SOUND SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20120155677A1
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Tominaga, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,497,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/123
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/348 Muting in response to a mechanical action or to power supply variations, e.g. during tuning; Click removal circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/00 Tone control or bandwidth control in amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/109 Arrangements to adapt hands free headphones for use on both ears
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/405 by combining a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A sound signal processing apparatus includes: a sound collector configured to collect a sound from an environment and configured to generate a sound collection signal; a signal controller configured to generate a sound signal based on the sound collection signal; a housing; a detector configured to detect a posture of the housing; and a selector configured to output one of the sound signal and a soundless signal based on the detected posture.

Claims

1. A sound signal processing apparatus comprising:

a sound collector configured to collect a sound from an environment and configured to generate a sound collection signal;

a signal controller configured to generate a sound signal based on the sound collection signal;

a housing;

a detector configured to detect a posture of the housing; and

a selector configured to output one of the sound signal and a soundless signal based on the detected posture.

2. The sound signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector includes an acceleration sensor configured to measure accelerations in three directions orthogonal to each other.

3. The sound signal processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the selector outputs the sound signal if a difference between an output level of the acceleration sensor in a vertical direction when the housing is in a basic posture and an output level of the acceleration sensor in a direction corresponding to the vertical direction in the basic posture when the housing is not in the basic posture is lower than a given level, and the selector outputs the soundless signal if the difference is the given level or higher.

4. The sound signal processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the selector outputs the sound signal if a time change rate of an output level of the acceleration sensor is lower than a given level, and the selector outputs the soundless signal if the time change rate is the given level or higher.

5. The sound signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the selector executes determination for selecting an output of the sound signal at a given timing interval;

and

the selector outputs the sound signal if determination for selecting no output of the soundless signal is continued for a given period after selecting an output of the soundless signal.

6. The sound signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector detects a motion of the housing.

7. The sound signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the housing is in a first posture, the detector outputs a first output level to a first direction,

when the housing is in a second posture which is not the first posture, the detector outputs a second output level in a second direction, and the second direction corresponds to the first direction when the housing is in the first posture, and

the selector outputs the sound signal if a difference between the first output level and the second output level is lower than a given level, and the selector outputs the soundless signal if the difference is the given level or higher.

8. The sound signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selector outputs the sound signal if a time change rate of an output level of the detector is lower than a given level, and the selector outputs the soundless signal if the time change rate is the given level or higher.