SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS, SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20180084332A1
• Filed: 11/28/2017
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: MURATA, YASUNOBU, ASADA, KOHEI, YAMABE, YUSHI
• Granted Patent: US 10,448,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17821 characterised by the analysis of the input signals only
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17823 Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17827 Desired external signals, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/1783 handling or detecting of non-standard events or conditions, e.g. changing operating modes under specific operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17854 the filter being an adaptive filter
• 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 11/17875 using an error signal without a reference signal, e.g. pure feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17885 additionally using a desired external signal, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3014 Adaptive noise equalizers [ANE], i.e. where part of the unwanted sound is retained
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3016 Control strategies, e.g. energy minimization or intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/03 Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing

Abstract

Disclosed is a signal processing apparatus including a surrounding sound signal acquisition unit, a NC (Noise Canceling) signal generation part, a cooped-up feeling elimination signal generation part, and an addition part. The surrounding sound signal acquisition unit is configured to collect a surrounding sound to generate a surrounding sound signal. The NC signal generation part is configured to generate a noise canceling signal from the surrounding sound signal. The cooped-up feeling elimination signal generation part is configured to generate a cooped-up feeling elimination signal from the surrounding sound signal. The addition part is configured to add together the generated noise canceling signal and the cooped-up feeling elimination signal at a prescribed ratio.

Claims

1. A signal processing apparatus, comprising:

a microphone configured to collect an ambient sound to generate a ambient sound signal;

a level detector configured to detect a first level;

circuitry configured to;

generate a noise canceling signal based on the ambient sound signal,

generate an ambient sound listening signal based on the ambient sound signal, and

mix the noise canceling signal and the ambient sound listening signal in a first ratio that is based on the first level.

2. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to

generate a specific sound emphasizing signal based on the ambient sound signal,

wherein a specific sound is emphasized in the specific sound emphasizing signal, and

mix the specific sound emphasizing signal, the noise canceling signal and the ambient sound listening signal in a second ratio.

3. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the level detector is further configured to detect a second level, and

wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

generate an ambient sound boosting signal, and

mix the noise canceling signal and the ambient sound boosting signal in a third ratio,

wherein the third ratio is based on the second level.

4. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

input an audio signal, and

mix the audio signal, the noise canceling signal, and the ambient sound listening signal in a fourth ratio.

5. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

determine the first ratio based on the first level, and

mix the noise canceling signal and the ambient sound listening signal in the first ratio.

6. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the level detector is further configured to:

divide the ambient sound signal into a plurality of signals at a plurality of frequency bands, and

detect a third level for each of the plurality of signals.

7. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation interface configured to accept a user operation to determine the first level based on the user operation.

8. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the operation interface is further configured to scalably operate to input the first level based on the user operation in a single axis, and

wherein the noise canceling signal and the ambient sound listening signal are mixed in the first ratio based on the first level.

9. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first sensor configured to acquire an operation detection signal to detect an operation state of a user,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to;

determine the first ratio based on the operation detection signal, and

mix the noise canceling signal and the ambient sound listening signal in the first ratio.

10. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensor configured to acquire a living-body sensor signal to detect a living-body information of a user,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to;

determine the first ratio based on the living-body sensor signal, and

mix the noise canceling signal and the ambient sound listening signal in the first ratio.

11. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store the ambient sound listening signal,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to reproduce the ambient sound listening signal stored in the storage unit at a first speed.

12. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to reproduce the ambient sound listening signal stored in the storage unit at a second speed, and

wherein the second speed is faster than the first speed.

13. A signal processing method of a signal processing apparatus, comprising:

collecting an ambient sound to generate an ambient sound signal;

detecting a level;

generating a noise canceling signal based on the ambient sound signal;

generating an ambient sound listening signal based on the ambient sound signal; and

mixing the noise canceling signal and the ambient sound listening signal in a ratio that is based on the level.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to execute operations, the operations comprising:

collecting an ambient sound to generate an ambient sound signal;

detecting a level;

generating a noise canceling signal based on the ambient sound signal;

generating an ambient sound listening signal based on the ambient sound signal; and

mixing the noise canceling signal and the ambient sound listening signal in a ratio that is based on the level.

15. A signal processing apparatus, comprising:

a microphone configured to collect an ambient sound;

circuitry configured to;

generate an ambient sound signal based on the ambient sound,

generate a noise canceling signal based on the ambient sound signal,

generate an ambient sound listening signal based on the ambient sound signal, and

mix the noise canceling signal and the ambient sound listening signal in a ratio; and

a storage unit configured to store the ambient sound listening signal; and

wherein the circuitry is further configured to reproduce the ambient sound listening signal stored in the storage unit.

16. A signal processing apparatus with a noise canceling function, comprising:

a microphone configured to collect an ambient sound to generate an ambient sound signal;

an operation interface configured to designate a first level by a user input,

wherein an effecting degree of the noise canceling function is determined based on the first level;

digital processing circuitry configured to mix a noise canceling signal and an ambient sound listening signal to determine the effecting degree of the noise canceling function in a first ratio,

wherein the ambient sound listening signal and the noise canceling signal are based on the ambient sound signal, and

wherein the first ratio is based on the first level.

17. A signal processing apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the first level is between a maximum value and a minimum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function,

wherein:

the minimum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function corresponds to a maximum value of an effecting degree of an ambient sound listening function, and

the maximum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function corresponds to a minimum value of the effecting degree of the ambient sound listening function.

18. A signal processing apparatus with an ambient sound listening function, comprising:

a microphone configured to collect an ambient sound to generate an ambient sound signal;

an operation interface configured to designate a first level by an user input,

wherein an effecting degree of the ambient sound listening function is determined based on the first level;

digital processing circuitry configured to mix a noise canceling signal and an ambient sound listening signal to determine the effecting degree of the ambient sound listening function in a first ratio,

wherein the noise canceling signal and the ambient sound listening signal are based on the ambient sound signal, and

wherein the first ratio is based on the first level.

19. A signal processing apparatus with a noise canceling function, comprising:

a microphone configured to collect an ambient sound to generate an ambient sound signal;

an operation interface configured to designate a first level by an user input,

wherein an effecting degree of the noise canceling function is determined based on the first level;

a digital processor configured to generate an output sound signal based on the ambient sound signal in accordance with the effecting degree of the noise canceling function in a first ratio,

wherein the first ratio is based on the first level,

wherein;

a minimum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function corresponds to a maximum value of an effecting degree of an ambient sound listening function, and

a maximum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function corresponds to a minimum value of the effecting degree of the ambient sound listening function.

20. A signal processing apparatus with a noise canceling function, comprising:

a microphone configured to collect an ambient sound to generate an ambient sound signal;

an operation interface configured to designate a first level by an user input,

wherein an effecting degree of the noise canceling function is determined based on the first level;

circuitry configured to generate an output sound signal based on the ambient sound signal in accordance with the effecting degree of the noise canceling function in a first ratio,

wherein the first ratio is based on the first level,

wherein;

a minimum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function corresponds to a maximum value of an effecting degree of an ambient sound listening function and a maximum value of the effecting degree of the noise canceling function corresponds to a minimum value of the effecting degree of the ambient sound listening function.