VOICE SIGNAL TRANSMITTING/RECEIVING APPARATUS

• US 20090252364A1
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Suenaga, Yuichiro, Aoshima, Shinji, Ishibashi, Toshiaki, Kobayashi, Chikara, Saito, Kosuke, Osakabe, Katsuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,238,584 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/355
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/403 Linear arrays of transducers

Abstract

A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus includes: a device body; a speaker array arranged in the device body and including a plurality of arrayed speaker units; and a microphone array arranged in the device body and including a plurality of arrayed microphones. By thus integrating the speaker array and the microphone array, it is possible to improve the operability of a user, to acquaint the user relatively easily with the error in the set position and to make the device compact.

Claims

1. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus comprising:

a device body;

a speaker array that is arranged in the device body and includes a plurality of arrayed speaker units; and

a microphone array that is arranged in the device body and includes a plurality of arrayed microphones.

2. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the speaker array and the microphone array are arranged so that the array direction of the speaker units and the array direction of the microphones are in parallel to each other and a sound collecting face of the microphone array and a sound releasing face of the speaker array forms substantially a right angle.

3. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the speaker array is arranged toward the lower face or the upper face of the device body;

and

a pair of the microphone arrays are individually arranged on a pair of side faces substantially perpendicular to the array direction of the speaker units.

4. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the array direction of the speaker units and the array direction of the microphones are in parallel to each other;

and

the microphone array and the speaker array are so arrayed toward a common flat plane side of the device body that a sound collecting direction of the microphone array and a sound releasing direction of the speaker array are parallel to each other.

5. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

at least two of the microphone arrays are arranged;

and

the microphone arrays are individually arranged at positions apart from the two sides of the speaker units by substantially equal distance.

6. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the microphones have a single directivity.

7. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device body includes an orienting direction informing unit for indicating either an orienting direction of a sound releasing direction of the speaker array or an orienting direction of a sound collecting direction of the microphone array.

8. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus comprising:

a device body;

a sound releasing unit arranged in the device body; and

a microphone array having a plurality of microphones of a single directivity arrayed.

9. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the sound releasing unit is disposed in the direction to the lower sensitivity of the microphone array.

10. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the sound releasing unit is a speaker array having a plurality of arrayed speaker units;

an array direction of the microphones and an array direction of the speaker units are parallel to each other; and

the microphone array and the speaker array are so arranged in the device body that a sound collecting face of the microphone array and a sound releasing face of the speaker array are perpendicular to each other and the sound collecting direction and the sound releasing direction are directed outwardly.

11. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus of claim 8, wherein

the device body includes a frame for mounting the microphone array;

and

a plurality of small holes are formed in the frame in the periphery of the mounting positions of the individual microphones.

12. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the frame is a member having a substantially C-shape and prepared by bending an elongated, flat sheet upward substantially at a right angle on at least one edge in a transverse direction thereof,

the speaker array is so attached to the upper face of the frame that a sound releasing direction of the sound releasing unit is directed toward the frame,

holes are formed at the positions of the speaker units,

the microphone array is so buried in the bent edge of the frame over the longitudinal direction that the sound collecting side is directed to the outer side, and

the small holes are formed in an end portion of the upper face of the frame on the side of the microphone array and in an edge of the frame where the microphone array is arranged.

13. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the frame is supported at a predetermined level from the mounting face by substantially rectangular leg units disposed on two sides of the frame.

14. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the small holes are formed at such positions that voices from the speaker array transmit in a lowest sensitivity direction from the microphone array.

15. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the sound releasing unit is a speaker array having a plurality of arrayed speaker units;

an array direction of the microphones and an array direction of the speaker units are parallel to each other; and

the microphone array and the speaker array are so arranged in the device body that a sound collecting face of the microphone array and a sound releasing face of the speaker array are perpendicular to each other and the sound collecting direction and the sound releasing direction are directed outwardly.

16. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus of claim 9, wherein

the device body includes a frame for mounting the microphone array;

and

a plurality of small holes are formed in the frame in the periphery of the mounting positions of the individual microphones.

17. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the device body includes a frame for mounting the microphone array;

and

a plurality of small holes are formed in the frame in the periphery of the mounting positions of the individual microphones.