Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – One-way audio signal program distribution – Public address system
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-12
2002-05-07
Mei, Xu (Department: 2644)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
One-way audio signal program distribution
Public address system
C381S059000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06385322
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to a method for operation of a public address system with at least one loudspeaker box and with at least one amplifier, which is connected by means of a preferably detachable cable connection and/or by means of a noncable-based connection, to the loudspeaker box.
Public address systems are often set up for the sole purpose of implementing a concert, for example, to provide sound to a concert hall or festival grounds, etc. Since in this case, we are dealing with a mobile system, the loudspeaker box and amplifier are connected to each other by means of a detachable cable connection. Often several amplifiers and several loudspeaker boxes are available, where both the amplifier and the loudspeaker boxes are not identical, but rather are of different models, that is, the single amplifiers have different electrical properties and the loudspeaker boxes have different acoustical, and/or electrical parameters. For this reason it is entirely possible that one and the same amplifier at a first concert, will be working together with type A loudspeaker boxes, and that in an additional, subsequent concert, type B loudspeaker boxes will be connected to said amplifier. Furthermore, it is also possible that at a third concert, both the type A loudspeaker and also the type B loudspeaker will be operating together with the stated amplifier, for example, in a parallel connection. The result of this continually increasing build-up of the public address system is that optimum conditions are not always achieved with regard to a coordination of the amplifier with the loudspeaker boxes, both with regard to electrical circuitry and also with regard to acoustics.
Therefore the invention is based on the problem of specifying a method for operation of a mobile or fixed-site public address system, which always results in a preferred system, in spite of differing combinations of amplifiers and loudspeaker boxes, and without any complicated activities having to be undertaken.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This problem is solved according to this invention, in that in a first process step, the amplifier receives data pertaining to acoustical and/or electrical parameters of the loudspeaker box by inquiry of the loudspeaker box, and that in a second process step, the amplifier is configured automatically, under consideration of the data/parameters, for operation with the connected loudspeaker box. Thus the invention is based on the principle that an automatic configuration will occur, depending on the connected loudspeaker box, that is, due to the automatically occurring ascertainment of parameters, the properties of the public address system are optimized preferably in the electrical and also in the electroacoustical field, in such a manner that the best-possible results can be achieved. The term “amplifier” in the present case is understood to be a device that allows not only an amplification, but rather also can affect the transient response by means of a signal processing unit.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the configuration is performed with regard to the transient response, in particular with regard to the frequency response and/or phase response. In this regard, the data supplied from the loudspeaker box is evaluated by a controller of the amplifier with regard to an optimized frequency response and subsequently the amplifier will be adjusted by the controller to the parameters of the loudspeaker box in a manner already disclosed to an ordinary technician skilled in the art, so that the desired frequency response will be achieved.
Furthermore, it is an advantage if the configuration is performed with regard to power-handling capacity. Thus, for example, if a loudspeaker box is connected to the amplifier which has only a limited power-handling capacity, that is, if there is a danger, for example, that the very-high-power amplifier might cause damage to or destruction of the loudspeaker box at a corresponding output power, then the configuration can take place in such a manner that operation of the loudspeaker box takes place only up to a limiting power-handling capacity which will preclude any damage.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, it is possible that the configuration takes place with regard to spatial acoustics—loudspeaker arrangement in the case of several loudspeakers (array formation)—with regard to its use with or without a subwoofer and/or user-specific tone settings.
According to another embodiment of the invention, it is preferable that the configuration takes place under consideration of the changing properties of the loudspeaker box over the course of its aging and/or under consideration of individual properties of the loudspeaker box for example, for tolerance compensation of a single chassis. In this regard, a time-dependent configuration will be produced, that is, upon connection of the loudspeaker box to the amplifier, data will be transmitted along the cable connection which provides information about the age or about the hours of operation already handled by the loudspeaker box. Since the parameters, for example, the sound behavior of the loudspeaker box, change over the course of its aging, then a compensation for this change is possible by means of the configuration. These time-dependent parameters pertain to changes in the acoustical reproduction properties, the electrical properties and/or the magnetic properties. In the case of a configuration as a function of individual properties of the loudspeaker, production control of the individual components of the loudspeaker box can be corrected and thus a consistent quality can be achieved in a simple manner.
According to an aspect of the invention, during the configuration, a check is made to determine whether operation with several loudspeaker boxes is possible/occurring. If this should happen to be the case, then the amplifier receives corresponding data, for example, that two loudspeaker boxes of the same or different type are connected to the amplifier in parallel operation. Now the amplifier will check, based on the data transferred to it, whether this parallel connection of the two boxes is possible, that is, whether an operation can occur without the amplifier itself or the loudspeaker boxes being endangered and whether the operation will lead to satisfactory electrical/electro acoustical results. The same is also true for a series connection of two or more loudspeaker boxes. In this particular case, the amplifier can only be informed by manual input, of whether we are dealing with a parallel or a series connection or with a mixed circuit, for example, the parallel connection of two boxes, for which a third box is wired in series. However, a recognition of this kind can also take place automatically, if for example, an impedance check is performed by the amplifier and at the same time, data is provided that refer to the used loudspeaker boxes. Knowledge of the specifically used loudspeaker boxes, in association with the impedance, will allow the amplifier to decide by itself, whether a parallel or series connection is present.
Furthermore, the invention pertains to a device,for operation of a public address system which has at least one loudspeaker box and one amplifier which is connected by means of a detachable cable connection to the loudspeaker box, and an electrical configuration circuit. The configuration circuit receives data from the loudspeaker box pertaining to its acoustical and/or electrical parameters, said data being supplied preferably by means of the cable connection, and that the configuration circuit automatically configures the public address system , under consideration of the data/parameters, for operation with the connected loudspeaker box. The configuration circuit can be a constituent of the amplifier, that is, a specific assembly of the amplifier, but it is also possible to design this configuration circuit as a separate circuit and to place it in the same housing of the amplifier or in an additional housing. The configurat
d & b audiotechnik Aktiengesellschaft
Fitch Even Tabin & Flannery
Mei Xu
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