IP Library Granted Patent US 9,179,214
Granted Patent B2
US 9,179,214 · App. 13/805,401 · Granted Nov 3, 2015

Audio equipment and oscillation unit

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,179,214
App. No.
13/805,401
Granted
Nov 3, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A mobile phone ( 100 ) detects at least a direction of an utterance position of a user from the voice input to a plurality of microphones ( 121,122 ) and controls an output direction of a voice out of a speaker unit ( 110 ) to match the detected utterance position. Accordingly, it is possible to provide sound with sufficient volume only for a specific user without causing noise in the neighborhood. The microphones may form a matrix together with piezoelectric vibrators that form a speaker unit, or may be formed separately from the speaker unit.

Claims (25)

1. Audio equipment comprising:

a directional speaker unit;

a plurality of microphones to which a voice of a user is input; and

a directivity control unit that detects at least a direction of the user from an input result of the plurality of microphones and controls an output direction of a voice out of the directional speaker unit on the basis of the detection result,

wherein each of the microphones has a first piezoelectric element and a first elastic member that supports the first piezoelectric element,

wherein, in the directional speaker unit, a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators in which a second piezoelectric element is supported by a second elastic member is arrayed together with the microphones so as to form a matrix,

wherein a first microphone among the microphones is disposed at a first corner among four corners of the matrix,

wherein a second microphone among the microphones is disposed at a second corner among the four corners of the matrix, the second corner being a different corner from the first corner,

wherein no microphone is disposed between the first corner and the second corner in the matrix, and

wherein the piezoelectric vibrators are disposed between the first corner and the second corner in the matrix.

2. The audio equipment according to claim 1 ,

wherein the directional speaker unit is disposed between the plurality of microphones.

3. The audio equipment according to claim 1 ,

wherein the microphones receive an input of a call voice of the user,

the audio equipment further comprises a call transmission unit that wirelessly transmits the call voice input to the microphone, and

the directivity control unit detects an utterance position of the user from the wirelessly transmitted call voice.

4. An oscillation unit comprising:

a piezoelectric vibrator in which a first piezoelectric element is supported by a first elastic member; and

a microphone in which a second piezoelectric element is supported by a second elastic member,

wherein a plurality of the piezoelectric vibrators and a plurality of the microphones are disposed so as to form a matrix,

wherein the oscillation unit further comprises a directivity control unit that detects at least a direction of a user from an input result of the plurality of the microphones and controls an output direction of a voice out of a directional speaker unit on the basis of the detection result,

wherein a first microphone among the microphones is disposed at a first corner among four corners of the matrix,

wherein a second microphone among the microphones is disposed at a second corner of the four corners of the matrix, the second corner being a different corner from the first corner,

wherein no microphone is disposed between the first corner and the second corner in the matrix, and

wherein the piezoelectric vibrators are disposed between the first corner and the second corner in the matrix.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2015
From: NEC MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS, LTD.
To: NEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036037/0476 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 9, 2015
From: NEC CASIO MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS, LTD.
To: NEC MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 035866/0495 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2012
From: KISHINAMI, YUICHIRO; ONISHI, YASUHARU; KOMODA, MOTOYOSHI; MURATA, YUKIO; KURODA, JUN; SATOU, SHIGEO
To: NEC CASIO MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 029521/0607 →