SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD AND SPEAKER SYSTEM

• US 20170064448A1
• Filed: 08/25/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: KAKUHARI, ISAO, KAWAMURA, AKIHISA, MATSUMURA, TOSHIYUKI, SAIKI, SHUJI, TAKAYAMA, SATOSHI, HONDA, KAZUKI, YUASA, TAKAFUMI
• Granted Patent: US 9,820,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/002 Loudspeaker arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A method causing a processor included in a speaker system to execute operations includes acquiring, using a measurement microphone, reflected sound information regarding an effect of sounds that are played back by a plurality of speakers having predetermined directivity and that are reflected off an object, where the plurality of speakers are included in the speaker system, calculating correction coefficients used to correct acoustic characteristics of the plurality of speakers on the basis of the acquired reflected sound information, and correcting the acoustic characteristics of the plurality of speakers using the calculated correction coefficients.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a speaker system, the speaker system including a plurality of speakers each having predetermined directivity, the method comprising:

acquiring, using a measurement microphone, reflected sound information related to an effect of sounds that are played back by a the plurality of speakers and that are reflected from an object;

calculating, by a processor of the speaker system, correction coefficients used to correct acoustic characteristics of the plurality of speakers on the basis of the acquired reflected sound information; and

correcting, by the processor, the acoustic characteristics of the plurality of speakers using the calculated correction coefficients.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement microphone is disposed at a position at which the plurality of speakers are located,

wherein calculating the correction coefficients comprises estimating a shape of a room having the plurality of speakers disposed therein, the room defined a plurality of by walls and estimating speaker positions at which the speakers are disposed, and calculating the correction coefficient of each of the plurality of speakers using the estimated shape of the room and the estimated speaker positions.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, in the estimating the shape of the room and in estimating the speaker positions, a listening position in the shape of the room is further estimated using the estimated shape of the room and the estimated speaker positions, and response times of sounds played back by the plurality of speakers are estimated, and

wherein the method further comprises:

adding reverb of the sounds played back by the plurality of speakers at the listening position by controlling a delay time and a sound level of the sound radiating from the speaker, of the plurality of speakers, that faces a wall of the room, on the basis of the estimated shape of the room, the estimated speaker positions, the estimated listening position, and the estimated response times.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the speaker system further includes a woofer that differs from the plurality of speakers,

wherein the method further comprises:

dividing a frequency range of a signal input to be played back by the plurality of speakers and the woofer into at least a low frequency band and a high frequency band,

wherein in the dividing a frequency range, a signal in the high frequency band is output to the plurality of speakers, and a signal in the low frequency band is output to the woofer.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the acquiring reflected sound information comprises receiving input of a distance between each of the plurality of speakers and the object in a sound radiation direction of the speaker, and input of a listening position and calculating, as the reflected sound information, estimated reflected sound representing the sound played back by each of the plurality of speakers and reflected from the object using the received distances and the received listening position.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic characteristics of the plurality of speakers include at least one of a phase, a sound level, and a frequency characteristic of each of the plurality of speakers.

7. A speaker system comprising:

a plurality of speakers, wherein each of speakers has a predetermined directivity;

a processor;

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

acquiring, using a measurement microphone, reflected sound information regarding an effect of sounds that are played back by a each of the plurality of speakers and that are reflected from an object;

calculating correction coefficients used to correct acoustic characteristics of the plurality of speakers on the basis of the acquired reflected sound information; and

correcting the acoustic characteristics of the plurality of speakers using the calculated correction coefficients.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for controlling a speaker system including a plurality of speakers each having a predetermined directivity, the computer including a processor and a memory, the program, when executed by the computer, causing the computer to perform processes including:

acquiring, using a measurement microphone, reflected sound information related to an effect of sounds that are played back by the plurality of speakers and that are reflected from an object;

calculating, by a processor of the speaker system, correction coefficients used to correct acoustic characteristics of the plurality of speakers on the basis of the acquired reflected sound information; and

correcting, by the processor of the speaker system, the acoustic characteristics of the plurality of speakers using the calculated correction coefficients.