AREA-SOUND REPRODUCTION SYSTEM AND AREA-SOUND REPRODUCTION METHOD

• US 20170061952A1
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: SAKAGUCHI, ATSUSHI
• Granted Patent: US 9,754,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17821 characterised by the analysis of the input signals only
• 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 2210/3011 Single acoustic input
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3028 Filtering, e.g. Kalman filters or special analogue or digital filters
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/403 Linear arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/25 Array processing for suppression of unwanted side-lobes in directivity characteristics, e.g. a blocking matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/002 Loudspeaker arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

An area-sound reproduction system includes a speaker array in which a plurality of speakers are linearly arranged side by side, a sound collector that collects an environment sound in an environment where the area-sound reproduction system is installed, and a processor that adjusts reproduced sounds that the plurality of speakers are caused to output, based on a control line, and causes the area-sound reproduction system to output the reproduced sounds, the control line being set at a position substantially in parallel with the speaker array and apart from the speaker array by a predetermined distance, and including a reproduction line in which sound waves emitted from the speaker array constructively interfere with each other and a non-reproduction line in which the sound waves destructively interfere with each other, in which the processor measures a noise level from the collected environment sound, and adjusts the reproduced sounds, at each frequency, such that a sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the reproduction line on the control line exceeds the noise level, and a sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line on the control line does not exceed the noise level.

Claims

1. An area-sound reproduction system comprising:

a speaker array comprising a plurality of speakers linearly arranged side by side;

a sound collector configured to collect an environment sound in an environment where the area-sound reproduction system is installed;

a processor; and

a memory having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program causing the processor to execute operations including;

adjusting reproduced sounds that the plurality of speakers are caused to output using a control line, wherein the control line includes (i) a reproduction line in which sound waves emitted from the speaker array have constructive interference with each other and (ii) a non-reproduction line in which the sound waves have destructive interference with each other, the reproduction line and the non-reproduction line being set at a position substantially in parallel with the speaker array and apart from the speaker array by a predetermined distance, and

causing the plurality of speakers to output the reproduced sounds,

wherein in the adjusting,

measuring a noise level from the collected environment sound, and

adjusting the reproduced sounds, at each frequency, a sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the reproduction line on the control line exceeds the noise level, and a sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line on the control line does not exceed the noise level.

2. The area-sound reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein

in the adjusting, removing a frequency component in which the sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line exceeds the noise level.

3. The area-sound reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein

the operations including:

receiving change in a sound volume of the reproduced sound reaching the reproduction line, and

removing a frequency component in which the sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line exceeds the noise level by the change in the sound volume of the reproduced sound.

4. The area-sound reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein

the operations including:

at each frequency, when the sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the reproduction line exceeds the noise level, and the sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line exceeds the noise level,

adjusting a width of the reproduction line, the sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line does not exceed the noise level.

5. The area-sound reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein

the operations including:

at each frequency, when the sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the reproduction line exceeds the noise level, and the sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line exceeds the noise level,

synthesizing a masking sound reaching the non-reproduction line into the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line, a sound pressure of the masking sound exceeds the sound pressure of the reproduced sound.

6. The area-sound reproduction system according to claim 5, wherein the masking sound is the environment sound collected by the sound collector.

7. The area-sound reproduction system according to claim 5, wherein the masking sound is a background music used in the environment where the area-sound reproduction system is installed.

8. The area-sound reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein the sound collector includes a microphone that is mounted in a terminal used by a user of the area-sound reproduction system.

9. The area-sound reproduction system according to claim 1, wherein

the operations including:

acquiring position information related to a position of a person from a sensor that is included in the area-sound reproduction system or externally provided, and

setting the control line based on the position information.

10. An area-sound reproduction method of an area-sound reproduction system including a speaker array comprising a plurality of speakers linearly arranged side by side, the area-sound reproduction method comprising:

collecting an environment sound in an environment where the area-sound reproduction system is installed;

adjusting reproduced sounds that the plurality of speakers are caused to output using a control line, wherein the control line includes (i) a reproduction line in which sound waves emitted from the speaker array have constructive interference with each other and (ii) a non-reproduction line in which the sound waves have destructive interference with each other, the reproduction line and the non-reproduction line being set at a position substantially in parallel with the speaker array and apart from the speaker array by a predetermined distance; and

causing the plurality of speakers to output the reproduced sounds,

wherein in the adjusting,

measuring a noise level from the collected environment sound, and

adjusting the reproduced sounds, at each frequency, a sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the reproduction line on the control line exceeds the noise level, and a sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line on the control line does not exceed the noise level.