IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,200,880
Granted Patent B2
US 11,200,880 · App. 16/621,072 · Granted Dec 14, 2021

Information processor, information processing system, and information processing method

Inventors: Kenichi Makino (Kanagawa, JP); Kohei Asada (Kanagawa, JP); Tetsunori Itabashi (Kanagawa, JP); Shigetoshi Hayashi (Tokyo, JP); Go Igarashi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
G10K11/17873G10K11/17854G10K2210/1081G10K2210/1282G10K2210/3028G10K2210/3036
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,200,880
App. No.
16/621,072
Granted
Dec 14, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is an information processor including a signal processing section that acquires a first signal to be detected by an acoustic input section of a first unit including the acoustic input section disposed within a predetermined distance from one ear hole of a user in a state of being worn by the user, acquires a second signal, which indicates a noise generated from a noise source, to be acquired by a second unit, and generates a noise cancellation signal directed to the noise on the basis of the first signal and the second signal.

Claims (118)

1. A wearable device, comprising:

a microphone configured to detect a first signal, wherein

the wearable device is wearable on an ear in a wearable state of the wearable device, and

the microphone is at a distance from an ear hole of the ear based on the wearable state of the wearable device;

an acquisition section configured to:

acquire the first signal from the microphone; and

acquire a second signal from a vehicle mounted unit, wherein the second signal indicates a noise from a noise source;

a digital signal processor (DSP) configured to receive first noise cancellation capability information of the vehicle mounted unit from the vehicle mounted unit based on a noise cancellation function of the vehicle mounted unit; and

an operation mode control section configured to select a first operation mode of a plurality of operation modes of the DSP based on the received first noise cancellation capability information, wherein

each operation mode of the plurality of operation modes corresponds to a coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit,

the coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit in the first operation mode is different from the coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit in a second operation mode of the plurality of operation modes,

the coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit in the first operation mode is based on a frequency band shared between the microphone and the vehicle mounted unit, and

the DSP is further configured to:

transmit second noise cancellation capability information of the wearable device to the vehicle mounted unit based on the noise cancellation function of the vehicle mounted unit, wherein the transmitted second noise cancellation capability information indicates the first operation mode; and

generate a noise cancellation signal, for the noise, based on the acquired first signal, the acquired second signal, and the first operation mode.

2. The wearable device according to claim 1 , further comprising circuitry configured to determine a frequency of the noise based on the acquired second signal.

3. The wearable device according to claim 2 , wherein

the noise is associated with a rotational movement of a moving body of the noise source, and

the second signal comprises information indicating a number of rotations of the rotational movement of the moving body.

4. The wearable device according to claim 3 , wherein

the noise source comprises a power source of a vehicle,

the vehicle mounted unit is on the vehicle,

the vehicle mounted unit wirelessly transmits the second signal, and

the acquisition section is further configured to wirelessly acquire the second signal transmitted by the vehicle mounted unit.

5. The wearable device according to claim 1 , wherein

the operation mode control section is further configured to select the first operation mode based on a quantity of high-frequency components of the noise.

6. The wearable device according to claim 5 , wherein

the wearable device is wearable on the ear of a user,

the noise source comprises a power source of a vehicle, and

the operation mode control section is further configured to select the first operation mode based on an entry of the user in the vehicle.

7. The wearable device according to claim 6 , wherein the operation mode control section is further configured to select the first operation mode based on a number of people in the vehicle.

8. The wearable device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

circuitry configured to generate an output signal based on the noise cancellation signal; and

a first acoustic output section configured to output the output signal.

9. The wearable device according to claim 8 , wherein

the circuitry is further configured to generate a synthesized signal by synthesis of the noise cancellation signal and a specific signal,

the specific signal is generated by application of a signal process on an acoustic signal of a sound source, and

the output signal comprises at least one of the noise cancellation signal or the synthesized signal.

10. The wearable device according to claim 8 , wherein

the acquisition section is further configured to:

acquire the first signal via a first path including a wired communication path; and

acquire the second signal via a second path including a wireless communication path.

11. The wearable device according to claim 10 , wherein

the digital signal processor is further configured to generate the noise cancellation signal for a frequency component of the noise, and

the frequency component of the noise is higher than a first frequency of the noise.

12. The wearable device according to claim 8 , wherein

the acquisition section is further configured to:

acquire the first signal via a third path including a wireless communication path; and

acquire the second signal via a fourth path including a wired communication path, and

the output signal is output by a second acoustic output section of the vehicle mounted unit.

13. The wearable device according to claim 12 , wherein

the digital signal processor is further configured to generate the noise cancellation signal for a frequency component of the noise, and

the frequency component of the noise is lower than a second frequency of the noise.

14. An information processing system, comprising:

a wearable device that includes a microphone, wherein

the wearable device is wearable on an ear in a wearable state of the wearable device,

the microphone is at a distance from an ear hole of the ear based on the wearable state of the wearable device, and

the wearable device is configured to:

detect a first signal by the microphone; and

output the first signal;

a vehicle mounted unit configured to acquire a second signal indicating a noise from a noise source; and

a first unit that comprises:

an acquisition section configured to:

acquire the first signal from the wearable device;

acquire the second signal from the vehicle mounted unit;

a digital signal processor (DSP) configured to receive first noise cancellation capability information of the vehicle mounted unit from the vehicle mounted unit based on a noise cancellation function of the vehicle mounted unit; and

an operation mode control section configured to select a first operation mode of a plurality of operation modes of the DSP based on the received first noise cancellation capability information, wherein

each operation mode of the plurality of operation modes corresponds to a coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit,

the coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit in the first operation mode is different from the coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit in a second operation mode of the plurality of operation modes,

the coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit in the first operation mode is based on a frequency band shared between the microphone and the vehicle mounted unit, and

the DSP is further configured to:

transmit second noise cancellation capability information of the wearable device to the vehicle mounted unit based on the noise cancellation function of the vehicle mounted unit, wherein the transmitted second noise cancellation capability information indicates the first operation mode; and

generate a noise cancellation signal, for the noise, based on the acquired first signal, the acquired second signal, and the first operation mode.

15. The information processing system according to claim 14 , wherein

the information processing system further comprises a second unit configured to generate a second noise cancellation signal, based on the second signal, for a first frequency component of the noise,

the first frequency component of the noise is lower than a second frequency of the noise,

the first unit is further configured to generate a first noise cancellation signal for a second frequency component of the noise,

the second frequency component is higher than a first frequency of the noise,

the wearable device further includes a first acoustic output section configured to output a first output signal,

the first output signal is based on the first noise cancellation signal,

the vehicle mounted unit includes a second acoustic output section configured to output a second output signal, and

the second output signal is based on the second noise cancellation signal.

16. The information processing system according to claim 14 , wherein

the information processing system further comprises a plurality of active noise canceller (ANC) units,

a first ANC unit of the plurality of ANC units is configured to generate a first noise cancellation signal for a first frequency component of the noise,

the first frequency component is higher than a first frequency of the noise,

a second ANC unit of the plurality of ANC units is configured to generate a third noise cancellation signal for a second frequency component of the noise,

the second frequency component is lower than a second frequency of the noise,

the wearable device further includes a first acoustic output section configured to output a first output signal,

the first output signal is based on the first noise cancellation signal,

the vehicle mounted unit includes a second acoustic output section configured to output a second output signal, and

the second output signal is based on the third noise cancellation signal.

17. An information processing method, comprising:

detecting, by a microphone of a wearable device, a first signal;

acquiring, by an acquisition unit, the first signal from the microphone, wherein

the wearable device is wearable on an ear in a wearable state of the wearable device, and

the microphone is at a distance from an ear hole of the ear based on the wearable state of the wearable device;

acquiring, by the acquisition unit, a second signal from a vehicle mounted unit, wherein the second signal indicates a noise from a noise source;

receiving, by a digital signal processor (DSP), first noise cancellation capability information of the vehicle mounted unit from the vehicle mounted unit based on a noise cancellation function of the vehicle mounted unit;

selecting, by an operation mode control section, a first operation mode of a plurality of operation modes of the DSP based on the received first noise cancellation capability information, wherein

each operation mode of the plurality of operation modes corresponds to a coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit, and

the coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit in the first operation mode is different from the coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit in a second operation mode of the plurality of operation modes, and

the coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit in the first operation mode is based on a frequency band shared between the microphone and the vehicle mounted unit;

transmitting, by the DSP, second noise cancellation capability information of the wearable device to the vehicle mounted unit based on the noise cancellation function of the vehicle mounted unit, wherein the transmitted second noise cancellation capability information indicates the first operation mode; and

generating, by the DSP, a noise cancellation signal, for the noise, based on the acquired first signal, the acquired second signal, and the first operation mode.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute operations, the operations comprising:

detecting, by a microphone of a wearable device, a first signal;

acquiring, by an acquisition unit, the first signal from the microphone, wherein

the wearable device is wearable on an ear in a wearable state of the wearable device, and

the microphone is at a distance from an ear hole of the ear based on the wearable state of the wearable device;

acquiring, by the acquisition unit, a second signal from a vehicle mounted unit, wherein the second signal indicates a noise from a noise source;

receiving, by a digital signal processor (DSP), first noise cancellation capability information of the vehicle mounted unit from the vehicle mounted unit based on a noise cancellation function of the vehicle mounted unit;

selecting, by an operation mode control section, a first operation mode of a plurality of operation modes of the DSP based on the received first noise cancellation capability information, wherein

each operation mode of the plurality of operation modes corresponds to a coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit, and

the coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit in the first operation mode is different from the coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit in a second operation mode of the plurality of operation modes, and

the coordinated operation of the DSP with the vehicle mounted unit in the first operation mode is based on a frequency band shared between the microphone and the vehicle mounted unit;

transmitting, by the DSP, second noise cancellation capability information of the wearable device to the vehicle mounted unit based on the noise cancellation function of the vehicle mounted unit, wherein the transmitted second noise cancellation capability information indicates the first operation mode; and

generating, by the DSP, a noise cancellation signal, for the noise, based on the acquired first signal, the acquired second signal, and the first operation mode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 10, 2019
From: MAKINO, KENICHI; ASADA, KOHEI; ITABASHI, TETSUNORI; HAYASHI, SHIGETOSHI; IGARASHI, GO
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 051245/0041 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2017-125857 · Jun 28, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200202837A1 · Jun 25, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,659,666