Audio spot lighting is a very recent 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 ultra sound beam acts as an airborne speaker. It uses non-linearity of air for its working. But it is real and is fine to knock the socks of any conventional loud speaker.

 The regular loudspeakers produce audible sound by directly moving the air molecules. The audible portions of sound tend to spread out in all directions from the point of origin. They do not travel as narrow beams. In fact the beam angle of audible sound is very wide, just about 360 degrees. In order to focus sound into a narrow beam, you need to maintain a low beam angle that is dictated by wavelength. The smaller the wavelength, less the beam angle and hence, the more focused the sound.

 The human ear is sensitive to

frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

Using

this technology it is possible to design a perfect transducer which can work over a wide range of frequency which is audible to human hear.

 The original low frequency sound wave such as human

speech or a music is applied into an audio spotlight emitter device. This low frequency signal is frequency modulated with ultrasonic frequencies ranging from 21 kHz to 28 kHz. The output of the modulator will be the modulated form of original sound wave. Since ultrasonic frequency is used the wavelength is smaller and the beam angle will be around 3 degree, as a result the sound beam will be a narrow one with a small dispersion.

 While the frequency modulated signal travels through the

air, the nonlinearity property of air comes into action which slightly changes the sound wave. The new sound signal generated within the ultrasonic sound wave will be corresponding to the original information signal with a frequency in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz will be produced within the ultrasonic sound wave. Since we cannot hear the ultrasonic sound wave we only hear the new sounds that are formed by non - linear action of the air.

 The new sound produced virtually has no distortions

associated with it.

There are no woofers or crossovers. The mounting hardware is constructed with a ball joint so

that the Audio Spotlights are easily aimed wherever the sound is desired.

Ultrasonic emitter devices are thin and flat and do not require a mounting cabinet. The focused or directed sound travels much faster in a straight line than conventional loudspeakers. Dispersion can be controlled - very narrow or wider to cover more listening area. Can reduce or eliminate the feedback from microphones. Highly cost effective as the maintenance required is less as compared to conventional loud speakers and have longer life span.

 Retail sales: Provide targeted advertising directly at the

point of purchase. Public announcement: Highly focused announcement in noisy environments such as subways, airports, amusement parks, traffic intersections etc.

 Retail sales: Provide targeted advertising directly at the

point of purchase. Public announcement: Highly focused announcement in noisy environments such as subways, airports, amusement parks, traffic intersections etc.

 Even the best loudspeakers are subject to distortion and

their Omni directional sound is annoying to the people in the vicinity who do no wish to listen. 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 rethink their relationship with sound. Audio spotlighting really "put sound where you want it".

 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. Due to the unidirectional propagation it finds application in large number of fields. Audio spotlighting system is going to shape the future of sound and will serve our ears with magical experience.

 F. Joseph Pompeii. The use of airborne ultrasonic's for generating audible sound beams. Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, P. J. Westerville. Parametric acoustic array. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. www.thinkdigit.com www.holosonics.com www.spie.org www.howstuffworks.com www.abcNEWS.com www.silentsound.co.za

All of the sounds None of the noise