NOISE REDUCTION APPARATUS AND AUDIO REPRODUCTION APPARATUS

• US 20130243225A1
• Filed: 05/02/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yokota, Teppei
• Granted Patent: US 9,330,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/300
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/879 with additional features not related to head-rest positioning, e.g. heating or cooling devices or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0223 of flat type
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0247 for microphones or earphones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0017 Head-rests
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/175 using interference effects; Masking sound
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17819 between the output signals and the reference signals, e.g. to prevent howling
• 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 11/17853 of the 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 11/17885 additionally using a desired external signal, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1053 Hi-fi, i.e. anything involving music, radios or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1282 Automobiles
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3221 Headrests, seats or the like, for personal ANC systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/01 Hearing devices using active noise cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/007 Protection circuits for transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/023 in a chair, pillow
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 : Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 : Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

A noise reduction apparatus includes: a speaker with a speaker unit held by holding means to make it possible to mix sounds emitted from front and rear of a vibration plate of the speaker; a microphone provided in an area where the sounds emitted from the front and rear of the vibration plate of the speaker are mixed and cancelled; and means for supplying a noise reduction audio signal obtained by phase-inverting an audio signal collected by the microphone to the speaker.

Claims

1. An audio reproduction apparatus comprising:

first and second speakers for left and right channels with speaker units held by holding means to make it possible to mix sounds emitted from front and rear of vibration plates of the speakers;

first and second microphones provided in areas where the sounds emitted from the front and rear of the vibration plates of the respective first and second speakers are mixed and cancelled;

means for supplying noise reduction audio signals obtained by phase-inverting audio signals collected by the first and second microphones to the first and second speakers; and

audio-signal supplying means for supplying predetermined audio signals to the first and second speakers, respectively.

2. An audio reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined audio signals supplied from the audio-signal supplying means to the first and second speakers are subjected to virtual sound source processing employing a head related transfer function to cause a listener to listen to sound as if the sound is emitted from other speakers in positions different from positions of the first and second speakers.

3. An audio reproduction apparatus comprising:

a first speaker arranged near a listener with a speaker unit held by holding means to make it possible to mix sounds emitted from front and rear of a vibration plate of the speaker;

a microphone provided in an area where the sounds emitted from the front and rear of the vibration plate of the first speaker are mixed and cancelled;

means for supplying low-frequency components of a noise reduction audio signal obtained by phase-inverting an audio signal collected by the microphone to the first speaker;

second and third speakers held by second holding means and arranged on left and right of the first speaker near the listener;

separating means for separating and obtaining low-frequency components and medium- and high-frequency components for left and right channels from an input audio signal;

means for supplying the low-frequency components separated by the separating means to the first speaker in addition to the low-frequency components of the noise reduction audio signal; and

means for supplying the medium- and high-frequency components for the left and right channels separated by the separating means to the second and third speakers.

4. An audio reproduction apparatus according to claim 3, wherein audio signals supplied to the second and third speakers are subjected to virtual sound source processing employing a head related transfer function to cause the listener to listen to sound as if the sound is emitted from other speakers in positions different from positions of the second and third speakers.

5. An audio reproduction apparatus comprising:

first and second speakers for left and right channels with speaker units held by a holding unit to make it possible to mix sounds emitted from front and rear of vibration plates of the speakers;

first and second microphones provided in areas where the sounds emitted from the front and rear of the vibration plates of the respective first and second speakers are mixed and cancelled;

a unit configured to supply noise reduction audio signals obtained by phase-inverting audio signals collected by the first and second microphones to the first and second speakers; and

an audio-signal supplying unit configured to supply predetermined audio signals to the first and second speakers, respectively.

6. An audio reproduction apparatus comprising:

a first speaker arranged near a listener with a speaker unit held by a holding unit to make it possible to mix sounds emitted from front and rear of a vibration plate of the speaker;

a microphone provided in an area where the sounds emitted from the front and rear of the vibration plate of the first speaker are mixed and cancelled;

a unit configured to supply low-frequency components of a noise reduction audio signal obtained by phase-inverting an audio signal collected by the microphone to the first speaker;

second and third speakers held by a second holding unit and arranged on left and right of the first speaker near the listener;

a separating unit configured to separate and obtain low-frequency components and medium- and high-frequency components for left and right channels from an input audio signal;

a unit configured to supply the low-frequency components separated by the separating unit to the first speaker in addition to the low-frequency components of the noise reduction audio signal; and

a unit configured to supply the medium- and high-frequency components for the left and right channels separated by the separating unit to the second and third speakers.