Signal processing apparatus and signal processing method

• US 10,448,142 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Murata, Yasunobu, Asada, Kohei, Yamabe, Yushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Saunders, Jr., Joseph
• Application Number:
  US15/824,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20180084332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17821 characterised by the analysis of the input signals only
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17823 Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17827 Desired external signals, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/1783 handling or detecting of non-standard events or conditions, e.g. changing operating modes under specific operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17854 the filter being an adaptive filter
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17857 Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17873 using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17875 using an error signal without a reference signal, e.g. pure feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17885 additionally using a desired external signal, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3014 Adaptive noise equalizers [ANE], i.e. where part of the unwanted sound is retained
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3016 Control strategies, e.g. energy minimization or intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/03 Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing

Abstract

Disclosed is a signal processing apparatus including a surrounding sound signal acquisition unit, a NC (Noise Canceling) signal generation part, a cooped-up feeling elimination signal generation part, and an addition part. The surrounding sound signal acquisition unit is configured to collect a surrounding sound to generate a surrounding sound signal. The NC signal generation part is configured to generate a noise canceling signal from the surrounding sound signal. The cooped-up feeling elimination signal generation part is configured to generate a cooped-up feeling elimination signal from the surrounding sound signal. The addition part is configured to add together the generated noise canceling signal and the cooped-up feeling elimination signal at a prescribed ratio.

Claims

1. A signal processing apparatus, comprising:

a microphone configured to collect an ambient sound to generate an ambient sound signal;

a level detector configured to detect a first level;

circuitry configured to;

generate a noise canceling signal based on the ambient sound signal,

generate an ambient sound listening signal based on the ambient sound signal, and

mix the noise canceling signal and the ambient sound listening signal in a first ratio,

wherein the first ratio is based on the first level; and

a storage unit configured to store the ambient sound listening signal, wherein

the circuitry is further configured to reproduce the stored ambient sound listening signal at a first speed and a second speed, and

the second speed is faster than the first speed.

2. A signal processing apparatus with a noise canceling function, comprising:

a microphone configured to collect an ambient sound to generate an ambient sound signal;

an operation interface configured to designate a first level by a user input,

wherein an effecting degree of the noise canceling function is determined based on the first level; and

digital processing circuitry configured to mix a noise canceling signal and an ambient sound listening signal to determine the effecting degree of the noise canceling function in a first ratio, wherein

the ambient sound listening signal and the noise canceling signal are based on the ambient sound signal, and

the first ratio is based on the first level,

the first level is between a maximum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function and a minimum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function,

the minimum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function corresponds to a maximum value of an effecting degree of an ambient sound listening function, and

the maximum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function corresponds to a minimum value of the effecting degree of the ambient sound listening function.

3. A signal processing apparatus with a noise canceling function, comprising:

a microphone configured to collect an ambient sound to generate an ambient sound signal;

an operation interface configured to designate a first level by a user input,

wherein an effecting degree of the noise canceling function is determined based on the first level; and

a digital processor configured to generate an output sound signal based on the ambient sound signal in accordance with the effecting degree of the noise canceling function in a first ratio, wherein

the first ratio is based on the first level,

a minimum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function corresponds to a maximum value of an effecting degree of an ambient sound listening function, and

a maximum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function corresponds to a minimum value of the effecting degree of the ambient sound listening function.

4. A signal processing apparatus with a noise canceling function, comprising:

a microphone configured to collect an ambient sound to generate an ambient sound signal;

an operation interface configured to designate a first level by a user input,

wherein an effecting degree of the noise canceling function is determined based on the first level; and

circuitry configured to generate an output sound signal based on the ambient sound signal in accordance with the effecting degree of the noise canceling function in a first ratio, wherein

the first ratio is based on the first level,

a minimum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function corresponds to a maximum value of an effecting degree of an ambient sound listening function, and

a maximum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function corresponds to a minimum value of the effecting degree of the ambient sound listening function.