Sound processing apparatus

• US 5,568,559 A
• Filed: 12/13/1994
• Issued: 10/22/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Makino, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US08/354,951
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 381/92, 381/94, 381/26, 381/98, 381/1, 381/56, 381/97, 381/12, 381/68.1, 381/68.5
• US Class Current: 381/98
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/07 Mechanical or electrical reduction of wind noise generated by wind passing a microphone
• 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 processing apparatus in which the levels of audio signals from which have been extracted signals of a frequency band lower than a predetermined frequency band are controlled by using signals of the predetermined frequency band extracted from audio signals that are converted from sound waves generated from a sound source and by using signals that are extracted from the above audio signals and are lying within a frequency band lower than the above predetermined frequency band, and the signals of which the levels are controlled and the audio signals are combined together and are output. The sound processing apparatus is capable of removing noise components such as wind noise from the audio signals despite of its simple constitution.

Claims

1. A sound processing apparatus comprising:

(A) a plurality of audio signal output means which convert sounds generated from a sound source into audio signals and output the audio signals;

(B) a detection means which receives two audio signals output from at least two of said audio signal output means, detects whether the polarities of the two input audio signals are in agreement or not, and outputs a detection signal that indicates whether their polarities are in agreement or not; and

(C) a comparator means which compares a period in which the polarities of the two input audio signals are in agreement with a period in which they are not in agreement at predetermined intervals depending upon the detection signal output from the detection means, and outputs a signal indicating the result of comparison.

2. A sound processing apparatus comprising:

(A) a plurality of audio signal output means which convert sounds generated from a sound source into audio signals and output the audio signals;

(B) a detection means which receives two audio signals output from at least two of said audio signal output means, detects whether the polarities of the two input audio signals are in agreement or not at intervals of a predetermined period, and outputs a detection signal that indicates a period in which the polarities are in agreement; and

(C) a comparator means which compares the length of a period indicated by the detection signal output from said detection means with a reference value, and outputs a signal indicating the result of comparison.

3. A sound processing apparatus comprising:

(A) a plurality of audio signal output means which convert sounds generated from a sound source into audio signals and output the audio signals;

(B) a detection means which receives two audio signals output from at least two of said audio signal output means, detects whether the polarities of the two input audio signals are in agreement or not at predetermined intervals, and outputs a detection signal that indicates a period in which the polarities are not in agreement; and

(C) a comparator means which compares the length of a period indicated by the detection signal output from said detection means with a reference value, and outputs a signal indicating the result of comparison.

4. A sound processing apparatus comprising:

(A) a plurality of audio signal output means which convert sounds generated from a sound source into audio signals and output the audio signals;

(B) a detection means which receives two audio signals output from at least two of said audio signal output means, detects whether the polarities of the two input audio signals are in agreement or not, and outputs a detection signal that indicates whether the polarities are in agreement or not;

(C) a smoothing means which smoothes the detection signal output from said detection means and outputs the smoothed signal; and

(D) a comparator means which compares a period in which the polarities of the two input audio signals are in agreement with a period in which the polarities are not in agreement according to the detection signal smoothed by said smoothing means at predetermined intervals, and outputs a signal indicating the result of comparison.

5. A sound processing apparatus comprising:

(A) a plurality of audio signal output means which convert sound generated from a sound source into audio signals and output the audio signals;

(B) a detection means which inputs two audio signals output from at least two of said audio signal output means, detects whether the polarities of the two input audio signals are in agreement or not at predetermined intervals, and outputs a detection signal that indicates whether the polarities are in agreement or not;

(C) a smoothing means which smoothes the detection signal output from said detection means and outputs the smoothed signal; and

(D) a comparator means which compares the length of a period indicated by the smoothed signal from said smoothing means with a reference value, and outputs a signal representing the result of comparison.

6. A sound processing apparatus comprising:

(A) a plurality of audio signal output means which convert sounds generated from a sound source into audio signals and output the audio signals;

(B) a detection means which receives two audio signals output from at least two of said audio signal output means, detects whether the polarities of the two input audio signals are in agreement or not at predetermined intervals, and outputs a detection signal that indicates a period in which the polarities are not in agreement;

(C) a smoothing means which smoothes the detection signal output from said detection means and outputs the smoothed signal; and

(D) a comparator means which compares the length of a period indicated by the smoothed signal from said smoothing means with a reference value, and outputs a signal representing the result of comparison.

7. A sound processing apparatus comprising:

(A) a plurality of audio signal output means which convert sounds generated from a sound source into audio signals and output the audio signals;

(B) a multiplier means which receives two audio signals output from at least two of said audio signal output means, multiplies the two input audio signals and output a multiplication signal indicating the result of multiplication; and

(C) a comparator means which compares a period in which the multiplication signal output from said multiplier means has positive polarity with a period in which the multiplication signal has negative polarity at predetermined intervals, and outputs a signal indicating the result of comparison.

8. A sound processing apparatus comprising:

(A) a plurality of audio signal output means which convert sound generated from a sound source into audio signals and output the audio signals;

(B) a multiplier means which receives two audio signals output from at least two of said audio signal output means, multiplies the two input audio signals and outputs a multiplication signal indicating the result of multiplication; and

(C) a comparator means which detects a period in which a signal output from said multiplier means has positive polarity or a period in which the signal has negative polarity at predetermined intervals, compares the length of the period in which the signal has positive polarity with a reference value, and outputs a signal indicating the result of comparison.

9. A sound processing apparatus comprising:

(A) a plurality of audio signal output means which convert sounds generated from a sound source into audio signals and output the audio signals;

(B) a multiplier means which receives two audio signals output from at least two of said audio signal output means, multiplies the two input audio signals and outputs a multiplication signal indicating the result of multiplication; and

(C) a comparator means which detects a period in which a signal output from said multiplier means has positive polarity or a period in which the signal has negative polarity at predetermined intervals, compares the length of the period in which the signal has negative polarity with a reference value, and outputs a signal indicating the result of comparison.

10. A sound processing apparatus comprising:

(A) a plurality of audio signal output means which convert sounds generated from a sound source into audio signals and output the audio signals;

(B) a multiplier means which receives two audio signals output from at least two of said audio signal output means, multiplies the two input audio signals and outputs a multiplication signal indicating the result of multiplication;

(C) a smoothing means which smoothes the multiplication signal output from said multiplication means and outputs the smoothed multiplication signal; and

(D) a comparator means which compares a period in which the multiplication signal smoothed by said smoothing means has positive polarity with a period in which the multiplication signal has negative polarity at predetermined intervals, and outputs a signal indicating the result of comparison.

11. A sound processing apparatus comprising:

(A) a plurality of audio signal output means which convert sounds generated from a sound source into audio signals and output the audio signals;

(B) a multiplier means which receives two audio signals output from at least two of said audio signal output means, multiplies the two input audio signals and outputs a multiplication signal indicating the result of multiplication;

(C) a smoothing means which smoothes the multiplication signal output from said multiplication means and outputs the smoothed multiplication signal; and

(D) a comparator means which compares the length of a period in which the multiplication signal smoothed by said smoothing means has positive polarity with a reference value at predetermined internals, and outputs a signal indicating the result of comparison.

12. A sound processing apparatus comprising:

(A) a plurality of audio signal output means which convert sounds generated from a sound source into audio signals and output the audio signals;

(B) a multiplier means which receives two audio signals output from at least two of said audio signal output means, multiplies the two input audio signals and outputs a multiplication signal indicating the result of multiplication;

(C) a smoothing means which smoothes the multiplication signal output from said multiplication means and outputs the smoothed multiplication signal; and

(D) a comparator means which compares the length of a period in which the multiplication signal smoothed by said smoothing means has negative polarity with a reference value at predetermined internals, and outputs a signal indicating the result of comparison.