Yamaha Corporation

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Tsuyoshi Okami

Nobuaki H Tsuji

Kunito Takahashi

Akiyoshi Sato

Takashi Mizota

Katsuya Hirano

Junya Matsuoka

Yuki Ueya

Hidekazu Ono

A sound output device includes: a speaker unit that has a sound emitting portion; an attaching member by which the speaker unit is attached to an object; a separating member that is provided between the speaker unit and the attaching member to separate the speaker unit from the attaching member; and a sealing member that is provided between the speaker unit and the attaching member to reduce a sound that is emitted from a side of the speaker unit opposite to the sound emitting portion and is transmitted to a sound emitting portion side. The attaching member has a first portion on a side of the sound emitting portion of the speaker unit, and the first portion of the attaching member has an opening that corresponds to the sound emitting portion.

Sound output device

A conversation assist apparatus for a vehicle that includes a plurality of microphones and a plurality of electric loudspeakers, each microphone of the plurality of microphones and each electric loudspeaker of the plurality of loudspeakers being arranged so as to correspond to a seat of four seats arranged in a rectangular manner in a passenger compartment of the vehicle includes a signal processor configured to generate an audio signal by adding a delay to an output signal of a microphone of the plurality of microphones; a supplier configured to supply the generated audio signal to an electric loudspeaker of the plurality of electric loudspeakers that corresponds to a diagonal seat, from among the four seats, that is located at a diagonal position of a seat corresponding to the microphone; and a controller configured to control an amount of the delay based on a state of the vehicle.

Conversation assist apparatus and conversation assist method

A MEMS device including a fixed member and a movable member supported via a resilient body. The MEMS device includes an impact alleviation mechanism provided at a position where the movable member and the fixed member collide during operation. The impact alleviation mechanism includes a stopper provided to either the fixed member or the movable member and that protrude to be parallel between sides of the two members with at least one side edge fixed to the respective member. Moreover, the impact alleviation mechanism includes an elongate protruding member provided on the other of the fixed member and the movable member. The elongate protruding member and the stopper are configured such that as collision force increases between the movable member and the fixed member during operation, an abutment area of an outer edge position of the elongate protruding member approaches the fixed side edge of the stopper.

MEMS device

A capacitance-to-voltage conversion circuit including a variable capacitance element, an integration circuit, and first and second sample and hold circuits. Capacitance value of the variable capacitance element varies depending on a physical quantity. The integration circuit outputs a voltage as a result of integration. The first sample and hold circuit samples and holds the voltage. The second sample and hold circuit samples and holds the sampled voltage and performs a simultaneous sampling operation in synchronism with the first sample and hold circuit at the same period as at least an initial sampling period. The second sample and hold circuit performs a sampling operation at a rear-end period in a sampling period of the first sample and hold circuit other than the sampling period.

Capacitance-to-voltage conversion circuit

A vibrator drive circuit is configured to drive a vibrator massin a prescribed vibration direction. The vibrator drive circuit includes a drive unit configured to drive a vibrator based on a reference signal SGof a predetermined frequency to cause the vibrator to vibrate in a vibration direction, a phase detector configured to detect a vibration waveform of the vibrator in the vibration direction and to output an output voltage Vcnt in accordance with a phase difference between reference signal SGand a vibration waveform thereof, and two capacitors each formed of a movable electrode provided in the vibrator and a fixed electrode provided to face the movable electrode, the output voltage Vcnt being applied to the fixed electrode. The phase detector is configured to adjust the output voltage Vcnt in accordance with the phase difference, thereby changing electrostatic force in each of the capacitors for controlling the phase difference to be 90 degrees.

Vibrator drive circuit

A MEMS structure includes a planar substrate, a support body coupled to the planar substrate, a fixed electrode coupled to the planar substrate and a moveable portion. The movable portion is spaced from and faces the fixed electrode. The movable electrode includes a movable weight and an intermediate frame surrounding an outer edge of the movable weight. A plurality of elastic supports connect the movable weight to the intermediate frame. The elastic supports are elastically deformable in a first direction extending parallel to the plane of the substrate such that the movable weight can move in the first direction. At least one torsion bar pivotally connects one end of the intermediate frame to the support body so as to allow the intermediate frame, and with it the movable weight, to pivot around an axis which extends parallel to the plane of the substrate and perpendicular to the first direction.

Growing community of inventors

Hamamatsu, Japan

Tsuyoshi Okami