In these past years, we’ve seen auto companies struggle to find ways to bring individualized entertainment to different persons in a vehicle without disrupting others. Headsets covering both ears of a driver are illegal in many states.

 

Our directional sound technologies provide creative solutions to this problem. For example, with our directional speakers in the headrest of a user’s seat, anyone can experience a private audio experience without the need of headsets.

 

The directional speaker can be an acoustic phase array of speaker elements in a headliner, allowing the sound direction to be steerable.

 

The directional speaker can be an ultrasonic speaker.

 

Ambient sound cancellation can be incorporated via integrating microphones to speakers to capture and cancel undesirable ambient sound for better hearing experience.

 

To enhance low-frequency audio, our multi-speaker technology covers different frequency ranges. For example, there could be a woofer to cover lower frequency audio signals, and directional speakers to cover higher frequency audio signals.

 

Then different persons could have their private audio experience. For example, the driver could be listening to a phone call or hearing navigation directions, while his partner sitting next to him could be enjoying Julie Andrews’ “The Hills are Alive,” both in private.

 

If desired, our technology can switch to normal speakers to create a shared audio experience.

 

To provide clear phone conversation, our technology can include directional microphones. This will isolate the caller’s voice in the vehicle from traffic and other sound inside the vehicle.

 

Such personalized audio zones create the best sound performance inside a vehicle, while minimizing interference.