Voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus

• US 8,238,584 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Osakabe, Katsuichi, Ishibashi, Toshiaki, Suenaga, Yuichiro, Kobayashi, Chikara, Saito, Kosuke, Aoshima, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Long
• Application Number:
  US12/092,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20090252364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,343 Days
• Field of Search: 381/122, 381/355, 381/91, 381/58, 381/92
• US Class Current: 381/122
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/403 Linear arrays of transducers

Abstract

A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus includes: a device body; a speaker array arranged in the device body and including a plurality of arrayed speaker units; and a microphone array arranged in the device body and including a plurality of arrayed microphones. By thus integrating the speaker array and the microphone array, it is possible to improve the operability of a user, to acquaint the user relatively easily with the error in the set position and to make the device compact.

Claims

1. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus comprising:

a device body;

a sound releasing unit arranged in the device body; and

a microphone array having a plurality of single-directivity microphones arranged in an array,

wherein the sound releasing unit is disposed so that sound emitted from the sound releasing unit is in a direction that is lower in sensitivity to the microphone array,

wherein the sound releasing unit is a speaker array having a plurality of arrayed speaker units,

wherein an array direction of the microphones and an array direction of the speaker units are parallel to each other,

wherein the microphone array and the speaker array are arranged in the device body so that a sound collecting face of the microphone array and a sound releasing face of the speaker array are perpendicular to each other, and the sound collecting direction and the sound releasing direction are directed outwardly,

wherein the device body includes a frame for mounting the microphone array,

wherein a plurality of peripherally arranged holes are formed in the frame in the periphery of the mounting positions of the individual microphones,

wherein the frame is a member having a substantially C-shape with a bent edge that is bent substantially at a right angle on at least one edge in a transverse direction thereof,

wherein the speaker array is attached to an upper face of the frame so that a sound releasing direction of the sound releasing unit is directed toward the frame,

wherein holes are formed at the positions of the speaker units,

wherein the microphone array is buried in the bent edge of the frame over the longitudinal direction so that the sound collecting side is directed outwardly, and

wherein the peripherally arranged holes are formed in an end portion of the upper face of the frame on the side of the microphone array and in an edge of the frame where the microphone array is arranged.

2. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device body includes an orienting direction informing unit for indicating either an orienting direction of a sound releasing direction of the speaker array or an orienting direction of a sound collecting direction of the microphone array.

3. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frame is supported at a predetermined level from the mounting face by substantially rectangular leg units disposed on two sides of the frame.

4. A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the peripherally arranged holes are formed at positions so that voices from the speaker array transmit in a lowest sensitivity direction from the microphone array