ACOUSTIC SIGNAL CORRECTOR AND ACOUSTIC SIGNAL CORRECTING METHOD

• US 20120063612A1
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Client Solutions CO., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Chiba, Norikatsu, Miseki, Kimio
• Granted Patent: US 9,282,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/74
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/02 Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation reducing echo effects in line transmission systems H04B3/20; echo suppression in hands-free telephones H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0232 Processing in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/005 of digital signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 9/005 of digital or coded signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/15 Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/353 Frequency, e.g. frequency shift or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/356 Amplitude, e.g. amplitude shift or compression

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an acoustic signal corrector includes: an output module; a selection receiver; and a holder. The output module is configured to output a plurality of acoustic signals. Amplitude values of frequencies within a frequency band of each of the acoustic signals are emphasized as emphasized amplitude values. A plurality of amplitude values among the emphasized amplitude values are corrected as corrected amplitude values at some of frequencies within the frequency band. Resonance is possibly induced in the frequency band by sealing an ear canal. The selection receiver is configured to receive a selection of one of the acoustic signals output by the output module. The holder is configured to hold, as a configuration for sound quality correction, a configuration corresponding to the correction of the one of the acoustic signals at the some of the frequencies.

Claims

1. An acoustic signal corrector, comprising:

an output module configured to output a plurality of acoustic signals, amplitude values within a frequency band of each of the acoustic signals being emphasized as emphasized amplitude values, a plurality of amplitude values among the emphasized amplitude values being corrected as corrected amplitude values at corresponding frequency positions, resonance being induced in the frequency band by sealing an ear canal;

a selection receiver configured to receive a selection of one of the acoustic signals output by the output module; and

a holder configured to hold, as a configuration for sound quality correction, a configuration corresponding to the correction at the frequency positions of the one of the acoustic signals.

2. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 1, wherein the output module comprises:

an amplifier configured to extract frequency components of each of the acoustic signals within the frequency band, and add the frequency components to the each of the acoustic signals within the frequency band; and

a signal processor configured to output the acoustic signals each with the corrected amplitude values corrected at the frequency positions within the frequency band processed by the amplifier.

3. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 2, wherein the amplifier comprises:

an extractor configured to extract the frequency components of each of the acoustic signals within the frequency band;

an adder configured to add the frequency components extracted by the extractor to the each of the acoustic signals within the frequency band.

4. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 1, wherein the output module comprises:

a first storage module configured to store each of the acoustic signals comprising the emphasized amplitude values; and

a signal processor configured to output each of the acoustic signals stored in the first storage module, the amplitude values among the emphasized amplitude values of the each of the acoustic signals stored in the first storage module being corrected at the frequency positions as the corrected amplitude values.

5. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 1, wherein the output module comprises:

a storage module configured to store each of the acoustic signals comprising the corrected amplitude values corrected at the corresponding frequency positions; and

a signal output module configured to output the each of the acoustic signals stored in the storage module.

6. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 1, wherein the correction of each of the amplitude values at the frequency positions reduces amplitude values within a band portion with each of the frequency positions at a center thereof.

7. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 1, wherein

the selection receiver is configured to provide a selection item for receiving the selection, the configuration for the correction being assigned to the selection item, and

the output module is configured to output one of the acoustic signals in which the amplitude values among the emphasized amplitude values are corrected at the frequency positions corresponding to the configuration assigned to the selection item received by the selection receiver.

8. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 7, wherein the selection receiver is configured to hierarchically divide the configuration instructing to correct the amplitude values at the frequency positions into groups based on a number of selection items, and assign one configuration selected from a same hierarchical group for each of the items to provide a user interface receiving a selection of one configuration for an upper hierarchical group to an lower hierarchical group.

9. An acoustic signal correcting method, comprising:

outputting, by an output module, a plurality of acoustic signals, amplitude values within a frequency band of each of the acoustic signals being emphasized as emphasized amplitude values, a plurality of amplitude values among the emphasized amplitude values being corrected as corrected amplitude values at corresponding frequency positions, resonance being induced in the frequency band by sealing an ear canal;

receiving, by a selection receiver, a selection of one of the acoustic signals output by the output module; and

holding, by a holder, as a configuration for sound quality correction, a configuration corresponding to the correction at the frequency positions of the one of the acoustic signals.

10. An acoustic signal corrector, comprising:

an output module configured to process a plurality of acoustic signals, amplitude values within a frequency band of each of the plurality of acoustic signals being emphasized as emphasized amplitude values, a plurality of amplitude values among the emphasized amplitude values being corrected as corrected amplitude values at corresponding frequency positions;

a selection receiver configured to receive one of the plurality of acoustic signals output by the output module; and

a storage unit configured to store, as a configuration for sound quality correction, a configuration corresponding to the correction at the frequency positions of the one of the plurality of acoustic signals.

11. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 10, wherein the output module comprises:

an amplifier configured to extract frequency components of each of the plurality of acoustic signals within the frequency band, and to add the frequency components to the each of the plurality of acoustic signals within the frequency band; and

a signal processor configured to output the plurality of acoustic signals each with the corrected amplitude values corrected at the frequency positions within the frequency band processed by the amplifier.

12. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 11, wherein the amplifier comprises:

an extractor configured to extract the frequency components of each of the plurality of acoustic signals within the frequency band;

an adder configured to add the frequency components extracted by the extractor to the each of the plurality of acoustic signals within the frequency band.

13. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 10, wherein the output module comprises:

a first storage module configured to store each of the plurality of acoustic signals comprising the emphasized amplitude values; and

a signal processor configured to output each of the plurality of acoustic signals stored in the first storage module, the amplitude values among the emphasized amplitude values of the each of the plurality of acoustic signals stored in the first storage module being corrected at the frequency positions as the corrected amplitude values.

14. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 10, wherein the output module comprises:

a storage module configured to store each of the plurality of acoustic signals comprising the corrected amplitude values corrected at the corresponding frequency positions; and

a signal output module configured to output the each of the plurality of acoustic signals stored in the storage module.

15. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 10, wherein the correction of each of the amplitude values at the frequency positions reduces amplitude values within a band portion with each of the frequency positions at a center thereof.

16. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 10, wherein

the selection receiver is configured to provide a selection item for receiving the selection, the configuration for the correction being assigned to the selection item, and

the output module is configured to output one of the plurality of acoustic signals in which the amplitude values among the emphasized amplitude values are corrected at the frequency positions corresponding to the configuration assigned to the selection item received by the selection receiver.

17. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 16, wherein the selection receiver is configured to hierarchically divide the configuration instructing to correct the amplitude values at the frequency positions into groups based on a number of selection items, and assign one configuration selected from a same hierarchical group for each of the items to provide a user interface receiving a selection of one configuration for an upper hierarchical group to an lower hierarchical group.

18. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 10, wherein the selection receiver includes a converter.

19. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 10, wherein the output module is a test signal generator.

20. The acoustic signal corrector of claim 10 further comprising an earphone that is adapted to seal an ear canal of a listening to induce resonance in the frequency band.