Acoustic processing device, control method, and program

Abstract

To provide an acoustic processing device, a control method, and a program that are capable of achieving both low power consumption and improved sound quality.SOLUTION: A hearing aid (1), which is an acoustic processing device, includes a sound collection unit (21) that acquires ambient sound data of an ambient sound, a first driver (22), a second driver (23), a communication unit (14) that acquires sound data from an external device, and a control unit (11). When the control unit (11) determines that the ambient sound data or the sound data is music data, the control unit controls the first driver (22) and the second driver (23) to operate, and when the control unit determines that the data is not music data, the control unit controls the first driver (22) and the second driver (23) so that one of them operates and the other does not to operate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sound processing device, a control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are sound processing devices that emit sound close to the ear and transmit the sound to the user. Such sound processing devices close to the ear are classified into earphone type and headphone type.

[0003] For earphones and headphones used to reproduce sound, there is a technology that uses multiple drivers to improve sound quality. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that uses a balanced armature (BA) type driver and a dynamic driver in combination. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2015 / 022817 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Operating multiple drivers consumes more power than operating only one driver.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a sound processing device, a control method, and a program that can achieve both low power consumption and improved sound quality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides A sound collection unit for acquiring ambient sound data of the surrounding sound; A first output unit; A second output section; A communication unit for acquiring sound data from an external device; A control unit; Equipped with The control unit is When the ambient sound data or the sound data is determined to be music data, the first output unit and the second output unit are controlled to be operated; When it is determined that the ambient sound data or the sound data is not music data, control is performed to operate one of the first output unit and the second output unit and not to operate the other. It is an audio processing device. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve both low power consumption and improved sound quality. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a hearing aid which is a sound processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the hearing aid. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a hearing aid attached to the left ear. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the gains of a first driver and a second driver. [Diagram 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a sound output control process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a hearing aid 1, which is a sound processing device according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the hearing aid 1. The hearing aid 1 includes a substrate 10, a sound collection section 21, a first driver 22 (first output section), a second driver 23 (second output section), a battery 24 and its connection terminal 25. In this embodiment, it is expressed as a "hearing aid" for convenience. However, the "hearing aid" expressed in this embodiment can be read as a sound collection device or a sound processing device. In other words, the sound processing device is not limited to being interpreted as a hearing aid.

[0011] The board 10 includes a control unit 11, a RAM 12 (Random Access Memory), a storage unit 13, a communication unit 14, and the like. The control unit 11 is a hardware processor that controls the overall operation. The hardware processor may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a dedicated microcomputer. The control unit 11 may also include a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) that acquires and processes the sound collected by the sound collection unit 21 as digitally converted sound data. The delay time from the input (sound collection) timing of the sound output due to the DSP processing or the like is small within a practically problem-free range (10 to 20 msec or less). The control unit 11 controls whether or not the second driver 23 operates as described later.

[0012] The RAM 12 provides a working memory space for the control unit 11 and stores temporary data. The storage unit 13 stores a control program, setting data for the amplification factor, etc. The storage unit 13 is a non-volatile memory, for example, a flash memory.

[0013] The communication unit 14 controls communication with an external device. Here, the communication unit 14 has a communication module and an antenna that control wireless communication by Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication module is preferably compatible with Bluetooth version 4 or later. If it is compatible with version 5.2 or later, it is also preferably compatible with various profiles related to the LE Audio standard. That is, the control unit 11 can cause the communication unit 14 to receive and acquire data indicating sound to be output (sound data), particularly music data, from an external device. The communication unit 14 may be able to control not only wireless communication but also wired communication.

[0014] The sound collection unit 21 has a microphone that collects external sounds (ambient sound data). The sound collection unit 21 is located away from the first driver 22 so as to detect sounds output by the hearing aid 1, particularly the output sound of the first driver 22, and not cause howling. Here, the substrate 10 including the sound collection unit 21 is located behind the auricle when attached to the ear. The sound collection unit 21 may be directly connected to a connection terminal on the substrate 10.

[0015] Here, the first driver 22 is a driver capable of outputting sound by a balanced armature (BA) method. The first driver 22 is located at the tip of an arm-like structure that curves from a housing including the substrate 10 to the auricle. Therefore, the first driver 22 is located immediately adjacent to the opening of the ear canal when the hearing aid 1 is worn on the ear. In other words, the first driver 22 can be placed in an open state without blocking the ear canal. Inside the arm-like structure, a signal line 3 extends between the substrate 10 and the first driver 22. A BA type driver is characterized by being small and having a large gain on the first frequency band side (for example, a frequency band of 1 kHz or more and less than 20 kHz). Here, the first frequency band is exemplified as 1 kHz or more and less than 20 kHz, but the range can be changed depending on the design and is not limited to the exemplified range.

[0016] The second driver 23 is a driver capable of outputting sound so as to transmit sound to the user by cartilage conduction. The second driver 23 is located on the back side of the auricle together with the substrate 10 and contacts the auricle cartilage. The second driver 23 and the substrate 10 are connected by a signal line. Since the cartilage conduction transmits vibration to the cartilage, the second driver 23 is separated from the ear canal and does not block the ear canal when worn. The cartilage conduction has a feature that a higher gain can be obtained than the first driver 22 in a second frequency band (for example, a frequency band of 20 Hz or more and less than 1 kHz) that is lower than the frequency band in which the first driver 22 can obtain a large gain. Here, the second frequency band is exemplified as 20 Hz or more and less than 1 kHz, but the range can be changed by design and is not limited to the exemplified range.

[0017] The battery 24 supplies power for operation to each unit such as the control unit 11. The battery 24 is a secondary battery. The battery 24 is charged by connecting the connection terminal 25 to an external power supply line. The connection terminal 25 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, any USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal. Alternatively, the connection terminal 25 may have a dedicated loop circuit or coil that receives power supply by electromagnetic induction or the like.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a case where the hearing aid 1 is attached to the left ear. Note that each configuration inside the exterior of the hearing aid 1 does not need to be visible from the outside. As described above, the small first driver 22 is located near the entrance of the ear canal, while the other configurations are located behind the auricle. Therefore, the entrance of the ear canal can be opened widely. On the other hand, by positioning many of the configurations behind the auricle, they are difficult to see by people facing them, and are not noticeable.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the gains of the first driver 22 and the second driver 23. As shown by the line Ga, the gain of the first driver 22 increases according to the frequency from several hundreds of Hz to several kHz, and has a high gain mainly in the first frequency band of about 1 kHz to 20 kHz. Sensitivity at high frequencies is further reduced in presbycusis and noise-induced / acoustic hearing loss. Therefore, the first driver 22 only needs to operate to compensate for the hearing required for daily life, such as listening to normal conversations, announcements, speeches, etc. Regardless of whether the second driver 23 is operating or not, the first driver 22 continuously operates in real time, thereby maintaining the basic functions of the hearing aid 1. The real-time operation here refers to an operation within a range where the delay in the sound output by the hearing aid 1 is not noticeable with respect to the sound that directly enters the user's ears from the outside. Therefore, the delay of the hearing aid 1 is about the same as the processing delay of the DSP, and is usually 10 to 20 msec or less. On the other hand, sound data received from an external device (mainly corresponding to content data, etc.) may be output as sound with a predetermined delay time relative to the transmission timing of the external device.

[0020] On the other hand, the first driver 22, in addition to the original BA type characteristics, outputs sound outside the ear, so that the gain in the second frequency band F2 on the lower frequency side of 1 kHz, especially in the low frequency band below several hundred Hz (above 20 Hz, which is the audible range), is lower than that of the first frequency band F1, and the volume of this second frequency band F2 is likely to be insufficient. In particular, when listening to music, the balance between the low frequency band and the high frequency band is likely to be poor with only the first driver 22.

[0021] The gain of the second driver 23 shown by the line Gb is higher than the gain of the first driver 22 in a second frequency band F2 of less than 1 kHz, which is lower than the first frequency band F1 in which the first driver 22 has a high gain. That is, the gain of the first driver 22 and the gain of the second driver 23 are complementary. Note that sounds with frequencies lower than 100 to 200 Hz (to the left of the vertical dashed line) are often noise (background noise) and are not something to be actively heard. Therefore, the hearing aid 1 does not need to obtain a large gain in this frequency band by the first driver 22 and the second driver 23.

[0022] As described above, the hearing aid 1 of this embodiment has a basic function of amplifying and reproducing the sound collected by the sound collection unit 21 in real time. In addition to this, the hearing aid 1 also has an earphone function of acquiring sound data from an external device via Bluetooth and reproducing it. Sounds acquired from external devices include those used for conversations such as headsets and hands-free devices related to calls such as telephones and online conferences, and those mainly used for listening to music. The difference between these uses can be identified by the profiles used for each in Bluetooth.

[0023] The hearing aid 1 normally drives only the first driver 22. When receiving and playing using an A2DP profile related to music playback in Bluetooth, the hearing aid 1 drives the second driver 23 in addition to the first driver 22. In the case of a profile related to the LE Audio standard, it may be determined that the profile is capable of transmitting music data, regardless of whether the actual content of transmission is music or not. The manufacturer may create the profile independently. Among the profiles related to the LE Audio standard, a profile related to volume control, etc., may not be included in the profile capable of transmitting music data. When the communication unit 14 is not connected to an external device by Bluetooth for communication, the second driver 23 does not need to be driven in the hearing aid 1 and may be in a suspended state. The first driver 22 operates continuously regardless of whether the second driver 23 is operating, i.e., whether music data is acquired or not. In this case, it does not necessarily matter whether the sound actually output is music or not. The content received using the A2DP or LE Audio profile may be a conversation, a speech, a lecture, a reading, etc. Incidentally, music such as background music or live performances collected directly from outside by the sound collection unit 21 may be considered to fall under the music data of this embodiment if it can be automatically recognized as music data through signal processing by the control unit 11 (DSP), for example, if artificial intelligence (AI) analyzes the input ambient sound data to determine whether or not music data has been input. In the present disclosure, without manual operation such as mode switching by the user, the control unit 11 automatically determines whether or not a set condition has been met, for example, whether music data has been input, and if it determines that music data has been input and the set condition is met, it operates the first driver 22 and the second driver 23 (double driver). On the other hand, if it determines that no music data has been input and the set condition is not met, the control unit 11 operates the first driver 22 but does not operate the second driver 23, i.e., operates as a single driver.

[0024] In this embodiment, the use time of the second driver 23 is kept within a necessary range by determining whether or not to drive the second driver 23 according to the usage profile during Bluetooth communication. This allows the hearing aid 1 to maintain the required sound quality while reducing power consumption and enabling long-term continuous use. The sound data output to the first driver 22 and the second driver 23 may be the same. The output sound data is converted into an analog signal by each driver and amplified according to the respective gain characteristics. The sounds output simultaneously from the first driver 22 and the second driver 23 are synthesized to produce a sound that is amplified in a balanced manner from low to high frequencies, as shown by the line Gt.

[0025] 5 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the sound output control process executed by the controller 11 of the hearing aid 1 of this embodiment. This sound output control, which is the control method of this embodiment, is started when power is supplied to the hearing aid 1, and is executed continuously until the power supply is forcibly turned off.

[0026] The control unit 11 starts the operation of the sound collection unit 21 (S1). The control unit 11 starts driving the first driver 22, converts the sound (ambient sound data) collected by the sound collection unit 21 into a digital signal by the DSP, performs appropriate processing, and then outputs the digital signal (S2). The appropriate processing may include processing such as noise reduction. At this time, if there is an input signal other than a music signal from an external device as described later, the input signal is superimposed on the external sound data converted by the DSP.

[0027] The control unit 11 determines whether or not a communication connection with an external device is established via Bluetooth (S3). If it is determined that a communication connection is not established (S3; NO), the process of the control unit 11 proceeds to process S11. If it is determined that a communication connection is established (S3; YES), the control unit 11 determines whether or not data is being received using a profile related to communication of music data or the like (S4). As described above, this profile includes profiles related to A2DP and LE Audio. If the communication unit 14 controls the usage profile internally as an independent module, the control unit 11 acquires profile information from the communication unit 14.

[0028] If it is determined that data is not being received using the profile related to the music data communication (S4; NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to process S11. If it is determined that data is being received using the profile related to the music data communication (S4; YES), the control unit 11 determines whether the second driver 23 is in operation (S5). If the second driver is not in operation (S5; NO), the control unit 11 drives the second driver 23 (S6). Then, the control unit 11 returns to process S3. If the second driver is in operation (S5; YES), the control unit 11 returns to process S3.

[0029] When the process proceeds from the determination processes of S3 and S4 to the process of S11, the control unit 11 determines whether the second driver 23 is in operation or not (S11). If it is determined that the second driver 23 is in operation (S11; YES), the control unit 11 stops the operation of the second driver 23 (S12). Then, the process of the control unit 11 returns to the process S3. If it is determined that the second driver 23 is not in operation (S11; NO), the process of the control unit 11 returns to the process S3. That is, in this embodiment, when the sound data input via Bluetooth is determined to be music data and ambient sound data is input from the sound collection unit 21, the first driver 22 and the second driver 23 both operate to output a sound that is a combination of the music data and the ambient sound data.

[0030] As described above, the hearing aid 1 of this embodiment includes the sound collection unit 21 that acquires ambient sound data of ambient sounds, the first driver 22, the second driver 23, the communication unit 14 that acquires sound data from an external device, and the control unit 11. When the control unit 11 determines that the ambient sound data or sound data is music data, it controls the first driver 22 and the second driver 23 to operate. When the control unit 11 determines that the ambient sound data or sound data is not music data, it controls the control unit 11 to operate one of the first driver 22 and the second driver 23 and not to operate the other. In this way, the hearing aid 1 reduces power consumption by not operating one of the drivers during normal use such as conversation. On the other hand, the hearing aid 1 can be used like an earphone for playing music, etc. In this case, the sound quality is improved by using two drivers in combination compared to the output of a single driver. With such a hearing aid 1, the sound quality can be improved to a level sufficient for listening to music. On the other hand, in normal use, power consumption is reduced by not operating one of the drivers. Therefore, this hearing aid can achieve both low power consumption and improved sound quality.

[0031] Moreover, the first driver 22 has a higher gain in a first frequency band (1 kHz or more and 20 kHz or less) than in a different second frequency band (20 Hz or more and less than 1 kHz). The second driver 23 may have a higher gain than the first driver 22 in the second frequency band. That is, the first driver 22 and the second driver 23 may have frequency characteristics of different gains, and the second driver 23 obtains a high gain in a frequency band in which the gain of the first driver 22 is low. By using such drivers together only when necessary and selecting one for normal uses other than music, sound quality can be improved more effectively.

[0032] Furthermore, the communication unit 14 communicates by Bluetooth (registered trademark). The control unit 11 determines whether the sound data is music data or not according to the profile with which the sound data is received. This allows the hearing aid 1 to easily determine whether the data is likely to be music data without specifically analyzing the contents of the data. Therefore, the reduction in processing load also reduces power consumption.

[0033] Furthermore, the control unit 11 may determine whether the ambient sound data is music data or not based on the signal processing result of the ambient sound data. This allows the control unit 11 to determine whether the ambient sound data is music data or not even for ambient sound data that cannot be determined by a profile, thereby improving the sound quality of music.

[0034] The first driver 22 may also include a balanced armature driver. The BA driver has a large gain in the frequency band of 1 kHz or more, and is therefore suitable for the hearing aid 1, which has many users with reduced hearing in the high frequency band (first frequency band). The BA driver also tends to be small in size, so even if it is located near the entrance of the ear canal, it is unlikely to block the entrance. Therefore, this hearing aid 1 reduces a feeling of blockage in the ear.

[0035] The second driver 23 may also include a cartilage conduction driver. The cartilage conduction driver can easily achieve a larger gain below 1 kHz than the BA driver, so by combining it with the BA system, a well-balanced sound output characteristic can be obtained. The cartilage conduction driver can also be placed behind the auricle. This makes it difficult to notice when the hearing aid 1 is worn when viewed from the face side.

[0036] In addition, in the control method of this embodiment, when the computer of the sound processing device determines that the ambient sound data or sound data is music data, it controls the first driver 22 and the second driver 23 to operate, and when it determines that the ambient sound data or the sound data is not music data, it controls to operate one of the first driver 22 and the second driver 23 and not to operate the other. In this way, this control method uses the first driver 22 and the second driver 23 together only in the case of music data, which tends to have a wide and complex frequency characteristic of the output sound, and uses only one of the drivers as appropriate for non-music data, thereby reducing power consumption by the amount of the other driver being paused. Therefore, this control method can achieve both low power consumption and improved sound quality.

[0037] Furthermore, by installing and running the program 131 relating to the above control method on a computer, it is possible to keep power consumption low on a daily basis while outputting sound with improved sound quality when necessary.

[0038] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but may be modified in various ways. For example, in the above embodiment, a BA type driver and a cartilage conduction type driver are combined, but this is not limited to this. Two types of drivers of other types that do not block the ear canal as much as possible and have different gain frequency characteristics may be combined. In particular, it is preferable that one of them can be positioned behind the auricle.

[0039] In addition, the characteristics of the first driver 22 and the second driver 23 may be different from those of the above embodiment, so long as the output by only one of the drivers is useful to the user when outputting something other than music. In addition, depending on the difference in characteristics and the user of the hearing aid 1 (sound processing device), which driver is used alternatively when it is determined that music data has not been acquired may be changed. That is, when music data has not been acquired, there may be a mixture of cases where only the first driver 22 operates and cases where only the second driver 23 operates depending on the situation. The selection of which driver to use may be set in advance depending on the user's state, or the control unit 11 may determine each time and switch the driver to be operated.

[0040] Furthermore, the sound collection unit 21 may have an appropriate position, size, and shape.

[0041] In addition, the above description is based on the assumption that communication is performed using Bluetooth, but this is not a limitation. Any communication standard that consumes less power than the power required to operate one driver and does not cause heat generation that adversely affects living organisms may be used. In this case, it may be possible to determine whether the data is music data or not based on a factor other than the profile.

[0042] Alternatively, even if sound data is received using a profile, whether or not to use the second driver 23 may be determined according to the frequency spectrum intensity (including a simplified one) of the sound signal obtained from the sound data.

[0043] In the above description, the same sound data is output to the two drivers, but this is not necessarily limited to this. Different processing may be performed on the sound data output to each driver, as long as the real-time nature of the sound output is maintained and the increase in power consumption does not adversely affect the hearing aid 1 or the human body.

[0044] Also, the volume ratio between the ambient sound data obtained from the sound collection unit 21 and the music data from the outside may be variably adjusted and integrated. For example, when the ambient sound data is the person's conversation and it is possible to determine that the conversation should be prioritized over music, the control unit 11 (DSP) may integrate the input music data by lowering the volume.

[0045] Although the above description has been given assuming that the sound processing device is a hearing aid, the present invention is not limited to this and may be any device that is worn on the ear and outputs sound. In addition, the specific configurations, contents and procedures of the processing operations, etc. shown in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1. Hearing aids 3 Signal Line 10 Substrate 11 Control section 12 RAM 13 Storage section 14 Communications Department 21 Sound collection section 22 1st Driver 23 2nd Driver 24 Battery 25 Connection terminal

Claims

1. A sound collection unit for acquiring ambient sound data of the surrounding sound; A first output unit; A second output unit; A communication unit for acquiring sound data from an external device; A control unit; Equipped with The control unit is When the ambient sound data or the sound data is determined to be music data, the first output unit and the second output unit are controlled to be operated; When it is determined that the ambient sound data or the sound data is not music data, control is performed to operate one of the first output unit and the second output unit and not to operate the other. Sound processing equipment.

2. the first output section has a higher gain in a first frequency band than in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band; The second output has a higher gain in the second frequency band than the first output. The sound processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The communication unit performs communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark); The sound processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines whether the sound data is the music data or not in accordance with a profile for receiving the sound data.

4. The sound processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines whether the ambient sound data is the music data based on a result of signal processing of the ambient sound data.

5. The first output section includes a balanced armature driver. The sound processing device according to claim 1 .

6. The sound processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the second output unit includes a cartilage conduction type driver.

7. A computer of a sound processing device including a sound collection unit that acquires ambient sound data of ambient sounds, a first output unit, a second output unit, and a communication unit that acquires sound data from an external device, When the ambient sound data or the sound data is determined to be music data, the first output unit and the second output unit are controlled to be operated; When it is determined that the ambient sound data or the sound data is not music data, control is performed to operate one of the first output unit and the second output unit and not to operate the other. A method for controlling an audio processing device.

8. A computer of a sound processing device including a sound collection unit that acquires ambient sound data of ambient sounds, a first output unit, a second output unit, and a communication unit that acquires sound data from an external device, When the ambient sound data or the sound data is determined to be music data, the first output unit and the second output unit are controlled to be operated; When it is determined that the ambient sound data or the sound data is not music data, control is performed to operate one of the first output unit and the second output unit and not to operate the other. The program that performs the processing.

Images