IP Library Granted Patent US 8,831,235
Granted Patent B2
US 8,831,235 · App. 13/201,859 · Granted Sep 9, 2014

Speaker polarity determination device

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,831,235
App. No.
13/201,859
Granted
Sep 9, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A speaker determination device determines a polarity of a speaker connected to output terminals. Test sound is outputted to an acoustic space via the connected speaker and is collected by a microphone. A reference signal is generated based on the test signal. A polarity determining unit compares predetermined frequency range components of the microphone signal obtained by the microphone and the reference signal, and determines the polarity of the speaker, i.e., whether the speaker is connected in positive phase or in negative phase.

Claims (25)

1. A speaker polarity determination device comprising:

output terminals to which a speaker is connected;

a test sound outputting unit which supplies a test signal to the output terminals and outputs test sound to an acoustic space via the speaker;

a microphone which is arranged in the acoustic space and which collects the test sound to generate a microphone signal;

a reference signal generating unit which generates a reference signal corresponding to the test signal;

a speaker determining unit which determines whether the speaker is a full-range speaker or a mid/high-range speaker based on the microphone signal;

a polarity determining unit which compares predetermined frequency range components of the microphone signal and the reference signal to determine a polarity of the speaker connected to the output terminals; and

a reliability determining unit which determines a reliability of a determination result by the polarity determining unit based on the microphone signal and the reference signal,

wherein, in a case where the speaker determining unit determines that the speaker is the full-range speaker, the polarity determining unit compares low-range components of the microphone signal and the reference signal to determine the polarity of the speaker and the reliability determining unit determines the reliability of the determination result, and the polarity determining unit outputs the determination result only when the reliability determining unit determines that the reliability of the determination result is high.

2. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 1 , further comprising a distance correcting unit which measures a delay time corresponding to a distance between the speaker and the microphone based on the microphone signal, and performs a time axis adjustment between the microphone signal and the reference signal, used by the polarity determining unit, based on the delay time.

3. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 2 , wherein the reliability determining unit calculates a power of an addition signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal and a power of a subtraction signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal, and determines that the reliability of the determination result is high if a power difference between the power of the addition signal and the power of the subtraction signal is equal to or larger than a predetermined value and determines that the reliability of the determination result is low if the power difference is smaller than the predetermined value.

4. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 3 , wherein the polarity determining unit compares magnitudes or powers of an addition signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal and a subtraction signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal, and determines that the speaker is connected in positive phase if the addition signal is larger than the subtraction signal and determines that the speaker is connected in negative phase if the addition signal is smaller than the subtraction signal.

5. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 2 , wherein the polarity determining unit compares magnitudes or powers of an addition signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal and a subtraction signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal, and determines that the speaker is connected in positive phase if the addition signal is larger than the subtraction signal and determines that the speaker is connected in negative phase if the addition signal is smaller than the subtraction signal.

6. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the polarity determining unit compares mid-range components of the microphone signal and the reference signal to determine the polarity of the speaker when the speaker determining unit determines that the speaker is the mid/high-range speaker.

7. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 6 , wherein the reliability determining unit calculates a power of an addition signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal and a power of a subtraction signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal, and determines that the reliability of the determination result is high if a power difference between the power of the addition signal and the power of the subtraction signal is equal to or larger than a predetermined value and determines that the reliability of the determination result is low if the power difference is smaller than the predetermined value.

8. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 7 , wherein the polarity determining unit compares magnitudes or powers of an addition signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal and a subtraction signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal, and determines that the speaker is connected in positive phase if the addition signal is larger than the subtraction signal and determines that the speaker is connected in negative phase if the addition signal is smaller than the subtraction signal.

9. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 6 , wherein the polarity determining unit compares magnitudes or powers of an addition signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal and a subtraction signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal, and determines that the speaker is connected in positive phase if the addition signal is larger than the subtraction signal and determines that the speaker is connected in negative phase if the addition signal is smaller than the subtraction signal.

10. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 1 , the polarity determining unit compares mid-range components of the microphone signal and the reference signal to determine the polarity of the speaker and outputs the determination result when the reliability determining unit determines that the reliability of the determination result is low.

11. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 10 , wherein the reliability determining unit calculates a power of an addition signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal and a power of a subtraction signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal, and determines that the reliability of the determination result is high if a power difference between the power of the addition signal and the power of the subtraction signal is equal to or larger than a predetermined value and determines that the reliability of the determination result is low if the power difference is smaller than the predetermined value.

12. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 11 , wherein the polarity determining unit compares magnitudes or powers of an addition signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal and a subtraction signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal, and determines that the speaker is connected in positive phase if the addition signal is larger than the subtraction signal and determines that the speaker is connected in negative phase if the addition signal is smaller than the subtraction signal.

13. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 10 , wherein the polarity determining unit compares magnitudes or powers of an addition signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal and a subtraction signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal, and determines that the speaker is connected in positive phase if the addition signal is larger than the subtraction signal and determines that the speaker is connected in negative phase if the addition signal is smaller than the subtraction signal.

14. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 1 , wherein the reliability determining unit calculates a power of an addition signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal and a power of a subtraction signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal, and determines that the reliability of the determination result is high if a power difference between the power of the addition signal and the power of the subtraction signal is equal to or larger than a predetermined value and determines that the reliability of the determination result is low if the power difference is smaller than the predetermined value.

15. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 14 , wherein the polarity determining unit compares magnitudes or powers of an addition signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal and a subtraction signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal, and determines that the speaker is connected in positive phase if the addition signal is larger than the subtraction signal and determines that the speaker is connected in negative phase if the addition signal is smaller than the subtraction signal.

16. The speaker polarity determination device according to claim 1 , wherein the polarity determining unit compares magnitudes or powers of an addition signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal and a subtraction signal of the microphone signal and the reference signal, and determines that the speaker is connected in positive phase if the addition signal is larger than the subtraction signal and determines that the speaker is connected in negative phase if the addition signal is smaller than the subtraction signal.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2021
From: ONKYO HOME ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
To: ONKYO TECHNOLOGY KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 058163/0455 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 8, 2021
From: ONKYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA DBA ONKYO CORPORATION
To: ONKYO HOME ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057862/0659 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 11, 2015
From: PIONEER CORPORATION
To: ONKYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA D/B/A ONKYO CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 035821/0047 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 17, 2011
From: YOSHINO, HAJIME
To: PIONEER CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 026761/0343 →