TELEVISION APPARATUS
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present invention contains subject matter
related to Japanese Patent Application JP 2006-062689
filed in the Japan Patent Office on March 8, 2006, the
entire contents of which being incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a television
apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been provided a
television apparatus having a thin display panel
including a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, or
an organic electro-luminescence (organic EL) display,
speakers for outputting sounds, and a housing
accommodating therein the display panel and the speakers
(see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2005-165350) .
Since the speakers are incorporated in left,
right, and lower sides of the display panel, however, the
above television apparatus is subject to constraints on
its design and limits on efforts to improve its design
and aesthetic aspects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present applicant has proposed a television
apparatus of novel design which gives the user an
illusion of floating television display, as disclosed in
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2005-333279.
The disclosed television apparatus includes a
thin television display device, a first speaker disposed
in the display device, a mount section placed in a site,
a support mechanism projecting upwardly from the mount
section and supporting the display device in an upper
portion spaced from the mount section in a manner to
allow the display device to change its attitude, and a
second speaker disposed in the mount section.
The television apparatus allows the user to have
an illusion of floating display device and supports the
display device in a manner to allow the display device to
change its attitude. If the display device is largely
pulled forward of the mount section, then the distance
from the ears of the user to the second speaker becomes
greater than the distance from the ears of the user to
the first speaker.
Therefore, the sound emitted from the first
speaker reaches the ears of the user earlier than the
sound emitted from the second speaker reaches the ears of
the user, making the user feel uncomfortable and
unnatural.
According to an embodiment of the present
invention, it is desirable to provide a television
apparatus which is effective to reproduce sounds of good
quality.
According to an embodiment of the present
invention there is provided a television apparatus
including a thin display device, a mount section adapted
to be placed in a site, a support mechanism projecting
upwardly from the mount section and supporting the
display device in an upper portion spaced from the mount
section in a manner to allow the display device to change
an attitude thereof, a first speaker mounted on the
display device, a second speaker mounted on the mount
section, a signal supply section for supplying a first
audio signal to the first speaker and supplying a second
audio signal to the second speaker, and a signal
processor for adjusting the time difference between the
timing of the first audio signal output from the signal
supply section and the timing of the second audio signal
output from the signal supply section.
The above and other features and advantages of
the present invention will become apparent from the
following description when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred
embodiments of the present invention by way of example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a television
apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present
invention;
Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view
showing a junction between a support post and arms;
Fig. 3 is a view as viewed in the direction of
the arrow E in Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line
F-F of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line
G-G of Fig. 3;
Fig. 6 is a plan view of a display device;
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a vertical
swing mechanism;
Fig. 8 is a block diagram of a signal box;
Fig. 9 is a detailed block diagram of an audio
signal processing circuit;
Fig. 10 is a schematic view showing the
relationship between sounds emitted from first and second
speakers of the television apparatus and the user;
Fig. 11 is a schematic view showing angles
detected by angle sensors of a television apparatus
according to a second embodiment of the present
invention; and
Fig. 12 is a schematic view showing the
calculation of the distance between the first and second
speakers based on the detected angles in the television
apparatus according to the second embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF.THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Television apparatus according to the embodiments
of the present invention will be described in detail
below with reference to the drawings.
First Embodiment:
Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a television
apparatus 10 according to a first embodiment of the
present invention.
As shown in Fig. 1, the television apparatus 10
includes a display device 12, a stand 20 supporting the
display device 12, a first speaker 50, a second speaker
52, and a distance detector 54.
First, the display device 12 will be described
below.
As shown in Fig. 1, the display device 12
includes a thin display device 1202, a frame 1204, and a
display driver circuit 1210 (see Fig. 8).
The display device 1202 has a display surface on
one side and a rear surface on the other side. One side
of the display device 1202 is referred to as a front side,
and the other side thereof as a rear side.
The frame 1204 is in the form of a thin plate
covering the rear surface of the display device 1202
thereby to support the display device 1202.
In the present embodiment, the display device
1202 includes an organic EL display. However, the
display device 1202 may include a plasma display or a
liquid crystal display.
The stand 20 will be described below.
As shown in Fig. 1, the stand 20 includes a base
22, a support post 24, arms 26, and a counterweight 28.
In the present embodiment, the base 22 serves as a mount
section placed in a site.
The support post 24 projects upwardly from the
base 22, and the arms 26 have longitudinally intermediate
portions supported on the upper distal end of the support
post 24. The display device 12 is supported on front
ends of the arms 26, and the counterweight 28 is coupled
to rear ends of the arms 26.
The base 22 includes a frame and a cover 2202
covering the frame.
A semispherical support 30 is disposed on an
upper portion of the frame for turning adjusting movement
about a vertical axis and swinging adjusting movement in
vertical directions. The support 30 is exposed upwardly
from an upper surface of the cover 2202. The support
post 24 projects from the support 30. In the present
embodiment, the support post 24 includes two rods 2402
extending parallel to each other.
A turning mechanism and a vertical swinging
mechanism in related art, are provided between the frame
and the support 30. A friction mechanism is also
provided in association with the turning mechanism and
the vertical swinging mechanism to keep the support 30 in
a certain turned and vertically swung state. When the
user turns or vertically swings the display device 12 or
the support post 24 to a desired attitude, and then the
user releases the display device 12 or the support post
24, the support post 24 remains angularly displaced with
respect to the frame.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view
showing a junction between the support post 24 and the
arms 26, Fig. 3 is a view as viewed in the direction of
the arrow E in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view
taken along line F-F of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a crosssectional
view taken along line G-G of Fig. 3.
As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the support post 24
and the arms 26 are joined to each other at a junction
incorporating a vertical swing mechanism 33 by which the
arms 26 are vertically swingably supported on the support
post 24, a torsion coil spring 32, and a friction
mechanism 34 for maintaining the arms 26 in a vertically
swung state with respect to the support post 24 under
frictional forces.
The torsion coil spring 32 serves to hold in
balance a rotational moment which acts on the support
post 24 based on the weight of the display device 12 and
a rotational moment which acts on the support post 24
based on the weight of the counterweight 28. At the
junction between the support post 24 and the arms 26, a
rotational moment generated by the resiliency of the
torsion coil spring 32 in cooperation with the rotational
moment generated by the weight of the counterweight 28
counteracts the rotational moment generated by the weight
of the display device 12 and the weight of the arms 26.
As shown in Figs. 2 through 5, brackets 2404,
2406 are positioned in facing relation of the distal ends
of the two rods 2402. A male screw member 2408 extends
between and through the brackets 2404, 2406. A tubular
member 2602 made of a material having a large coefficient
of friction, which projects from the intermediate
portions of the arms 26, is sandwiched between the
brackets 2404, 2406 and rotatably supported on the shank
of the male screw member 2408, providing the vertical
swing mechanism 33.
The tubular member 2602 has an inner tube section
2604 through which the shank of the male screw member
2408 extends, and an outer tube section 2606 disposed
radially outwardly of and joined to the inner tube
section 2604. The outer tube section 2606 has an outside
diameter which is substantially the same as the outside
diameter of the brackets 2404, 2406.
The torsion coil spring 32 is disposed in an
annular space between the inner tube section 2604 and the
outer tube section 2606. The torsion coil spring 32 has
an end 3202 engaging a wall surface 2410 of the bracket
2404 and another end 3204 displaced against the bias of
the torsion coil spring 32 as indicated by the dottedline
arrow in Fig. 4 and engaging a wall surface 2610 of
the tubular member 2602. The torsion coil spring 32
applies its resilient forces acting between the support
post 24 and the arms 26 in the circumferential direction
of the male screw member 2408.
When the male screw member 2408 is loosened or
tightened, the force tending to tighten the tubular
member 2602 between the brackets 2404, 2406 is adjusted,
i.e., the frictional force generated between the brackets
2404, 2406 and the tubular member 2602 is adjusted. The
friction mechanism 34 for maintaining the arms 26 in a
vertically swung state with respect to the support post
24 is thus provided.
The friction mechanism 34 is not limited to the
above structure, but may be of any of various structures.
In the present embodiment, the male screw member 2408,
the brackets 2404, 2406, and the tubular member 2602 of
the friction mechanism 34 also serve as components of the
vertical swing mechanism 33.
When the user grips the arms 26 or the display
device 12, swings the arms 26 or the display device 12 to
bring the display device 12 into a desired position with
respect to the support post 24, and releases the arms 26
or the display device 12, the angle of the arms 26 with
respect to the support post 24 is maintained by the
torsion coil spring 32, the counterweight 28, and the
friction mechanism 34.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the display device 12,
and Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a vertical swing
mechanism 36.
As shown in Fig. 6, the vertical swing mechanism
36 and a friction mechanism 38 are disposed in a junction
between the distal ends of the arms 26 and the display
device 12. The display device 12 is vertically swingably
coupled to the distal ends of the arms 26 by the vertical
swing mechanism 36, and the display device 12 is
maintained in a swung attitude by the friction mechanism
As shown in Fig. 7, the vertical swing mechanism
36 includes a pair of first members 36A attached to the
rear surface of the display device 12, an externally
threaded screw 3606 extending between and through the
first members 36A, and a second member 36B vertically
swingably coupled to the externally threaded screw 3606.
The second member 36B is mounted on the distal end of the
stand 20 (the arms 26) .
When the externally threaded screw 3606 is
loosened or tightened, the force tending to tighten the
second member 36B with the first members 36A is adjusted,
i.e., the frictional force generated between the first
members 36A and the second member 36B is adjusted. The
display device 12 is thus maintained in a vertically
swung state with respect to the arms 26.
The vertical swinging mechanism 36 is not limited
to the above structure, but may be of any of various
structures. In the present embodiment, the first members
36A, the second member 36B, and the externally threaded
screw 3606 of the friction mechanism 38 also serve as
components of the vertical swing mechanism 36.
When the user grips the arms 26 or the display
device 12, swings the arms 26 or the display device 12 to
bring the display device 12 into a desired position with
respect to the display device 12 or the arms 26, and
releases the arms 26 or the display device 12, the angle
of the display device 12 with respect to the arms 26 is
maintained by the friction mechanism 38.
In the present embodiment, a support mechanism
supports the display device 12 in a position projecting
upwardly from the mount section and spaced from the mount
section in a manner to allow the display device 12 to
change its attitude. The support mechanism includes the
support 30, the support post 24, the arms 26, the torsion
coil spring 32, the counterweight 28, and the friction
mechanisms 34, 38.
As shown in Fig. 1, a signal box 40 is disposed
in the cover 2202.
The signal box 40 controls the display device
1202 to display images and also controls the first and
second speakers 50, 52 to output sounds based on radio
waves received from broadcasting stations or image and
audio signals supplied from an external device.
Fig. 8 shows details of the signal box 40 in
block form.
As shown in Fig. 8, the signal box 40 includes a
reception circuit 4002, a switching circuit 4004, an
image signal processing circuit 4006, an audio signal
processing circuit 4008, a remote control signal
reception circuit 4010, and a control circuit 4012. The
signal box 40 is connected to a control section 42 and an
external input terminal 44 which are separate from the
signal box 40.
The control section 42 can be operated by the
user to make various operations and settings for viewing
broadcasts on the television apparatus 10. The control
section 42 includes, for example, a channel selecting
button, a volume adjusting button, a tone adjusting
button, and an input selecting button, and is mounted on
an outer surface of the cover 2202, for example.
In the present embodiment, the control section 42
includes a timing controller 4202 (see Fig. 9) for
manually setting the time difference between sounds
output from the first and second speakers 50, 52. The
timing controller 4202 includes a control button or knob
and is mounted on an outer surface of the cover 2202.
The external input terminal 44 is a terminal for
receiving image and audio signals supplied from an
external device such as a DVD player, a video deck, or
the like, and is mounted on an outer surface of the cover
2202.
The reception circuit 4002 selects a channel
based on a command from the control circuit 4012,
demodulates a television signal received from an antenna
4001, separates the television signal into an image
signal and an audio signal, and outputs the image signal
and the audio signal.
The switching circuit 4004 selects either image
and audio signals supplied from the reception circuit
4002 or image and audio signals supplied from the
external device through the external input terminal 44,
and supplies the selected image and audio signals to the
image signal processing circuit 4006 and the audio signal
processing circuit 4008.
The image signal processing circuit 4006
processes the image signal to generate a drive signal for
driving the display device 12, and supplies the drive
signal to the display device 12.
The audio signal processing circuit 4008
processes and amplifies the audio signal, and supplies
the processed and amplified audio signal to the first
speaker 50 and the second speaker 52. The first speaker
50 and the second speaker 52 output sounds based on the
supplied audio signal.
The remote control signal reception circuit 4010
receives a wireless signal (infrared signal) representing
control commands for various operations including channel
selection, volume adjustment, and input selection, sent
from a remote control signal transmitter 46 separate from
the television apparatus 10. The remote control signal
reception circuit 4010 supplies the received control
commands to the control circuit 4012.
Based on operations on the control section 42 or
the control commands supplied from the remote control
signal reception circuit 4010, the control circuit 4012
controls the reception circuit 4002 to select a channel,
controls the switching circuit 4004 to switch between an
image signal or an audio signal, and also controls the
image signal processing circuit 4006 and the audio signal
processing circuit 4008.
The display driver circuit 1210 of the display
device 12 drives the display device 1202 to display an
image on its display surface based on the drive signal
supplied from the image signal processing circuit 4006.
The first and second speakers 50, 52 will be
described below.
The first and second speakers 50, 52 are disposed
in separate positions.
In the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1,
the first speaker 50 is mounted on the display device 12,
and the second speaker 52 is mounted on the base 22.
More specifically, the first speaker 50 is
disposed in left and right positions on a lower portion
of the frame 1204 of the display device 12, and faces
forwardly.
The first speaker 50 includes a left-channel
speaker section 50A and a right-channel speaker section
SOB. The first speaker 50 produces sounds in a highfrequency
range.
The second speaker 52 is disposed in left and
right positions on a front surface 2202A of the cover
2202 of the base 22.
The second speaker 52 includes a left-channel
speaker section 52A and a right-channel speaker section
52B. The second speaker 52 produces sounds in mediumand
low-frequency ranges.
The distance detector 54 will be described below.
As shown in Fig. 1, the distance detector 54
detects the distance between the first speaker 50 and the
second speaker 52.
According to the present embodiment, the distance
detector 54 includes an infrared transmitter 5402 mounted
on the frame 1204 near the first speaker 50 and an
infrared receiver 5404 disposed on the cover 2202 near
the second speaker 52. The infrared transmitter 5402
transmits an infrared signal, and the infrared receiver
5404 receives the infrared signal transmitted from the
infrared transmitter 5402, detects the distance between
the infrared transmitter 5402 and the infrared receiver
5404 as the distance between the first speaker 50 and the
second speaker 52, and generates a detected distance
signal.
The distance detector 54 may be of any of various
other designs in related art, such as an ultrasonic
distance detector, rather than the infrared distance
detector described above.
Fig. 9 shows in detailed block form the audio
signal processing circuit 4008.
As shown in Fig. 9, the audio signal processing
circuit 4008 includes a microcomputer 56, an A/D
converter 58, a signal processing block 60, two D/A
converters 62H, 62L, and two amplifiers 64H, 64L.
The microcomputer 56 generates a delay control
signal based on the detected distance signal supplied
from the distance detector 54 and a control signal
supplied from the timing controller 4202.
The A/D converter 58 converts left- and rightchannel
analog audio signals supplied from the switching
circuit 4004 into digital signals.
The signal processing block 60 includes a delay
adjuster 6002 and a tone corrector 6004.
The tone corrector 6004 separates the audio
signals supplied from the A/D converter 58 into an audio
signal in a medium-to-low frequency range and an audio
signal in a high frequency range, and increases or
decreases the output levels of the separated audio
signals thereby to adjust the tone of the sounds, i.e.,
to adjust the frequency characteristics. The tone
corrector 6004 adjusts the tone of the sounds when the
tone adjusting button of the control section 42 is
pressed.
The tone corrector 6004 supplies the audio signal
in the high frequency range to the delay adjuster 6002,
and supplies the audio signal in the medium-to-low
frequency range to one of the D/A converters 62L.
The delay adjuster 6002 delays the audio signal
in the high-frequency range supplied from the tone
corrector 6004 by a delay time determined based on the
delay control signal supplied from the microcomputer 56,
and supplies the delayed audio signal to the other D/A
converter 62H.
The delay adjuster 6002 includes, for example, a
RAM 6002A and a controller 6002B for controlling the
reading of data from and the writing of data into the RAM
6002A. After the controller 6002B writes the data of the
audio signal in the high-frequency range into the RAM
6002A, the controller 6002B reads the data from the RAM
6002A thereby to delay the audio signal in the highfrequency
range by the delay time.
D/A converter 62H converts the digital audio
signal in the high-frequency range (a first audio signal
in this embodiment) supplied from the delay adjuster 6002
into an analog audio signal, and supplies the analog
audio signal to one of the amplifiers 64H.
The D/A converter 62L converts the digital audio
signal in the medium-to-low frequency range (a second
audio signal in this embodiment) supplied from the tone
corrector 6004 into analog audio signal, and supplies the
analog audio signal to the other amplifiers 64L.
The amplifier 64H amplifies the audio signal in
the high frequency range supplied from the D/A converter
62H, and supplies the amplified audio signal to the first
speaker 50, i.e., the speaker sections 50A, SOB.
The amplifier 64L amplifies the audio signal in
the medium-to-low frequency range supplied from the D/A
converter 62L, and supplies the amplified audio signal to
the second speaker 52, i.e., the speaker sections 52A,
52B.
Therefore, the timing of the sound output from
the first speaker 50 lags behind the timing of the sound
output from the second speaker 52 by the delay time.
The audio signal processing circuit 4008 includes
a signal supply section for supplying the audio signals
to the first speaker 50 and the second speaker 52.
The audio signal processing circuit 4008 also
provides a signal processor for adjusting the time
difference between the timing of the audio signal in the
high frequency range (first audio signal) output from the
signal supply section and the timing of the audio signal
in the medium-to-low frequency range (second audio
signal) output from the signal supply section.
Operation and advantages of the television
apparatus 10 will be described below.
Fig. 10 schematically shows the relationship
between sounds emitted from the first and second speakers
50, 52 of the television apparatus 10 and the user P.
As shown in Fig. 10, the display device 12 is
largely pulled forward of the base 22.
At this time, the distance L2 from the ears of
the user P positioned forward of the display device 1202
to the second speaker 52 is greater than the distance LI
from the ears of the user P to the first speaker 50 by
the difference (L2 - LI).
Therefore, the sound in the high frequency range
emitted from the first speaker 50 reaches the ears of the
user P earlier than the sound in the medium-to-low
frequency range emitted from the second speaker 52
reaches the ears of the user P.
The time difference At between the time when the
sound in the high frequency range reaches the ears of the
user P and the time when the sound in the medium-to-low
frequency range reaches the ears of the user P is
expressed as:
At = (L2 - Ll)/Vs
where Vs represents the velocity of sound.
Depending on the magnitude of the time difference
At, the user P may feel uncomfortable and unnatural about
the sounds which the user P hears.
According to the present embodiment, the distance
detector 54 detects the distance AL between the first and
second speakers 50, 52 as (L2 - LI). The timing of the
sound in the high frequency range is delayed by the time
which is required for the sound to travel the distance AL,
and the delayed in the high frequency range is output
from the first speaker 50.
Specifically, the microcomputer 56 generates a
delay control signal for eliminating the time difference
At and supplies the generated delay control signal to the
delay adjuster 6002. Stated otherwise, the microcomputer
56 adjusts the sound in the high frequency range such
that the sound output from the first speaker 50 and the
sound output from the second speaker 52 reaches the
position forward of the television apparatus 10, i.e.,
the ears of the user P, with the same timing.
Consequently, the user P is prevented from
feeling uncomfortable and unnatural due to the time
difference At, and can hear sounds of good tone.
Strictly, the distance AL between the first and
second speakers 50, 52 and the difference (L2 - LI) are
not the same as each other. However, in view of the
positional relationship and the distance between the user
P and the television apparatus 10 in actual use, any
effect that the difference between the distance AL
between the first and second speakers 50, 52 and the
difference (L2 - LI) has on the adjustment of the timing
of the sound is negligible.
It is known in the art that according to the
human aural characteristics, sounds in the high frequency
range are heard earlier than sounds in the medium-to-low
frequency range, and if sounds in the high frequency
range are heard later than sounds in the medium-to-low
frequency range, then the sounds are perceived mildly
(softly).
Therefore, if the sounds in the high frequency
range are heard too loud, then it is preferable to adjust
the sounds such that the sounds in the high frequency
range are heard later than the sounds in the medium-to-
low frequency range. Conversely, if the sounds are heard
as lacking clarity, then it is preferable to adjust the
sounds such that the sounds in the high frequency range
are heard earlier than the sounds in the medium-to-low
frequency range.
According to the present embodiment, when the
control signal generated by the timing controller 4202 is
supplied to the microcomputer 56, the microcomputer 56
supplies a delay control signal to the delay adjuster
6002 to advance or delay the timing of the sound in the
high frequency range output from the first speaker 50
with respect to the timing of the sound in the medium-tolow
frequency range output from the second speaker 52,
for thereby freely adjusting the clarity or softness of
the sounds. Consequently, the television apparatus 10 is
advantageous in that it can provide sounds depending on
the preference of the user P.
In some television apparatus, the entire
frequency range is divided into a plurality of frequency
ranges, e.g., a high frequency range and a low frequency
range, and the output sound level of each of the
frequency ranges is adjusted. According to the present
embodiment, however, the balance between the output sound
levels in the frequency ranges is not changed at all, but
is kept constant, and the clarity or softness of the
sounds is freely adjusted. Consequently, the television
apparatus 10 is advantageous in that it can provide goodquality
sounds to the user P.
According to the present embodiment, furthermore,
the delay control signal supplied from the microcomputer
56 to the delay adjuster 6002 is based on the delay
control signal generated depending on the distance AL
according to the detected distance signal supplied from
the distance detector 54 and the delay control signal
generated depending on the control signal supplied from
the timing controller 4202.
Therefore, even if the display device 12 is moved
forward or rearward after the sound clarity or softness
has been adjusted to a desired level by the timing
controller 4202, since the distance detector 54 detects a
change in the distance AL and the microcomputer 56
adjusts the delay control signal depending on the
detected change in the distance AL, the sound clarity or
softness remains at the level achieved before the display
device 12 is moved forward or rearward. Consequently,
even when the display device 12 changes its position in
the forward or rearward direction, the timing controller
4202 does not need to be adjusted again. Therefore, the
television apparatus 10 is advantageous in that it can be
operated simply and is easy to use.
Stated otherwise, the timing controller 4202 sets
a time difference, and the sound output from the first
speaker 50 and the sound output from the second speaker
52 reaches the user P in front of the television
apparatus 10 with a certain time difference. At this
time, if the distance detector 54 detects a change in the
distance AL = (L2 - LI) between the first speaker 50 and
the second speaker 52, then the audio signal processing
circuit 4008 (signal processor) adjusts the time
difference such that the sound output from the first
speaker 50 and the sound output from the second speaker
52 reaches the user P with the certain time difference.
Second Embodiment:
A television apparatus according to a second
embodiment of the present invention will be described
below.
The television apparatus according to the second
embodiment differs from the television apparatus
according to the first embodiment in that the distance
detector includes an angle sensor in related art, and are
identical to the television apparatus according to the
first embodiment as to other details.
Fig. 11 schematically shows angles 61, 92
detected by respective angle sensors 5410, 5412, and Fig.
12 schematically shows the calculation of the distance AL
between the first and second speakers 50, 52 based on the
detected angles 61, 92.
Those parts of the television apparatus according
to the second embodiment which are identical to those of
the television apparatus according to the first
embodiment are denoted by identical reference characters.
As shown in Fig. 11, the television apparatus 10
according to the second embodiment has a first angle
sensor 5410 and a second angle sensor 5412.
The first angle sensor 5410 is disposed in the
junction between the support post 24 and the arms 26 for
detecting the angle 91 formed between the arms 26 and the
horizontal axis.
If the angle 91 is present above the horizontal
axis, it has a positive value, and if the angle 61 is
present below the horizontal axis, it has a negative
value.
The second angle sensor 5412 is disposed in the
junction between the frame of the base 22 and the support
30 for detecting the angle 92 formed between the support
post 24 and the vertical axis.
27
If the angle 92 is present leftward of the
vertical axis, it has a positive value, and if the angle
92 is present rightward of the vertical axis, it has a
negative value.
Detected angle signals generated by angle sensors
5410, 5412 as representing the detected angles 91, 92 are
supplied to the microcomputer 56 (see Fig. 9).
As shown in Fig. 12, it is assumed that the
horizontal axis is given as an X-axis of a coordinate
system, the vertical axis is given as a Y-axis of the
coordinate system, the junction between the frame and the
support 30 is located has coordinates at the origin P0(0,
0) of the coordinate system, the junction between the
arms 26 and the display device 12 (the vertical swing
mechanism 36) has first coordinates Pl(xl, yl), the
junction between the arms 26 and the support post 24 (the
friction mechanism 34) has second coordinates P2(x2, y2),
the distance from the first coordinates Pl(xl, yl) to the
second coordinates P2(x2, y2) is represented by LAI, and
the distance from the second coordinates P2(x2, y2) to
the origin is represented by LA2.
The first coordinates Pl(xl, yl) are expressed by
the following equation (1):
According to the present embodiment, the first
coordinates Pl(xl, yl) are positioned near the first
speaker 50, and the origin P0(0, 0) is positioned near
the second speaker 52.
Therefore, the distance from the origin to the
first coordinates Pl(xl, yl), i.e., the distance AL =
Lpanel between the first and second speakers 50, 52, is
expressed by the following equation (2), using the first
coordinates Pl(xl, yl) according to the equation (1):
Lpanel = (xl2 + y!2)1/2 •••(2)
Based on the above equations (1), (2), the
microcomputer 56 calculates the distance AL between the
first and second speakers 50, 52.
According to the present embodiment of the
present invention, distance detector includes the first
angle sensor 5410, the second angle sensor 5412, and the
microcomputer 56.
The other components are same as mentioned in the
first embodiment.
The television apparatus according to the second
embodiment offers the same advantages as those of the
television apparatus according to the first embodiment.
According to the first embodiment, the infrared or
ultrasonic distance detector needs to have their
transmitter and receiver exposed to view. According to
the second embodiment, however, since the first angle
sensor 5410 and the second angle sensor 5412 may be
located in unexposed positions, the television apparatus
10 according to the second embodiment is of a better
appearance.
In the illustrated embodiments, the television
apparatus 10 adjust the timing of the sound depending on
the distance AL detected by the distance detector 54.
However, the distance detector 54 may be dispensed with,
and the user may manually set the timing of the sound
using the timing controller 4202. The television
apparatus 10, according to the embodiment, which adjusts
the timing of the sound depending on the distance AL
detected by the distance detector 54 is easier to use
because the user does not need to operate the timing
controller 4202 depending on the changed position of the
display device 12.
In the illustrated embodiments, the frequency
range of the sound output from the first speaker 50 is
higher than the frequency range of the sound output from
the second speaker 52. The present invention is also
applicable to a television apparatus wherein the first
and second speakers 50, 52 have the same frequency range.
Even if the first and second speakers 50, 52 have
the same frequency range, the television apparatus can
provide good quality of the sound by adjusting the timing
of the sound output from one of the speakers and arriving
at the user P and the timing of the sound output from the
other speaker and arriving at the user P.
Even if the first and second speakers 50, 52 have
the same frequency range, the television apparatus can
achieve the tone adjustment by adjusting the time
difference between the timing of the sound output from
one of the speakers and arriving at the user P and the
timing of the sound output from the other speaker and
arriving at the user P.
In the illustrated embodiments, the first speaker
50 is mounted on the display device 12, and the second
speaker 52 is mounted on the base 22. However, insofar
as the first and second speakers 50, 52 are separate from
each other, one or both of the first and second speakers
50, 52 may be spaced from the display device 12 or the
base 22.
Although certain preferred embodiments of the
present invention have been shown and described in detail,
it should be understood that various changes and
modifications may be made therein without departing from
the scope of the appended claims.

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A television apparatus comprising:
a thin display device;
a mount section to be placed in a site;
a support mechanism projecting upwardly from said
mount section and supporting said display device in an
upper portion spaced from said mount section in a manner
to allow said display device to change an attitude
thereof;
a first speaker mounted on said display device;
a second speaker mounted on said mount section;
a signal supply section configured to supply a
first audio signal to said first speaker and to supply a
second audio signal to said second speaker; and
a signal processor configured to adjust the time
difference between the timing of said first audio signal
output from said signal supply section and the timing of
said second audio signal output from said signal supply
section.
2. The television apparatus according to claim 1,
further comprising:
a distance detector configured to detect the
measuring the distance between said first speaker and
said second speaker,
wherein said signal processor adjusts said time
difference based on said distance detected by said
distance detector.
3. The television apparatus according to claim 2,
wherein said distance detector comprises:
an infrared transmitter disposed near said first
speaker mounted on said display device; and
an infrared received disposed near said second
speaker mounted on said mount section;
wherein said distance detector detects said
distance when an infrared signal transmitted from said
infrared transmitter is received by said infrared
receiver.
4. The television apparatus according to claim 2,
wherein said distance detector includes a plurality of
angle sensors mounted on said support mechanism
configured to detect angles, and said distance detector
detects said distance based on the angles detected by
said angle sensors.
5. The television apparatus according to claim 1,
further comprising:
a distance detector configured to detect the
measuring the distance between said first speaker and
said second speaker,
wherein said signal processor adjusts said time
difference based on said distance detected by said
distance detector to cause both the sound output from
said first speaker and the sound output from said second
speaker to reach a user in front of said display device
with the same timing.
6. The television apparatus according to claim 1,
further comprising:
a timing controller configured to manually set
said time difference to be adjusted by said signal
processor.
7. The television apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the sound output from said first speaker has a
frequency range higher than a frequency range of the
sound output from said second speaker.
8. The television apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the sound output from said first speaker has a
frequency range including a frequency range higher than a
frequency range of the sound output from said second
speaker, further comprising:
a timing controller configured to manually set
said time difference to be adjusted by said signal
processor.
9. The television apparatus according to claim 1,
further comprising:
a timing controller configured to manually set
said time difference to be adjusted by said signal
processor; and
a distance detector configured to detect the
measuring the distance between said first speaker and
said second speaker;
wherein while the sound output from said first
speaker and the sound output from said second speaker are
reaching a user in front of said display device with a
predetermined time difference because of said time
difference set by said timing controller, if said
distance detector detects a change in the distance
between said first speaker and said second speaker, said
signal processor adjusts said time difference such that
the sound output from said first speaker and the sound
output from said second speaker reaches said user with
said predetermined time difference.