IP Library Patent Application 18849039
Patent Application
App. No. 18/849,039

SOUND SYSTEM

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
18/849,039
Abstract

A sound system capable of reducing the number of speakers required for performing localized reproduction in stereo is provided. A first speaker emits a sound based on an L (2n−1)-th processed acoustic signal with signal processing to make it audible in a first region in an L direction to an L (2n−1)-th acoustic signal and an R (2n)-th processed acoustic signal with signal processing to make it non-audible in a fourth region in an R direction to an R (2n)-th acoustic signal, and a second speaker emits a sound based on an L (2n)-th processed acoustic signal with signal processing to make it non-audible in a second region in an L direction to an L (2n)-th acoustic signal and an R (2n−1)-th processed acoustic signal with signal processing to make it audible in a third region in an R direction to an R (2n−1)-th acoustic signal.

Claims (16)

1 . A sound system comprises a speaker unit pair comprising at least a first speaker not comprising a speaker box and a second speaker not comprising a speaker box, wherein

an L (2n−1)-th acoustic signal is an acoustic signal of one channel of stereo channels of a predetermined sound source, an R (2n−1)-th acoustic signal is an acoustic signal of the other channel of the stereo channels,

an L (2n)-th acoustic signal is an acoustic signal of an opposite phase to that of the L (2n−1)-th acoustic signal,

an R (2n)-th acoustic signal is an acoustic signal of an opposite phase to that of the R (2n−1)-th acoustic signal,

the first speaker emits a sound based on an L (2n−1)-th processed acoustic signal with signal processing to make it audible in a first region in an L direction to the L (2n−1)-th acoustic signal and an R (2n)-th processed acoustic signal with signal processing to make it non-audible in a fourth region in an R direction to the R (2n)-th acoustic signal, and

the second speaker emits a sound based on an L (2n)-th processed acoustic signal with signal processing to make it non-audible in a second region in an L direction to the L (2n)-th acoustic signal and an R (2n−1)-th processed acoustic signal with signal processing to make it audible in a third region in an R direction to the R (2n−1)-th acoustic signal.

2 . A sound system, where N is an integer of 1 or more, comprising:

a reproduction device configured to comprise processing circuitry configured to implement an n-th reproduction unit (n=1, . . . , N) that outputs an L (2n−1)-th acoustic signal which is an acoustic signal of one channel of stereo channels of a predetermined sound source, an L (2n)-th acoustic signal which is an acoustic signal of an opposite phase to that of the L (2n−1)-th acoustic signal, an R (2n−1)-th acoustic signal which is an acoustic signal of the other channel of the stereo channels, and an R (2n)-th acoustic signal which is an acoustic signal of an opposite phase to that of the R (2n−1)-th acoustic signal;

a directivity control device configured to comprise processing circuitry configured to implement an Ln-th directivity control unit (n=1, . . . , N) that generates an L (2n−1)-th processed acoustic signal from the L (2n−1)-th acoustic signal and generates an L (2n)-th processed acoustic signal from the L (2n)-th acoustic signal by performing predetermined signal processing, and an Rn-th directivity control unit (n=1, . . . , N) that generates an R (2n−1)-th processed acoustic signal from the R (2n−1)-th acoustic signal and generates an R (2n)-th processed acoustic signal from the R (2n)-th acoustic signal by performing predetermined signal processing;

a synthesis device configured to comprise processing circuitry configured to implement an Ln-th synthesis unit (n=1, . . . , N) that obtains an Ln-th synthesis acoustic signal by synthesizing the L (2n−1)-th processed acoustic signal and the R (2n)-th processed acoustic signal, and an Rn-th synthesis unit (n=1, . . . , N) that obtains an Rn-th synthesis acoustic signal by synthesizing the R (2n−1)-th processed acoustic signal and the L (2n)-th processed acoustic signal; and

a speaker system configured to comprise an n-th speaker unit pair (n=1, . . . , N) that comprises a speaker unit (hereinafter referred to as an Lch speaker unit) that emits a sound based on the Ln-th synthesis acoustic signal and a speaker unit (hereinafter referred to as an Rch speaker unit) that emits a sound based on the Rn-th synthesis acoustic signal, wherein

signal processing executed by the Ln-th directivity control unit (n=1, . . . , N) is processing so that the sound emitted from the Lch speaker unit of the n-th speaker unit pair and the sound emitted from the Rch speaker unit of the n-th speaker unit pair can be heard in a region to be audible in a vicinity of the n-th speaker unit pair in an L direction and cannot be heard in a region not to be audible in an R direction, and

signal processing executed by the Rn-th directivity control unit (n=1, . . . , N) is processing so that the sound emitted from the Rch speaker unit of the n-th speaker unit pair and the sound emitted from the Lch speaker unit of the n-th speaker unit pair can be heard in a region to be audible in a vicinity of the n-th speaker unit pair in an R direction and cannot be heard in a region not to be audible in an L direction.

3 . The sound system according to claim 2 , wherein

N=1 is established,

the Lch speaker unit and the Rch speaker unit are installed on a headrest of a seat of an automobile.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 1, 2026
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 074164/0623 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 27, 2024
From: FUKUI, MASAHIRO; KOBAYASHI, KAZUNORI; KAMADO, NORIYOSHI; WAKISAKA, YOHEI
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 068726/0393 →