SOUND DEVICE AND SOUND CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20100296659A1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Masako
• Granted Patent: US 8,588,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/57
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 3/10 Electrical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0232 Processing in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/03 Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

The sound device includes an audio-information output unit, an analysis unit, an audio-division-spectrum output unit, a noise-division-spectrum output unit and a correction unit. The analysis unit receives audio information from the audio-information output unit, and then outputs sound spectrum information. The noise-division-spectrum output unit outputs sound-volume information for each critical band width of a noise, and the audio-division-spectrum output unit outputs the sound-volume information for each critical band width of the sound-spectrum information. The correction unit corrects the information from the audio-division-spectrum output unit based on the information from the noise-division-spectrum output unit. The audio-signal properties can be well corrected corresponding to the auditory-sense properties of the human, and thus the audio sound, in which an uncomfortable feeling to the auditory sense of the human has been adequately controlled, can be transmitted to a user.

Claims

1. A sound device comprising:

an audio-information output unit configured to output an audio information;

an analysis unit configured to receive the audio information outputted from the audio-information output unit, and then output a sound-spectrum information of the audio information inputted thereto;

an audio-division-spectrum output unit configured to receive the sound-spectrum information of the audio information, and then output an audio-division-spectrum information indicative of a sound-volume information for each critical band width of the sound-spectrum information of the audio information inputted thereto;

a noise-division-spectrum output unit configured to output a noise-division-spectrum information indicative of a sound-volume information for each critical band width of a noise; and

a correction unit configured to correct the audio-division-spectrum information based on the noise-division-spectrum information, and then output a correction-division-spectrum information indicative of thus corrected audio-division-spectrum information.

2. The sound device according to claim 1,

wherein the correction unit includes:

a difference computing unit configured to calculate a difference between the audio-division-spectrum information and the noise-division-spectrum information, and then output a difference information indicative of each calculation result of the difference; and

a computing unit configured to receive the audio-division-spectrum information and the difference information, and then weight and add the audio-division-spectrum information and the difference information respectively inputted thereto.

3. The sound device according to claim 1,

wherein the correction unit includes:

a switching unit including a plurality of division-switching units, each of the division-switching units being configured to pass therethrough or block the audio-division-spectrum information for each critical band width;

a switching control unit configured to receive the noise-division-spectrum information, and then control the switching unit to operate each division-switching unit so as to pass therethrough or block the audio-division-spectrum information based on the noise-division-spectrum information inputted to the switching control unit; and

a computing unit configured to receive the audio-division-spectrum information and an output from the switching unit, and then weight and add the audio-division-spectrum information and the output from the switching unit.

4. The sound device according to claim 1, further comprising an output alteration unit configured to increase, decrease and/or maintain a sound volume with respect to the sound-volume information for each critical band width outputted from the correction unit, based on an isosensitivity curve of magnitude of sound.

5. The sound device according to claim 1, wherein the audio-information output unit, the analysis unit, the audio-division-spectrum output unit, the noise-division-spectrum output unit and the correction unit are all mounted on a motorcycle.

6. The sound device according to claim 1,

wherein the noise-division-spectrum output unit includes:

a noise-division-spectrum storage unit configured to store therein the sound-volume information for each critical band width of the noise; and

a noise-information pick-out unit configured to obtain the sound-volume information for each critical band width of the noise associated with an environment from the noise-division-spectrum storage unit, and then output thus obtained sound-volume information.

7. The sound device according to claim 6, wherein the noise-information pick-out unit is configured to obtain the sound-volume information for each critical band width of the noise associated with a running speed of a motorcycle from the noise-division-spectrum storage unit, and then output thus obtained sound-volume information.

8. The sound device according to claim 6, wherein the noise-information pick-out unit is configured to select and obtain the sound-volume information for each critical band width of the noise associated with a rotation speed of an output shaft of an internal combustion engine for driving a motorcycle from the noise-division-spectrum storage unit, and then output thus obtained sound-volume information.

9. The sound device according to claim 6, wherein the noise-information pick-out unit is configured to select and obtain the sound-volume information for each critical band width of the noise associated with a vibration of at least one of a chassis or a body of a motorcycle from the noise-division-spectrum storage unit, and then output thus obtained sound-volume information.

10. The sound device according to claim 6, further comprising an input unit configured to input an information on surroundings of a motorcycle,

wherein the noise-information pick-out unit is configured to select and obtain the sound-volume information for each critical band width of the noise from the noise-division-spectrum storage unit according to the information on the surroundings inputted from the input unit, and then output thus obtained sound-volume information.

11. A sound control device adapted to be connected with a noise-division-spectrum storage unit which is configured to store therein a sound-volume information for each critical band width of a noise, comprising:

a noise-information pick-out unit configured to obtain a noise-division-spectrum information indicative of a sound-volume information for each critical band width of the noise associated an environment from the noise-division-spectrum storage unit, and then outputting thus obtained noise-division-spectrum information;

an analysis unit configured to output a sound-spectrum information of an audio information inputted thereto;

an audio-division-spectrum output unit configured to receive the sound-spectrum information of the audio information, and then output an audio-division-spectrum information indicative of a sound-volume information for each critical band width of the sound-spectrum information of the audio information inputted thereto; and

a correction unit configured to correct the audio-division-spectrum information based on the noise-division-spectrum information, and then output a correction-division-spectrum information indicative of thus corrected audio-division-spectrum information.