A seminar on

AUDIO SPOTLIGHTING
Presented by
GIRISH.N
(1PI09TE403)

Under the guidance of Prof. ANIL KUMAR D

 CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THEORY
3. WORKING
4. COMPONENTS AND BLOCK DIAGRAM
5. TYPES OF MODES
6. ADVANTAGES
7. APPLICATIONS
8. CONCLUSION
9. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 INTRODUCTION
 Audio Spotlighting was invented by Dr. F. Joseph
Pompei.
 Production of focused beams of sound.
 Uses ultrasonic energy to create narrow beams of
sound.
 Non-linearity of the air aid the device for its
working.
 Device used: Parametric Loudspeaker or Array.
 THEORY
 Audio spot lighting is a technology that creates
focused beams of sound similar to light beams
coming out of a flashlight.
 By ‘shining’ sound to one location, specific
listeners can be targeted with sound without
others nearby hearing it.
 The Audio Spotlight uses ultrasonic energy to
create extremely narrow beams of sound that
behave like beams of light.
 Cont…
 Ultrasonic sound has very small wavelength in the
millimeter range and lies beyond the threshold of
human hearing.

Low Beam Angle is required to focus the sound.

Smaller the wavelength, lesser the beam angle.

Another way to focus sound is to increase aperture

size of speakers(10m diameter for 20Hz) practically
difficult.
 Cont…
AUDIO SPOTLIGHT CREATES FOCUSED BEAM OF
SOUND UNLIKE CONVENTIONAL LOUD SPEAKERS …

Audio spotlight looks like a disc-shaped loudspeaker,

trailing a wire, with a small laser guide-beam mounted
in the middle.
 WORKING

(Speech or music)

(21k to 28k Hz)

Audio Spotlighting Emitter

Cont…
 Frequency modulated signal travels through air, non-
linearity property of air comes into action which slightly
changes the sound wave.

 Due to change in a sound wave(ultrasonic), new sounds are

formed within the wave.

 New sound signal corresponds to the original information

signal in the range 20Hz to 20kHz.

 Inherent non-linearity of the air works as a

de-modulator and thus de-modulated sounds impinge on our
eardrums. We can hear those sounds.

 The ultrasonic envelope acts as an airborne speaker.

Directivity
DISPERSION OF SOUND BEAM
 COMPONENTS
 Power supply
 Frequency oscillator
 Modulator
 Audio signal processor
 Microcontroller
 Ultrasonic amplifier
 Transducer
BLOCK DIAGRAM OF AN AUDIO
SPOTLIGHTING SYSTEM
 MODES OF LISTENING
 Direct Mode
 Projected Mode
 COMPARISON BETWEEN CONVENTIONAL
SPEAKERS & AUDIO SPOTLIGHTING

CONVENTIONAL SPEAKERS AUDIO SPOTLIGHTING

 ADVANTAGES
1. Can focus sound only at the place you want.

2. Ultrasonic emitter devices are thin and flat

and do not require a mounting cabinet.

3. Focused sound travels much faster in a

straight line than conventional loudspeakers.

4. Dispersion can be controlled - very narrow or

wider to cover more listening area.
 Cont…
5. Highly cost effective.

6. Low maintenance and longer life span.

7. Requires low power.

8. No lag in reproducing the sound.

 APPLICATIONS
1. Automobiles: Beam alert signals can be directly
propagated from an announcement device in the
dashboard to the driver.
2. Retail sales: Provide targeted advertising directly at the
point of purchase.

3. Safety officials: Portable audio spotlighting devices for

communicating with a specific person in a crowd of
people.
 Cont…
4. Public announcement: Highly focused announcement in
noisy environments such subways, airports, amusement
parks, traffic intersections etc.

5. Emergency rescue: Rescuers can communicate with

endangered people far from reach.
6. Entertainment system: In home theatre system rear
speakers can be eliminated by the implementation of
audio spotlighting and the properties of sound can be
improved.
 Cont…
7. Museums: Audio spotlight can be used to describe about
a particular object only to a person standing in front of it.

8. Military applications: Ship-to-ship communication and

shipboard announcements.
9. Audio/Video conferring: Project the audio from a
conference in 4 different languages, from a single central
device without the need for headphones.
10. Sound bullets: Jack the sound level 50 times the human
threshold of pain, and an offshoot of audio spotlighting
sound technology becomes a non-lethal weapon.
FUTURE OF AUDIO SPOTLIGHTING
Audio spotlighting system holds the promise of
replacing conventional speakers.

It allows the user to control the direction of

propagation of sound.

The audio spotlight will force people to think

their relationship with sound. Audio spotlighting
really “put sound where you want”.
 CONCLUSION
Audio spotlighting is really going to make a revolution
in sound transmission and the user can decide the
path in which audio signal should propagate.
 Audio spotlighting system is going to shape the
future of sound and will serve our ears with magical
experience.
So we can conclude- Audio Spotlighting really “put
sound where you want it” and will be
“A REAL BOON TO THE FUTURE.”
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 F. Joseph Pompei: The use of airborne
ultrasonics for generating audible sound beams.
 www.silentsound.co.za – Silent sound.
 www.wikipedia.org - Sound from Ultrasound.
 www.howstuffworks.com
 www.holosonics.com
 Electronics For You – Vol. 40 January 2008.
THANK YOU 