Ear device, mobile terminal, ear device control system, ear device control method and program

Abstract

To adjust the sound quality depending on how the sound is transmitted.SOLUTION: An ear device 100 includes a sound acquisition unit 130 that acquires ambient sounds, a sound output unit 140 that outputs sound data corresponding to the acquired ambient sounds at a first output level, and a control unit 110 that adjusts the output level from the sound output unit 140 from the first output level to a second output level on the basis of temperature difference data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ear device, a mobile terminal, an ear device control system, an ear device control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] The speed at which sound travels through the air increases as the temperature rises. Therefore, the way sound travels changes depending on the temperature distribution in the atmosphere. For example, when it is warm near the ground surface and cold in the sky, sound tends to quickly disappear into the sky, making it difficult for distant sounds to reach the ears. In such cases, it becomes difficult to hear the sound of a car approaching from a distance, making it difficult for hearing-impaired people, such as those who use hearing aids, to sense danger. Regarding technology that enables users of hearing aids to sense danger, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a hearing aid unit that alerts hearing-impaired people to the approach of an emergency vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-34949 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The hearing aid unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 can alert the user to the approach of an emergency vehicle, etc., by having the alarm device alert the user with light or vibration when a pre-registered sound is heard from outside, even in situations where it is difficult to hear sounds. However, it cannot alert the user to sounds other than the pre-registered sounds.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and aims to provide an ear device, a mobile terminal, an ear device control system, an ear device control method, and a program that can adjust the hearing level depending on how sound is transmitted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the ear device according to the present invention is to a sound acquisition unit that acquires surrounding sounds; a sound output unit that outputs sound data corresponding to the acquired ambient sound at a first output level; a control unit that adjusts the output level from the sound output unit from the first output level to a second output level based on the temperature difference data; Equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to adjust the audibility depending on how the sound is transmitted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an ear device control system. [Figure 2] This is a diagram for explaining how sound travels when there is little temperature difference between the ground surface and the sky. [Figure 3] This is a diagram to explain how sound travels when it is warm near the ground surface and cold in the sky. [Figure 4] This is a diagram to explain how sound travels when it is cold near the ground surface and warm in the sky. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the ear device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a mobile terminal. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for an amplification factor control process. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for temperature information acquisition processing. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for threshold setting processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The ear device control system and the like will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the ear device control system 1000 comprises two ear devices 100 (when there is no need to distinguish between the ear device 100R worn on the right ear and the ear device 100L worn on the left ear, they will be referred to as ear devices 100) which are hearing assistance devices (hearing aids, sound amplifiers, etc.) worn by the user in the ears, and a mobile terminal 200, which communicate and operate via a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0011] Like a typical hearing aid, ear device 100 picks up surrounding speech using microphone 131, adjusts the speech to make it easier for the user to hear (for example, by removing noise or performing acoustic processing such as amplification for each frequency band), and outputs the adjusted speech from speaker 141. At this time, the temperature is acquired (by temperature sensor 151), and the microphone gain and the amplification factor for amplification in acoustic processing are adjusted according to the temperature.

[0012] The mobile terminal 200 acquires information (location information) about the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the current location using a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. Then, the ear device 100 calculates the sunrise and sunset times at that location based on this location information and determines whether the current time is daytime or nighttime.

[0013] Here, we will explain why the ear device 100 adjusts the amplification factor (amplification level, amplification amount) according to the temperature. Sound is a wave that travels through air, so the higher the temperature, the faster its transmission speed. For example, in the case of light, the speed is slower when it travels through water than when it travels through air, so it is refracted in a direction close to vertical (in a direction where the refraction angle is smaller than the angle of incidence) at the boundary between air and water. Similarly, when sound travels from a layer with a faster speed (warm air) to a layer with a slower speed (cold air), it is refracted in a direction where the refraction angle is smaller than the angle of incidence, i.e., in a direction close to vertical.

[0014] In other words, when the temperature of the atmosphere near the ground and in the sky is not significantly different (for example, on a cloudy day), sound travels in a straight line, as shown in FIG. 2. However, when the temperature near the ground is higher than the temperature in the sky (for example, during the daytime on a sunny winter day), sound gradually refracts in a vertical direction as it travels, and sound from a distance escapes into the sky, as shown in FIG. 3. Conversely, when the temperature near the ground is lower than the temperature in the sky (for example, during the night on a sunny winter day), sound gradually refracts in a horizontal direction as it travels, and travels farther, as shown in FIG. 4. Note that in FIGS. 2 to 4, the arrows indicate the direction of travel of sound emitted from car 300 that is directed toward the rear of car 300, and the image shows person 310 standing at the limit of where sound from car 300 can be heard.

[0015] Therefore, in a situation such as that shown in Figure 3, increasing the amplification factor of the ear device 100 makes it easier for the user to hear sounds from far away, but in a situation such as that shown in Figure 4, increasing the amplification factor may make the sound too loud for the user (especially making impact sounds, etc., unpleasant), and in this case it is thought that lowering the amplification factor would make it easier to hear.

[0016] Furthermore, while the temperature of the ground changes easily (when the sun shines, the temperature rises in a relatively short time, and when the sun goes down, the temperature drops in a relatively short time), the temperature of the atmosphere in the sky does not change easily. Therefore, for example, on a clear winter day, the temperature of the ground rises during the day, gradually creating a situation like that shown in Figure 3, and then the temperature in the sky also rises. Then, at night (especially when radiative cooling occurs), the temperature near the ground surface drops rapidly, making it more likely to create a situation like that shown in Figure 4.

[0017] Since the way sound is transmitted changes depending on the temperature distribution in the atmosphere, the ear device 100 can provide the user with sounds that are easier to hear by changing the amplification factor in accordance with changes in temperature (difference in temperature from the past).

[0018] The above has described an overview of the ear device control system 1000. Next, the functional configurations of the ear device 100 and the mobile terminal 200 included in the ear device control system 1000 will be described in order.

[0019] The ear device 100 is a small wearable device, and specifically an earphone-type (in-the-ear) hearing aid worn in the user's ear as shown in Fig. 1. However, the form of the ear device 100 is not limited to an earphone-type, and it may also be, for example, a behind-the-ear type. As shown in Fig. 5, the ear device 100 has, as its functional configuration, a control unit 110, a memory unit 120, a sound acquisition unit 130, a sound output unit 140, a temperature acquisition unit 150, a time acquisition unit 160, and a communication unit 170.

[0020] The control unit 110 is configured with at least one processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The control unit 110 performs various processes for operating the ear device 100 by executing programs stored in the storage unit 120. The control unit 110 supports multi-thread processing and can execute multiple processes in parallel, for example, an amplification factor control process (FIG. 7) and a temperature information acquisition process (FIG. 8) described below can be executed simultaneously in parallel.

[0021] The storage unit 120 stores programs executed by the control unit 110 and necessary data. The storage unit 120 may include, but is not limited to, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, etc. Note that the storage unit 120 may be provided inside the control unit 110.

[0022] The sound acquisition unit 130 includes a microphone 131, an A / D (Analog / Digital) converter, etc., and acquires ambient sound at a set first input level. Then, the control unit 110 performs predetermined acoustic processing on the sound data obtained by A / D converting the sound acquired by the sound acquisition unit 130 with the microphone 131 at a predetermined sampling frequency (for example, 44.1 kHz), and adjusts the sound to be easy for the user to hear.

[0023] The sound output unit 140 includes a D / A (Digital / Analog) converter, a speaker 141, etc., and outputs sound data adjusted by the control unit 110 from the speaker 141. More specifically, the control unit 110 performs sound processing such as amplification on the digital sound data acquired by the sound acquisition unit 130 (data obtained by acquiring and A / D converting sounds around the user) based on setting values ​​(various acoustic parameters related to hearing such as the amplification degree of each frequency band) set for each user, and outputs the sound (sound data corresponding to the surrounding sounds acquired by the sound acquisition unit 130) as sound from the speaker 141 of the sound output unit 140 at a set first output level. The amplification factor for this sound processing is a normal value (default setting value) set in advance for each user in accordance with the user's hearing characteristics (which can be determined, for example, from an audiogram).

[0024] The temperature acquisition unit 150 includes a temperature sensor 151 and acquires the current temperature (temperature information). Note that the temperature acquisition unit 150 does not necessarily have to include the temperature sensor 151, and any sensor that enables the ear device 100 to acquire the temperature can be used. For example, the ear device 100 may acquire the temperature from another device such as the mobile terminal 200 using the communication unit 170, in which case the communication unit 170 also functions as the temperature acquisition unit 150.

[0025] The time acquisition unit 160 has a clock function and acquires the current time. Note that the time acquisition unit 160 does not necessarily have to have a clock function, and any unit that enables the ear device 100 to acquire the current time can be used. For example, the ear device 100 may acquire the current time from another device such as a mobile terminal 200 using the communication unit 170, in which case the communication unit 170 also functions as the time acquisition unit 160. Furthermore, the control unit 110 may have a clock function, in which case the control unit 110 also functions as the time acquisition unit 160.

[0026] The communication unit 170 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data via Bluetooth (registered trademark) to and from other devices such as the mobile terminal 200. Note that the communication standard supported by the communication unit 170 is not limited to Bluetooth (registered trademark), and the communication interface may be compatible with a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the like.

[0027] The mobile terminal 200 is, for example, a smartphone, and includes, as its functional configuration, a control unit 210, a storage unit 220, a display unit 230, an operation input unit 240, a communication unit 250, and a position acquisition unit 260, as shown in FIG.

[0028] The control unit 210 is configured with a processor such as a CPU, for example. The control unit 210 performs various processes for operating the mobile terminal 200 according to programs stored in the storage unit 220. The control unit 210 also has a clock function and can acquire the current date and time.

[0029] The storage unit 220 stores programs executed by the control unit 210 and necessary data. The storage unit 220 may include, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, flash memory, etc. Alternatively, the storage unit 220 may be provided inside the control unit 210.

[0030] The display unit 230 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display.

[0031] The operation input unit 240 is a user interface such as a push button switch or a touch panel integrated with the display unit 230, and receives operation input from the user. The control unit 210 can acquire what kind of operation input the user has performed based on the detection results of a tap operation or the like on the touch panel of the operation input unit 240 or the pressed state of a switch.

[0032] The communication unit 250 is a communication interface that enables the mobile terminal 200 to perform data communication with the ear device 100 and external devices (e.g., other smartphones, tablets, PCs (Personal Computers), etc.) and to acquire information from the Internet. The communication unit 250 may include a wireless communication interface for communication via Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wireless LAN, for example.

[0033] The position acquisition unit 260 includes a GPS device and acquires the current position of the mobile terminal 200 (three-dimensional data of latitude, longitude, and altitude).

[0034] If the ear device 100 does not have a temperature sensor 151, the temperature acquisition unit 150 may acquire the temperature from the mobile terminal 200, so the mobile terminal 200 may have a temperature sensor. If the mobile terminal 200 does not have a temperature sensor but is requested to acquire the temperature from the ear device 100, the mobile terminal 200 may acquire the current temperature at its current location from the Internet via the communication unit 250 and transmit the temperature to the ear device 100.

[0035] When distinguishing between the control units 110 and 210 of the ear device 100 and the mobile terminal 200, the control unit 110 is called an ear device control unit, and the control unit 210 is called a terminal control unit. When distinguishing between the communication units 170 and 250 of the device, the communication unit 170 is called an ear device communication unit, and the communication unit 250 is called a terminal communication unit. The same applies to the storage units 120 and 220.

[0036] Next, the amplification factor control process and temperature information acquisition process, which are processes performed by the ear device 100 to control the amplification factor in accordance with the temperature as described above, will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. The amplification factor control process and temperature information acquisition process start to be executed in parallel when the ear device 100 is turned on. However, the amplification factor control process may start to be executed not when the power is turned on, but in response to an instruction from the user (for example, in response to an instruction from the operation input unit if the ear device 100 has an operation input unit such as a push button switch, or when the user instructs the ear device 100 to start the amplification factor control process using the mobile terminal 200, the instruction is received by the communication unit 170), or may start to be executed periodically (for example, every hour). Furthermore, these processes may be executed by the control unit 110 of each ear device 100 (ear devices 100L, 100R), or may be executed by one of the ear devices 100, and the other ear device 100 may control the gain by acquiring, via the communication unit 170, how to control the gain from the ear device 100 that executed the gain control process. It is assumed that the ear device 100 and the mobile terminal 200 have been paired in advance via Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0037] First, the amplification factor control process will be described with reference to Fig. 7. First, the control unit 110 acquires the current time using the time acquisition unit 160 (step S101).

[0038] Then, the control unit 110 acquires location information (latitude, longitude, and altitude of the current location) from the mobile terminal 200 via the communication unit 170 (step S102). As described above, the mobile terminal 200 includes the location acquisition unit 260, and when the control unit 110 requests location information from the mobile terminal 200 via the communication unit 170, the mobile terminal 200 acquires the location information of the current location using the location acquisition unit 260 and transmits the acquired location information to the ear device 100. This allows the control unit 110 to acquire the location information.

[0039] Next, the control unit 110 acquires the sunrise time and sunset time for that day based on the acquired location information (step S103). In this step, the control unit 110 may calculate the sunrise time and sunset time from the latitude, longitude, and altitude, or may acquire the sunrise time and sunset time directly from the mobile terminal 200, etc. Note that if the control unit 110 acquires the sunrise time and sunset time directly (when calculation from location information is not necessary), the processing of step S102 is not necessary.

[0040] Then, the control unit 110 acquires the temperature using the temperature acquisition unit 150 (step S104). If the ear device 100 is equipped with a temperature sensor 151, the control unit 110 acquires the temperature using the temperature sensor 151, but if the ear device 100 is not equipped with a temperature sensor, the control unit 110 acquires the temperature from the mobile terminal 200 via the communication unit 170. In this case, the mobile terminal 200 may transmit the temperature acquired by the temperature sensor to the ear device 100 (if the mobile terminal 200 is equipped with a temperature sensor), or may transmit the current temperature at that location acquired from the Internet to the ear device 100.

[0041] Then, the control unit 110 executes a threshold setting process (step S105). The threshold setting process is a process for setting a temperature difference threshold used to determine how high or low the current temperature is (for example, whether the current temperature is higher than the minimum temperature by a predetermined temperature or more, whether the current temperature is lower than the maximum temperature by a predetermined temperature or more, etc.), and details will be described later.

[0042] Then, the control unit 110 determines whether the current time is after the sunrise time and before the sunset time acquired in step S103 (i.e., daytime) (step S106). If the current time is before sunrise or after sunset (i.e., nighttime) (step S106; No), the control unit 110 calculates the difference between the highest temperature (acquired in the temperature information acquisition process described below) and the current temperature (acquired in step S104) as temperature difference data, and determines whether this temperature difference data is equal to or greater than the temperature difference threshold (step S107). However, as the highest temperature used to calculate this temperature difference data, if the current time is between after sunset and midnight, a variable MAX (highest temperature of the day) described below is used, and if the current time is between midnight and sunrise, a variable PMAX (highest temperature of the previous day) described below is used. In addition, if the predicted maximum temperature for the day can be obtained via the communication unit 170 or the mobile terminal 200, the predicted maximum temperature for the day may be used as the maximum temperature used to calculate the temperature difference data, or the higher of the maximum temperature for the day obtained up to that point and the predicted maximum temperature may be used.

[0043] If the temperature difference data is equal to or greater than the temperature difference threshold (step S107; Yes), it can be determined that the situation is cold near the ground and warm in the sky (sound can travel far as shown in FIG. 4), so the control unit 110 reduces the amplification factor below the normal value (step S108). That is, the control unit 110 adjusts the output level from the sound output unit from the first output level to a second output level that is smaller than the first output level. Then, the amplification factor control process ends. If the temperature difference data is less than the temperature difference threshold (step S107; No), it can be determined that the situation is not such that the temperature difference between the ground and the sky is not so great (sound can travel neither easily nor poorly), so the control unit 110 returns the amplification factor to the normal value (step S109). That is, the control unit 110 leaves the output level from the sound output unit at the original first output level. Then, the amplification factor control process ends.

[0044] On the other hand, if the current time is after sunrise and before sunset (i.e., daytime) in step S106 (step S106; Yes), control unit 110 calculates the difference between the minimum temperature (acquired in the temperature information acquisition process described below) and the current temperature (acquired in step S104) as temperature difference data, and determines whether this temperature difference data is equal to or greater than the temperature difference threshold (step S110). Note that if the predicted minimum temperature for the day can be acquired via communication unit 170 or mobile terminal 200, the predicted minimum temperature for the day may be used as the minimum temperature used to calculate the temperature difference data, or the lower of the minimum temperature for the day and the predicted minimum temperature found up to that point may be used. If the temperature difference data is equal to or greater than the temperature difference threshold (step S110; Yes), it can be determined that the situation is one in which it is warm near the ground and cold high up (sound escapes into the sky as shown in FIG. 3), and control unit 110 increases the amplification factor above the normal value (step S111). That is, the control unit 110 adjusts the output level from the sound output unit from the first output level to a second output level that is greater than the first output level. Then, the amplification factor control process ends. If the temperature difference data is less than the temperature difference threshold (step S110; No), it can be determined that there is not much difference in temperature between the ground surface and the sky (sound is neither easy nor difficult to reach), so the control unit 110 returns the amplification factor to the normal value (step S109). That is, the control unit 110 leaves the output level from the sound output unit at the original first output level. Then, the amplification factor control process ends.

[0045] Next, the temperature information acquisition process for acquiring the maximum and minimum temperatures for each day will be described with reference to Figure 8. The temperature information acquisition process is a process for continuously saving each temperature in four variables: MAX (variable for saving the maximum temperature for that day), MIN (variable for saving the minimum temperature for that day), PMAX (variable for saving the maximum temperature for the previous day), and PMIN (variable for saving the minimum temperature for the previous day). These variables can be referenced from other processes (for example, the amplification factor control process described above).

[0046] First, the control unit 110 substitutes the value of the variable MIN for the variable PMIN and the value of the variable MAX for the variable PMAX (step S201). This is a process for saving the minimum and maximum temperatures of the previous day in PMIN and PMAX.

[0047] Next, control unit 110 assigns the current temperature acquired by temperature acquisition unit 150 to variables MIN and MAX (step S202). Then, control unit 110 determines whether the current temperature acquired by temperature acquisition unit 150 is greater than the value saved in variable MAX (step S203). If the current temperature is greater than the value of variable MAX (step S203; Yes), control unit 110 assigns the current temperature to variable MAX (step S204) and proceeds to step S207.

[0048] If the current temperature is less than the value of variable MAX (step S203; No), control unit 110 determines whether the current temperature is less than the value saved in variable MIN (step S205). If the current temperature is less than the value of variable MIN (step S205; Yes), control unit 110 assigns the current temperature to variable MIN (step S206) and proceeds to step S207. If the current temperature is equal to or greater than the value of variable MIN (step S205; No), control unit 110 proceeds to step S207 without doing anything.

[0049] In step S207, control unit 110 determines whether the date has changed (i.e., whether the time has reached midnight). If the date has changed (step S207; Yes), the process returns to step S201. If the date has not changed (step S207; No), the process returns to step S203.

[0050] By the temperature information acquisition process described above, the minimum and maximum temperatures for the previous and current days are saved in each variable, making them available for reference from other processes. Next, the threshold setting process executed in step S105 of the amplification factor control process (FIG. 7) will be described with reference to FIG. 9. The threshold setting process stores in variable a a value considered appropriate for the minimum temperature obtained so far, stores in variable b a value considered appropriate for the maximum temperature obtained so far, depending on the current time, and sets a temperature difference threshold based on the magnitude of the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures (i.e., ba).

[0051] First, the control unit 110 determines whether the current time acquired by the time acquisition unit 160 is before sunrise (i.e., whether it is still nighttime) (step S151). If the current time is before sunrise (step S151; Yes), the temperature may not have yet dropped to the lowest temperature of the day, so the control unit 110 saves the smaller of the lowest temperature of the previous day (PMIN) and the lowest temperature up to that point of the day (MIN) in variable a (step S152), and proceeds to step S154.

[0052] If the current time is after sunrise (step S151; No), the lowest temperature obtained so far is likely to be the lowest temperature of that day, so control unit 110 saves the lowest temperature of that day up to that point (MIN) in variable a (step S153) and proceeds to step S154. If the expected lowest temperature of that day can be obtained via communication unit 170 or mobile terminal 200, control unit 110 may use the expected lowest temperature of that day instead of PMIN in step S152 and save the smaller of the expected lowest temperature of that day and the lowest temperature of that day (MIN) in variable a. Also, if the expected lowest temperature of that day can be obtained via communication unit 170 or mobile terminal 200, the determination of step S151 may be omitted, and the smaller of the expected lowest temperature of that day and the lowest temperature of that day (MIN) may always be saved in variable a.

[0053] In step S154, control unit 110 determines whether the current time is before 2:00 PM (step S154). Note that 2:00 PM in this determination is a value that is set based on the fact that the maximum temperature is usually reached around 2:00 PM, and may be changeable to any time (for example, noon). If the current time is before 2:00 PM (step S154; Yes), the temperature may not have yet risen to the maximum temperature of the day, so control unit 110 saves the larger of the maximum temperature of the previous day (PMAX) and the maximum temperature up to that point of the day (MAX) in variable b (step S155), and proceeds to step S157.

[0054] If the current time is after 2:00 PM (step S154; No), the highest temperature obtained so far is likely to be the highest temperature of that day, so control unit 110 saves the highest temperature of that day up to that point (MAX) in variable b (step S156) and proceeds to step S157. If the predicted highest temperature of that day can be obtained via communication unit 170 or mobile terminal 200, control unit 110 may use the predicted highest temperature of that day instead of PMAX in step S155 and save the larger of the predicted highest temperature of that day and the highest temperature of that day (MAX) in variable b. Also, if the predicted highest temperature of that day can be obtained via communication unit 170 or mobile terminal 200, the determination of step S154 may not be performed, and control unit 110 may always save the larger of the predicted highest temperature of that day and the highest temperature of that day (MAX) in variable b.

[0055] In step S157, the control unit 110 determines whether the difference (ba) between the value of variable b and the value of variable a is less than a temperature difference reference value (step S157). The temperature difference reference value is a reference value for distinguishing whether the daytime temperature change is large or small, and is set to, for example, 10 degrees.

[0056] If ba is less than the temperature difference reference value (step S157; Yes), the control unit 110 sets the minimum threshold as the air temperature difference threshold (step S158) and ends the threshold setting process. The minimum threshold is a value that is considered to be a minimum temperature change that should not be considered for adjusting the amplification factor, even on days with small temperature changes, and is set to, for example, 5 degrees.

[0057] If ba is equal to or greater than the temperature difference reference value (step S157; No), the control unit 110 sets the temperature difference threshold to the reference ratio of (ba) (step S159) and ends the threshold setting process. The reference ratio is the ratio of the temperature change to the temperature difference that is considered to require adjustment of the amplification factor when the temperature difference (maximum temperature - minimum temperature) is large on that day, and is set to, for example, 50%.

[0058] The threshold setting process has been described above. Through the amplification factor control process, temperature information acquisition process, and threshold setting process described above, the control unit 110 increases the amplification factor in the above-mentioned acoustic processing above a normal value in conditions where sound from a distance is not easily transmitted, and decreases the amplification factor below a normal value in conditions where sound is easily transmitted, depending on the temperature. In other words, the control unit 110 adjusts the amplification factor in the acoustic processing according to the atmospheric temperature, so that the ear device 100 adjusts the hearing quality according to how sound is transmitted.

[0059] In the above-described amplification factor control process (FIG. 7), the audibility is adjusted by performing acoustic processing to adjust the amplification factor in steps S111 and S108. However, the adjustment of the audibility is not limited to adjusting the amplification factor. For example, some users may have difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds or may have lost the ability to detect high-pitched sounds. Therefore, in such cases, acoustic processing may be performed to convert high-frequency sounds into low-frequency sounds (by compressing or shifting the frequency). Furthermore, both the adjustment of the amplification factor and frequency conversion may be performed.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above process, the temperature difference data is calculated by the control unit 110 of the ear device 100, but the temperature may be acquired by the mobile terminal 200, and the control unit 210 may perform a temperature information acquisition process (FIG. 8) to calculate data corresponding to the temperature difference data, and send this data from the communication unit 250 to the ear device 100. In this case, instead of acquiring the temperature in step S104 of the amplification factor control process (FIG. 7), the control unit 110 of the ear device 100 may acquire the temperature difference data and the maximum temperatures (PMAX and MAX) and minimum temperatures (PMIN and MIN) from the mobile terminal 200 and make the determinations in steps S107 and S110. In addition, the control unit 210 of the mobile terminal 200 may also perform a threshold setting process (Figure 9), and the control unit 110 of the ear device 100 may acquire temperature difference data and a temperature difference threshold from the mobile terminal 200 instead of acquiring the temperature in step S104 of the amplification factor control process (Figure 7), and may make judgments in steps S107 and S110 using the temperature difference data and temperature difference threshold acquired in step S104 without performing step S105.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above-described amplification factor control process (FIG. 7), the volume output from the speaker 141 is adjusted by increasing or decreasing the output level from the sound output unit 140 from the first output level (default output level). However, the volume output from the speaker 141 may also be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the input level of the microphone gain of the microphone 131 of the sound acquisition unit 130 from the first input level (default input level). Furthermore, the volume output from the speaker 141 may also be adjusted by changing both the output level of the sound output unit 140 and the input level of the sound acquisition unit 130.

[0062] In the above description, the control unit 110 acquires location information from the mobile terminal 200 in step S102 of the amplification factor control process (FIG. 7), but the ear device 100 may also include a location acquisition unit such as a GPS device, and the control unit 110 may acquire information about the current location (latitude, longitude, altitude) from the location acquisition unit included in the ear device 100. Also, instead of acquiring location information using a GPS device or the like, the user may set the latitude, longitude, and altitude information in advance in the memory unit 120 of the ear device 100. In this case, when acquiring location information, the control unit 110 does not need to acquire it using a GPS device or the like, but can simply read it from the memory unit 120.

[0063] Furthermore, since the location information is only used to calculate the sunrise time and sunset time, there is no need to acquire the location information if the control unit 110 can acquire the sunrise time and sunset time from the Internet, etc. In this case, the mobile terminal 200 does not need to include the location acquisition unit 260, and the control unit 110 does not need to execute step S102 in the amplification factor control process (FIG. 7).

[0064] In the above description, the control unit 110 calculates the exact sunrise time and sunset time based on the position information in step S103 of the amplification factor control process (FIG. 7). However, since accuracy is not required for these times, the user may set the approximate sunrise time and sunset time in advance in the storage unit 120. Furthermore, the control unit 110 may perform the amplification factor control process using, for example, 6:00 a.m. instead of the sunrise time and 6:00 p.m. instead of the sunset time.

[0065] In the above explanation, the same temperature difference threshold is used in both step S107 and step S110 in the amplification factor control process (FIG. 7). However, the threshold setting process (FIG. 9) may be modified so that the temperature difference threshold (maximum temperature difference threshold) used in step S107 and the temperature difference threshold (minimum temperature difference threshold) used in step S110 are set independently.

[0066] In the above description, the gain control process (FIG. 7) and the temperature information acquisition process (FIG. 8) are described as being performed by the control unit 110 of the ear device 100, but both processes may be performed by the control unit 210 of the mobile terminal 200. In this case, with regard to temperature information, the ear device 100 may transmit temperature information acquired by the temperature sensor 151 to the mobile terminal 200, or the mobile terminal 200 may be equipped with a temperature sensor. Then, in steps S108, S111, and S109, the control unit 210 transmits to the ear device 100 information on how to change the gain (decrease / increase / return to normal value), and the control unit 110 receives this information and changes the gain according to the information. In this way, the power consumption of the ear device 100 can be reduced.

[0067] Furthermore, although the ear device control system 1000 has been described as being equipped with the mobile terminal 200, as described above, if it is not necessary to obtain location information from the mobile terminal 200, the ear device control system does not require the mobile terminal 200.

[0068] Conversely, if the ear device 100 acquires temperature information from the mobile terminal 200, the ear device 100 does not need to include the temperature sensor 151.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above-described amplification factor control process (FIG. 7), the amplification factor is adjusted by making detailed conditional judgments based on the sunrise time, sunset time, minimum temperature, and maximum temperature. However, the control unit 110 may adjust the amplification factor more roughly. For example, the control unit 110 may determine whether it is daytime or nighttime based on the current time acquired by the time acquisition unit 160, and increase the amplification factor from a normal value if it is daytime, and decrease the amplification factor from a normal value if it is nighttime. Furthermore, the control unit 110 may simply determine the period from a predetermined time in the morning (e.g., 6:00 a.m.) to a predetermined time in the evening (e.g., 6:00 p.m.) as daytime, and determine the remaining time as nighttime, without using the sunrise time or sunset time to determine whether it is daytime or nighttime.

[0070] Furthermore, the control unit 110 may determine the season from the current date information (for example, December, January, and February are winter, March to May are spring, June to August are summer, and September to November are autumn), and perform the above-mentioned amplification factor control process only when the season is winter. This is because on clear winter days, the temperature distribution during the day is as shown in Fig. 3, and at night (due to the radiative cooling phenomenon), it is relatively common for the temperature distribution to be as shown in Fig. 4.

[0071] Furthermore, since the above-described amplification factor control process (FIG. 7) assumes the temperature distribution outdoors, the control unit 110 may determine whether the ear device 100 is outdoors or not, and execute the amplification factor control process only when the ear device 100 is outdoors. The determination of whether the ear device 100 is outdoors may be made based on the number of GPS satellites that can be received by the GPS device (for example, if three or more satellites can be received, it is determined to be outdoors), or the user may manually input whether the current location is indoors or outdoors.

[0072] The ear device 100 is not limited to hearing aids, sound collectors, or other hearing aids, but can be realized by any device that can adjust the amplification factor depending on how easily sound travels from a distance (for example, earphones with a sound collection function, a computer with the above-mentioned configuration, etc.). The mobile terminal 200 is not limited to a smartphone, but can also be realized by a computer such as a smartwatch, tablet, or PC that can communicate with the ear device 100.

[0073] Specifically, it has been described that the program executed by the control unit 110 of the ear device 100 is pre-stored in the storage unit 120, and the program executed by the control unit 210 of the mobile terminal 200 is pre-stored in the storage unit 220. However, the program may be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), an MO (Magneto-Optical disc), a memory card, or a USB memory, and the program may be read and installed on a computer to configure a computer that can execute each of the above-mentioned processes.

[0074] Furthermore, the program may be superimposed on a carrier wave and applied via a communication medium such as the Internet. For example, the program may be posted and distributed on a bulletin board system (BBS) on a communication network. The program may then be started and executed under the control of an operating system (OS) in the same way as other application programs, thereby enabling the above-described processes to be performed.

[0075] In addition, the control unit 110 and the control unit 210 may be configured by any single processor such as a single processor, a multiprocessor, or a multi-core processor, or may be configured by combining any of these processors with processing circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0076] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and the present invention includes the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 100, 100L, 100R... ear device, 110, 210... control unit, 120, 220... memory unit, 130... sound acquisition unit, 131... microphone, 140... sound output unit, 141... speaker, 150... temperature acquisition unit, 151... temperature sensor, 160... time acquisition unit, 170, 250... communication unit, 200... mobile terminal, 230... display unit, 240... operation input unit, 260... position acquisition unit, 300... car, 310... person, 1000... ear device control system

Claims

1. a sound acquisition unit that acquires surrounding sounds; a sound output unit that outputs sound data corresponding to the acquired ambient sound at a first output level; a control unit that adjusts the output level from the sound output unit from the first output level to a second output level based on the temperature difference data; An ear device comprising:

2. further comprising a time acquisition unit that acquires the time; The control unit determining whether it is daytime or nighttime based on the time acquired by the time acquisition unit; If the result of the determination is daytime, the second output level is made greater than the first output level; When the result of the determination indicates nighttime, the second output level is set to be lower than the first output level. The ear device of claim 1 .

3. Further provided is a temperature acquisition unit that acquires temperature, The control unit The temperature acquisition unit acquires the minimum and maximum temperatures of the day, If the result of the determination is that it is daytime, the temperature acquisition unit acquires a current temperature, calculates a difference between the minimum temperature and the acquired current temperature as the temperature difference data, and if the temperature difference data is equal to or greater than a temperature difference threshold, makes the second output level greater than the first output level; If the result of the determination is that it is nighttime, the temperature acquisition unit acquires a current temperature, calculates a difference between the highest temperature and the acquired current temperature as the temperature difference data, and if the temperature difference data is equal to or greater than a temperature difference threshold, sets the second output level to be smaller than the first output level. The ear device of claim 2 .

4. Further provided is a temperature acquisition unit that acquires temperature, The control unit The temperature acquisition unit acquires the minimum and maximum temperatures of the day, If the difference between the maximum temperature and the minimum temperature is equal to or greater than the temperature difference reference value, The temperature acquisition unit acquires the current temperature, a difference between the minimum temperature and the acquired current temperature is calculated as the temperature difference data, and if the temperature difference data is equal to or greater than a temperature difference threshold, the second output level is made greater than the first output level; a difference between the maximum temperature and the acquired current temperature is calculated as the temperature difference data, and if the temperature difference data is equal to or greater than a temperature difference threshold, the second output level is set to be smaller than the first output level; The ear device of claim 1 .

5. The Communications Department and a control unit that causes an ear device including: a sound acquisition unit that acquires ambient sounds; a sound output unit that outputs sound data corresponding to the acquired ambient sounds at a first output level; and a control unit that adjusts the first output level to a second output level based on air temperature difference data; and A mobile terminal comprising:

6. an ear device and a mobile terminal, The ear device comprises: a sound acquisition unit that acquires surrounding sounds; a sound output unit that outputs sound data corresponding to the acquired ambient sound at a first output level; a control unit that adjusts the output level from the sound output unit from the first output level to a second output level based on the temperature difference data; Equipped with The mobile terminal The Communications Department and a control unit that causes the ear device to transmit data corresponding to the temperature difference data from the communication unit; Equipped with Ear device control system.

7. a control unit of the ear device including a sound output unit that outputs sound data corresponding to the ambient sound acquired by the sound acquisition unit at a first output level, and adjusts the output level of the sound output unit from the first output level to a second output level based on the temperature difference data; Ear device control method.

8. a control unit of the ear device including a sound output unit that outputs sound data corresponding to the ambient sound acquired by the sound acquisition unit at a first output level, and adjusts the output level of the sound output unit from the first output level to a second output level based on the temperature difference data; A program that executes a process.

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