Sound reproducing apparatus, sound reproducing method, and recording medium

• US 9,093,968 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fujii, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAHNERT, FRIEDRICH
• Application Number:
  US13/375,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20120128178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 381/1, 381/17, 381/27, 381 56- 59, 381/71.11, 381/71.14, 381/74, 381/98, 381/101, 381/102, 381/104, 381/106, 381/107, 381/306, 709/224, 709/228
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/02 Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation reducing echo effects in line transmission systems H04B3/20; echo suppression in hands-free telephones H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0264 characterised by the type of parameter measurement, e.g. correlation techniques, zero crossing techniques or predictive techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 9/005 of digital or coded signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 9/025 frequency-dependent volume compression or expansion, e.g. multiple-band systems H03G9/10, H03G9/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/43 Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/03 Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/50 Customised settings for obtaining desired overall acoustical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/07 Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/40 Visual indication of stereophonic sound image

Abstract

Sound reproduction is controlled so as to be heard in the optimal state for the hearing function specific to elderly people. A frequency characteristic setting portion for setting the frequency characteristics of an inputted sound signal, and a sound volume setting portion for variable controlling the volume is disclosed. The frequency characteristic setting portion changes a frequency characteristic in which a sound band including a human voice band is emphasized to a frequency characteristic in which the characteristics of a gain in accordance with a frequency gradually becomes flat with an increase in the volume set by the sound volume setting portion. As a result, the frequency band of the human voice is strongly emphasized so as to help elderly people hear it at a low volume, and, as the volume grows higher, a frequency characteristic is changed to a flatter frequency characteristic, thereby making it possible to output easy-to-hear sound while reducing inconvenience caused by the emphasis of a specific frequency band.

Claims

1. A sound reproducing apparatus comprising:

a frequency characteristic setting portion that sets frequency characteristics of an input sound signal; and

a sound volume setting portion that variably controls a sound volume when a sound signal is output as sound, wherein

the frequency characteristic setting portion makes a change from frequency characteristics with a sound band including a band of human voice emphasized to frequency characteristics with gain characteristics corresponding to frequency gradually flattened in accordance with increase in the sound volume set by the sound volume setting portion.

2. The sound reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the sound band is a range from about 1 kHz to 8 kHz.

3. The sound reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 1, comprising

a listener selecting portion that selects whether a listener is an elderly person or a younger person depending on a user operation, wherein

if the elderly person is selected, the frequency characteristics are changed in accordance with increase in the sound volume set by the sound volume setting portion.

8. A computer-readable non-transitory medium storing a program for implementing the functions of the sound reproducing apparatus as defined in any one of claims 1-3 and 4-5 by a computer.

4. A sound reproducing apparatus, comprising:

a portion for extracting a common spectral component from a plurality of spectra respectively corresponding to a plurality of channels by applying a minimum function to the plurality of the spectra;

a portion for subtracting the common spectral component from each of the plurality of the spectra to extract a spectral component other than the common spectral component for each of the plurality of the spectra;

a portion for changing gains of the extracted common spectral component and the components other than the common spectral component to mix the components; and

a sound volume setting portion for variably controlling a sound volume when a sound signal is output as sound, wherein

the sound reproducing apparatus reduces the gain of the common spectral component in accordance with increase in the sound volume set by the sound volume setting portion.

5. The sound reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 4, comprising

a listener selecting portion that selects whether a listener is an elderly person or a younger person depending on a user operation, wherein

if the elderly person is selected, the gain is changed in accordance with increase in the sound volume set by the sound volume setting portion, in accordance with increase in the sound volume set by the sound volume setting portion.

6. A sound reproducing method executed by a sound reproducing apparatus that sets frequency characteristics of an input sound signal, and variably controls a sound volume when a sound signal is output as sound, wherein

the method has a step that the sound reproducing apparatus changes frequency characteristics from frequency characteristics with a sound band including a band of human voice emphasized to frequency characteristics with gain characteristics corresponding to frequency gradually flattened in accordance with increase in the sound volume set at the time of sound output.

7. A sound reproducing method executed by a sound reproducing apparatus, comprising:

extracting a common spectral component from a plurality of spectra respectively corresponding to a plurality of channels by applying a minimum function to the plurality of the spectra;

subtracting the common spectral component from each of the plurality of spectra to extract a component other than the common spectral component for each of the plurality of the spectra;

changing gains of the extracted common spectral component and the components other than the common spectral component to mix the components;

variably controlling a sound volume when a sound signal is output as sound; and

reducing the gain of the common spectral component in accordance with increase in the set sound volume.