Directional sound and control method thereof

Abstract

The present application discloses a directional sound and a control method thereof, which relates to the field of sound technology and is used to solve the problem of users being disturbed by external noise during sleep. The directional sound comprises: a shell; a directional sound transmission mechanism arranged in the shell; a controller: configured to: obtain the noise in the area where the user's head is located during the user's sleep; when the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the first volume and less than the second volume, control the directional sound transmission mechanism to output masking audio to the area where the user's head is located, and the masking audio is used to cover the noise; or, when the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the second volume, control the directional sound transmission mechanism to output noise reduction audio to the area where the user's head is located, and the noise reduction audio is used to offset the noise to eliminate the noise.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of audio technology, and in particular to a directional audio system and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Humans spend one third of their time sleeping, which is an important condition for eliminating fatigue, restoring physical strength and maintaining health. However, noise can make people unable to sleep or wake up. When sleep is disturbed, work efficiency and physical and mental health will be affected.

[0003] At present, in order to avoid being disturbed by external noise during sleep, people often choose to wear headphones or earplugs, but wearing earplugs to sleep is not comfortable, and wearing headphones can also cause hearing damage. Therefore, how to prevent users from being disturbed by external noise during sleep is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiment of the present application provides a directional sound system and a control method thereof, which is used to solve the problem of a user being disturbed by external noise during sleep.

[0005] In a first aspect, a directional speaker is provided, comprising:

[0006] case;

[0007] A directional sound transmission mechanism disposed in the housing;

[0008] The controller is configured as:

[0009] When the user is in a sleeping state, obtain the noise in the area where the user's head is located;

[0010] When the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the first volume but less than the second volume, the directional sound transmission mechanism is controlled to output masking audio toward the area where the user's head is located, and the masking audio is used to cover up the noise; or,

[0011] When the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the second volume, the directional sound transmission mechanism is controlled to output the noise reduction audio toward the area where the user's head is located, and the noise reduction audio is used to offset the noise to eliminate the noise.

[0012] The technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present application brings at least the following beneficial effects: the controller of the directional sound system obtains the noise in the area where the user's head is located during sleep. When the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the first volume and less than the second volume, it indicates that the noise will not wake up the user at this time, but will have a bad impact on the user's sleep quality, so the controller controls the directional sound transmission mechanism to output masking audio to the area where the user's head is located, thereby covering up the noise and ensuring the user's sleep quality. When the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the second volume, it indicates that the noise may wake up the user at this time, so the controller of the directional sound system controls the directional sound transmission mechanism to output noise reduction audio to the area where the user's head is located, and the noise reduction audio and noise cancel each other, thereby eliminating the noise, creating a more comfortable sleeping environment for the user, and improving the user's experience of using the directional sound system. In this way, masking technology or active noise reduction technology is selectively used based on the actual noise situation to reduce the negative impact of noise on the user, thereby overcoming the defect that a single noise reduction technology cannot adapt to complex sound environments.

[0013] In some embodiments, the controller of the directional sound system is further configured to: obtain the current sleep cycle of the user; and determine the first volume and the second volume corresponding to the current sleep cycle of the user according to the corresponding relationship between the sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume. In this way, by determining the first volume and the second volume according to the current sleep cycle of the user, the noise can be processed more accurately, and the corresponding noise reduction strategy can be executed according to the current sleep cycle of the user, thereby achieving a better noise reduction effect and ensuring the sleep quality of the user.

[0014] In some embodiments, the controller of the directional sound system is further configured to: determine the correspondence between the sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume in response to the user's setting operation. In this way, the user can independently set the correspondence between the sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume, so that the controller of the directional sound system can accurately process the noise according to the user's current sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume corresponding to the sleep cycle, thereby creating a more comfortable sleeping environment for the user and ensuring the user's sleep quality.

[0015] In some embodiments, the sleep cycle includes a wakeful period, a non-rapid eye movement period, and a rapid eye movement period; wherein the first volume corresponding to the non-rapid eye movement period is greater than the first volume corresponding to the wakeful period and the first volume corresponding to the rapid eye movement period; the second volume corresponding to the non-rapid eye movement period is greater than the second volume corresponding to the wakeful period and the second volume corresponding to the rapid eye movement period. In this way, when the user is in the non-rapid eye movement period, it means that the user is in a deep sleep state, and the user has a higher tolerance for sound, so the first volume and the second volume corresponding to the non-rapid eye movement period can be increased, and the user's current sleep cycle can be more targeted, thereby creating a comfortable sleeping environment for the user.

[0016] In some embodiments, the controller of the directional sound system is further configured to: detect whether the noise matches the scene noise stored in the database; when the target scene noise exists in the database, extract the masking audio or noise reduction audio corresponding to the target scene noise from the database, and the target scene noise is the scene noise that matches the noise. In this way, when the noise matches the scene noise stored in the database, the controller of the directional sound system can act quickly to extract the masking audio or noise reduction audio corresponding to the target scene noise from the database, thereby creating a good sleeping environment for the user more quickly.

[0017] In some embodiments, the directional sound system further comprises: a driving mechanism, the driving mechanism being used to drive the directional sound transmission mechanism to rotate; the controller of the directional sound system is further configured to: track the movement of the user's head; when the user's head moves out of the sound coverage range of the directional sound transmission mechanism, control the driving mechanism to drive the directional sound transmission mechanism to rotate, so that the sound coverage range of the directional sound transmission mechanism includes the area where the user's head is located. In this way, the controller of the directional sound system can control the driving mechanism to drive the directional sound transmission mechanism to rotate flexibly, so that the sound coverage range of the directional sound transmission mechanism includes the area where the user's head is located, so that the sound output by the directional sound transmission mechanism can accurately eliminate the noise around the user, creating a comfortable sleeping environment for the user.

[0018] In a second aspect, a method for controlling directional audio is provided, comprising: obtaining noise in the area where the user's head is located while the user is in a sleeping state; when the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to a first volume and less than a second volume, controlling the directional sound transmission mechanism to output masking audio toward the area where the user's head is located, the masking audio being used to cover up the noise; or, when the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the second volume, controlling the directional sound transmission mechanism to output noise reduction audio toward the area where the user's head is located, the noise reduction audio being used to offset the noise to eliminate the noise.

[0019] In some embodiments, the directional audio control method further includes: obtaining the user's current sleep cycle; and determining the first volume and the second volume corresponding to the user's current sleep cycle based on the correspondence between the sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume.

[0020] In some embodiments, the directional audio control method further includes: determining a correspondence between the sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume in response to a setting operation of the user.

[0021] In some embodiments, the sleep cycle includes a wakeful period, a non-rapid eye movement period, and a rapid eye movement period; wherein a first volume corresponding to the non-rapid eye movement period is greater than a first volume corresponding to the wakeful period and a first volume corresponding to the rapid eye movement period; a second volume corresponding to the non-rapid eye movement period is greater than a second volume corresponding to the wakeful period and a second volume corresponding to the rapid eye movement period.

[0022] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which instructions are stored. When the instructions are executed on any of the above-mentioned devices, the device executes any of the above-mentioned directional audio control methods.

[0023] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a chip, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer execution instructions, the processor is connected to the memory, and when the chip is running, the processor executes the computer execution instructions stored in the memory, so that the chip executes any of the above-mentioned directional audio control methods.

[0024] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on any of the above-mentioned devices, enables the device to execute any of the above-mentioned directional audio control methods.

[0025] In addition, the technical effects brought about by any design method in the second to fifth aspects can refer to the technical effects brought about by the different design methods in the above-mentioned first aspect, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a sound masking technology provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an active noise reduction technology provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a directional sound emission scenario provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a noise reduction system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 5 A circuit system architecture diagram of a directional speaker provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a use scenario of a noise reduction system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 7 A flow chart of a method for controlling directional sound provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of brain waves during a sleep cycle provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Fig. 9 A control process of a directional sound provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown as follows: Figure 1;

[0035] Fig.10 A control process of a directional sound provided in an embodiment of the present application is shown as follows: Figure 2 ;

[0036] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a controller provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0038] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0039] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances. In addition, when describing a pipeline, the "connected" and "connection" used in this application have the meaning of conduction. The specific meaning needs to be understood in conjunction with the context.

[0040] In the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or descriptions. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a specific way.

[0041] Sound is an important way to transmit information, but the direction of sound propagation in the air is in all directions. In the same space or adjacent spaces, sounds will interfere with each other. When the sound environment is disturbed, the communication efficiency will be reduced at the least, and people's language hearing will be damaged at the worst. Nearly one-third of human time is spent in sleep. Sleep is an important condition for humans to eliminate fatigue, restore physical strength and maintain health. However, noise can make people unable to sleep or wake up. The elderly and patients are more sensitive to noise interference. When sleep is disturbed, work efficiency and health will be affected. Studies have shown that continuous noise will accelerate the transition from deep sleep to light sleep, make people dream more, and shorten the time of deep sleep; sudden noise can wake people up. Generally speaking, 40 decibels of continuous noise can affect 10% of people; 70 decibels can affect 50%; and sudden noise at 40 decibels can wake up 10% of people, and at 60 decibels, it can wake up 70% of people. Long-term interference with sleep can cause insomnia, fatigue, memory loss, and even neurasthenia syndrome. In a high-noise environment, the incidence of this disease can reach more than 50-60%.

[0042] Currently, solutions to noise are mainly related to the following three technologies:

[0043] 1. Sound masking technology.

[0044] The phenomenon that the auditory perception of a weaker sound (masked sound) is affected by another stronger sound (masking sound) is called the masking effect of the human ear. The hearing threshold decibel value when the masked sound exists alone, that is, the minimum volume of the masked sound that can be heard by the human ear in a quiet environment is called the absolute hearing threshold. Experiments show that the absolute hearing threshold of sounds between 200 and 800 Hz is the smallest, that is, the human ear is most sensitive to its weak sounds; and the absolute hearing threshold in the high-frequency area is much larger. In the range of 200 to 800 Hz, the absolute hearing threshold changes least significantly with frequency, that is, the language storage rate is highest in this range. In the case of masking, the hearing threshold when the intensity of the masked weak sound is increased so that the human ear can hear it is called the masked hearing threshold (or masking threshold), and the decibel value that the masked weak sound must be increased is called the masking amount (or threshold shift).

[0045] For example, Figure 1 As shown, the sound within the masking threshold of the masking sound of 1Kz is masked, while the sound exceeding the masking threshold of the masking sound of 1Kz is not masked.

[0046] 2. Active noise reduction technology.

[0047] First, the noise in the user's head area is obtained and identified. Then, the sound waves of the noise are obtained through analysis and calculation, and then the noise reduction frequency with the opposite phase is generated according to the phase of the sound waves of the noise. Figure 2As shown, after the noise reduction audio is output, the noise reduction audio meets the noise and cancels each other out, thereby eliminating the noise.

[0048] 3. Directional sound technology.

[0049] Sound waves that can be heard by the human ear are called audible sound waves. Audible sound waves propagate in all directions, and the sound pressure in each direction is also different. Directional sound technology controls the propagation direction, range, and area of ​​sound from the sound source, reducing the interference of noise caused by the divergent propagation of sound to surrounding people.

[0050] Directional sound technology is based on the principle of parametric array, which carries audible sound waves onto ultrasonic waves (high-frequency signals with a frequency greater than 20KHz), and uses the self-demodulation effect of air to generate audible sound waves with high directivity, so that ordinary divergent sound sources are transformed into directional sound sources. The sound source can transmit sound along a fixed path, turning the sound into a beam of "sound column", similar to the beam of light emitted by a searchlight, and only people in the coverage area of ​​the "sound column" can hear the sound clearly.

[0051] According to acoustic theory, the higher the frequency of the sound wave, the better its execution in the propagation process. Ultrasonic waves have good directionality during transmission. Directional sound technology utilizes the directional characteristics of ultrasonic waves. Through acoustic technology and algorithms, the living room sound waves are modulated to the ultrasonic frequency band, and sent to the air left and right through the self-adjustment of the air, thereby realizing the directional propagation of audible sound waves.

[0052] like Figure 3 As shown in the figure, when the 85-decibel sound is propagated in a normal way, the sound intensity in the energy concentration area within 2m does not decrease, the sound volume in the sound listening area of ​​2m-7m is reduced to 60 decibels, and the sound volume in the sound attenuation area of ​​7m-17m is reduced to 50 decibels. When the 85-decibel sound is propagated in a directional way, the sound intensity in the energy concentration area within 2m does not decrease, the sound volume in the sound listening area of ​​2m-7m is only reduced to 80 decibels, and the sound volume in the sound attenuation area of ​​7m-17m is still 80 decibels. It can be seen that the directional sound emission technology can make the sound propagate along a fixed path without causing a significant impact on the sound volume, and can propagate the sound more clearly.

[0053] However, if the above noise reduction method is used only in a single way, it cannot cope with the complex sound environment in real life and cannot achieve the ideal noise reduction effect.

[0054] In view of this, the present application provides a directional speaker, the controller of which obtains the noise in the area where the user's head is located. According to the volume of the noise, the controller controls the directional sound transmission mechanism to output corresponding audio toward the area where the user's head is located, thereby achieving control of noise of different volumes and creating a more comfortable sleeping environment for the user.

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, the present application provides a noise reduction system 1 suitable for bedroom scenes. The noise reduction system 1 includes a directional speaker 10, a human body detection device 20, a sound detection device 30 and a sleep cycle detection device 40.

[0056] In some embodiments, the directional speaker 10 is a device for radiating sound in a fixed direction.

[0057] In some embodiments, the directional sound 10 may also be called a directional sound-speaking device, a directional sound box, a directional speaker, a directional loudspeaker, an ultrasonic directional sound, a directional loudspeaker, a directional playback sound, a directional propagation sound box, etc.

[0058] In some embodiments, the human body detection device 20 is used to detect the position of various parts of the human body. Exemplarily, the human body detection device 20 can be a radar wave detection device, an infrared imager, an image acquisition device, etc.

[0059] Optionally, the human body detection device 20 can be integrated with other household electrical appliances. For example, the human body detection device 20 can be installed on an air conditioner or a lighting device.

[0060] In some embodiments, the sound detection device 30 is a device for detecting sounds in a specific area.

[0061] Optionally, in the noise reduction system 1, one or more sound detection devices 30 may be provided according to the number of users to detect the sound environment of areas where different users are located, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0062] In some embodiments, the sleep cycle detection device 40 is a device for detecting the sleep cycle of the user.

[0063] In some embodiments, the directional speaker 10 may establish a communication connection with the human body detection device 20 , the sound detection device 30 , and the sleep cycle detection device 40 by using WIFI, Bluetooth, or the like.

[0064] In some embodiments, based on the communication connection between the directional speaker 10 and the human body detection device 20 , the directional speaker 10 can obtain the area where the user's head is located through the human body detection device 20 .

[0065] In some embodiments, based on the communication connection between the directional speaker 10 and the sound detection device 30, the directional speaker 10 can obtain the noise in the area where the user's head is located through the sound detection device 30, and then execute different noise reduction strategies according to the volume of the noise. Alternatively, the directional speaker 10 can also receive the user's voice command through the sound detection device 30. For example, the user says "play the first audio", and the directional speaker 10 starts playing the first audio after receiving the user's voice through the sound detection device 30.

[0066] In some embodiments, based on the communication connection between the directional speaker 10 and the sleep cycle detection device 40 , the directional speaker 10 can obtain the current sleep cycle of the user through the sleep cycle detection device 40 .

[0067] In some embodiments, the directional speaker 10, the human body detection device 20, the sound detection device 30, and the sleep cycle detection device 40 may be four independent devices. Alternatively, the human body detection device 20, the sound detection device 30, and the sleep cycle detection device 40 may also be integrated on the directional speaker 10.

[0068] refer to Figure 5 The circuit system architecture diagram of the directional speaker 10 is shown as an example. Figure 5 As shown, the directional speaker 10 further includes: a directional sound transmission mechanism 101 , a driving mechanism 102 , a display 103 , a communicator 104 , a human-computer interaction device 105 , a power supply 106 and a controller 107 .

[0069] In some embodiments, the directional sound transmission mechanism 101 is used to transmit audio signals to a fixed defense line. The directional sound transmission mechanism 101 includes a low-frequency radio wave signal generator, an ultrasonic carrier signal generator, and an ultrasonic transducer.

[0070] In some embodiments, the driving mechanism 102 is used to drive the directional sound transmitting mechanism 101 to rotate.

[0071] In some embodiments, the display 103 may be a liquid crystal display or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. The specific type, size, and resolution of the display 103 are not limited. The display 103 may be used to display a control panel of the directional speaker 10. The directional speaker 10 may feedback the current working parameters of the directional speaker 10 through the display 103, such as the name of the audio being played, the duration of the audio being played, etc.

[0072] In some embodiments, the communicator 104 is a component for communicating with an external device or an external server according to various communication protocol types. For example, the communicator 104 may include a Wi-Fi chip, a Bluetooth communication protocol chip, a wired Ethernet communication protocol chip, and other network communication protocol chips or near-field communication protocol chips, and at least one of an infrared receiver. The directional audio 10 can transmit control signals and data signals between the human body detection device 20, the sound detection device 30, the sleep cycle detection device 40, or a mobile terminal device used by the user (for example, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable mobile device, etc.) through the communicator 104. For example, a user issues a play instruction for a certain audio file through a mobile phone, the communicator 104 of the directional audio 10 receives the play instruction, and the controller 107 plays the audio file.

[0073] In some embodiments, the human-computer interaction device 105 is used to implement interaction between the user and the directional speaker 10. The human-computer interaction device may include one or more of a physical button or a touch display panel. For example, the user can select the audio played by the directional speaker 10 through the human-computer interaction device 105, and can also set the duration and volume of the audio played by the directional speaker 10 through the human-computer interaction device 105.

[0074] In some embodiments, the power supply 106 is used to provide operating power support for various electrical components of the directional speaker 10 under the control of the controller 107. The power supply 106 may include a battery and related control circuits.

[0075] In some embodiments, the controller 107 refers to a device that can generate an operation control signal according to the instruction operation code and the timing signal to instruct the directional sound system 10 to execute the control instruction. Exemplarily, the controller 107 can be a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a programmable logic device (PLD), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or any combination thereof. The controller 107 can also be other devices with processing functions, such as circuits, devices, or software modules, and the embodiments of the present application do not impose any restrictions on this.

[0076] In some embodiments, the directional speaker 10 further includes a housing, wherein the housing is used to protect the electrical components in the directional speaker 10, close the channel between the interior of the directional speaker 10 and the outside, and avoid damage to the electrical components.

[0077] Taking two users in the same room as an example, a possible deployment of the noise reduction system 1 is described in detail below.

[0078] like Figure 6 As shown, a first human body detection device 501, a second human body detection device 502, a first directional sound 601, a second directional sound 602 and a sleep cycle detection device 40 (not shown) are arranged at the head of the bed.

[0079] The first human detection device 501 specifically detects the turning over, moving, and other actions of user A in bed, and accurately determines the area where the head of user A is located; the second human detection device 502 specifically detects the turning over, moving, and other actions of user B in bed, and accurately determines the area where the head of user B is located.

[0080] The first directional speaker 601 is directed toward the area where the head of user A is located. When playing audio, the sound coverage range of the directional sound transmission mechanism can include the area where the head of user A is located.

[0081] The second directional speaker 602 is directed toward the area where the head of user B is located. When playing audio, the sound coverage range of the directional sound transmission mechanism can include the area where the head of user B is located.

[0082] A first sound detection device 701, a second sound detection device 702 and a third sound detection device 703 are also arranged around the head of user A. Through these three sound detection devices, the noise in the area where the head of user A is located can be obtained more clearly and accurately.

[0083] A fourth sound detection device 704, a fifth sound detection device 705 and a sixth sound detection device 706 are also arranged around the head of user B. Through these three sound detection devices, the noise in the area where the head of user B is located can be obtained more clearly and accurately.

[0084] For example, when user A is not asleep and user B is asleep, the first directional speaker 601 can play the audio indicated by user A without disturbing the sleep of user B. The second directional speaker 602 can play the sleep-aiding music set by user B before going to bed without affecting user A.

[0085] The specific scheme of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0086] The present application embodiment provides a method for controlling directional sound. Figure 7 As shown, the method comprises the following steps:

[0087] S101. When a user is in a sleeping state, a controller of a directional speaker obtains noise in an area where the user's head is located.

[0088] For example, the noise may be the sound of cooking in the kitchen, the sound of a bed partner snoring, or the sound of children playing in the living room.

[0089] In some embodiments, the controller of the directional audio obtains the noise in the area where the user's head is located within a preset time, processes the noise, determines the average volume of the noise within the preset time, and uses the average volume of the noise within the preset time as the volume of the noise in the area where the user's head is located. Alternatively, the controller of the directional audio obtains the noise in the area where the user's head is located within a preset time, processes the noise, removes the maximum volume of the noise within the preset time, and uses the maximum volume of the refrigerator noise as the volume of the noise in the area where the user's head is located.

[0090] In some embodiments, in response to the user's setting operation, the controller of the directional audio determines that the user is in a sleeping state. For example, before going to bed, the user sets the user state to a sleeping state through the human-computer interaction device, and the controller of the directional audio can determine that the user is in a sleeping state.

[0091] In other embodiments, the controller of the directional sound system determines that the area where the user's head is located is in a preset area through a human body detection device, and then determines that the user is in a sleeping state. For example, the preset area may be the area where the pillow is located. When the human body detection device determines that the area where the user's head is located overlaps with the area where the pillow is located, the controller of the directional sound system may determine that the user is in a sleeping state.

[0092] In some embodiments, different sleep cycles of the user correspond to different noise volume thresholds, and the same sleep cycle may also correspond to one or more noise volume thresholds. The controller of the directional audio can implement different noise reduction strategies according to the noise volume threshold corresponding to the user's current sleep cycle.

[0093] According to medical research, Figure 8 As shown in the figure, the frequency and rate of brain waves produced by people during sleep are different, and sleep can be divided into three cycles: wakefulness (WAKE), non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM). Different sleep cycles have different sensitivity to sound. For example, in the non-rapid eye movement period, a sound of 35 decibels cannot wake the user, but in the REM period, a sound below 35 decibels can wake the user.

[0094] In some embodiments, after obtaining the current sleep cycle of the user, the controller of the directional audio determines the first volume and the second volume corresponding to the current sleep cycle of the user according to the correspondence between the sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume.

[0095] In some embodiments, the first volume corresponding to the non-rapid eye movement period is greater than the first volume corresponding to the wakeful period and the first volume corresponding to the rapid eye movement period, and the second volume corresponding to the non-rapid eye movement period is greater than the second volume corresponding to the wakeful period and the second volume corresponding to the rapid eye movement period.

[0096] For example, the corresponding relationship between different sleep cycles and the first volume and the second volume can be shown in Table 1. The first volume corresponding to the wakefulness period is 23 decibels, and the second volume is 29 decibels; the first volume corresponding to the non-rapid eye movement period is 27 decibels, and the second volume is 33 decibels; the first volume corresponding to the rapid eye movement period is 23 decibels, and the second volume is 29 decibels.

[0097] Table 1

[0098]

[0099]

[0100] In some embodiments, in response to the user's setting operation, the controller of the directional audio determines the corresponding relationship between the sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume. For example, the user sets the first volume corresponding to the awake period to 25 decibels and the second volume corresponding to the awake period to 30 decibels through the human-computer interaction device. In this way, the user can independently set the corresponding relationship between the sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume, so that the controller of the directional audio can accurately process the noise according to the user's current sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume corresponding to the sleep cycle, so as to create a more comfortable sleeping environment for the user and ensure the user's sleep quality.

[0101] In this way, by determining the first volume and the second volume according to the user's current sleep cycle, the noise can be processed more accurately, and a corresponding noise reduction strategy can be executed according to the user's current sleep cycle, thereby achieving a better noise reduction effect and ensuring the user's sleep quality.

[0102] In some embodiments, the controller of the directional audio system may also obtain the user's auditory characteristic information, which includes one or more of the user's age, physical condition, gender, or auditory habits. Furthermore, the controller of the directional audio system determines the first volume and the second volume corresponding to each sleep cycle based on the user's auditory characteristic information. Thus, the first volume and the second volume corresponding to each sleep cycle can better meet the user's personal situation, so that the directional audio system can provide the user with a better noise reduction experience.

[0103] In some embodiments, the first volume and the second volume may also be preset values, or determined by self-learning based on the user's sleep records, but the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto.

[0104] When the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the first volume but less than the second volume, the controller of the directional speaker executes step S102. When the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the second volume, the controller of the directional speaker executes step S103.

[0105] S102: The controller of the directional audio system controls the directional sound transmission mechanism to output masking audio toward the area where the user's head is located.

[0106] The masking audio is used to cover up the noise, and the volume of the masking audio is lower than the second volume.

[0107] In some embodiments, the controller of the directional sound system detects whether the noise matches the scene noise stored in the database, and when the target scene noise exists in the database, the controller of the directional sound system extracts the masking audio corresponding to the target scene noise from the database, wherein the target scene noise is the scene noise that matches the noise.

[0108] Exemplarily, after the controller of the directional audio system acquires the noise, it first determines the relationship between the volume of the noise and the first volume and the second volume; if the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the first volume but less than the second volume, the noise is then matched with the scene noise stored in the database, and it is determined that the scene noise matched by the noise is the sound of cooking. The controller of the directional audio system can then directly download the masking audio corresponding to the cooking sound from the database and play it to mask the noise.

[0109] In this way, the controller of the directional sound system can directly search the database for the masking audio corresponding to the noise, saving the noise processing process and making it faster.

[0110] In some embodiments, the masking audio may be in MP3 or AAC format. The present application does not specifically limit the specific format of the masking audio.

[0111] S103: The controller of the directional audio system controls the directional sound transmission mechanism to output noise reduction audio toward the area where the user's head is located.

[0112] Among them, the noise reduction frequency is used to offset the noise to eliminate the noise.

[0113] In some embodiments, the controller of the directional speaker detects whether the noise matches the scene noise stored in the database, and when the target scene noise exists in the database, the controller of the directional speaker extracts the noise reduction frequency corresponding to the target scene noise from the database, wherein the target scene noise is the scene noise that matches the noise.

[0114] For example, after the controller of the directional speaker obtains the noise, it identifies the noise, determines that the volume of the noise is greater than the second volume, and then matches the noise with the scene noise stored in the database. It determines that the scene noise matched with the noise is snoring. The controller of the directional speaker can directly download the noise reduction audio corresponding to the snoring sound from the database and play it, thereby offsetting the noise and reducing the interference of noise on the user's sleep.

[0115] In this way, the controller of the directional audio system can directly search the noise reduction audio corresponding to the noise in the database, saving the process of generating the noise reduction audio and reducing the noise in the area where the user's head is located more quickly.

[0116] In some embodiments, the format of the noise reduction audio may be MP3 format or AAC format. The present application does not specifically limit the specific format of the noise reduction audio.

[0117] In some embodiments, during the process of the directional sound system playing audio (such as masking audio or noise reduction audio), the controller of the directional sound system will also track the movement of the user's head. When the user's head moves out of the sound coverage range of the directional sound transmission mechanism, the controller of the directional sound system controls the driving mechanism to drive the directional sound transmission mechanism to rotate so that the sound coverage range of the directional sound transmission mechanism includes the area where the user's head is located. In this way, the controller of the directional sound system can control the driving mechanism to drive the directional sound transmission mechanism to rotate flexibly so that the sound coverage range of the directional sound transmission mechanism includes the area where the user's head is located, so that the sound output by the directional sound transmission mechanism can accurately eliminate the noise around the user and create a comfortable sleeping environment for the user.

[0118] Figure 7 The technical solution shown brings at least the following beneficial effects: the controller of the directional sound system obtains the noise in the area where the user's head is located during sleep. When the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the first volume and less than the second volume, it indicates that the noise will not wake the user at this time, but will have a bad impact on the user's sleep quality, so the controller controls the directional sound transmission mechanism to output masking audio to the area where the user's head is located, thereby covering up the noise and ensuring the user's sleep quality. When the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the second volume, it indicates that the noise may wake the user at this time, so the controller of the directional sound system controls the directional sound transmission mechanism to output noise reduction audio to the area where the user's head is located, and the noise reduction audio and noise cancel each other, thereby eliminating the noise, creating a more comfortable sleeping environment for the user, and improving the user's experience of using the directional sound system. In this way, masking technology or active noise reduction technology is selectively used based on the actual noise situation to reduce the negative impact of noise on the user, overcoming the defect that a single noise reduction technology cannot adapt to a complex sound environment.

[0119] The following is an exemplary introduction to the control process of the directional sound in this application:

[0120] like Fig. 9 As shown, the controller first determines whether there is a volume of noise in the area where the user's head is located;

[0121] If the volume of the noise is greater than the first volume but not greater than the second volume, the masking strategy is activated to determine the current sleep cycle of the user, download the masking audio corresponding to the sleep cycle, adjust the angle of the directional sound and play the masking audio, so that the sound coverage range of the directional sound transmission mechanism can cover the area where the user's head is located, thereby masking the external noise;

[0122] If the volume of the noise is greater than the second volume, the noise reduction strategy is activated, the external noise is identified and processed, a noise reduction audio with an opposite sound wave phase is generated, the angle of the directional speaker is adjusted and the noise reduction audio is played, so that the sound coverage range of the directional sound transmission mechanism can cover the area where the user's head is located, thereby eliminating external noise.

[0123] In some embodiments, the directional audio provided by the present application can also be used in other scenarios where noise reduction is required.

[0124] For example, Fig.10 As shown, the controller first determines whether the noise in the area where the user's head is located exceeds a preset value;

[0125] When the noise exceeds the preset value, the controller starts the noise suppression strategy;

[0126] Adjust the angle of the directional sound system so that the sound coverage of the directional sound transmission mechanism includes the area where the user's head is located;

[0127] The noise is identified. If the noise matches the scene noise in the database, the noise reduction audio corresponding to the matched scene noise is downloaded; if the noise does not match the scene noise in the database, a noise reduction audio with the opposite sound wave phase is generated; the controller controls the directional sound transmission mechanism of the directional speaker to play the noise reduction audio to eliminate the noise, thereby creating an independent and quiet sound environment for the user.

[0128] In some embodiments, when multiple users are in the same space, the directional audio system can also suppress noise for the target user in any area of ​​the room, thereby creating a noise-free sound environment for the target user.

[0129] For example, when the target user is in a state where a quiet environment is required, such as studying or working, a directional speaker, a human body detection device, and a sound detection device can be installed in the surrounding environment. The human body detection device can be used to determine the area where the user's head is located, and then the sound detection device can be used to obtain the noise in the area where the user's head is located. The directional speaker outputs masking audio or noise reduction audio to the area where the user's head is located, thereby reducing the noise in the area where the user is located and eliminating the external noise interference during the user's study or work. Among them, the human body detection device can be fixedly installed on the wall, and the sound detection device can be a smart bracelet worn by the user, an ornament with sound sensing function, a sound sensor in the shape of an ornament placed around the user, a mobile phone, a portable MIC sensor, etc.

[0130] In this way, by installing directional speakers indoors, the noise in specific areas of the room can be reduced by utilizing the characteristics of directional speakers, such as good sound concentration, low sound information loss, and strong sound propagation directionality, thereby creating a noise-free sound environment for users.

[0131] It can be seen that the above mainly introduces the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application from the perspective of the method. In order to achieve the above functions, the embodiment of the present application provides a hardware structure and / or software module corresponding to each function. It should be easily appreciated by those skilled in the art that, in combination with the modules and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiment disclosed herein, the embodiment of the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the present invention.

[0132] The embodiment of the present application can divide the controller into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. Optionally, the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation.

[0133] The present application also provides a hardware structure diagram of a controller, such as Fig.11 As shown, the controller 800 includes a processor 801, and optionally, further includes a memory 802 and a communication interface 803 connected to the processor 801. The processor 801, the memory 802 and the communication interface 803 are connected via a bus 804.

[0134] The processor 801 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic device (PLD), or any combination thereof. The processor 801 may also be any other device having a processing function, such as a circuit, a device, or a software module. The processor 801 may also include multiple CPUs, and the processor 801 may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. The processor here may refer to one or more devices, circuits, or processing cores for processing data (such as computer program instructions).

[0135] The memory 802 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer, and the embodiment of the present application does not impose any restrictions on this. The memory 802 may exist independently or be integrated with the processor 801. Among them, the memory 802 may contain a computer program code. The processor 801 is used to execute the computer program code stored in the memory 802, so as to realize the control method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0136] The communication interface 803 can be used to communicate with other devices or communication networks (such as Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), etc. The communication interface 803 can be a module, a circuit, a transceiver or any device capable of achieving communication.

[0137] The bus 804 may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus. The bus 804 may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Fig.11 Only one thick line is used in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0138] The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, including computer-executable instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enable the computer to execute any one of the directional audio control methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0139] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product including computer executable instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute any one of the directional sound control methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0140] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function according to the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer-executable instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer-executable instructions can be transmitted from a website site, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (digital subscriber line, DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website site, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. that contains one or more servers that can be integrated with the medium. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (eg, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (eg, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (eg, a solid state disk (SSD)).

[0141] Although the present application is described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, in the process of implementing the claimed application, those skilled in the art may understand and implement other changes to the disclosed embodiments by viewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "one" or "an" does not exclude multiple situations. A single processor or other unit may implement several functions listed in the claims. Certain measures are recorded in different dependent claims, but this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0142] Although the present application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments thereof, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of the present application as defined by the appended claims, and are deemed to have covered any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

[0143] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A directional sound, characterized in that: include: case; A directional sound transmission mechanism disposed in the housing; The controller is configured as: Acquire the current sleep cycle of the user, where the sleep cycle includes a wakefulness period, a non-rapid eye movement period, and a rapid eye movement period; Determine the first volume and the second volume corresponding to the sleep cycle of the user according to the corresponding relationship between the sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume; wherein the first volume corresponding to the non-rapid eye movement period is greater than the first volume corresponding to the awake period and the first volume corresponding to the rapid eye movement period; the second volume corresponding to the non-rapid eye movement period is greater than the second volume corresponding to the awake period and the second volume corresponding to the rapid eye movement period; When the user is in a sleeping state, obtaining the noise in the area where the user's head is located, wherein the noise in the area where the user's head is located is an average value or a maximum value of the noise in the area where the user's head is located within a preset time period; When the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the first volume but less than the second volume, the directional sound transmission mechanism is controlled to output a masking audio toward the area where the user's head is located, the masking audio being used to cover up the noise; or When the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the second volume, the directional sound transmission mechanism is controlled to output noise reduction audio toward the area where the user's head is located, and the noise reduction audio is used to offset the noise to eliminate the noise.

2. The directional sound system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is further configured to: In response to a setting operation of the user, a corresponding relationship between the sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume is determined.

3. The directional sound system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is further configured to: detecting whether the noise matches a scene noise stored in a database; When there is target scene noise in the database, a masking audio or a noise reduction audio corresponding to the target scene noise is extracted from the database, and the target scene noise is a scene noise matching the noise.

4. The directional sound system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The directional sound system also includes: A driving mechanism, the driving mechanism is used to drive the directional sound transmission mechanism to rotate; The controller is also configured to Tracking the movement of the user's head; When the user's head moves out of the sound coverage range of the directional sound transmission mechanism, the driving mechanism is controlled to drive the directional sound transmission mechanism to rotate, so that the sound coverage range of the directional sound transmission mechanism includes the area where the user's head is located.

5. A method for controlling directional sound, characterized in that: include: Acquire the current sleep cycle of the user, where the sleep cycle includes a wakefulness period, a non-rapid eye movement period, and a rapid eye movement period; Determine the first volume and the second volume corresponding to the sleep cycle of the user according to the corresponding relationship between the sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume, wherein the first volume corresponding to the non-rapid eye movement period is greater than the first volume corresponding to the awake period and the first volume corresponding to the rapid eye movement period; the second volume corresponding to the non-rapid eye movement period is greater than the second volume corresponding to the awake period and the second volume corresponding to the rapid eye movement period; When the user is in a sleeping state, obtaining the noise in the area where the user's head is located, wherein the noise in the area where the user's head is located is an average value or a maximum value of the noise in the area where the user's head is located within a preset time period; When the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the first volume but less than the second volume, the directional sound transmission mechanism is controlled to output a masking audio toward the area where the user's head is located, and the masking audio is used to cover up the noise; or, When the volume of the noise is greater than or equal to the second volume, the directional sound transmission mechanism is controlled to output noise reduction audio toward the area where the user's head is located, and the noise reduction audio is used to offset the noise to eliminate the noise.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The method further comprises: In response to a setting operation of the user, a corresponding relationship between the sleep cycle and the first volume and the second volume is determined.

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