Patents Assigned to New Transducers Limited
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Patent number: 7158647Abstract: Acoustic device including a member extending transversely of its thickness and capable of sustaining bending waves at least over an intendedly consequentially acoustically active area of the transverse extent of said member, the member having, by reason of orderly design methodology disclosed and claimed, a distribution of resonant modes of its natural bending wave vibration at least over said area that is dependent on values of particular parameters of said members, including geometrical configuration and directional bending stiffness(es), which values have been selected to predetermine said distribution of natural resonant modes being consonant with required achievable acoustic action of said member for operation of said device over a desired operative acoustic frequency range.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2005Date of Patent: January 2, 2007Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Henry Azima, Martin Colloms, Neil Harris
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Patent number: 7157649Abstract: Method and apparatus using bending wave vibration to calculate information relating to a contact on a contact sensitive device. The contact sensitive device has a member capable of supporting bending waves, and a device attached to the member measures bending wave propagation in the member to determine a measured bending wave signal. The measured bending wave signal is processed to calculate information relating to the contact. The contact sensitive device may comprise a transparent touch sensitive plate mounted in front of a display device. A stylus (e.g., pen) may be used for writing text or other matter on the touch-sensitive plate. The plate may also be an acoustic device. Three transducers are mounted on the plate. At least two of the transducers are sensing transducers and are thus sensitive to and monitor bending wave vibration in the plate.Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 2000Date of Patent: January 2, 2007Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventor: Nicholas P. R. Hill
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Patent number: 7151837Abstract: A bending wave loudspeaker includes a transparent acoustic radiator capable of supporting bending wave vibration and an electromechanical force transducer mounted to the acoustic radiator to excite bending waves in the acoustic radiator to produce an acoustic output. The transducer has an intended operative frequency range and includes a resonant element having a frequency distribution of modes in the operative frequency range and a coupler for mounting the transducer to the acoustic radiator. The loudspeaker may be incorporated in a telephone handset or a visual display unit.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2002Date of Patent: December 19, 2006Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Graham Bank, Martin Colloms, Neil Simon Owen, Neil Harris, Martin Christopher Cassey
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Patent number: 7149318Abstract: A transducer (14) for producing a force which excites an acoustic radiator, e.g. a panel (12) to produce an acoustic output. The transducer (14) has an intended operative frequency range and comprises a resonant element which has a distribution of modes and which is modal in the operative frequency range. Parameters of the transducer (14) may be adjusted to improve the modality of the resonant element. A loudspeaker (10) or a microphone may incorporate the transducer.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2001Date of Patent: December 12, 2006Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Graham Bank, Neil Harris, Martin Colloms
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Patent number: 7120263Abstract: A bending wave panel-form acoustic radiator formed from sheet material to define an acoustically active area and having at least one integral stiffening member in the form of a corrugation extending out of the plane of the sheet and at least partially across the acoustically active area of the radiator, which stiffening member is of substantially U-shaped cross section. Also disclosed is a method of making a bending wave panel-form acoustic radiator, comprising forming a sheet into a panel having at least one integral corrugation member extending out of the plane of the sheet and at least partly across the sheet and of substantially U-shape cross-section, to stiffen the sheet to have a desired ability to support and propagate bending waves.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2002Date of Patent: October 10, 2006Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Henry Azima, Martin Colloms, Graham Bank, Charles Bream, Julian Fordham
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Patent number: 7062051Abstract: A method of improving the modal resonance frequency distribution of a panel (2) for a distribution resonant mode bending wave acoustic device involves analysing the distribution of the modal resonance frequencies of the panel, identifying a modal resonance frequency that is non-uniformly spaced relative to adjacent modal resonance frequencies, identifying a location on said panel that exhibits anti-nodal behaviour at said modal resonance frequency and changing the local impedance to bending wave vibration at said location (6). The method has particular application to distributed mode loudspeakers (1).Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2002Date of Patent: June 13, 2006Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Neil Harris, Henry Azima
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Patent number: 7010138Abstract: A loudspeaker comprising a phase uncorrelated diffuse sound source and a duct or wave guide coupled to the sound source to direct acoustic energy from the source, the duct or wave guide having a substantially parallel section extending from the vicinity of the sound source and a termination positioned remotely from the panel.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 1999Date of Patent: March 7, 2006Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Neil Harris, Graham Bank
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Patent number: 6985596Abstract: A loudspeaker comprising a resonant panel-form member adapted to produce an acoustic output and a vibration exciting system on the panel-form member and adapted to apply bending wave energy thereto, characterized in that the vibration exciting system is adapted to apply a bending couple to the panel-form member.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 1999Date of Patent: January 10, 2006Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Graham Bank, Neil Harris, Denis Morecroft
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Patent number: 6965678Abstract: A touch pad assembly for use in an electronic article. The assembly comprises a touch pad, a coupler for mechanically coupling the touch pad to casing of the electronic article and a transducer which is mounted by coupling means on the coupler or the touch pad to drive the casing as an acoustic radiator. An electronic article can incorporate the same. An electronic article comprises a body in or on which a bending wave loudspeaker is mounted. The loudspeaker comprises a bending wave acoustic radiator and an electromechanical force transducer mounted to the radiator to vibrate the radiator to produce an acoustic output. The transducer has an intended operative frequency range and comprises a resonant element having a frequency distribution of modes in the operative frequency range and coupling means for mounting the transducer to the radiator.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2002Date of Patent: November 15, 2005Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Graham Bank, Martin Colloms, Neil Simon Owen, Neil Harris, Martin Christopher Cassey
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Patent number: 6956957Abstract: A loudspeaker drive unit comprising a resonant acoustic radiator, an exciter on the radiator to apply bending wave energy to the radiator to cause it to resonate, a support for the loudspeaker drive unit, and means resiliently coupling the exciter to the support.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 1998Date of Patent: October 18, 2005Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Henry Azima, Martin Colloms, Martin Roberts, Graham Bank, Neil Harris, Bijan Djahansouzi
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Patent number: 6922642Abstract: A contact sensitive device includes a member capable of supporting bending waves, a first sensor mounted on the member for measuring bending wave vibration in the member, the sensor determining a first measured bending wave signal, a second sensor to determine a second measured bending wave signal and a processor that optimizes a product of a set of corrected impulse response measurements from each sensor to determine information related to a contact.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2004Date of Patent: July 26, 2005Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventor: Darius Martin Sullivan
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Patent number: 6911901Abstract: Multi-functional electro-acoustic apparatus has a bending wave panel loudspeaker, an input device (11) forming part of the surface of the bending wave panel (5), and means (13) for providing force feedback to the input device. An electro-acoustic transducer (15) attached to the bending wave panel excites bending waves in the panel to produce an acoustic output. The panel (5) provides several functions and may be considered to be a hyper-functional surface (HFS).Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2001Date of Patent: June 28, 2005Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventor: Russ Bown
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Patent number: 6904154Abstract: Acoustic device including a member extending transversely of its thickness and capable of sustaining bending waves at least over an intendedly consequentially acoustically active area of the transverse extent of said member, the member having, by reason of orderly design methodology disclosed and claimed, a distribution of resonant modes of its natural bending wave vibration at least over said area that is dependent on values of particular parameters of said members, including geometrical configuration and directional bending stiffness(es), which values have been selected to predetermine said distribution of natural resonant modes being consonant with required achievable acoustic action of said member for operation of said device over a desired operative acoustic frequency range.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2001Date of Patent: June 7, 2005Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Henry Firouz Azima, Martin Colloms, Neil Harris
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Patent number: 6885753Abstract: A communication device comprising a microphone, a conduction interface and an electromechanical force transducer mounted to the conduction interface to drive the interface to conduct sound to a user by bone conduction, characterised in that the transducer has an intended operative frequency range and comprises a resonant element having a frequency distribution of modes in the operative frequency range and coupling means for mounting the transducer to the interface.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2002Date of Patent: April 26, 2005Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventor: Graham Bank
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Patent number: 6871149Abstract: A contact sensitive device includes a member capable of supporting bending waves and a plurality of sensors mounted on the member for measuring bending wave vibration in the member. The sensors measure the bending wave signals and by calculating a phase angle for each measured bending wave signal and a phase difference between the phase angles of least two pairs of sensors so that at least two phase differences are calculated, the location of the contact can be determined.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2003Date of Patent: March 22, 2005Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Darius Martin Sullivan, Nicholas Patrick Roland Hill
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Patent number: 6865277Abstract: A vehicle component for mounting in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the component comprising a loudspeaker having an acoustic radiator capable of supporting bending wave vibration and an electromechanical force transducer mounted to the acoustic radiator to excite bending waves in the acoustic radiator to produce an acoustic output, characterized in that the transducer has an intended operative frequency range and comprises a resonant element having a frequency distribution of modes in the operative frequency range and a coupler on the resonant element for mounting the transducer to the acoustic radiator.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2002Date of Patent: March 8, 2005Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Graham Bank, Martin Colloms, Neil Simon Owen, Neil Harris, Martin Christopher Cassey
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Publication number: 20050002537Abstract: A loudspeaker drive unit comprising a visual display screen, a resonant panel-form member positioned adjacent to the display screen and at least a portion of which is transparent and through which the display screen is visible, and vibration exciting means to cause the panel-form member to resonate to act as an acoustic radiator.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2004Publication date: January 6, 2005Applicant: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Henry Azima, Denis Morecroft
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Patent number: 6839444Abstract: A loudspeaker comprising a panel-form acoustic member adapted for operation as a bending wave radiator and an electrodynamic moving coil transducer having a voice coil mounted to the acoustic member to excite bending wave vibration in the acoustic member. The junction between the voice coil and the acoustic member is of sufficient length in relation to the size of the acoustic member to represent a line drive such that the acoustic member has a mechanical impedance which has a rising trend with bending wave frequency.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2001Date of Patent: January 4, 2005Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Christien Ellis, Nicholas Patrick Roland Hill
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Patent number: 6826285Abstract: A loudspeaker comprising a panel which is sufficiently stiff to support bending waves, the panel having a boundary, a transducer mounted to the panel to apply bending wave energy in the form of dispersive travelling waves thereto at a first location in response to an electrical signal applied to the transducer to cause the panel to vibrate and radiate an acoustic output, the loudspeaker having a frequency range extending from a lower frequency to a higher frequency and the panel having a stiffness giving a coincidence frequency above the lower frequency. Means on or associated with the panel at a second location attenuates travelling bending waves in the panel to prevent or at least substantially to moderate panel resonance.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2001Date of Patent: November 30, 2004Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventor: Henry Azima
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Patent number: 6813362Abstract: A loudspeaker includes an assembly of at least two bending wave panel-form acoustic members each having a set of modes which are distributed in frequency. The parameters of at least two of the acoustic members are selected so that the modal distributions of each acoustic member are substantially different. The arrangement is such that the modal distributions of the assembly of acoustic members are interleaved constructively in frequency. A transducer applies bending wave energy to the acoustic members to cause them to resonate to produce an acoustic output. A method of making such a loudspeaker is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2002Date of Patent: November 2, 2004Assignee: New Transducers LimitedInventors: Andrew D. Bank, Ian D. MacFarlane, Keith D. Hills, Paul Burton, Neil Harris