METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE PROPAGATION OF ACOUSTIC WAVES ON A WALL

Abstract

A method and a device for controlling the propagation of acoustic waves in the vicinity of a wall, the method and device implementing a master device for controlling a set Nc of cells primarily made up of a speaker, a set of Nm microphones connected to the speaker, and a control unit, by means of control laws that determine the intensity of the electrical signal that must be sent to each speaker so as to obtain a target determined generalized acoustic impedance for each speaker, such that a fraction of the acoustic waves is absorbed by the membrane of each speaker.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the propagation of the acoustic waves in the vicinity of a wall, the method comprising: a step a) in which a number Nc of cells constituted mainly by a speaker linked to a set of Nm microphones is affixed on the wall, said microphones and speaker being provided to be driven by a control unit, a power supply; a step b) in which each microphone of each cell measures the acoustic pressure of the acoustic waves. each measurement being returned to the cell control unit, a step c) in which the control unit estimates the acoustic pressure and/or its tangential spatial derivatives at the level of the speaker, then applies the control law that sets the amperage of the electrical signal that must be sent to the speaker so as to obtain a determined generalized acoustic impedance Z.sub.det for the speaker; and a step d) in which the control unit sends the electrical signal to the speaker, so that a fraction of the acoustic waves is absorbed by the membrane of the speaker, a main control device (C) driving all of the control units, using a learning loop so as to adjust the determined generalized acoustic impedance Z.sub.det for each cell.

2. The method for controlling the propagation of acoustic waves according to claim 1, characterized in that the loop includes the following steps: BEGIN: start A1: loading a generic acoustic model A2: assigning a control law to at least one of the cells A3: calculating the parameters associated with the control law A4: applying the control law to the cell A5: generating a reference signal A6: acquiring the signal by the microphones A7: calculating the insertion loss denoted IL A8: comparing the calculated insertion loss denoted IL with a predetermined insertion loss value IL0 corresponding to obtaining the determined generalized acoustic impedance Z.sub.det A9: return to A3 for adaptation of the parameters of the control law in order to minimize the error on the measured impedance, in the event that IL is less than IL0, otherwise, the process finishes with END.

3. The method for controlling the propagation of acoustic waves according to claim 1, characterized in that each cell includes between 3 and 5 microphones.

4. The method for controlling the propagation of acoustic waves according to claim 1, characterized in that the fraction of the acoustic waves absorbed by the membrane of the speaker is converted into electrical energy dedicated to supplying each of the cells.

5. The method for controlling the propagation of acoustic waves according to claim 1, characterized in that the acoustic impedance is modified by means of the control law defined as follows: The desired dynamics of the current amperage (i) is expressed with respect to the acoustic pressure (p) and its gradient (grad(p)), in the form of a summation of infinite impulse response filters denoted IIR, the dynamics of which is materialized by two transfer functions H.sub.loc and H.sub.dis: ##STR00003## With H.sub.loc and H.sub.dis written in discrete time as a polynomial fraction in z: $\begin{array}{cc}H\left(z\right)=\frac{a_0+a_1{z}^{-1}+.Math.+a_n{z}^{-n}}{b_0+b_1{z}^{-1}+.Math.+b_m{z}^{-m}}& \left[\mathrm{Math}2\right]\end{array}$ With (a.sub.i, b.sub.i) the real coefficients of the equation and (m, n) integers corresponding to the filter order. Given that the property according to which z.sup.−1 is a pure delay of a sampling period producing the recurrent control equation between an output at the moment k (y.sub.k) and an input at the moment k (x.sub.k): $\begin{array}{cc}{y}_k=\frac{1}{a_0}\left[\stackrel{m}{\underset{i=1}{.Math.}}{b}_i.x_{k-i}-\underset{j=1}{\stackrel{n}{.Math.}}{a}_j.y_{k-j}\right],& \left[\mathrm{Math}3\right]\end{array}$ Given that the current driving signal in the coil of the speaker depends on the pressure and on its gradient, the complete control equation is written as the summation of two recurrent equations of the precedent form: y.sub.tot=y.sub.loc+y.sub.dis, with y.sub.loc dependent on the measured pressure and y.sub.dis dependent on the estimated pressure gradient.

6. The method for controlling the propagation of acoustic waves according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit is a microcontroller, preferably of the ARM type.

7. The method for controlling the propagation of acoustic waves according to claim 1, characterized in that the control law is defined at a frequency comprised between 50 and 150 kHz.

8. A device for controlling the propagation of acoustic waves in the vicinity of a wall, comprising: a set Nc of cells each mainly constituted by a speaker; a set of Nm microphones linked to said speaker; a control unit; and a power supply; said microphones and speaker being provided to be driven by said control unit; a fraction of the acoustic waves absorbed by the membrane of the speaker being converted into electrical energy to supply the set Nc of cells; each microphone of each cell being capable of measuring the acoustic pressure of the acoustic waves; each measurement being returned to the cell control unit, the control unit being capable of estimating the acoustic pressure and/or its tangential spatial derivatives at the level of the speaker, and capable of applying the control law that sets the amperage of the electrical signal that must be sent to the speaker so as to obtain a determined generalized acoustic impedance Z.sub.det for the speaker, the device also including a main control device (C) for driving the set of control units in a loop including the following steps: BEGIN: start A1: loading a generic acoustic model A2: assigning a control law to at least one of the cells A3: calculating the parameters associated with the control law A4: applying the control law to the cell A5: generating a reference signal A6: acquiring the signal by the microphones A7: calculating the insertion loss denoted IL A8: comparing the insertion loss denoted IL with a predetermined insertion loss value IL0 corresponding to obtaining the desired generalized acoustic impedance Z.sub.det A9: return to A3 for adaptation of the parameters of the control law in order to minimize the error on the measured impedance, in the event that IL is less than IL0.

9. The device for controlling the propagation of acoustic waves in the vicinity of a wall according to claim 8, characterized in that each cell includes between 3 and 5 microphones.

10. An acoustic panel incorporating a device according to claim 8, more particularly covered with a set Nc of cells mainly constituted by a speaker; a set of Nm microphones linked to said speaker; and a control unit; said microphones and speaker being provided to be driven by said control unit; a fraction of the acoustic waves absorbed by the membrane of the speaker being converted into electrical energy to supply the set Nc of cells; the generalized acoustic impedance of each speaker being subject to a control law, so as to define locally to the surface of said panel the absorbing or reflecting behaviour; the panel being connected to a main control device (C) for driving the set of control units.

Description

[0072] Other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent on reading the detailed description of implementations and embodiments that are in no way limitative and from the following attached drawings:

[0073] FIG. 1 This figure shows a diagrammatic view of an acoustic control device according to the invention.

[0074] FIG. 2 This figure shows a detail of an acoustic cell according to the invention.

[0075] As the embodiments described hereinafter are in no way limitative, variants of the invention can be considered in particular comprising only a selection of the characteristics described, in isolation from the other characteristics described (even if this selection is isolated within a sentence comprising these other characteristics), if this selection of characteristics is sufficient to confer a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention with respect to the state of the prior art. This selection comprises at least one, preferably functional, characteristic without structural details, or with only a part of the structural details if this part alone is sufficient to confer a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention with respect to the state of the prior art.

[0076] The device according to the invention is intended to convert an electroacoustic transducer into a polyvalent electroacoustic resonator making it possible to absorb sound energy in a space or even to contain this energy between two adjacent spaces without using detecting elements in order to achieve the desired noise reduction.

[0077] The technological innovation comprises in particular a modification of the internal dynamics of the electroacoustic transducer via a load electrical impedance connected to its terminals, adapted to the electroacoustic transducer used as well as to the acoustic dispersion conditions and the desired acoustic performance.

[0078] The role of this impedance is to adjust the losses, and to compensate the reactive parts of the transducer, with the intention of allowing it to exhibit performance that meets acoustic requirements.

[0079] The acoustic impedance exhibited by the membrane of the electroacoustic transducer to the surrounding sound field can thus be rendered transparent, absorbent or insulating to the incident sound waves, according to the transfer function performed by the load electrical impedance.

[0080] The synthesized electrical impedance constitutes the functional link between the voltage induced by the electroacoustic transducer subjected to an exogenous pressure field and the current necessary to absorb or contain the incident sound energy.

[0081] The invention concerns, among other things, an electroacoustic system permanently controlled in a self-adjusting closed loop, the control laws of which rely on prior knowledge of the internal model, i.e. the transduction mechanisms and the dissipative and reactive mechanisms inherent in the transducer mounted on an enclosure or a baffle.

[0082] With respect to the operating principle, a mobile part of the speaker (for example the membrane, the dust cap and the coil) is moved when it is subjected to an exogenous acoustic pressure field, oscillates back and forth along the axis of symmetry of the transducer, and is returned to an equilibrium position under the action of a spider and peripheral suspension elements. The movement of the coil, itself immersed in a magnetic field generated by a permanent magnet, creates an electromotive force, expressed by a voltage induced at the electrical terminals of the transducer.

[0083] This induced voltage is the image of the acoustic disturbance at the origin of the movement of the mobile part, but also depends on the internal dynamics of the speaker system and on the conditions of acoustic dispersion (enclosure, position in the room, etc.). It constitutes the input of the regulator, the role of which is to send a compensation electric current calculated to oppose a mechanical force at the membrane adapted to the desired acoustic effect: sound absorption in a space or sound insulation between two adjacent spaces.

[0084] Control of the generalized acoustic impedance, i.e. the dynamics of the relationship between the pressure, the pressure gradient and the velocity at the level of the controlled surface, results in a significant reduction in the energy transmitted along the treated surface.

[0085] This control is carried out by a distribution of speakers, which act on the velocity field, as well as by a distribution of microphones which allow measurement of the acoustic pressure field and its gradient.

[0086] It is therefore necessary to be able to impose the electric current flowing in the coil of the speakers, the amperage value being preferably calculated by an infinite impulse response filter (IIR), as a function of the measured acoustic pressure and of its gradient.

[0087] The developed device makes it possible to control N active cells of speakers simultaneously.

[0088] The architecture of the device also makes it possible to modify in real time the dynamics of each filter utilized.

[0089] Programming the generalized acoustic impedance imposed locally on the active surface affixed on the wall thus allows easy implementation of different control strategies.

[0090] Imposing a generalized acoustic impedance on a wall amounts to imposing the dynamics between the acoustic pressure, the acoustic pressure gradient and the velocity of the air at the level of this wall.

[0091] The development of such a control method and such a control device then makes it possible to produce a control loop having the signals of the microphones as input and as output the set point of the current that must be imposed in the coil of the speaker.

[0092] The passband of interest extends from 20 to 20000 Hertz, and in particular within the context of civil engineering applications, from 20 to 1500 Hertz.

[0093] In order to ensure a reduced bulk and to allow effective control within the envisaged frequency band, the wall can be subdivided into local control zones of five centimetres each side.

[0094] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the device is constituted by Nc=12 identical independent cells 1 composed of a speaker 11, Nm microphones 10, an electronic signal conditioning card, a digital computation card and an electrical power supply, the whole representing the control unit 12.

[0095] Each cell includes between 3 and 5 microphones 10, preferably 4.

[0096] Each speaker 11 is controlled by the electrical power supply driven by a specifically developed digital computation card. The four microphones 10 of each cell 1 make it possible to estimate the average pressure at the centre of the membrane of each speaker. The pressure difference between the right and left boundary of the cell makes it possible to assess the spatial pressure gradient along the axis of propagation of the waves in the duct.

[0097] In terms of operation and with respect to FIG. 2, the device acquires the acoustic pressure by means of microphones 10.

[0098] After conditioning in a processing unit 13, the signals are digitized by an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC).

[0099] The average pressure at the centre of the membrane and/or the spatial derivative of the pressure at the level of the membrane is estimated based on the measurement of the microphones. The control law is then calculated by the computation unit 12.

[0100] The current set point originating from the calculation is generated by a digital-to-analogue converter (DAC).

[0101] Finally, a current source drives the current flowing in the speaker 11.

[0102] In greater detail, the control method according to the invention includes the following steps:

[0103] a step in which a number Nc of cells 1 constituted mainly by a speaker 11 linked to a set of Nm microphones 10 is affixed on the wall, said microphones and speaker being provided to be driven by a control unit 12,

[0104] a step in which each microphone 10 of each cell 1 measures the acoustic pressure of the acoustic waves, each measurement being returned to the cell control unit 12,

[0105] a step in which the control unit 12 estimates the acoustic pressure at the level of the speaker and/or its spatial derivative, then determines the control law that sets the amperage of the electric signal that must be sent to the speaker 11 so as to obtain a determined acoustic impedance Z.sub.det for the speaker.

[0106] According to the invention, in this step the control unit estimates either the acoustic pressure at the level of the speaker, or its spatial derivative, or both.

[0107] Use of the spatial derivatives of the pressure advantageously makes it possible to take account of the rates of variation of the pressure field on the acoustic treatment wall and to take account of the effective velocities of propagation of the noise through the wall.

[0108] a step in which the control unit 12 sends the electrical signal to the speaker 11, so that a fraction of the acoustic waves is absorbed by the membrane of the speaker, the remaining second fraction being reflected.

[0109] In certain applications, the calculation of the control laws is carried out locally at a frequency of 50 kHz by a microcontroller, preferably of the ARM type.

[0110] Advantageously, the fraction of the acoustic waves absorbed by the membrane of the speaker 11 is converted into electrical energy in order to supply each of the cells.

[0111] A main control device C equipped with an interface card advantageously makes it possible to communicate with the control unit 12 of each unitary cell from a graphical user interface.

[0112] The coefficients of the equations can then be determined and updated in real time, and the cells can be activated or deactivated separately.

[0113] This type of architecture makes it possible to implement locally control laws requiring dynamics that are different from one cell to another.

[0114] In addition, the main control device C can drive all of the control units 12, using a learning loop.

[0115] By way of example, the loop can include a first step “BEGIN” to initiate the process.

[0116] Then follows a step A1 in which a generic acoustic model is initiated, in the sense that any acoustic model may be suitable, and in the present case, it is in fact defined by the equation [Math3].

[0117] Then, in A2, a control law is assigned for at least one of the cells.

[0118] In A3, the parameters associated with the control laws are calculated.

[0119] In A4, the control law is applied to the cell.

[0120] In order to verify the suitability of the device constituted by the set of cells with regard to generalized impedance, a reference signal is generated in A5. This reference signal is in fact a “noise” initiated by the speaker or by an external element that is collected during step A6 by the microphones in order to initiate the control loop.

[0121] Step A6 allows the microphones to collect the signal.

[0122] Then in A7 the insertion loss (IL) must be calculated.

[0123] It is noted that insertion loss is a habitual known physical variable that corresponds to the reduction in the level of acoustic pressure, caused by the insertion of an acoustic control device in a duct in place of a section of duct with rigid walls.

[0124] In A8, the insertion loss (IL) is compared with a predetermined insertion loss value IL0, to verify if the insertion loss is greater than the minimum IL0 value corresponding to the desired generalized impedance Z.sub.det.

[0125] In A9, the main control device C loops back to A3 to adapt the parameters of the control law in order to minimize the error on the measured impedance, in the event that IL<IL0.

[0126] Otherwise, the loop finishes with the command END.

[0127] Thus, in the event that the insertion loss IL is less than a minimum value, the main control device C relaunches the loop in order to refine the control laws.

[0128] This process is reiterated until the desired generalized impedance Z.sub.det is obtained.

[0129] It is possible to calibrate each of the cells at the same time, just as it is possible to calibrate the cells iteratively, i.e. one after another.

[0130] The control laws implemented are infinite impulse response filters (IIR).

[0131] The output of the filter depends both on the state of the inputs (pressure and pressure gradient) and outputs (current set point) at the moment t and at the preceding moments as a function of the filter order.

[0132] Calculation of the dynamics of the device is carried out by a microcontroller. This calculation take place in discrete time, at every sampling interval, in the form of a recurrent equation.

[0133] It is therefore necessary to establish this recurrent equation based on the expression of the transfer function representing the targeted dynamics.

[0134] The following equivalence relation d/dt=jω=p is used, which makes it possible to pass from the temporal representation to the harmonic frequency and Laplace representation.

[0135] The control law can thus be defined as follows:

[0136] The desired dynamics of the current amperage (i) is expressed with respect to the acoustic pressure (p) and its gradient (grad(p)), in the form of a summation of infinite impulse response filters (IIR), the dynamics of which is materialized by two transfer functions H.sub.loc and H.sub.dis:

##STR00002##

[0137] With H.sub.loc and H.sub.dis written in discrete time as a polynomial fraction in z:

[00003]$\begin{array}{cc}H\left(z\right)=\frac{a_0+a_1{z}^{-1}+.Math.+a_n{z}^{-n}}{b_0+b_1{z}^{-1}+.Math.+b_m{z}^{-m}}& \left[\mathrm{Math}2\right]\end{array}$

[0138] With (a.sub.i, b.sub.i) the real coefficients of the equation and (m, n) integers corresponding to the filter order.

[0139] The property according to which z.sup.−1 is a pure delay of a sampling period produces the recurrent control equation between an output at the moment k (y.sub.k) and an input at the moment k (x.sub.k):

[00004]$\begin{array}{cc}{y}_k=\frac{1}{a_0}\left[\stackrel{m}{\underset{i=1}{.Math.}}{b}_i.x_{k-i}-\underset{j=1}{\stackrel{n}{.Math.}}{a}_j.y_{k-j}\right]& \left[\mathrm{Math}3\right]\end{array}$

[0140] As the current driving signal in the coil of the speaker depends on the pressure and on its gradient, the complete control equation is written as the summation of two recurrent equations of the precedent form: y.sub.tot=y.sub.loc+y.sub.dis.

[0141] With y.sub.loc dependent on the measured pressure and y.sub.dis dependent on the estimated pressure gradient.

[0142] The speakers are controlled by a current source based on operational amplifiers of 150mA. The form utilized is an enhanced Howland source, stable in the case of inductive loads such as speakers.

[0143] Thus, each microphone (10) of each cell (1) measures the acoustic pressure of the acoustic waves. On this basis, this pressure measurement and the gradient of this pressure measurement are present in the equation y.sub.tot=y.sub.loc+y.sub.dis.

[0144] with y.sub.loc dependent on the measured pressure and y.sub.dis dependent on the estimated pressure gradient.

[0145] y.sub.loc usually corresponds to the local value of the current at output, while y.sub.dis corresponds to the distributed value of the current at output.

[0146] Similarly, x.sub.loc usually corresponds to the local value of the current at input, while x.sub.dis corresponds to the distributed value of the current at input.

[0147] The pressure gradient is the quantity used in mechanics to represent pressure variation in a fluid (herein, air).

[0148] Equations [Math 2] and [Math 3] are equations that are conventional generic definitions of filtering techniques that make it possible to express with the equation [Math 1] the desired dynamics of the current amperage (i) with respect to the acoustic pressure (p) and its gradient (grad(p)), in the form of a summation of infinite impulse response filters.

[0149] Thus, the method and the device for electroacoustic control allow the implementation of a distributed control law based on an advection equation relating to attenuation of the oblique acoustic waves in a tube.

[0150] Thus, following an iterative procedure for each cell, the parameters of the control law are adapted while the value of the insertion loss is less than a predetermined threshold, then when the threshold is reached, step c) of claim 1 is carried out, which applies the appropriate control law (defined by adaptation of the parameters) with the aim of obtaining the determined (i.e. targeted) generalized acoustic impedance Z.sub.det for the speaker.

[0151] The advantages of the invention are as follows:

[0152] the device can be programmed and the prioritized direction of the treatment can be modified,

[0153] the device can be programmed in “self-learning” mode so as to define locally in real time the optimum acoustic behaviour,

[0154] the device is modulable and can adopt several geometries,

[0155] the device allows the synthesis of an acoustic diode (non-reciprocal wave propagation) and potentially its 2D extension,

[0156] the device allows the measurement of the pressure fields of the wall in real time and therefore offers a source analysis capability,

[0157] the device is more robust than the conventional control approaches as a result of the distributed character of the control units,

[0158] the device has higher performance than other active systems, in terms of pure efficiency and energy consumption.

[0159] It should be noted that the different characteristics, forms, variants and embodiments of the invention can be combined together in various combinations to the extent that they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive.

[0160] Of course, following an iterative process for each cell, it is also possible to adapt the parameters of the control law while the value of a reference physical variable, other than the insertion loss (for example the transmission loss, an absorption coefficient or a target impedance), is sufficiently close to a predetermined value.