Sound control device, wearable sound device and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11200879-B2
Application number	US-202016996186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2020
Priority date	Feb 23, 2018
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

A sound control device includes: a first memory storing instructions; and a processor that implements the stored instructions to execute a plurality of instructions, including: a synthesizing task that synthesizes a synthesized sound signal from an input sound signal acquired from a sound input device and a reproducing sound signal acquired from a sound reproducing device; an outputting task that outputs alternately between the reproducing sound signal and the synthesized sound signal to a sound emitting device; a notification control task that outputs notifying information for causing a notifying device to notify for a notification period, which is an output period during which the outputting task is outputting the synthesized sound signal to the sound emitting device; and a registering task that registers, in a second memory, duration information specifying the notification period.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sound control device comprising:
a first memory storing instructions; and
a processor that implements the stored instructions to execute a plurality of instructions, including:
a synthesizing task that synthesizes a synthesized sound signal from an input sound signal acquired from a sound input device and a reproducing sound signal acquired from a sound reproducing device;
an outputting task that outputs alternately between the reproducing sound signal and the synthesized sound signal to a sound emitting device;
a notification control task that outputs notifying information for causing a notifying device to notify for a notification period, which is an output period during which the outputting task is outputting the synthesized sound signal to the sound emitting device; and
a registering task that registers, in a second memory, duration information specifying the notification period.

2. The sound control device according to claim 1 , wherein the registered duration information includes a duration time elapsing from when the output task starts and ends outputting the synthesized sound signal.

3. The sound control device according to claim 1 , wherein the registered duration information includes time information indicating the output period of the synthesized sound signal.

4. The sound control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor that detects a position of the control device,
wherein the output task, based on the position detected by the sensor, switches alternately between outputting the reproducing sound signal to the sound emitting device and outputting the synthesized sound signal to the sound emitting device.

5. The sound control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor that detects behavior of the control device,
wherein the output task, based on the behavior detected by the sensor, switches alternately between outputting the reproducing sound signal to the sound emitting device and outputting the synthesized sound signal to the sound emitting device.

6. A wearable sound device comprising:
a wearable component configured to be worn over an ear and including a sound emitting device;
a notifying device disposed in an externally viewable place in a state where the wearable component is held over the ear;
a first memory storing instructions; and
a processor that implements the stored instructions to execute a plurality of tasks, including:
a synthesizing task that synthesizes a synthesized sound signal from an input sound signal acquired from a sound input device and a reproducing sound signal acquired from a sound reproducing device;
an outputting task that outputs alternately between the reproducing sound signal and the synthesized sound signal to the sound emitting device;
a notification control task that outputs notifying information for causing the notifying device to notify for a notification period, which is an output period during which the outputting task is outputting the synthesized sound signal to the sound emitting device; and
a registering task that registers, in a second memory, duration information specifying the notification period.

7. The wearable sound device according to claim 6 , wherein:
the wearable component includes the notifying device, and
the notifying device is disposed at a side opposite to the sound emitting device.

8. The wearable sound device according to claim 7 , wherein the notification control task causes the notifying device to notify in different forms depending on a proportion of a signal level of the reproducing sound signal to a signal level of the input sound signal of the synthesized sound signal.

9. The wearable sound device according to claim 6 , wherein the notifying device is an LED lamp that emits light.

10. A control method of controlling a sound control device, the method comprising:
outputting a reproducing sound signal acquired from a sound reproducing device to a sound emitting device;
switching outputting of the reproducing sound signal to the sound emitting device to outputting a synthesized sound signal to the sound emitting device, the synthesized sound signal being synthesized from an input sound signal acquired from a sound input device and the reproducing sound signal;
outputting notifying information for causing a notifying device to notify for a notification period, which is an output period during which the synthesized sound signal is output to the sound emitting device; and
registering, in a second memory, duration information specifying the notification period.

11. The control method according to claim 10 , wherein the registered duration information includes a duration time elapsing from when the outputting starts and ends outputting the synthesized sound signal.

12. The control method according to claim 10 , wherein the registered duration information includes time information indicating the output period of the synthesized sound signal.

13. The control method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
detecting, using a sensor, a position of the sound control device,
wherein the switching, based on the detected position, switching alternately between outputting the reproducing sound signal to the sound emitting device and outputting the synthesized sound signal to the sound emitting device.

14. The control method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
detecting, using a sensor, behavior of the sound control device,
wherein the switching, based on the detected behavior, switching alternately between outputting the reproducing sound signal to the sound emitting device and the synthesized sound signal to the sound emitting device.

Assignees

• Yamaha Corp

Inventors

• Arita Mitsuki
• Tada Yukio

Classifications

• G10K11/17885

  additionally using a desired external signal, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech · CPC title

• G10K11/17857

  Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones · CPC title

• G10K11/17873

  using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward · CPC title

• H04R1/1083

  Reduction of ambient noise (active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06) · CPC title

• H04R1/1008

  Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type · CPC title