IP Library Granted Patent US 12,538,071
Granted Patent B2
US 12,538,071 · App. 18/029,605 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Speaker system

Inventors: Masahiro Fukui (Tokyo, JP); Kazunori Kobayashi (Tokyo, JP); Noriyoshi Kamado (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NTT, Inc.
H04R1/40H04R3/12
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 12,538,071
App. No.
18/029,605
Granted
Jan 27, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sound that cannot be heard by surrounding users is reproduced. A reproduction device ( 110 ) includes an n-th reproduction unit that outputs a 2n−1th acoustic signal (n=1, . . . , N) that is an acoustic signal obtained on the basis of a reproduction target and a 2n-th acoustic signal that is an acoustic signal having a phase opposite to that of the 2n−1th acoustic signal. A speaker system ( 120 ) includes at least two or more sets of an n-th speaker unit pair ( 122 ) including a positive speaker unit ( 1221 ) that emits a 2n−1th acoustic signal-based sound and a negative speaker unit ( 1222 ) that emits a 2n-th acoustic signal-based sound, the n-th speaker unit pair being installed at a position close to a user's head.

Claims (17)

1 . A speaker system that emits an acoustic signal that is audible to one or more target users who are in the vicinity of the speaker system and not audible to a user outside the vicinity of the speaker system, the speaker system comprising:

at least two or more sets of speakers, each set of speakers of the at least two or more sets of speakers including

a first speaker that emits the acoustic signal, and

a second speaker that emits the acoustic signal in a phase opposite to the first speaker, wherein

the first speaker and the second speaker are arranged such that sounds emitted from the speakers in a direction opposite to the one or more target users go around and propagate in a direction of the one or more target users, thereby emitting an acoustic signal that is audible to one or more target users who are in the vicinity of the speaker system and not audible to the user outside the vicinity of the speaker system, and

the at least two or more sets of speakers are installed on a wall surface on which a digital signage display is installed.

2 . The speaker system according to claim 1 , wherein

the wall surface comprises installation of the at least two or more sets of speakers including the set of speakers, and

respective sets of speakers of the at least two or more sets of speakers installed on the wall surface are installed at different heights on the wall surface.

3 . The speaker system according to claim 2 , wherein

each of the respective sets of speakers installed on the wall surface is configured to emit different acoustic signals.

4 . The speaker system according to claim 3 , wherein

the at least two or more sets of speakers are installed on the wall surface with different height,

a first set of speakers of the at least two or more sets of speakers installed at higher position is configured to emit an acoustic signal constituting content for adults, and a second set of speakers of the at least two or more sets of speakers installed at lower position is configured to emit an acoustic signal constituting content for children.

5 . The speaker system according to claim 1 , wherein

the wall surface is a part of a plurality of wall surfaces, at least another wall surface of the plurality of wall surfaces comprises another installation of the digital signage display, and

at least one set of speakers of the at least two or more sets of speakers is installed on a respective wall surface of the plurality of wall surfaces on which the digital signage display is installed.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 1, 2026
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 074164/0597 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 30, 2023
From: FUKUI, MASAHIRO; KOBAYASHI, KAZUNORI; KAMADO, NORIYOSHI
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063179/0321 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230370770A1 · Nov 16, 2023
References Cited (16)
US 5815579A · Boyden · 1998 [cited by examiner]
US 5887071A · House · 1999 [cited by examiner]
US 8553890B2 · Yokota · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 10904669B1 · Talakoub · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11974106B2 · Lehnert · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20140023206A1 · Takayasu et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20210168504A1 · Corynen · 2021 [cited by examiner]
EP 3952331A1 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
JP H02312395A · 1990 [cited by applicant]
JP 2003087888A · 2003 [cited by applicant]
JP 2006345477A · 2006 [cited by applicant]
JP 2012073411A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
JP 2014023105A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017111286A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO 2020220735A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
Japan Airlines (2020) “In-flight entertainment/JAL-first class” [online] Accessed on Mar. 10, 2020 Website: URL:https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/ja/inter/service/first/entertainment/index.html with its English version. [cited by applicant]