Meet Dr. Joseph Pompei, Inventor of the Audio Spotlight - Part 2

Wow! Amazing to see someone so technically astute also so business savvy!

It is a rare combination. Kudos to Dr. Pompei on his accomplishments.

I can't wait for the home version. Imagine a headphone equivalent that tracks your every move by laser, beaming hi-fidelity stereo (or even quadraphonic?) sound to your ears without disturbing others in the same room. Or the lower cost version that you simply focus on your favorite easy chair. I think you could even collect ambient noise and invert the signal for fully active noise cancellation. Imagine a truly quiet spot in your house where you could get work done undisturbed by sounds around you!

Thanks for your comment, STL Engineer. Be sure to come on back next week when CR4 interviews Elwood "Woody" Norris, Dr. Pompei's most formidable rival.

While I dont mean to discredit the Dr.'s innovation into new technology, I just dont think I would credit him with 'developing' 'new' ultra-sound beam (or directional sound laser) technology. In fact the U.S. government has been doing such for almost two decades. First developed as possible bio weapons for the military, the purpose is/was to control body algorithms and functional capability. However, it is nice to see someone actually marketing that technology in a more appropriately beneficial manner, for all the world to share. (Especially for us musicians and hearing impared.)

A successful invention doesn't necessarily require the creation of a new technology, but often builds upon and extends existing technology, including finding new uses for it. Quite often nameless technocrats are responsible for work on the "bleeding edge" of technology, but it takes a real technological entrepreneur to create a usable product from new technology by creating that "killer app" that gives life to the market. After all, internet technology was around for many years but it took the creation of the "web browser" software (Mosaic being one of the first truly successful ones, followed by Netscape and Internet Exploder, and now Mozilla Firefox) for Internet use by the public to really take off.

Another example, miniature MP3 personal music players were around for awhile, but it wasn't until Apple created the iPod that they captured the public's imagination. In fact "iPod" has almost become synonymous with MP3 players, as "Scotch" tape for cellophane tape, "Xerox" for photocopiers, and even "Coke" for any flavor of non-alcoholic, sweetened, carbonated beverage (in some parts of the USA).

Perhaps if you read up on it, you might find that the "Audio Spotlight" is significantly more advanced and refined as compared to previous efforts or at least has a very different application and implementation than other research.

Interesting to know what parts of this technology he was able to patent. That would mean that it has the stamp of approval of the US government as being "new" and different than previous technology. Otherwise it would be covered by "prior art" and in the public domain (if not protected by previous patents).

I hve heard that there is infrasound weapon rather than sound weapon in the world.

do you mean that infrasound weapon?

Sound or infrasound weapons exist, which can knock down personnel at about 25 feet. There are a couple of new wavefront generation methods under examination, but one which is older and well known is the "shock tube" type. An explosive charge is detonated at one end of a tube, with a rupture disk at the other end. When the rupture disk bursts, it discharges into a DeLaval (converging-diverging) nozzle, as used in steam turbines and rocket engines to develop supersonic discharge velocity. The wavefront or "shock front" then propagates out toward the target.

The limiting factor regarding range is development of "rolling torus" air currents at the interface between the high velocity stream and ambient air. Resulting friction loss is the mechanism which limits range. Shock diamonds are not associated with use of the weapon, but may be visible with Schlieren photograpy, one means of determination of density differences in the field of view.

BernieK

He can creat his business by himself. and we have got a new entertainment product.

He is good. I will learn him and do some interesting things after retire.

cr4 present us with a good material.

"I will learn him and do some interesting things after retire. cr4 present us with a good material."

Oh, gee! Just when we thought we had a developing technology to exploit for commercial gain here in the West, now China is gonna jump on it and steal it too!

I knew years ago we were doomed to a Manufacturing Purgatory due to Chinese imports when I saw a flawless copy of the US Military Colt M1911A1 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, stamped "Made in China"!

Has China ever, I repeat, EVER developed anything original (manufactured products or technology, that is) in the last 100 years?

I dont know weapon and havnt seen this pistol and other guns. Can I show one pic here?

I dont want to argue, what I want to say is your words is very ignorance. I dont know if you would have real engineers knowledge? "made in china" is meaning the goods is produced in china. the factory may be runed by other foreigner. I offer you a lesson, For example, do you know " Nike"? a famous brand of sport suits and shoe. ah, very expensive, I cannt affort it.

When you will buy it in USA market, you may find it stemped " made in China" or "made in Tailand" or etc. Why? bexause it produce in China or other country not in USA, although its usa brand!

another, when you buy a vedio camera, laptop , etc. you find it "made in China," Could you say, ah, chinese steals it and sells in international market?

take a good think with your brain, dont say what other says.

Can I show one pic here?

correct:

can you show us one pic of that gun here?

Can you tell me what is "OEM"? Do you know how many america enterprises in China?

I wonder what made you hate us so much? Have we invaded you or your companies benefit?

declaring many time in the room, I dedicate to tech, electric and electronic tech, not a politician. why dont you put your clue forward to other political forum and argue with them?

However, I admire you are brave, can attack us with your name. but somebody dare not emerge his name, only by guest identity.

-----Has China ever, I repeat, EVER developed anything original (manufactured products or technology, that is) in the last 100 years?

To answer this question, I think I hve to teach you a little of history. Do you know our history since 1884? oh, pls review or read your textbook of history at first. if you are interested in and go so far to search more reference in your library.

I admite we are poor country and drop behind western world since this century. But we are awaking and developping, and make a great prograss every year.

Do lyou know we have 1.3billion population? who could offer so much crop to provent from famine?

We plant high yield rice in the world and promote it to many countries, do you know it? is it a great science achievement? we steal? No! none will say it steal from others. Its developed by ourself.

Chinese artifically synthesize bezor trypsin first time in the world last 60's, do you know it?

chinese developped ours own rocket tech in last century and play a more important role today to send many countries include your america satellite to sapce.

oh its too far, lets talk about some audio equipmets. because we are at the topic.

we research and develop super directionary mic last 80's and plate speaker or flate speaker at the later time. we build our own anechoic room for test audio equipment.

etc... too much, Im sorry I hvnt got to much time at it. if you are interested in, you can write to me at

info@ndt.cn

I can tell more about chinese archirvement, which come along with me. evne in our very unordinary times.

"I admite we are poor country and drop behind western world since this century. But we are awaking and developping, and make a great prograss every year."

That is what scares me! But I bet it scares the population of Taiwan even more.

"Do lyou know we have 1.3billion population? who could offer so much crop to provent from famine?"

Yes, and how many would you have if Tibet was a free and independent nation? Around 10 million less. North America (Canada, US, and Mexico, which have a Free Trade Agreement) have over half a billion population (514 million). So what? I am not sure I understand the rest of your question, but it seems that instead of focusing on rocketry and armaments that your scientists and engineers could do more with food production and agricultural technology, especially considering the land mass of China and its many fertile valleys.

Yes, Chinese high yield rice is a good thing. I am not saying Chinese steal everything. How many of the scientists who developed it learned their science at Chinese university and how many in US and other Western nations? Personally, when I attended Engineering school in the US in the 1980's, Chinese students were the largest group of foreign students, with most of them being graduate students working on Master's and Doctoral degrees. I am not saying that is a bad thing, but our friendship is repayed by the Chinese government also sending in espionage agents to actually steal industrial secrets, which is well known.

"Chinese developped ours own rocket tech in last century and play a more important role today to send many countries include your america satellite to sapce."

Yes, and Wernher von Braun was an American Boy Scout before he grew up and lead the US into space and to the Moon! How many Chinese rocket parts (or whole systems, including technicians to install and operate them) were sold to North Korea and terror-supporting Islamic countries? This is the stuff your government does not want you to know. Wait until the Islamic terrorists begin to target Chinese "infidels"!

"we research and develop super directionary mic last 80's and plate speaker or flate speaker at the later time. we build our own anechoic room for test audio equipment."

Big deal, just evolutionary designs advanced from previous Western technology. And my college fraternity brothers in the 1980's built their own "anechoic room" to test and enjoy their audio equipment using egg cartons covering walls and ceiling!

If that's the best you can come up with, better stick to to copying Western technology and stop trying to argue socio-economic-historical perspectives.

-----But I bet it scares the population of Taiwan even more.

I wonder are you American or Taiwanese? Everyone know tainwan is a part of china. Even your government confirm the fact. Doubt? Read your governor's official documents. What reason made tainwanese are afraid of mainland? Do you know lots of Taiwan enterprises run in mainland now?

-----when I attended Engineering school in the US in the 1980's, Chinese students were the largest group of foreign students, with

Younger engineer, are you grudging wise or talent of Chinese students of your school? Could you show me what industrial security was stealed by them? I wish you don't say what hasn't existed ever.

-------Yes, and Wernher von Braun was an American Boy Scout before he grew up and lead the US into space and to the Moon

I only know von Braun is a german rocket specialist in II war and by the end of the war, he was sent to America and joint usa. He complete the great project of launch moon. I know some stories of his life. I was also a rocket amateur when I was younger like most of youngers and read some simple books even when I was re-educated in the country in the past.

----And my college fraternity brothers in the 1980's built their own "anechoic room" to test and enjoy their audio equipment using egg cartons covering walls and ceiling!

How wonderful your schoolmates will be, they could build their anechoic room by egg cartoon! Although the cartoon has very same shape of a wedge, it has small size, how could they insure low frequency's absorb? How many layers did they use? You neednt say only one layer and no other absorb material inside against wall.

cnpower,

Either your English is so bad that you misunderstood what I was saying, or you did not read what I wrote very carefully.

I never said Chinese students stole anything. I never said I had anything against them. I only said that we provided them a good education, which has served your country well in developing your science and industry, yet your government repays this kindness with industrial espionage. And that is FACT, because Chinese agents have been caught red-handed (pardon the pun) stealing US technology.

Regarding Dr. von Braun, I was using him as an example of how a good public face sometimes hides present or past misdeeds. NO, he was NOT an American Boy Scout (doer of good deeds, with a reputation for integrity and honesty). He was in fact a member of the German Nazi party during World War II, but also a member of Hitler's SS, the elite forces responsible for murder and torture in their concentration camps. These same types of camps are what Communists usually refer to as "re-education" camps for "counter-revolutionaries". Von Braun developed the V-2 rockets and other technology for Hitler's War Machine, which killed millions of people. He also utilized slave labor in doing this. His later pleading of ignorance regarding much of the horrors of Nazism in which he participated were contradicted by other eyewitnesses who said he not only knew but actively participated, in the zeal to complete his rocket work. Yes, we are thankful for the role he played in the US space program, but it does not excuse his role in the earlier atrocities. The Chinese civilian rocket program may be very beneficial, but the military rocket program is The Dark Side of your Evil Empire, including export of this technology to terrorist nations.

You call me "younger engineer" even though I mentioned being in college in the 1980's. Is that some sort of a put down, or are you really, REALLY, old?

Sorry, I know nothing about the technical details of my friends' noise reduction construction, only that on entering the room and closing the door, it became strangely quiet (no background noise) and made for very enjoyable music listening.

I have declared before my English is bad, but what I was pleasure is it s not too bad to read simple article. I really hanvt read the whole paragraph only but have a browse fast. cause one hand I cannt understand every one word, another hand, have no time and patient. its really no use for me. I want just to learn some more tech information, help other, help me myself. pardon me.

sorry for misundrstand your words somewhere. In my point of view, you neednt say your school offers them a good education, because they pay you much tuition.(or chinese goverment pay this fee) thsi is also a Fact

have a thinking, if I dont pay anything for the college, do they allow me entry their camp to study? if its right, I thnk I can go to at once. at least to see, what is america, what the american is doing?

"In my point of view, you neednt say your school offers them a good education, because they pay you much tuition.(or chinese goverment pay this fee) thsi is also a Fact"

I never said that the education was free, but if it wasn't a much better education than what was available in your own country, your government would not have paid to send them here. In this country, students or their families pay for their own University education. How much they pay depends on many factors, income level, academic merit, private or public school, sports ability, etc. But regardless of how much they pay, I believe most students are thankful for the quality education which they receive. All I was saying is that the US did not need to open its doors to allow Chinese students the same opportunity, but we did. In return, yes the Chinese government paid some money, but they also paid us back by sending in espionage agents and supporting terrorism by continuing to trade small arms and other weapons with nations that support terrorists worldwide, depending on their own iron-fisted security to keep the evil they had spawned from turning on them. And if you don't feel that the Chinese government is a yoke on the neck of the people, then you must be one of the privileged few in your country of 4 billion.

"I really hanvt read the whole paragraph only but have a browse fast. cause one hand I cannt understand every one word, another hand, have no time and patient. its really no use for me."

You are a funny guy, Mr. Cnpower. On the one hand, your excuse for misreading what is posted in reply to you is that you have not read "the whole paragraph" because you "have no time and patient" (patience), YET you seem to have plenty of time to post not just one, not just two , but THREE LONG replies each time where you rant about what you have just read!!

I, for one, will have nothing further to say to you. Good-bye!

I have to declare at first, I hvent got any privilege in my country. Im not comminist part member and even not a league member. Im only an ordinary people like most chinese. Im educated by traditional chinese culture. Just like your peple like your country and I love my country. After all I was born and bred up at the place. Chinese culotrure is great, most people in the world begine to like it very much.

Im only an engineer, just like a labour work in workshop hardly all day long, even night as well

Thats why I can reply some question and solute some problem in the room for other peoople who need this help

Im not rich, I get only a little money, most of benefit was owned by our officers in our departments. despite they know little skill. the most important machine material was translated by my own. and tech them how to use. when someting wrong, I have to repair by myself. my god.

These officers can abuse USA at open meeting to us, but when somethig takes place, they run more fast like rabit to USA than any people in China. and then attack his motherland in you USA!

It seems your american welcome those blamed member! because you never return them to their original land.

But we cannt do that! even when I traved in other country I still respect and stick up for my country. I neednt fawn other without any reason. I live by my skill, although only a little.

you teach me some knowledge about your college. I was told your america universities has good education quality very like other eroupe universities. and even the poor can afford. but our school seems to be able to do it as well now.

Study will depend on yourself, if you not study hard, you cannt learn any more wherever you are being.

you neednt to say good bye, however, we will meet at the room soemwhere.

I hve to correct some of your thinking. you say "by sending in espionage agents and supporting terrorism " its reallly a normal things, I think. not only this goverment, every goverment in the world will do it when relate to their own benifit. your state is also sending your spy in our country. its openning. do you believe? I believe. besides lots of business spy in everywhere in the world.

but support terrorism is rather not true. Everyone of yours know that now chinese goverment stands at your USA side for peace! togther fight against terrorism. None likes those who kill ordinary people. Chinese goverment is not a stupid. to do tht will be abused by peace lovers. (oh, look! I look like a pure communist party memeber and have an official sound)

by the end, I want to say to you is if you are not a politician, we'd better discuss our tech issue.

Im stuck, what is steal? different people has different meaning.

they can say they learned, they can imitate, they simulate etc. if it s allowed by law.

if I learn a principle an OP amplifier then I design a circuit with it, and its very similar iwth someones', do you say I steal others thing?

I think the word of steal is when other don t like to teach you some thing, but you get it from different ways with some unfair action. But if one will teach you one thing, you are so foolish not to learn I think you will waste your spirit and money.

world needs communication. I believe it.

I really elder than you. I know your western people dont like other speaking "old", but I dont care about it. the fact is. I said befoer in the room, I will retire soon. and hope to get something to do after retire. so you can judge Im elder than you.

Speaking to enjoy music, I can give some suggestion to you here.(I may have a very little qualification }

Dont listen to music in the anechoice room!!! it will break all beautiful of music!

If you like music, listen to it in a room where its reverbration will be more greater than 2S, or up to 3--4S for some classical symphony. This could add life to the music.

if you serve the room as a conference room , keep its reverbration time leass or at 0.5S so that you can have a good audibility.

I ring a bell.

Wow, I think I touched a nerve with "cnpower"! Perhaps the word "steal" was a bit harsh. After all, the Colt M1911A1 patents are all expired by now. However, Colt Firearms, and other US companies licensed to produce this design, do not own factories in China to my knowledge. It is probably the most copied design for a handgun around the planet. I was just amazed at the detail in this copy of the military version which were so exact, right down to the handgrips and lanyard ring. If anything, this is a compliment to the abilities of Chinese metalworkers.

I don't hate the Chinese people. I hate their government, which exploits the people by claiming to be Socialists, while at the same time allowing Capitalism, when it suits their purposes, which is only to keep the elite "Party Officials" in power. Nothing but a despotic Oligarchy, really.

Yes, many American and other Western (and Japanese) companies are exploiting this greed by China's rulers, to the detriment of workers in their own countries. Yes, I have first hand experience with Chinese manufacturing. My former company decided to order decorative parts for our ready-to-assemble furniture from a Chinese factory, as a "cost savings", since it would have cost a few pennies more to have it produced domestically. We sent engineering drawings of the parts to China, expecting to receive sample parts back in time to approve them and begin manufacturing of the production quantity needed to meet our scheduled delivery of the assemblies to our customer, Wal-Mart.

What we received, late, and with a confirmation that production had already begun without our approval, was a bag of sample parts missing their mounting holes! When we inquired why that happened, we were told that the CHINESE factory manager had decided, on his own, that the holes were unnecessary, since he figured that we would be using "wood screws" which can make their own hole. What he did not know is that we did NOT use "wood screws" because they cause thin wood to split or go off course easily without a pre-drilled hole.

Now we had a problem, because we would have to use the parts which were already produced and "on the water", shipping to the US, without the mounting holes, to meet our schedule. Doing some quick scrambling, we found a good double-sided adhesive tape (more cost) which would be strong enough to mount the parts, as long as the consumer who purchased the furniture did this step last and did not attempt to move the piece after assembly!

I also had to rework our assembly manual, so that this step was last, and scrap the thousands of manuals which had already been printed! We have a saying, "Save a nickel ($.05), spend a dime ($.10)" which describes this type of situation!

And then, because of "high operating costs", corporate management decided our plant had to reduce its staff, eliminating many jobs (including my own), with the entire plant closing down just one year later. How did the company make up for the lost production capacity? By importing more complete models directly from China, made under contract by Chinese furniture makers, NOT company-owned plants.

You are an eccentric. You know the patent is expired, you still use the word "steal". Needless to say, none will not confirm you are a offender. Later, when You are going to aggress other, you have to master conclusive evidence.

I know ST company for I often using this companiese compenents such as 74 series. What is stl?

Now I see why you complain us. You suffer loss of doing business with some Chinese company.

Why didn't you make a claim? According to contract, you can explain it in details to a court to claim for compensation ! any court will support your claim if it would be a really fact. I was told your American is very good at law. From this point, I doult if the description is really true?

I believe there are some companies in china who don't have credit standing and wish to cheat anyone include our Chinese to make their money. They are called cheater company. In fact, there are too many such companies in the world everywhere, include your america, some of them are even famous companies.

You knew many Chinese students when you were educated in college, why don't you ask them for help?

Now if you would have any problem to do business with our chinses company, you could notice me and I think I may be helpful at least I familiar Chinese market than you and some of your American. I will not cheat any of you, despite we have differnt view point at some spot.

Wal mark is a large supper shop and there are lots of branch in china, inclued our city.

but the shop where I often entry is Carrifour super market. that wal mark is far from us in the city.

STL ENGINEER is right. You do have a VERY backward govermnent. Your system wants total control over you! (No free unrestricted internet) Communisn is DEAD-DEAD-DEAD! ASK Castro. He wants it both ways also! James

Part 1 of the interview with Joe Pompei's competitor, Elwood "Woody" Norris, is now live on The Y Files.

http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/2185/Part-1-Meet-Woody-Norris-Inventor-of-HyperSonic-Sound-HSS

This response addresses concern over the way in which focused sound is generated, which apparently was not covered in the second part of the blog.

Frequency differences between two ultrasonic audio sources, each of which can be beamed at narrow angles are responsible for the focusing of sound. A process like heterodyning occurs, just as in superheterodyne radio receivers from Armstrong's 1920 invention. However, generation of a difference (and sum) frequency requires fairly high sound pressure levels to make the air non-linear (primarily in sonic velocity terms), a requirement for heterodyning or mixing in the classical radio sense. In air, this can be done by sound pressure levels high enough to cause localized substantial compression, rarefaction, heating and cooling of the air at peaks and crests of the travelling high frequency compression waves. Although beyond the range of human hearing, I cannot help but wonder if the ultasonic SPLs required for projected sound can be damaging. Is there any reason why cilia in the spiral coclea cannot vibrate in harmonic modes, flexing to the point of nerve damage? Seemingly there should be a direct analogy here to 1/4 wave antennas being responsive at odd harmonics, with feedpoint impedances not much different than at the fundamental frequency.

Comments would be appreciated.

BernieK

Just think, if demodule like a radio, where is the local oscillate wave? If air has nonlinear feature and can demodulate, there will be rather large 2 harmonic wave distortion. And effect is very lower.

So you have to explain by syc modulation. I insist on thinking human ear can only hearing envelopement audio while ut will either penetrate or disappear in the air or reflected by bone. Which cannt cause sense vibration.

The envelop wave acts as sound track recorded on the movie film.

The second, when you see ut instrument in hospital. you can consider that they will cause few damaging,

Bernie,

I remember when I was younger (1960-80's) hearing an extremely high-pitched constant noise when visiting certain department stores in our area (St. Louis, MO USA). When I would ask my parents or other older adults about it they said they heard nothing although occasionally a sibling would agree they heard it also.

Years later, after exposure to much jet engine noise in the US Air Force and now just plain inherited selective frequency hearing loss, I no longer hear that high pitched, almost "dog-whistle" like noise. Perhaps the device(s) which generated it are no longer used, or I just plain can no longer hear it.

However, I would say you are probably right, or at least it needs to be tested further. No one really knows what the long term affects on public hearing might be by widespread deployment of such systems.

Don:

Can't say I've ever heard the high pitched sound you describe in a department store, but my parents' first TV set was an RCA 630 first sold in 1947. My mother and I could hear the horizontal output transformer constantly squeal at 15750 Hz (now 15734), but my father could not hear it. Both parents were in their early 40's at the time and I was 7 or 8 years old.

My hearing has degraded to the point where at age 64 I fall off VERY rapidly above 4KHz, but am OK below that. The sibilant sounds in speech are therefore missing, which is what occurs with most individuals who have high frequency hearing loss. In most cases (including mine) it is probably congenital and affects men far more than it does women.

BernieK

BernieK

"My mother and I could hear the horizontal output transformer constantly squeal at 15750 Hz (now 15734), but my father could not hear it."

Bernie,

That is very possibly right. All those stores had very large Home Electronics departments with dozens of TV all turned on. The time frame I am referring to is the early 1960's, so TV makers may not have fixed the problem you referred to, but have done a better job of it in later models.

You said in most cases high frequency hearing loss "is probably congenital", which means "beginning at birth". I believe a better word would be "genetic", meaning inherited.

I also suffer from selective high frequency loss, meaning not the entire upper range but only certain frequencies, which is probably genetic, as my father and grandfather both suffered from the same thing, though I suspect my time in the Air Force around jet engines when I was younger did not help much either! My father's hearing became so bad, although not deaf, he got where he could not understand women's high-pitched voices, despite using a hearing aid, but usually had no problem hearing men. I often wondered how much of that was real and how much was because that was the way he wanted it!

BTW, contrary to the comment by "cnpower", I was not a pilot in the Air Force (common misconception that most everyone in the Air Force is a pilot, when in reality very few actually are), but a medical flight crew member (C-9A) who often worked very near the idling jet engines on the ground and sat between them in a thinly insulated cabin in the air. My workstation, and the engines were in the rear of the aircraft, and on long legs I often had to go "up front" and chat with the pilots or take a seat for a break (if I got the OK from our Medical Crew Director) to get away from the noise. And, yes, we did wear issued rubber hearing protectors, but they only did so much. Civilian aircraft are much better insulated than military ones.

wow, you are pilot? but I cant even drive a car (dont laugh at my foolish).

Jet can produce more than 130dB level so they have to have a good shield to provent from harm.

none can endure too long time exposure under higher level noise. every country has a health standard for workers who work in the high level situation. Most pop music can harm human hearing, its popular facts, but younger still like more than 100dbor 110db pop music.

most time the power UT is using in special situation like clean, welding ,mechanism and chemical reaction etc. they are higher power up to 5kw etc. especially welding, its sound wave can transmit in air to touch worker directly. but no report about this harm. however, care is a good responsebilty. we are waiting the result.

but the subsound wave is real harm very much.

Its appearance hearing sense reduce with ages. Musician has more strong hearing and identify capability than oridnary people.

training is very important.

It maybe explained nonlinear feature according to ut cleaner, because of hole and compression of air instantly acted by high level ut. heat and pressure change sound travel speed ,direction, distortion and feature.