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Title: Audio pan generator
Claims: What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for introducing audio signals from at least one source to a plurality of audio output transducers for creating sound patterns and effects relative to a listener comprising: means for generating variable signal levels, means for storing data corresponding to a switching pattern, means for producing an output corresponding to the switching pattern from said storing means, and output means responsive to said generating means and to the output of said producing means for coupling the audio signals from at least one audio source into at least two of the audio output transducers identified by the switching pattern with magnitudes corresponding to the variable signal level from said generating means. 2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said storing means contains data corresponding to a plurality of switching patterns, and said producing means includes means for selecting one of the switching patterns from said storing means as the output of said producing means. 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 which further includes means for controlling the rate of change of the variable signal levels from said generating means. 4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 which further includes means for selectably disabling said generating means so that the signal levels thereof remain fixed until deactivation of said disabling means whereby the apparent sound sources from said transducers will appear to cease movement. 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said generating means produces cycles of said variable signal levels and wherein said output means is responsive to the switching pattern from said storing means and said generating means signal levels for coupling audio from at least one audio source to one pair of audio output transducers for a complete cycle of said generating means signal levels and for changing the transducer pair coupling in accordance with the switching pattern from said storing means for the next cycle of said generating means signal levels. 6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 for use wherein the plurality of audio output transducers are sufficient in number and placement for defining a plurality of sound source sectors and wherein said output means further includes: means responsive to the switching pattern from said storing means for establishing potential connections of at least one audio signal source to a multiplicity of pairs of the audio output transducers, said apparatus further including means for cycling said generating means signal levels through the multiplicity of transducer pair connections set by said establishing means whereby the sound can appear to travel through the sectors defined by the audio transducers. 7. Apparatus for introducing audio signals from at least one source to a plurality of audio output transducers for creating sound patterns and effects comprising: a source of clock pulses, means responsiive to said clock pulses for generating cycles of pairs of increasing and decreasing signal levels, a plurality of voltage controlled amplifiers having the outputs thereof connected to respective transducers and each having one of the inputs thereof connected for receiving the audio signals from at least one audio signal source, means for switching the pairs of signal levels from said generating means to said plurality of amplifiers, and input means for providing control signals to said switching means for selectably establishing connection of the signal level pairs from said generating means to provide the respective other inputs to at least two of said amplifiers, whereby the sound from the source will appear to move relative to the audio transducers selected by the said input means control signals at a rate determined by the said generating means signal levels. 8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 which further includes means for controlling the rate that signals are produced by said source of clock pulses, whereby the apparent movement of sound between the transducers will occur at a rate of speed determined by said controlling means. 9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein said signal level pair generating means includes counting means for cyclically counting the pulses from said clock pulse source, addressable storage means responsive to at least part of said counting means for producing pairs of digital output signals and digital-to-analog converting means responsive to said addressable storage means output signals for providing said generating means increasing and decreasing signal level pairs. 10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 for use with a plurality of transducers which are sufficient in number and placement for defining a plurality of apparent sound source sectors wherein said switching means has sufficient input connecting pairs thereto to correspond to the transducers defining each apparent sound sector, said signal level pair generating means further includes sector switching means for coupling said signal level pair to sequential sets of said sector switching means input connection pairs in response to the completion of each cycle of said increasing and decreasing signal levels. 11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 for use with a plurality of transducers of sufficient number and placement for defining a plurality of apparent sound source sectors wherein said signal level pair generating means is arranged for producing cycles of said signal level pairs on sequences of output leads, said switching means further including means for storing data reflecting a plurality of switch patterns and means for selecting one of said switch patterns, and means responsive to the selected switch pattern for establishing connection in accordance therewith between said generating means output lead pairs and pairs of said voltage controlled amplifiers. 12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 for use with a plurality of transducers of sufficient number and placement for defining a plurality of apparent sound source sectors and wherein said switching means is arranged for coupling said generating means signal pairs to said amplifiers when in a first state for causing the apparent sound to circumferentially travel around the sectors and when in a second state for causing the apparent sound to travel diagonally relative to said sectors, said apparatus further including means for selecting between said first and second states. 13. Apparatus in accordance with claim 12 wherein said switching means further includes: shifting means coupled between said switching means output and said amplifiers for causing the apparent sound source to change from one diagonal to another when enabled, and means for selectably enabling said shifting means. 14. Apparatus in accordance with claim 13 wherein said switching means further includes: storage means containing a plurality of addressable switching patterns, means for addressing said storage means for causing one of the addressable patterns to be produced as an output therefrom, and a switching network coupled between said shifting means output and the inputs for said amplifiers for causing the audio from the source to be connected to the output transducers in apparent sound pattern sequences determined by the pattern output of said storage means, the enabled state of said shifting means and the state of said switching means. 15. Apparatus for introducing audio signals from at least one source to a plurality of audio output transducers for creating sound patterns and effects comprising: analog switch means for coupling audio signals from the source to the plurality of audio output transducers with magnitudes corresponding to digital values at the input of said analog switch means, digital position means for cyclically generating first and second fields of digital output signals wherein said first field provides sequentially changing data throughout each cycle while said second field provides fixed data values throughout each cycle, clock pulse means for providing cycles of clock pulses for actuating said digital position means, storage means for storing digital data at addressable locations wherein said digital data identifies the output transducers to be actuated by said analog switch means and an associated field of said digital position means output, register means for receiving signals specifying addressable locations of said storage means, and connecting means responsive to the digital data read from the location of said storage means addressed by said register means for connecting the said associated field selected thereby from said digital position means to the said analog switch means identified by the digital data read from the said addressed location, whereby said analog switch means sequentially energizes the transducers selected by said storage means output with magnitude corresponding to the said associated field from said digital position means. 16. Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 which further includes: means for controlling the frequency of the pulses produced by said clock pulse means. 17. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein said clock pulse means includes: a voltage controlled oscillator, and a multiple stage counter for counting the pulses from said oscillator, said controlling means including means for selecting the input voltage for said oscillator and means for selecting the stages of said counter to be used as the output thereof, said connecting means being responsive to said oscillator output for sequentially reading out a plurality of locations from said storage means, said digital position means being responsive to the selected said counter stages for sequentially updating said first and second fields. 18. Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 for use with audio output transducers of sufficient number and placement for defining a plurality of apparent sound sectors to a listener which apparatus further comprises: sector selection means responsive to signals from said counter for providing a portion of the location addresses for said storage means in conjunction with said register means, said sector selection means being arranged to change value upon the completion of each cycle of said first and second fields of said digital position means. 19. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 wherein said digital position means includes: first means for producing an increasing first field and a decreasing first field, and second means for producing a maximum second field and a minimum second field, the addressed locations from said storage means further being arranged for actuating said analog switch means for each transducer with one of the fields from said first and second producing means. 20. Apparatus in accordance with claim 19 wherein said analog switch means includes: means for retaining digital data, means responsive to said storage means output for placing the selected field from said producing means in said retaining means, means for converting said field from said retaining means into an analog equivalent, and analog amplifier means for coupling audio signals to output transducers with a magnitude controlled by said converting means output. 21. Apparatus in accordance with claim 20 which further includes: position hold means interconnecting said storage means output and said retaining means and being actuable for blocking transfer of fields from said producing means to said retaining means, and input means for selectably actuating said position hold means. 22. Apparatus in accordance with claim 20 wherein there are at least four transducers arranged at the corners of quadrant sectors around the listener, said apparatus further including: first and second portions of said retaining means, said converting means including first and second digital-to-analog converters coupled to be energized by said first and second retaining means portions, respectively, said analog amplifier means coupling the analog from said first converter to the transducers along one axis of the quadrant and the analog from said second converter along an axis of the quadrant perpendicular to the one axis. 23. Apparatus in accordance with claim 22 for use with a plurality of audio sources, said apparatus further including: a plurality of said analog switch means, each arranged for coupling a respective audio source to the transducers of the quadrant, said storage means having at least one pair of outputs for each said analog switch means, and said connecting means being arranged for controlling the transfer of selected fields from said field producing means to the said plurality of analog switch means in accordance with said storage means output. 24. A method for transferring signals from at least one source as sound patterns and effects from a plurality of transducers arranged around a listening area comprising the steps of: generating cycles of amplitude control signals, storing data reflecting the identity of the transducers that should be energized for each of a plurality of patterns and the control signals to be associated therewith, selecting one of the stored patterns, and connecting the audio signals from the source to the transducers identified by the selected pattern with magnitudes corresponding to the control signals associated therewith. 25. The method in accordance with claim 24 which includes the further steps of: controlling the rate which the amplitude control signal cycles are generated so that the apparent speed of sound movement between transducers is controlled in accordance therewith. 26. The method in accordance with claim 25 which includes the further steps of: providing a hold input signal, and responding to the hold input signal by retaining the amplitude control signal and the transducer identity as present when the hold signal occurred so that the apparent sound from the transducers appears to stop and continue to originate from one position. 27. The method in accordance with claim 24 for use with a plurality of signal sources wherein: said storing step includes the storing of data for respective signal sources, said selecting step includes selection of the stored data for each source, and the connecting step includes the coupling of each source to at least two of the transducers as specified by the data stored for that source in magnitudes specified by the control signals associated therewith. 28. A method in accordance with claim 24 wherein said data storing step includes the storing of sequences of data corresponding to sequences of pairs of transducers, and said selecting step includes the steps of sequentially selecting the data stored at the completion of each amplitude control signal cycle. Other info: Inventors: Raydon, Stephen M. (Boulder, CO, US) Hays, Ronald E. (Northglenn, CO, US) Application Number: 528220 Filing Date: 1974-11-29 Publication_date: 1976-07-13 Assignee: Video and Audio Artistry Corporation (Boulder, CO) Primary Class(es): 381/307 381/17, 381/18, 381/61 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Other References: Journal of the Audio Engineering, The Strobophone, L. A. Geddes et al., Mar., 1972, vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 115-117. | |