SOUND PROCESSOR, SOUND PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20130315405A1
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Toshifumi, Kanishima, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,014,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/15 Aspects of sound capture and related signal processing for recording or reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/307 Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

According to one embodiment, sound processor includes: communication module; outputting module; recording module; display; input module; controller; and calculating module. The controller (i) displays, on display, message prompting user to move a sound input device to position proximate to speaker, (ii) causes the outputting module to output the test sound and causes the recording module to record first sound, (iii) displays, after the first sound is recorded, on the display, message prompting the user to move the sound input device to listening position, and (iv) causes the outputting module to output the test sound and causes the recording module to record second sound. The calculating module finds a first frequency characteristic of the first sound and a second frequency characteristic of the second sound, and calculates, based on a difference between the first and second frequency characteristics, a value for correcting the second frequency characteristic to a target frequency characteristic.

Claims

1. A sound processor comprising:

a communication module configured to communicate with a sound device;

a test sound outputting module configured to cause the sound device to output test sound through the communication module;

a recording module configured to record sound collected with a sound input device;

a display configured to display a message;

an input module configured to receive a user input;

a controller configured to (i) display, on the display, a first message prompting a user to move the sound input device to a position proximate to a speaker of the sound device so as to record first sound, (ii) cause the test sound outputting module to output the test sound in accordance with a user input made with respect to the input module in response to the first message and cause the recording module to record the first sound, (iii) display, after the first sound is recorded, on the display, a second message prompting the user to move the sound input device to a listening position so as to record second sound, and (iv) cause the test sound outputting module to output the test sound in accordance with a user input made with respect to the input module in response to the second message and cause the recording module to record the second sound; and

a calculating module configured to find a first frequency characteristic of the first sound recorded with the recording module and a second frequency characteristic of the second sound recorded with the recording module, and calculate, based on a difference between the first frequency characteristic and the second frequency characteristic, a correction value for correcting the second frequency characteristic to a target frequency characteristic.

2. The sound processor of claim 1, wherein the calculating module is configured to transmit the correction value to the sound device through the communication module.

3. The sound processor of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to obtain control information for controlling at least a frequency characteristic from the sound device through the communication module before the correction value is transmitted to the sound device, and to transmit the control information to the sound device in accordance with a user input made with respect to the input module after the calculating module calculates the correction value.

4. The sound processor of claim 1, wherein the target frequency characteristic is a frequency characteristic in which sound pressure levels are flat in all audible frequency bands.

5. The sound processor of claim 1, wherein the calculating module is configured to calculate the second frequency characteristic by averaging a frequency characteristic of the second sound recorded at a plurality of positions near the listening position.

6. A sound processing method comprising:

outputting test sound by causing a sound device to output the test sound through a communication module;

recording first sound collected with a sound input device;

first displaying, on a display, a first message prompting a user to move the sound input device to a position proximate to a speaker of the sound device so as to record first sound;

first instructing the outputting to output the test sound in accordance with a user input made with respect to an input module in response to the first massage and instructing the recording to record the first sound;

second displaying, after the first sound is recorded, on the display, a second message prompting the user to move the sound input device to a listening position so as to record second sound;

second instructing the outputting to output the test sound in accordance with a user input made with respect to the input module in response to the second message and instructing the recording to record the second sound; and

calculating a first frequency characteristic of the first sound recorded at the first instructing and a second frequency characteristic of the second sound recorded at the second instructing, and calculating, based on a difference between the first frequency characteristic and the second frequency characteristic, a correction value for correcting the second frequency characteristic to a target frequency characteristic.

7. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium including programmed instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform:

outputting test sound by causing a sound device to output the test sound through a communication module;

recording first sound collected with a sound input device;

first displaying, on a display, a first message prompting a user to move the sound input device to a position proximate to a speaker of the sound device so as to record first sound;

first instructing the outputting to output the test sound in accordance with a user input made with respect to an input module in response to the first massage and instructing the recording to record the first sound;

second displaying, after the first sound is recorded, on the display, a second message prompting the user to move the sound input device to a listening position so as to record second sound;

second instructing the outputting to output the test sound in accordance with a user input made with respect to the input module in response to the second message and instructing the recording to record the second sound; and

calculating a first frequency characteristic of the first sound recorded at the first instructing and a second frequency characteristic of the second sound recorded at the second instructing, and calculating, based on a difference between the first frequency characteristic and the second frequency characteristic, a correction value for correcting the second frequency characteristic to a target frequency characteristic.