Area-sound reproduction system and area-sound reproduction method

• US 9,966,058 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2017
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Bernardi, Brenda C
• Application Number:
  US15/661,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20170323629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• 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 is provided that includes a speaker array having a plurality of speakers 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 causes the processor to execute operations, including adjusting signals that the plurality of speakers are caused to output as reproduced sounds according to a reproduction condition on a control line, and causing the plurality of speakers to output the reproduced sounds.

Claims

1. An area-sound reproduction system, comprising:

a speaker array including 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 signals that the plurality of speakers are caused to output as reproduced sounds according to a reproduction condition on 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, and

causing the plurality of speakers to output the reproduced sounds,

wherein the adjusting further includes

determining a noise level from the collected environment sound,

adjusting signals to be output as the reproduced sounds, such that at each frequency, a sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line on the control line does not exceed the noise level, and

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

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

wherein the operations further include

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.

3. 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.

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

wherein the operations further include

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.

5. An area-sound reproduction system, comprising:

a speaker array including 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 signals that the plurality of speakers are caused to output as reproduced sounds according to a reproduction condition on 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, and

causing the plurality of speakers to output the reproduced sounds,

wherein the adjusting further includes

determining a noise level from the collected environment sound, and

adjusting signals to be output as the reproduced sounds, such that at each frequency, a sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line on the control line does not exceed the noise level,

wherein the operations further include at each frequency, when 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.

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

wherein the sound collector includes a microphone that is mounted in a terminal used by a user of the area-sound reproduction system.

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

wherein the operations further include

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.

8. An area-sound reproduction system, comprising:

a speaker array including 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 signals that the plurality of speakers are caused to output as reproduced sounds according to a reproduction condition on 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, and

causing the plurality of speakers to output the reproduced sounds,

wherein the adjusting further includes

determining a noise level from the collected environment sound, and

adjusting signals to be output as the reproduced sounds, such that at each frequency, a sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line on the control line does not exceed the noise level,

wherein the operations further include at each frequency, when 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.

9. The area-sound reproduction system according to claim 8,

wherein the masking sound is the environment sound collected by the sound collector.

10. The area-sound reproduction system according to claim 8,

wherein the masking sound is a background music used in the environment where the area-sound reproduction system is installed.

11. The area-sound reproduction system according to claim 8,

wherein the sound collector includes a microphone that is mounted in a terminal used by a user of the area-sound reproduction system.

12. The area-sound reproduction system according to claim 8,

wherein the operations further include

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.

13. An area-sound reproduction method of an area-sound reproduction system, including a speaker array including 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 signals that the plurality of speakers are caused to output as reproduced sounds accordingly to a reproduction condition on 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, and

causing the plurality of speakers to output the reproduced sounds,

wherein the adjusting further includes

determining a noise level from the collected environment sound,

adjusting signals to be output as the reproduced sounds, such that at each frequency, a sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line on the control line does not exceed the noise level, and

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

14. An area-sound reproduction method of an area-sound reproduction system that includes a speaker array, including 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 signals that the plurality of speakers are caused to output as reproduced sounds according to a reproduction condition on 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, and

causing the plurality of speakers to output the reproduced sounds,

wherein the adjusting further includes

determining a noise level from the collected environment sound, and

adjusting signals to be output as the reproduced sounds, such that at each frequency, a sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line on the control line does not exceed the noise level, and

wherein the operations further include at each frequency, when 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.

15. An area-sound reproduction method of an area-sound reproduction system that includes a speaker array, including 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 signals that the plurality of speakers are caused to output as reproduced sounds according to a reproduction condition on 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, and

causing the plurality of speakers to output the reproduced sounds,

wherein the adjusting further includes

determining a noise level from the collected environment sound, and

adjusting signals to be output as the reproduced sounds, such that at each frequency, a sound pressure of the reproduced sound reaching the non-reproduction line on the control line does not exceed the noise level, and

wherein the operations further include at each frequency, when 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.