Patents by Inventor Bernard M. Werner

Bernard M. Werner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8607922
    Abstract: A high frequency horn for use in a multiple frequency loudspeaker system having a midrange transducer and a high frequency transducer is disclosed. The high frequency horn includes a horn chamber, horn mouth, a horn throat, a tuned resonant cavity, and a port connected to both the tuned resonant cavity and the horn chamber. The horn throat and horn chamber are located on opposite sides of the horn chamber, the port is located proximate to the horn throat, and the horn throat is configured to be connected to the high frequency transducer. The tuned resonant cavity is tuned to reduce high frequency standing waves produced by the midrange transducer within the horn chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Bernard M. Werner
  • Patent number: 8548184
    Abstract: This invention provides an acoustic waveguide with a continuous least-energy-surface formed from an upper vertical control curve, a lower vertical control curve, right horizontal control curve and a left horizontal control curve. In addition, a circular throat end and a non-elliptical closed control curve form a mouth such that the continuous least-energy-surface is coincident with the six control curves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: Bernard M. Werner
  • Patent number: 8325943
    Abstract: A dual-coil, dual magnetic gap electromagnetic transducer is provided where each voice coil is wired to include separate leads so that each individual voice coil may be driven by a separate amplifier or by a separate bridged amplifier. Signal processing may further be utilized to increase the output of the loudspeaker, to achieve extreme excursion without extreme distortion and to provide for alternative voice coil designs to address common problems with dual-coil, dual magnetic gap transducers, including, but not limited to, heat generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventors: Douglas J. Button, Bernard M. Werner, Ernest Bird, Alexander Victor Salvatti, Jerry Moro
  • Publication number: 20110274305
    Abstract: This invention provides an acoustic waveguide with a continuous least-energy-surface formed from an upper vertical control curve, a lower vertical control curve, right horizontal control curve and a left horizontal control curve. In addition, a circular throat end and a non-elliptical closed control curve form a mouth such that the continuous least-energy-surface is coincident with the six control curves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventor: Bernard M. Werner
  • Patent number: 7936892
    Abstract: This invention provides an acoustic waveguide with a continuous least-energy-surface formed from an upper vertical control curve, a lower vertical control curve, right horizontal control curve and a left horizontal control curve. In addition, a circular throat end and a non-elliptical closed control curve form a mouth such that the continuous least-energy-surface is coincident with the six control curves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: Bernard M. Werner
  • Publication number: 20080170744
    Abstract: A dual-coil, dual magnetic gap electromagnetic transducer is provided where each voice coil is wired to include separate leads so that each individual voice coil may be driven by a separate amplifier or by a separate bridged amplifier. Signal processing may further be utilized to increase the output of the loudspeaker, to achieve extreme excursion without extreme distortion and to provide for alternative voice coil designs to address common problems with dual-coil, dual magnetic gap transducers, including, but not limited to, heat generation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2007
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Inventors: Douglas J. Button, Bernard M. Werner, Ernest Bird, Alexander Victor Salvatti, Jerry Moro
  • Patent number: 7315627
    Abstract: A sound-damping structure is provided for use as part of a sound-directing component of a loudspeaker. The structure includes a first structural layer, a second structural layer, and a core layer enclosed between the first and second structural layers. The first and second structural layers include a generally rigid material, and the core layer includes a sound-damping material. The first structural layer includes an outside surface facing an exterior of the sound-directing component. The second structural layer includes an inside surface having an interior of the sound-directing component through which sound energy is directed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventors: David H. Cox, Bernard M. Werner, William J. Gelow
  • Patent number: 7236606
    Abstract: A sound system is provided that groups a midrange horn with a high frequency (“H”) horn. The sound system includes an HF horn coaxially coupled to a midrange horn, and two HF drivers aligned edge-to-edge. The sound system further includes two midrange drivers aligned edge-to-edge and coupled to the midrange horn. The edge-to-edge alignment of the two HF drivers is substantially perpendicular to the edge-to-edge alignment of the two midrange drivers. A method for grouping a plurality of midrange drivers and a plurality of high frequency drivers is also provided. This configuration may produce increased sound pressure levels while minimizing acoustic crossover interference problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: Bernard M. Werner
  • Patent number: 7039211
    Abstract: A horn-loaded compression driver or a loudspeaker has a phasing plug with multiple slots and a common annular chamber. The slots extend from an inlet side to the common annular chamber, which extends to an outlet side. Each slot has a path length extending to a common focal point in the common annular chamber. The common focal point has a common path length extending to the outlet side. The phasing plug provides an approximately flat acoustic wave front from the compression driver to the horn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: Bernard M. Werner
  • Patent number: 7027605
    Abstract: A midrange loudspeaker for operation in conjunction with low-frequency and high-frequency loudspeaker modules in a theater sound system, having a reduced depth for deployment in limited space. The midrange module is configured with a plurality of drivers and a waveguide unit that provides uniform sound coverage throughout a theater auditorium with substantially seamless crossovers at 250 Hz and 1.5 kHz and with the vertical beam-width held substantially constant by an electrical filter network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: Bernard M. Werner
  • Patent number: 7013019
    Abstract: This invention provides a baffle formed from a thermoset composite material such as Bulk Molding Compound (BMC), Thick Molding Compound (TMC), or Sheet Molding Compound (SMC). Due to the physical properties of BMCs, TMCs, and SMCs, the baffle may be molded to minimize the propagation of vibrational energy and resonant mode behavior while providing high strength and rigidity. The baffle may also be formed so transducer mounts, ports and wave-guides may be molded into the baffle shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: David H. Cox, Bernard M. Werner, Mary Vosse
  • Publication number: 20030215107
    Abstract: A horn-loaded compression driver or a loudspeaker has a phasing plug with multiple slots and a common annular chamber. The slots extend from an inlet side to the common annular chamber, which extends to an outlet side. Each slot has a path length extending to a common focal point in the common annular chamber. The common focal point has a common path length extending to the outlet side. The phasing plug provides an approximately flat acoustic wave front from the compression driver to the horn.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Publication date: November 20, 2003
    Inventor: Bernard M. Werner
  • Publication number: 20030194098
    Abstract: A midrange loudspeaker for operation in conjunction with low-frequency and high-frequency loudspeaker modules in a theater sound system, having a reduced depth for deployment in limited space. The midrange module is configured with a plurality of drivers and a waveguide unit that provides uniform sound coverage throughout a theater auditorium with substantially seamless crossovers at 250 Hz and 1.5 kHz and with the vertical beam-width held substantially constant by an electrical filter network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventors: Bernard M. Werner, Yutaka Fukuyama, Takashi Suezaki
  • Publication number: 20030133584
    Abstract: This invention provides an acoustic waveguide with a continuous least-energy-surface formed from an upper vertical control curve, a lower vertical control curve, right horizontal control curve and a left horizontal control curve. In addition, a circular throat end and a non-elliptical closed control curve form a mouth such that the continuous least-energy-surface is coincident with the six control curves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Inventor: Bernard M. Werner
  • Publication number: 20030123688
    Abstract: For loudspeaker components with flat and/or curved panel-like regions that require hard surfaces along with sound-damping properties to minimize sound feed-through and resonances, a three-layer laminate is formed from two surface layers of commercially available thermosetting molding compound, co-molded in a single molding operation with an embedded core of suitable sound damping material such as filled vinyl copolymer compound or filled silicon rubber compound. The core region is dimensioned to leave a peripheral margin in which the two layers of molding material become bonded together so as to fully encapsulate and seal the sound-damping core. Furthermore, the margin can be made to have any desired size, thickness or shape to also serve as a mounting, fastening or other function of the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2000
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: David H Cox, Bernard M Werner, William J Gelow
  • Patent number: 6513622
    Abstract: A full-frequency-range cinema loudspeaker system intended or deployment in limited space behind a perforated cinema screen is configured as three modules: (1) a high-frequency module having a compression driver working into a horn-shaped waveguide that is specially shaped to compensate for beam-spreading effects of the perforated screen, (2) a midrange module providing a specially shaped waveguide with a multiple throat portion that mounts four cone-type drivers in a vertical array, the four individual throat regions merging into a common mouth portion of the waveguide that flares out to the front of the module, and (3) a vented-port low-frequency module with two cone-type low-frequency loudspeaker units. The three modules are stacked with the high-frequency module on top and the low-frequency module at bottom; The modules are all made to have a uniform width and a depth of under eighteen inches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventors: William J. Gelow, Bernard M. Werner
  • Publication number: 20030002702
    Abstract: This invention provides a baffle formed from a thermoset composite material such as Bulk Molding Compound (BMC), Thick Molding Compound (TMC), or Sheet Molding Compound (SMC). Due to the physical properties of BMCs, TMCs, and SMCs, the baffle may be molded to minimize the propagation of vibrational energy and resonant mode behavior while providing high strength and rigidity. The baffle may also be formed so transducer mounts, ports and wave-guides may be molded into the baffle shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Applicant: Harman International Industries Incorporated
    Inventors: David H. Cox, Bernard M. Werner, Mary Vosse
  • Publication number: 20020150270
    Abstract: This invention is directed a sound system that groups a midrange horn with a HF horn to increase the sound pressure levels while minimizing interference problems. The HF horn may be coupled to at least two HF drivers where they sum or merge into a common throat or wave-guide. The midrange horn may be coaxially mounted with the higher frequency horn. The midrange horn may be coupled to at least two midrange drivers. And the midrange drivers may be mounted substantially perpendicular to the HF drivers. This configuration provides for smaller system sizes, than conventional mounting of the HF horn adjacent to the mid frequency horn. By coaxially mounting the midrange and HF horns, the off-axis interference (lobing) through the crossover region both in the horizontal and vertical planes may be minimized. This configuration produces increased sound pressure levels while minimizing acoustic crossover interference problems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Applicant: Harman International Industries Incorporated
    Inventor: Bernard M. Werner
  • Patent number: 6466680
    Abstract: A high-frequency cinema loudspeaker module for deployment behind a perforated cinema screen is configured with a waveguide to compensate for the beam-spreading effects of the perforated screen at the high end of the frequency range and to facilitate and co-ordinate integration with a complementary midrange module of a total sound system in providing defined coverage in a theater. A compression driver is coupled to a waveguide that is specially shaped to narrow the horizontal beamwidth at the higher frequencies affected by the perforated screen, and thus provide compensation that results in a more uniform overall defined sound coverage in the theater within the designated high-frequency range. The module is configured with the driver and waveguide axes inclined downwardly at an angle of 6 degrees from horizontal to facilitate overall coverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Gelow, Bernard M. Werner