlike in FIG 3, however, a digital audio signal is modulated here on the analog "DC voltage" light signal. The signal decoupler 42 is accordingly also embodied as a digital demodulator 48. The digital demodulator 48 "filters" the digital audio signal from the digital audio signal paired bulb / audio signal out. The "decoupled" luminous signal is supplied to the light-emitting diodes 10. The "decoupled" digital audio signal is first converted into a corresponding analog audio signal. For this purpose, the digital demodulator 48, a digital-to-analog converter 34 is connected downstream. To amplify the resulting from the conversion analog audio signal to the digital-to-analog converter 34, an amplifier 36 is followed again.

5 shows an acoustic exciter unit 50 according to a fifth embodiment variant. As in FIGS. 3 and 4, the light sources 7, which are embodied here as light bulbs, are fastened directly to the vibration exciter module 4. The vibration exciter module 4 is here, unlike in the preceding embodiments, coupled via a single voice coil 16 to the sound emitter 6. The attachment is done in particular via a screw connection. The lighting means 7 are here fixed in a ring around the voice coil 16 on the housing element 18 of the vibration excitation module 4.

The illuminant signal and the audio signal are supplied to the acoustic exciter unit 50 via a single signal line 41. The audio signal is provided here by the control device 32 in digitized form, for example as an MP3 data stream, and by means of a suitable method for line coding, such as, for example, no-return-to-zero coding (NRZ) to the illuminant signal up-modulated. A corresponding demodulator 48 filters out the encoded audio signal from the coupled illuminant / audio signal. The filtered-out coded audio signal is output by a decoder 54 connected downstream of the demodulator 48 again converted into an analog audio signal, which is amplified by means of an amplifier 36 connected downstream of the decoder 54.

Claims

claims

1. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50), with a to a sound emitter (6) can be coupled vibration exciter module (4), which comprises a vibrating element, characterized in that a lighting means (7,10) on the Vibration exciter module (4) is arranged.

2. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to claim 1, characterized in that the lighting means (7,10) directly to the vibration exciter module (4) is arranged.

3. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the oscillating element comprises a voice coil (16).

4. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lighting means (7,10) is adapted to emit different colored light.

5. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lighting means is designed as a light emitting diode (10).

6. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vibration exciter module (4) and / or the lighting means (7,10) can be driven to a vibration excitation or light emission.

7. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a coupling input interface (40) is provided for the input of a coupled audio and luminous means signal, wherein the coupling input interface (40 ), a signal decoupler (42,48) is connected downstream, which is connected by switching technology with the vibration exciter module (4) and the lighting means (10).

8. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a digital input interface (30) is provided for the input of a digital audio and / or luminous means signal, wherein the Di - Gital input interface (30) a digital-to-analog converter (34) is connected downstream, which is connected by switching technology with the vibration exciter module (4) or the lighting means (7,10).

9. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to claim 7, characterized in that the signal decoupler

(42,48) comprises a capacity.

10. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to any one of claims 7 or 9, characterized in that the signal decoupler (42,48) comprises a digital demodulator (48).

11. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vibration exciter module (4) by signal technology, a sound correction unit (25) is connected upstream.

12. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a sound emitter (6) is provided, which is coupled for a vibration excitation to the vibration exciter module (4).

13. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to claim 12, characterized in that the lighting means (7,10) via the sound emitter (6) to the vibration exciter module (4) is attached.

14. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to any one of claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the sound emitter (6) is at least partially translucent.

15. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to claim 14, characterized in that the sound emitter (6) is made of an acrylic glass.

16. Acoustic exciter unit (2,26,38,46,50) according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that on the sound emitter (6), a transparent image sheet (44) is applied.