Yamaha Corporation

Toshiaki Ishibashi

Ryo Tanaka

Satoshi Ukai

Chikara Kobayashi

Takuya Tamaru

Katsuichi Osakabe

Kosuke Saito

Eiko Kobayashi

Kazumasa Suzuki

Satoshi Suzuki

Yuichiro Suenaga

Takuro Sone

Toshiyuki Hata

Shinji Aoshima

Naohiro Emoto

Ukai Satoshi

Tanaka Ryo

A headphone includes: a pair of earphone units each of which includes a speaker and a plurality of microphones which are arranged at a back side of the speaker in a given pattern and through which external sounds are picked up; a sound pickup signal generator configured to generate a plurality of sound pickup signals, each of which has a given directivity, by using a plurality of signals outputted from the plurality of microphones; an external source sound input section through which an external source sound signal from an external source is inputted; and a sound emission signal generator configured to generate sound emission signals, which are to be inputted to the speakers of the earphone units and each of which has a directivity, by using the external source sound signal and the plurality of sound pickup signals.

Headphone with microphones that processes external sound pickup by the microphones and inputs external source sound signal

A sound masking device includes: a sound pick-up unit which picks up a sound, and which produces a picked-up sound signal based on the sound, a masking sound signal producing unit which produces a masking sound signal from the picked-up sound signal a sound emitting unit which emits a masking sound based on the masking sound signal, and an echo cancelling unit which performs an echo cancelling process on the picked-up sound signal by performing an adaptive filtering process on the masking sound signal, and by subtracting the filtered masking sound signal from the picked-up sound signal. The masking sound signal producing unit produces a masking sound signal having a level corresponding to an amplitude level of the picked-up sound signal which has subjected to the echo cancelling process.

Sound masking device and sound masking method

A sound processing apparatus includes an inputting section that inputs a sound signal, an analyzing section that analyzes the input sound signal, a storing section that stores a general-purpose masking sound, a masking sound producing section that, based on a result of the analysis by the analyzing section, processes the general-purpose masking sound stored in the storing section to produce an output masking sound, and an outputting section that outputs the output masking sound.

Sound processing apparatus and sound processing method

A sound emission and collection device has a plurality of speakers () and a plurality of microphones. The speakers each have a sound emission surface arranged on the side surface of a case () so that sound can be emitted in all circumferential directions. The microphones () each are arranged with the sound collection direction set in the center direction of the case (). The microphone () and the speaker () have directivities opposing to each other to minimize a wraparound sound from the speaker () to the microphone (). Moreover, since the speaker () and the microphone () are arranged on circumferences of concentric circles, it is possible to obtain a compact configuration.

Sound emission and collection device

A sound enhancement system is configured such that sound emitting and collecting apparatusestoare connected to each other via a transmission line LT. The sound emitting and collecting apparatusestoare grouped into a master and a slave. The master sound emitting and collecting apparatusgenerates a reference clock signal to be supplied to slave sound emitting and collecting apparatusesto. The slave sound emitting and collecting apparatusestoform a sound collection beam signal in synchronization with the reference clock signal, and then output the resulting signal to the master sound emitting and collecting apparatuswithout performing acoustic coupling suppressing process. The master sound emitting and collecting apparatuscollectively executes the acoustic coupling suppressing process to each sound collection beam signal to produce a sound emitting signal. The master sound emitting and collecting apparatusoutputs the sound emitting signal to the slave sound emitting and collecting apparatusesto, each of which emits sound based on the sound emitting signal.

Sound processing system

An audio conference device receives and emits sounds to perform transmission/reception of audio signals via communications. The device has a speaker array with a plurality of speakers arranged on the lower surface of an elongated main housing, and a microphone array with a plurality of microphones arranged on the side surface of the main housing along the longitudinal direction. Legs are attached to the main body to support the main housing at a prescribed height above the resting surface and to secure good sound emission characteristics of the speaker array. The device further controls directivity of the microphones.

Audio conference device

An audio apparatus has a housing including a tub-shaped recessed part having an upper surface and a wall surface formed on the upper surface. Microphones are circularly arranged in the vicinity of the wall surface inside the recessed part. Each microphone face toward a center direction of the recessed part and the upper surface so that a sound pick-up directivity is toward the center of the housing. A back side, opposite to the direction having the directivity of each microphone is open acoustically and is directed toward a direction higher than the wall surface of the tub-shaped recessed part.

Audio apparatus with circularly arranged microphones

In an audio signal transmission/reception device that receives and emits sounds so as to perform transmission and reception of audio signals via communications, user operability can be improved and the size of a main unit can be reduced. It is equipped with a speaker array for arranging a plurality of speaker units, which are arranged on the lower surface of the main unit, and a microphone array for arranging a plurality of microphones, which are arranged on the side surface of the main unit in its longitudinal direction. Legs having hollow structures are attached to the main unit so as to support the main unit at a prescribed height above the mount surface (e.g., the surface of a desk) and to secure good sound emission characteristics of the speaker array.

Audio conference apparatus

An acoustic apparatus without increasing noise etc. even when plural directional microphones collect sounds from a place of the same distances is provided. Sound signals output from the microphone arrays are subjected to phase shift by phase shift circuitsA toH, and the sound signals are combined by an adder. The phase shift circuitsA toH performs phase shifts according to installation positions of the microphone arrays. The phase shift circuitA makes the shift 0 degree, the phase shift circuitB makes the shift 45 degrees, the phase shift circuitC makes the shift 90 degrees, and sequentially to the phase shift circuitH, the shifts are made according to rotational angles.

Acoustic apparatus

A voice emitting and collecting device that is capable of picking up/outputting a voice emitted from a talker at a high S/N ratio by eliminating the influence of a diffracting voice despite a simple configuration is provided. A signal differencing circuitoutputs difference signals MSto MSbetween voice collecting beam signals MBto MBand voice collecting beam signals MBto MB. A level comparatorselects the difference signal having a maximum level. A signal selecting circuitselects voice collecting beam signals MB, MBof the difference signal MS that is selected/pointed by the level comparator. A subtractersubtracts the voice collecting beam signal MBfrom the voice collecting beam signal MB, and output a resultant signal. Accordingly, main components of the diffracting voice can be removed from the voice collecting beam signal.

Voice emitting and collecting device

A plurality of speakers are linked in the present invention. The linked position of each speaker can be detected. Audio signal is input to any one of the master speakers. The master speaker synchronizes the other linked speakers, and supplies audio signals to other speakers. It also controls the delay quantity of the speaker unit of each speaker. For a single speaker, the apparent width of this array speaker system becomes twice the width, and the speaker unit spacing becomes one third the spacing. Consequently, the frequency band at which direction is controllable becomes enhanced. Additionally, a plurality of microphone devices are linked at the top, bottom, left and right sides in the present invention. The linked position of each microphone device can be detected. Audio data is output from each microphone device to the master microphone device. The master microphone device synchronizes with other linked microphone devices, treats them as array microphones in the entire linked array microphone system, and controls the delay quantity of the microphone unit of the microphone device. For a single microphone device, the apparent width of this array microphone system becomes twice the width, and the microphone unit spacing becomes one-third the spacing. Consequently, the frequency band at which direction is controllable becomes enhanced.

Array speaker system and array microphone system

A level ratio calculation circuit calculates average signal level data of signal level data corresponding to each sound collection beam signal, and calculates a level ratio between the average signal level data and each of the signal level data. Since a diffraction sound is substantially equal to all the signal level data, a diffraction sound component of the average signal level data also becomes substantially equal. On the other hand, a collection sound from a speaker is specific to the signal level data of the corresponding sound collection beam signal. Therefore, at the level ratio, the portion corresponding to the diffraction sound is flat and a data level becomes high locally in only the portion corresponding to the collection sound. By using this, the sound collection beam signal including the collection sound is detected.

Sound emission and collection apparatus and control method of sound emission and collection apparatus

A communication conference system that enables users who have only a connecting unit via a telephone line network and users who have only an IP connecting unit to hold a talk session mutually without a need of an expensive dedicated conference server is provided. A talk session deviceincludes a network processing portion for transmitting/receiving voice information to/from other equipments via IP, and a terminal for inputting/outputting a voice signal. The talk session deviceis connected to a handset terminal of a telephonevia an adaptorthat converts the standards (mainly a level) of the voice signal. The talk session deviceis connected to other talk session devices via IP, and is connected to other telephones by a telephone line via the telephone. Accordingly, a user serving as a destination of the IP and a user serving as a destination of the telephone line are connected mutually.

Communication conference system, voice changing device, and signal converting adaptor

It is possible to provide a sound emission and collection device having a compact configuration and being capable of suppressing a wraparound sound from a speaker to a microphone and improving the S/N ratio. In the sound emission and collection device, a plurality of speakers () have a sound emission surface arranged on the side surface of a case () so that a sound can be emitted in all circumferential directions of the sound emission and collection device. Each of the microphones () is arranged with the sound collection direction set in the center direction of the case (). The microphone () and the speaker () have directivities opposing to each other. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize a wraparound sound from the speaker () to the microphone (). Moreover, since the speaker () and the microphone () are arranged on circumferences of concentric circles, it is possible to obtain a compact configuration.

Microphone arrays, which are formed by arranging a plurality of microphones, are provided on a front side and a rear side of a housing, respectively. A virtual focus is set for each of the microphone arrays in a direction opposite to a direction in which sound is picked-up sound signals picked up by the plurality of microphones are delayed such that distances to the virtual focus are the same, and the delayed sound signals are synthesized. Therefore, sound in a sound-pickup area of a predetermined angle on each of the front side and the rear side can be picked up at a high level, and even though there is a noise source in areas other than the sound-pickup area, noise from the noise source is not picked up.

Growing community of inventors

Fukuroi, Japan

Toshiaki Ishibashi