Abstract:
Methods for manufacturing actuator apparatus for generating a physical effect, at least one attribute of which corresponds to at least one characteristic of a digital input signal sampled periodically in accordance with a clock, the apparatus comprising at least one actuator device, the methods comprising manufacturing at least one actuator device including providing an array of moving elements, wherein each individual moving element is responsive to alternating magnetic fields and is constrained to travel alternately back and forth along a respective axis responsive to an electromagnetic force operative thereupon when in the presence of an alternating magnetic field, providing at least one latch operative to selectively latch at least one subset of the moving elements in at least one latching position thereby to prevent the individual moving elements from responding to the electromagnetic force, providing a magnetic field control system operative to receive the clock and, accordingly, to control application of the electromagnetic force to the array of moving elements, and providing a latch controller operative to receive the digital input signal and to control the at least one latch accordingly.
Abstract:
A system that includes a direct digital speaker volume control device configured to be coupled to a direct digital speaker. The direct digital speaker include many pressure producing elements being adapted to generate a sound at a sound pressure level (SPL) and at a given frequency in response to an input signal, without using digital to analog converter. The direct digital speaker inherently exhibits a frequency response throughout its entire frequency range. The direct digital speaker volume control device includes a module for providing few filters each having a distinct cutoff frequency such that each filter exhibits no attenuation below its cutoff frequency and an attenuation response above the filter's cutoff frequency. And a selector for selecting one of the filters according to a selection criterion that depends on a desired volume and frequency of generated sound, and applying the filter to the input signal for generating a filtered signal that fed to the speaker.
Abstract:
A method for fabricating flat loudspeakers comprising manufacturing a flat loudspeaker including at least one microspeaker array, having first and second main surfaces; and covering at least one of the main surfaces of the loudspeaker with a cover member including an airtight sound-pressure wave transparent thin polymer film.
Abstract:
A system which controls a group of multiple arrays of actuator elements, each of the actuator elements including a moving element which moves between a first and a second extreme positions; the system including: a controller, configured to generate control commands for at least one array of the multiple arrays in each individual cycle out of a series of sampling cycles, based on obtained information; and (b) an interface configured to transfer the control commands to the at least one array, thereby resulting in releasing from the first extreme position during the intended cycle of at least one moving element that is included in the at least one array; wherein release of all moving elements of at least one restrained array out of the multiple arrays is prevented during the intended cycle.
Abstract:
Actuator apparatus comprising at least one moving elements, each comprising comb drive apparatus including at least first and second comb elements at least one of which is free to be in motion in a medium, and a controller controlling the motion responsive to an input signal representing a desired sound.
Abstract:
An actuation system for generating a physical effect, the system comprising at least one array of translating elements each constrained to travel alternately back and forth along a respective axis, toward first and second extreme positions respectively, in response to activation of first and second forces respectively; and a controller operative to use the first and second forces to selectably latch at least one subset of said translating elements into the first and second extreme positions respectively.
Abstract:
A system which controls an apparatus which comprises a set of actuator elements, each comprising a moving element which moves between first and second extreme positions, wherein each actuator element of the set is comprised in: (a) exactly one first subset out of a plurality of non-empty first subsets (R- subsets) of the set of actuator elements; and (b) exactly one second subset out of a plurality of non-empty second subsets (C-subsets) of the set of actuator elements.
Abstract:
Apparatus for generating a target physical effect, at least one attribute of which corresponds to at least one characteristic of a digital input signal sampled periodically, the apparatus comprising a multiplicity of electrostatic actuator elements, each comprising a moving element moving between first and second electrodes, the multiplicity of electrostatic actuator elements including Nr first subsets (R-subsets) of actuator elements and Nc second subsets (C-subsets) of actuator elements, wherein a first partitioning of the multiplicity of actuator elements yields the Nr first subsets (R-subsets) and a second partitioning of the multiplicity of actuator elements yields the Nc second subsets (C-subsets); a first plurality of Nr electrical connections (R-wires) interconnecting the moving elements of actuator elements in each R-subset, such that the moving element of any actuator element in each individual R-subset is electrically connected to the moving elements of all other actuator elements in the individual R- subset, and electrically isolated from the moving elements of all actuator elements not in the individual R-subset; a second plurality of Nc electrical connections (A-wires) interconnecting the first electrodes of actuator elements in each C-subset, such that the first electrode of any actuator element in each individual C-subset is electrically connected to the first electrode of all other actuator elements in the individual C-subset, and electrically isolated from all actuator elements not in the individual C-subset; a third plurality of Nc electrical connections (B-wires) interconnecting the second electrodes of actuator elements in each C-subset, such that the second electrode of any actuator element in each individual C-subset is electrically connected to the second electrode of all other actuator elements in the individual C-subset, and electrically isolated from all actuator elements not in the individual C-subset; and a controller electrically connected to the first, second and third pluralities of electrical connections, operative to receive a digital input signal, and to apply one of a predetermined, finite set of electric potentials to each of said electrical connections respectively, such that resulting movements of the moving elements together produce the desired physical effect.
Abstract:
Actuator apparatus for generating a physical effect, at least one attribute of which corresponds to at least one characteristic of a digital input signal sampled periodically in accordance with a clock, the apparatus comprising at least one actuator device, each actuating device including an array of moving elements, at least one latch operative to selectively latch at least one subset of the moving elements in to prevent moving elements from responding to electro magnetic force, a magnetic field control system operative to receive the clock and, accordingly, to control application of the electro magnetic force to the array of moving elements, and a latch controller wherein the magnetic field control system comprises a magnetic field generator and a magnetic field controller controlling the generator and wherein the array of moving elements is partitioned into a plurality of sets of moving elements and the magnetic field generator comprises a corresponding plurality of current bearing elements each providing a magnetic field having a shape across a corresponding set of moving elements, wherein all of the shapes are generally equal and each is divergent along each of the axes of the moving elements in the set.
Abstract:
Direct digital speaker apparatus receiving a digital input signal and generating sound accordingly, the apparatus comprising an array of pressure-producing elements and a controller operative to compute a timing pattern determining if and when each pressure-producing element is actuated so as to achieve a desired directivity pattern.