IP Library Patent Application 16498477
Patent Application
App. No. 16/498,477

AUDIO DEVICE AND COMPUTER READABLE PROGRAM

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 None
App. No.
16/498,477
Abstract

[Problem] To provide an audio device capable of further reliably accepting voice control even during playback. [Solution] An audio device 2 comprises: a parameter determination unit 30 that determines an echo-back parameter for canceling a wraparound signal that enters voice-control microphones 20 - 1, 20 - 2 as the audio from a speaker during playback; a filter processing unit 27 that performs filtering using the echo-back parameter for audio signals collected by the voice-control microphones 20 - 1, 20 - 2 during playback; a voice recognition unit 28 that performs voice recognition processing for a filtered audio signal; and an operation acceptance unit 29 that accepts voice control on the basis of the voice recognition results. The parameter determination unit 30 outputs a test signal from a speaker and collects the test signal through the voice-control microphones 20 - 1, 20 - 2 , and determines the echo-back parameter on the basis of the delay time and the attenuation rate of the collected audio signal relative to the test signal.

Claims (32)

1 . An audio device having a function of receiving a voice operation, the audio device comprising:

audio reproduction means for reproducing an audio signal to output the audio signal to a speaker;

a voice operation reception microphone configured to receive a voice operation from a user;

parameter determination means for determining an echo back parameter for canceling a diffracted signal that is output from the speaker to the voice operation reception microphone in a diffracted manner during audio reproduction;

filter processing means for filtering a sound signal collected by the voice operation reception microphone during audio reproduction with the echo back parameter determined by the parameter determination means; and

voice operation reception means for executing voice recognition processing for the collected sound signal filtered by the filter processing means to receive the voice operation,

wherein the parameter determination means is configured to:

output a test signal from the speaker;

collect the test signal by the voice operation reception microphone; and

determine the echo back parameter based on a delay time and attenuation rate of the sound signal collected by the voice operation reception microphone with respect to the test signal.

2 . The audio device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the audio reproduction means is configured to reproduce a multi-channel audio signal to output the multi-channel audio signal from a plurality of speakers, and

wherein the parameter determination means is configured to:

output the test signal from the plurality of speakers in order;

collect the test signal by the voice operation reception microphone;

measure, for each speaker, the delay time and attenuation rate of the sound signal collected by the voice operation reception microphone with respect to the test signal; and

determine the echo back parameter based on the delay time and attenuation rate measured for each speaker.

3 . The audio device according to claim 2 , further comprising a sound field measurement microphone,

wherein the parameter determination means is configured to:

collect the test signal, which is output from the plurality of speakers in order, by the sound field measurement microphone installed at a listening position of the user, when determining the echo back parameter;

measure, for each speaker, the delay time and attenuation rate of the sound signal collected by the sound field measurement microphone with respect to the test signal; and

determine an output characteristic parameter of each speaker based on the delay time and attenuation rate measured for the each speaker, and

wherein the audio reproduction means is configured to correct, for each speaker, an audio signal to be output from the each speaker in accordance with the output characteristic parameter of the each speaker determined by the parameter determination means.

4 . A computer readable program for causing a computer to function as an audio device having a function of receiving a voice operation, the audio device comprising:

audio reproduction means for reproducing an audio signal to output the audio signal to a speaker;

parameter determination means for determining an echo back parameter for canceling a diffracted signal that is output from the speaker to a voice operation reception microphone for receiving a voice operation from a user in a diffracted manner during audio reproduction;

filter processing means for filtering a sound signal collected by the voice operation reception microphone during audio reproduction with the echo back parameter determined by the parameter determination means; and

voice operation reception means for executing voice recognition processing for the collected sound signal filtered by the filter processing means to receive the voice operation,

the parameter determination means being configured to:

output a test signal from the speaker;

collect the test signal by the voice operation reception microphone; and

determine the echo back parameter based on a delay time and attenuation rate of the sound signal collected by the voice operation reception microphone with respect to the test signal.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Feb 14, 2022
From: CERBERUS BUSINESS FINANCE, LLC, AS AGENT
To: POLK AUDIO, LLC; DIRECTED, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.; D&M EUROPE B.V.; B & W GROUP LTD; SOUND UNITED, LLC; B & W LOUDSPEAKERS LTD; D&M HOLDINGS INC.
Reel/Frame 059127/0278 →
NOTICE OF SECURITY INTEREST - - PATENTS Recorded Dec 30, 2020
From: D&M HOLDINGS INC.
To: CERBERUS BUSINESS FINANCE, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054874/0184 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 27, 2019
From: MATSUNAGA, KEISHI
To: D&M HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 050510/0410 →