Public address sound evaluation system, evaluation information input device, evaluation information display device, evaluation information analysis device, and public address sound evaluation method

Abstract

This invention provides a sound amplification evaluation system, evaluation information input device, evaluation information display device, evaluation information analysis device, and sound amplification evaluation method that can understand the listening conditions of various listeners of amplified sound regardless of scale, and that can easily evaluate amplified sound. [Solution] The loudspeaker sound evaluation system of the embodiment has an evaluation information input device 100 and an evaluation information display device 200 that are connected in a manner that enables information communication. The evaluation information input device 100 has a participant information input unit 103 that inputs information of participants P who participate in the evaluation of loudspeaker sound from loudspeaker L, and an evaluation input unit 104 in which participants P who have listened to the loudspeaker sound input evaluation information indicating the level of a preset index regarding their own listening condition. The evaluation information display device 200 has an evaluation display unit 205 that selectively displays evaluation information corresponding to loudspeaker L according to the participant information of a plurality of participants P.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a voice amplification evaluation system, an evaluation information input device, an evaluation information display device, an evaluation information analysis device, and a voice amplification evaluation method.

Background Art

[0002] The amplified sound from loudspeakers used outdoors and indoors is used in a wide variety of applications, such as disaster prevention information and evacuation advisories in emergencies, dam water release information, information transmission in stations and event facilities, and notifications of the holding or cancellation of town or regional events. It is preferable that this amplified sound is reliably heard by listeners and the information is accurately transmitted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the quality of the amplified sound varies greatly depending on factors such as the distance from the loudspeaker to the listener, geographical factors such as terrain and the presence of buildings that obstruct sound transmission, weather conditions, the age and gender of the listener, the presence or absence of diseases, and whether the listening location is outdoors or indoors. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate the listening situation of listeners with respect to the amplified sound, the information transmission situation to listeners, and the information sharing situation of listeners, and it is difficult to grasp areas and generations where the broadcast content cannot be heard.

[0005] Although it is humans, the listeners, who evaluate the amplified sound, it is difficult to implement, regardless of scale, to gather humans with various attributes for evaluation, place them in the assumed listening range indoors and outdoors, and conduct listening and quality recording. Also, since it takes time to aggregate the evaluation of the obtained results, it has been difficult to repeatedly perform the evaluation and confirm the improvement results.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a sound amplification evaluation system, an evaluation information input device, an evaluation information display device, an evaluation information analysis device, and a sound amplification evaluation method that can grasp the listening conditions of various listeners of amplified sound regardless of scale, and that can easily evaluate amplified sound. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the loudspeaker sound evaluation system of the present invention has an evaluation information input device and an evaluation information display device that are connected to communicate with each other. The evaluation information input device has a participant information input unit that inputs information of participants who participate in the evaluation of loudspeaker sound from a loudspeaker, and an evaluation input unit that allows the participant who has listened to the loudspeaker to input evaluation information indicating the level of a pre-set index regarding their own listening condition. The evaluation information display device has an evaluation display unit that selectively displays the evaluation information corresponding to the loudspeaker according to the participant information of a plurality of participants.

[0008] The evaluation information input device of the present invention includes a participant information input unit for inputting information of participants who participate in the evaluation of amplified sound from a loudspeaker, and an evaluation input unit for inputting evaluation information indicating the level of a pre-set index for the participant who has listened to the amplified sound.

[0009] The evaluation information display device of the present invention has an evaluation display unit that selectively displays evaluation information indicating the level of a pre-set index for the listening status of participants participating in the evaluation of amplified sound from a loudspeaker, according to the participant information of multiple participants.

[0010] The evaluation information analysis device of the present invention comprises an analysis unit and an analysis result display unit. The analysis unit analyzes the correlation between evaluation information indicating the level of a preset index and the loudspeaker sound or weather information, regarding the listening conditions of participants participating in the evaluation of loudspeaker sound. The analysis result display unit displays the analysis results from the analysis unit.

[0011] The present invention provides a method for evaluating amplified sound, which includes an evaluation input unit that inputs evaluation information indicating the level of a pre-set index for a participant who has listened to amplified sound from a loudspeaker, and an evaluation display unit that selectively displays the evaluation information corresponding to the loudspeaker according to participant information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to understand the listening conditions of various listeners of amplified sound, regardless of the scale, and to easily evaluate the amplified sound. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is an overall configuration diagram showing the sound amplification evaluation system in an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an evaluation information input device in an embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of an input screen for evaluation information. [Figure 4] Block diagram showing an evaluation information display device in an embodiment. [Figure 5] This is an example of how evaluation information is displayed, showing the matrix table before filtering (A) and the matrix table after filtering (B). [Figure 6] This is an example of how evaluation information is displayed, showing matrix table (A) corresponding to Test 1 and matrix table (B) corresponding to Test 2. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of displaying evaluation information along with a map. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram showing the processing flow of the amplification sound evaluation system according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an evaluation test of a loudspeaker installed within a facility. [Figure 10] This figure shows a modified version of the input screen for evaluation information. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] [Summary] A mode for implementing the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "this embodiment") will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is applied to a loudspeaker evaluation system S, an evaluation information input device 100 constituting the same, and an evaluation information display device 200. Further, a loudspeaker evaluation method for performing the processing described below and a loudspeaker evaluation program for causing a computer to execute the processing are also aspects of the present invention.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the loudspeaker evaluation system S is a system for evaluating the audible state of the amplified sound output from the loudspeaker L. The loudspeaker evaluation system S includes an evaluation information input device 100 and an evaluation information display device 200 connected to the network N. Note that, as will be described later, the evaluation information display device 200 also functions as an evaluation information analysis device. Further, a control device C for controlling the loudspeaker L and a weather device W for detecting weather information are connected to the network N.

[0016] (Network) The network N is a communication network for transmitting and receiving information, such as the Internet, LAN, VPN, etc. It does not matter which WAN or LAN is used. The evaluation information input device 100, the evaluation information display device 200, the control device C of the loudspeaker L, and the weather device W are connected to the network N via a relay device such as an access point, router, or gateway. The connection mode with the relay device may be wired or wireless.

[0017] The loudspeaker evaluation system S of this embodiment can provide a cloud service for performing an evaluation test of the amplified sound via the network N by the evaluation information input device 100 and the evaluation information display device 200 in which a browser or a dedicated application is installed. Note that if a web application can be launched and used with a general-purpose web browser, there is no need to download a dedicated application on each device.

[0018] (Loudspeaker) In this embodiment, the amplified sound is the sound output from the loudspeaker L and transmitted to the listener through the atmosphere, as shown in Figure 1. The amplified sound includes not only human voices but also musical sounds such as music and signal sounds. Signal sounds are sounds used to notify people of specific states or actions, such as warning sounds, guidance sounds, notification sounds, and confirmation sounds. Sirens are also warning sounds and are a type of signal sound. In the following description, the output of sound from the loudspeaker L to transmit specific information, such as disaster prevention information, to the surrounding area will be referred to as an amplified broadcast. Furthermore, an amplified broadcast conducted to evaluate the amplified sound will be referred to as an evaluation test.

[0019] The loudspeaker L is a device that converts pre-recorded sound data into sound vibrations in the air, amplifies them, and outputs them. The loudspeaker L is installed outdoors or indoors in a specific area or facility, and can transmit necessary information by sound to listeners located at a distance from the loudspeaker L. The loudspeaker broadcast is carried out periodically or irregularly.

[0020] For example, loudspeakers L are installed outdoors or indoors in public facilities such as municipal parks, government offices, gymnasiums, stadiums, and halls. As mentioned above, these are used to transmit various types of information, including disaster prevention information, and it is especially important that the information is reliably heard by listeners in urgent situations. This embodiment makes it possible to improve the reliability of information transmission by evaluating the audibility of such loudspeakers.

[0021] The loudspeaker L is connected to broadcasting equipment B and control device C, which are managed by technician E who operates the loudspeaker L. Broadcasting equipment B includes an amplifier, tuner, etc. Control device C controls broadcasting equipment B. Control device C outputs the sound data for the loudspeaker broadcast, supplied via network N (cloud), to broadcasting equipment B, and the loudspeaker sound is output from loudspeaker L via broadcasting equipment B. Control device C carries out the loudspeaker broadcast according to a pre-set schedule. The schedule is received by control device C via network N or input to control device C by technician E.

[0022] (Weather equipment) The weather instrument W is a device that detects weather information. Weather information is an atmospheric evaluation index that affects sound propagation and hearing in the atmosphere. The weather instrument W is installed near the loudspeaker L. This allows the weather instrument W to detect weather information around the loudspeaker L. The weather instrument W detects weather information and transmits it to the evaluation information display device 200 via the network N. The weather instrument W includes, for example, a thermometer, hygrometer, barometer, wind vane, anemometer, rain gauge, etc., and detects temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind direction, wind speed, rainfall, etc.

[0023] [Amplified Sound Evaluation System] The following describes the details of the sound amplification evaluation system S. In the following description, a functional block diagram illustrating each function as a block will be used. Furthermore, the present invention can also be understood as a program that causes a computer to execute each process, and a computer-readable storage medium that records such a program.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the public address evaluation system S includes an evaluation information input device 100 and an evaluation information display device 200. The evaluation information input device 100 and the evaluation information display device 200 are configured by a computer controlled by a program. The computer is composed of a processor such as a CPU, a storage medium such as memory, etc., but the hardware and program implementation can be changed in various ways. Various settings, calculation formulas, parameters, etc. necessary for the processing of each part described later are stored in advance in an internal or removable storage medium. The storage units 107 and 204 described later can be configured as part of the storage area of ​​such a storage medium.

[0025] (Evaluation information input device) The evaluation information input device 100 is a device capable of sending and receiving information to and from the evaluation information display device 200 via the network N. The evaluation information input device 100 can use, for example, a smartphone, tablet terminal, wearable device, or PC managed by the evaluation participant P. In the following description, those who listen to the public address broadcast will be referred to as listeners, and among the listeners, those who participate in the evaluation test when it is conducted will be referred to as participant P. The evaluation information display device 200 is a device capable of sending and receiving information to and from the evaluation information input device 100 via the network N.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the evaluation information input device 100 includes a communication unit 101, a display unit 102, a participant information input unit 103, an evaluation input unit 104, a condition change input unit 105, a sound input unit 106, and a storage unit 107.

[0027] <Communications Department> The communication unit 101 is a processing unit that sends and receives information with the outside world. The communication unit 101 can send and receive information with the evaluation information display device 200 via the network N. For example, the communication unit 101 establishes a connection to the network N via a wireless LAN router, a mobile phone base station, etc. The communication unit 101 also transmits participant information and evaluation information to the evaluation information display device 200, as will be described later.

[0028] <Display section> The display unit 102 is a processing unit that displays information. The display unit 102 is a device that displays images that the user can visually recognize, such as still images, videos, and text. In this embodiment, the display unit 102 displays information related to the loudspeaker evaluation test provided by the evaluation information display device 200. For example, the display unit 102 displays information that notifies the loudspeaker evaluation test and encourages participation in the evaluation, and information that instructs the evaluation test. The display unit 102 also displays a screen for inputting participant information of participant P participating in the loudspeaker evaluation, and a screen for inputting loudspeaker evaluation information.

[0029] <Participant Information Input Section> The participant information input unit 103 is a processing unit that inputs information about participants P who are participating in the evaluation of the loudspeaker sound. In this embodiment, a touch panel is configured on the display unit 102, and this touch panel functions as the participant information input unit 103, which inputs participant information via an input screen displayed on the display screen of the display unit 102. Participant information includes basic information such as age, gender, age group (teens, twenties, etc.), as well as the address of the listening location, whether the listening location is indoors or outdoors, and the health status of the ears. The participant information input unit 103 also inputs location information from the GPS receiver provided by the evaluation information input device 100.

[0030] <Evaluation Input Section> The evaluation input unit 104 is a processing unit that inputs evaluation information. The evaluation information is information indicating the level of a pre-set indicator for the participant P who listened to the amplified sound. In this embodiment, the touch panel configured on the display unit 102 functions as the evaluation input unit 104, inputting evaluation information via an input screen displayed on the display screen of the display unit 102.

[0031] Multiple types of evaluation indicators can be set. In this embodiment, the indicators include whether or not the amplified sound is audible and whether or not the amplified sound is clear. The indicator for whether or not the sound is audible indicates whether or not the amplified sound can be recognized. This indicator is not necessarily related to whether or not the meaning of the amplified sound was understood. The indicator for whether or not the sound is clear indicates whether or not the meaning of the amplified sound was grasped.

[0032] A concrete example of the evaluation information, along with an example of the input screen, will be explained with reference to Figure 3. The evaluation information input screen displays GUI components that divide the indicator of whether or not something can be heard into multiple levels (five in this example), from "hearable" to "not hearable." Similarly, the indicator of clarity is divided into multiple levels (five in this example), from "clear" to "unclear." Users simply select one of the radio buttons displayed corresponding to each level.

[0033] Each level is defined as follows: the midpoint between the two ends of the index is designated as "both," and as you move closer to either end, the levels become "somewhat" and "quite" unclear. Since participants themselves may have difficulty judging how well they can hear the amplified sound, this method makes it easier to select a level rather than using numbers or letters. In other words, if you can hear or hear the sound clearly, you should select "quite" audible or "quite" clear, as shown in Figure 3(A). However, if it is difficult to judge, you should select "both," which is the midpoint level, as shown in Figure 3(B). Also, as shown in Figure 3(C), even if the sound was loud and clearly audible, and you selected "quite" audible, it may be considered "quite" unclear if the sound is distorted or otherwise.

[0034] The indicator levels can be multi-stage as described above, or they can be stepless levels without clear divisions. In this case, for example, a slider can be displayed as a GUI component, as shown in Figure 3(D). The multiple levels can also be, for example, two levels such as audible and inaudible, or two levels such as clear and unclear, as shown in Figure 3(E).

[0035] <Condition Change Input Section> The condition change input unit 105 is a processing unit that inputs changes to the listening conditions of participant P. The listening conditions are the conditions under which participant P listens to the amplified sound. For example, the location where participant P listens is included in the listening conditions. In this embodiment, the touch panel configured on the display unit 102 functions as the condition change input unit 105, which inputs the condition changes via the input screen displayed on the display screen of the display unit 102.

[0036] For example, participant P, who has referred to an instruction from the evaluation information display device 200 to change the conditions (such as changing the listening location), can notify the device that the conditions have been changed by selecting the "Condition Change Complete" button on the instruction screen after changing the conditions (moving the listening location). The change in listening location may be to a location detectable by GPS, but even if the location is not detectable by GPS, participant P can make the decision and input it themselves.

[0037] Information can be entered using the participant information input unit 103, the evaluation input unit 104, and the condition change input unit 105 by touching the input screen or operating the on-screen software keyboard, but a mouse or mechanical keyboard can also be used as these input units.

[0038] <Audio Input Section> The sound input unit 106 is a processing unit that receives amplified sound, in other words, a microphone. Participant P, who is listening to the amplified sound, can input the amplified sound via the sound input unit 106. The participant information input unit 103, which inputs participant information by sound, can also function as an evaluation input unit 104 that inputs evaluation information by sound. In other words, the microphone may be used as the evaluation input unit 104.

[0039] <Storage section> The memory unit 107 is a processing unit that stores information necessary for processing by the evaluation information input device 100. The information stored by the memory unit 107 includes, for example, participant information input from the participant information input unit 103, evaluation information input from the evaluation input unit 104, GPS location information, and sound data input from the sound input unit 106.

[0040] (Evaluation information display device) As shown in Figure 4, the evaluation information display device 200 includes a communication unit 201, a guidance unit 202, an instruction unit 203, a storage unit 204, an evaluation display unit 205, an evaluation analysis unit 206, an analysis result display unit 207, and an input unit 208. The evaluation information display device 200 also functions as an evaluation information analysis device, which includes the evaluation analysis unit 206. In other words, the evaluation information display device 200 can also be interpreted as an evaluation information analysis device.

[0041] <Communications Department> The communication unit 201 is a processing unit that transmits and receives information with the outside world. The communication unit 201 establishes a connection to the network N via a wireless LAN router, a mobile phone base station, etc. The communication unit 201 can also transmit and receive information with the evaluation information input device 100, the control device C of the loudspeaker L, and the weather equipment W via the network N.

[0042] <Information Department> The information unit 202 is a processing unit that outputs information encouraging participation in public address broadcasts and information prompting the input of participant information. This information is transmitted to the evaluation information input device 100 by the communication unit 201 and displayed on the display unit 102 in the form of electronic notifications such as a web page, email, SNS, SMS, or pop-up. The information unit 202 also outputs notifications such as the broadcast schedule and completion of changes to listening conditions. This information is transmitted to the control device C of the loudspeaker L by the communication unit 201.

[0043] <Instruction part> The instruction unit 203 is a processing unit that outputs information instructing a change in conditions. This information is transmitted to the evaluation information input device 100 by the communication unit 201 and displayed on the display unit 102 in the form of, for example, a web page, email, or social media.

[0044] <Storage section> The memory unit 204 is a processing unit that stores information necessary for processing by the evaluation information display device 200. The information stored in the memory unit 204 includes, for example, participant information, evaluation information, map information, GPS location information, condition change notifications, and sound data transmitted from the evaluation information input device 100. Broadcast schedules and weather information are also included in the information stored in the memory unit 204.

[0045] <Evaluation Display Section> The evaluation display unit 205 is a processing unit that selectively displays evaluation information according to the participant information of multiple participants P. In this embodiment, the display device provided by the evaluation information display device 200 functions as the evaluation display unit 205. The evaluation display unit 205 displays the evaluation information for each loudspeaker L in a matrix table with the levels of two indicators as the vertical and horizontal axes.

[0046] For example, as shown in Figures 5(A) and (B), in a 5x5 grid, the horizontal axis represents the five levels of the indicator for whether or not the sound is audible, and the vertical axis represents the five levels of the indicator for whether or not the sound is clear. Each cell displays the number of participants P who made the corresponding input. As shown in Figure 5(A), if 8 people entered "cannot hear" and "unclear," then 8 is displayed in the corresponding cell. In addition, cells containing relevant individuals and cells with the largest number of people may be identified by color coding or other means. In Figure 5(A), cells containing relevant individuals are blacked out, and cells with the largest number of people (89) for "somewhat audible" and "somewhat clear" are identified by shading.

[0047] This display is performed selectively according to the participant information of multiple participants P. Selective display includes displaying all evaluation information corresponding to each loudspeaker L, or narrowing down the display according to the participant information. In other words, the evaluation display unit 205 has a filtering function using segments and filters. For example, if a matrix table of all generations as shown in Figure 5(A) is narrowed down to those in their 70s, the display becomes a limited matrix table as shown in Figure 5(B).

[0048] If an evaluation test using a common loudspeaker L is conducted multiple times with varying listening conditions for participant P, a matrix table should be created for each test. For example, if two evaluation tests are conducted, the evaluation information for Test 1 should be displayed as shown in Figure 6(A), and the evaluation information for Test 2 should be displayed as shown in Figure 6(B).

[0049] The evaluation display unit 205 may display the evaluation information along with a map of the locations where participant P listened, as shown in Figure 7. In this case, it is preferable to display the evaluation information along with the location of participant P on the map. Since there may be multiple participants P, the display location should be a representative location determined from the location information of multiple participants P. For example, the tip of the inverted teardrop shape may be displayed pointing to the location of participant P on the map, and the matrix table of the evaluation information may be displayed nearby. It is also preferable to display the evaluation information along with the location of the loudspeaker L on the map. This allows for quick recognition of which loudspeaker L the evaluation information pertains to.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, evaluation information for a common loudspeaker L, but with different filtering conditions based on participant information (see Figure 6), may be displayed side by side. This allows for a quick recognition of differences in listening conditions due to differences in participants P for a common loudspeaker L.

[0051] <Evaluation and Analysis Department> The evaluation analysis unit 206 is a processing unit that analyzes the correlation between evaluation information and amplified sound. The amplified sound is sound data recorded by each evaluation information input device 100 and transmitted from the evaluation information input device 100. For example, the evaluation analysis unit 206 calculates the correlation coefficient and performs regression analysis.

[0052] The correlation coefficient is calculated by determining the Pearson correlation coefficient between the sound pressure level of each 1 / 3 octave band of the sound data and the evaluation score of the evaluation information. Regression analysis is used to construct a model that predicts the evaluation score from the sound pressure level. In other words, simple or multiple regression analysis is used to quantify the relationship between the sound pressure level and the evaluation information.

[0053] <Analysis result display area> The analysis result display unit 207 is a processing unit that displays the analysis results from the evaluation analysis unit 206. The analysis results are displayed as a graph showing the strength and direction of the linear relationship between the sound pressure level and the evaluation score, using the correlation coefficient value (in the range of -1 to 1). In this embodiment, the display device provided in the evaluation information display device 200 functions as the analysis result display unit 207.

[0054] <Input section> The input unit 208 is a processing unit that inputs necessary information to the evaluation information display device 200. The input unit 208 is an input device such as a keyboard, touch panel, or mouse that provides instructions for operating the evaluation information display device 200. The evaluation test implementer A can use the input unit 208 to input instructions such as announcing the evaluation test, registering participant information, and changing conditions. The input unit 208 also allows implementer A to input the map to be displayed, the selection of evaluation information, and filtering conditions.

[0055] [Processing Procedure] The processing procedure of this embodiment described above will be explained with reference to Figure 8, which shows the processing flow of each device and the exchange of information between devices, in addition to the drawings described above.

[0056] First, the guidance unit 202 of the evaluation information display device 200 transmits notification information announcing the implementation of the evaluation test to each evaluation information input device 100 (step S101). Upon receiving this, the participant P of the evaluation information input device 100 (step S201) inputs participant information using the participant information input unit 103 (step S202). The input participant information is transmitted to the evaluation information display device 200 (step S203), received by the evaluation information display device 200 (step S102), and registered in the storage unit 204 (step S103). The evaluation information display device 200 also transmits the broadcast schedule to the control device C, which records it upon receiving it.

[0057] Technician E, who operates loudspeaker L, will conduct a loudspeaker broadcast according to the broadcast schedule. The loudspeaker broadcast conducted here is an evaluation test to assess the loudspeaker sound, and is Test 1 of Test 2, which is conducted twice with participant P changing listening locations.

[0058] The sound emitted from the loudspeaker L propagates into the surrounding atmosphere. Participants P who hear this loudspeaker input evaluation information using the evaluation input unit 104 of the evaluation information input device 100 (step S204). The input evaluation information is transmitted to the evaluation information display device 200 (step S205), received by the evaluation information display device 200 (step S104), and stored in the storage unit 204 (step S105). At this time, weather information is transmitted from the weather equipment W to the evaluation information display device 200 and stored in the storage unit 204.

[0059] As shown in Figure 1, the propagation of amplified sound varies depending on the terrain, such as mountains, the presence of buildings, and whether the location is indoors or outdoors. It also varies greatly depending on weather information, the listener's age and gender, presence or absence of illness, and whether the listening location is indoors or outdoors. Furthermore, the listening experience differs depending on the listener's age and hearing condition. Participant P inputs evaluation information according to their own perception of what they hear. Therefore, there may be cases where they cannot hear anything at all or cannot understand the content at all, in which case they input "very difficult to hear" or "very difficult to understand."

[0060] Implementer A instructs the instruction unit 203 of the evaluation information display device 200 to output information requesting participant P to change conditions. For example, it outputs information instructing participant P to move from indoors to outdoors. This information is transmitted to the evaluation information input device 100 by the communication unit 201 (step S106). The evaluation information input device 100 receives the change request (step S206), and participant P, who has changed conditions such as moving to a listening location according to the instructions, inputs a completion notification of the condition change via the condition change input unit 105 (step S207). This completion notification is transmitted to the evaluation information display device 200 by the communication unit 101 (step S209).

[0061] Upon receiving the completion notification, the evaluation information display device 200 (step S107) transmits the completion notification to the control device C of the loudspeaker L (step S108). The technician E operating the loudspeaker L carries out the next loudspeaker broadcast, i.e., Test 2, according to the broadcast schedule (steps S209, S210, steps S109, S110).

[0062] The registered evaluation information is displayed by the evaluation display unit 205 (step S111). Furthermore, the evaluation analysis unit 206 performs a correlation analysis between the evaluation information and sound data (step S112), and the results are displayed by the analysis result display unit 207 (step S113).

[0063] [effect] (1) The loudspeaker sound evaluation system S of this embodiment has an evaluation information input device 100 and an evaluation information display device 200 that are connected in a manner that enables information communication. The evaluation information input device 100 has a participant information input unit 103 that inputs information of participants P who participate in the evaluation of loudspeaker sound from loudspeaker L, and an evaluation input unit 104 in which participants P who have listened to the loudspeaker sound input evaluation information indicating the level of a pre-set index regarding their own listening condition. The evaluation information display device 200 has an evaluation display unit 205 that selectively displays evaluation information corresponding to loudspeaker L according to the participant information of a plurality of participants P.

[0064] Furthermore, the loudspeaker sound evaluation method of this embodiment includes an evaluation information input process in which a participant P who has listened to the loudspeaker inputs evaluation information indicating the level of a pre-set index regarding their own listening condition via an evaluation input unit 104, and an evaluation information display process in which an evaluation display unit 205 selectively displays evaluation information corresponding to the loudspeaker L according to the participant information.

[0065] Therefore, by collecting evaluation information from participant P and selectively displaying the results according to participant information, it is possible to understand the listening conditions of various listeners of the amplified sound regardless of the scale, and to easily evaluate the amplified sound.

[0066] For example, ordinary local residents, evaluation volunteers, etc., can act as participants P, using their own mobile devices to collect evaluations of listening conditions on a large scale. At the same time, the listening location of participants P and environmental information such as whether they are indoors or outdoors can also be collected from GPS, so evaluation information tailored to the listening conditions can be displayed, allowing for a detailed understanding of the listening conditions. Even on a large scale, it is easy for evaluators to participate, and the collection of listening conditions for loudspeakers can be carried out in real time. As a result, areas with poor listening conditions can be identified relatively early, and the quality of the broadcast sound on site can be quickly grasped and used to improve it.

[0067] (2) The indicators include not only whether the amplified sound is heard, but also other indicators. For example, the indicators include whether the amplified sound is clear or not. Since amplified sound needs to convey meaningful information, adding other indicators allows for a more accurate evaluation. For example, by including an indicator of clarity in addition to simply whether it was heard, it is possible to evaluate whether the information was conveyed to the listener.

[0068] (3) The evaluation display unit 205 displays the evaluation information in a matrix table with the levels of two indicators on the horizontal and vertical axes, and the number of participants P corresponding to each level. Therefore, the hearing status of a large number of participants P based on multiple indicators can be easily grasped in a single matrix table.

[0069] (4) The evaluation display unit 205 displays evaluation information for the common loudspeaker L, with different filtering conditions based on different participant information, side by side. This makes it easy to understand the differences in hearing conditions among participants P for the common loudspeaker.

[0070] (5) The evaluation display unit 205 displays the evaluation information along with a map of the locations where participant P conducted the interviews. This allows for quick recognition of the location where the evaluation information was conducted.

[0071] (6) The evaluation display unit 205 displays the evaluation information along with the location of participant P on the map. This allows for quick recognition of the location of participant P for which the evaluation information is being displayed.

[0072] (7) The evaluation display unit 205 displays evaluation information along with the location of the loudspeaker L on the map. This allows users to recognize at a glance which loudspeaker L the evaluation information pertains to.

[0073] (8) The system has an evaluation information analysis unit that analyzes the correlation between the loudspeaker sound recorded at the location where participant P heard it and the evaluation information. Therefore, it is possible to understand the relationship between the loudspeaker sound that participant P actually heard and the evaluation.

[0074] (9) The evaluation information input device 100 has a condition change input unit 105 for inputting changes in the listening conditions of participant P. Therefore, when conducting evaluation tests in multiple stages with different listening conditions for participant P, the evaluation tests can be carried out smoothly by notifying the evaluation information display device 200 of changes in listening conditions that only participant P can recognize, such as changes in the listening location.

[0075] [Differentiation] This embodiment also includes the following modifications. (1) The location of the loudspeaker L and the listening location of the participant P in the evaluation test are not limited to the above configuration. It may also be a system in which the loudspeaker L installed in the facility is listened to and evaluated by participant P who listens to it within the facility. For example, as shown in Figure 9, participant P inside the buildings of facilities F1 and F2 may listen to and evaluate the loudspeaker L installed in facilities F1 and F2. The facility may be indoors or outdoors. For example, it may be an indoor venue such as a concert hall or gymnasium, or an outdoor venue such as a sports field.

[0076] (2) Participant P can be a variety of people, such as residents of a specific area or people belonging to a specific organization such as a company. In the case of evaluating amplified sound in the above-mentioned facilities, amplified sound propagates easily and individual differences are unlikely to occur, so a specific person within a specific group may be designated as Participant P to represent the group and the evaluation may be common to that group.

[0077] (3) The evaluation and analysis unit 206 may analyze the correlation between evaluation information and weather information. This makes it possible to understand the impact of differences in weather conditions on the listening situation. In addition, the evaluation and analysis unit 206 can obtain analysis results for each different participant P by narrowing down the evaluation information to be analyzed based on participant information.

[0078] (4) The evaluation information analysis device may be configured separately from the evaluation information display device 200. That is, an evaluation information analysis device having an analysis unit that analyzes the correlation between evaluation information and loudspeaker sound or weather information, and an analysis result display unit 207 that displays the analysis results by the analysis unit, may be connected to the evaluation information input device 100 or the evaluation information display device 200 in a manner that enables information communication.

[0079] (5) Evaluation tests, collection of evaluation information, and analysis of evaluation information can be provided as cloud services, so parts of the evaluation information display device 200 may be configured separately. For example, the storage unit 204 may be configured separately from the evaluation information display device 200, such as a data server connected to the network N.

[0080] (6) The number of indicators, the number of indicator levels, the number of cells in the matrix table, and the way they are displayed are not limited to the examples above. The number of indicators may be one or three or more. The number of indicator levels may be multiple or stepless as described above. The number of tests to be conducted may be one or three or more.

[0081] (7) The input to the evaluation input unit 104 may be displayed on the display unit 102 as a graph with the two axes of the indicator being the vertical and horizontal axes, and any point on that graph may be specified. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, a matrix table similar to the display of evaluation information may be displayed on the display unit 102, and any cell in that matrix table may be selected and specified (blacked-out cell in the figure).

[0082] (8) Weather information is not limited to the examples given above. For example, in addition to air density and temperature gradients, information on temperature inversion layers and the presence and location of aerosols is also included in weather information.

[0083] [Other embodiments] Although embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments and modifications are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments described above can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the invention described in the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0084] 100 Evaluation Information Input Device 101 Communications Department 102 Display section 103 Participant Information Input Section 104 Evaluation Input Section 105 Condition Change Input Section 106 Audio Input Section 107 Storage section 200 Evaluation Information Display Device 201 Communications Department 202 Information Department 203 Instruction section 204 Storage section 205 Evaluation Display Section 206 Evaluation and Analysis Department 207 Analysis result display section 208 Input section A. Implementer B Broadcast equipment C control device E Engineer F, F1, F2 facilities L Megaphone N Network P participants S Amplification Sound Evaluation System W Weather Equipment

Claims

1. It has an evaluation information input device and an evaluation information display device that are connected in a manner that enables information communication, The aforementioned evaluation information input device is A participant information input section for inputting information about participants who will be evaluating the amplified sound from the loudspeaker, An evaluation input unit in which the participant who has listened to the amplified sound inputs evaluation information indicating the level of a pre-set indicator regarding their listening ability, It has, The aforementioned evaluation information display device is The system has an evaluation display unit that selectively displays the evaluation information corresponding to the loudspeaker according to the participant information of multiple participants. A sound amplification evaluation system characterized by the following features.

2. The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned indicator includes other indicators in addition to an indicator of whether or not loudspeaker sound can be heard.

3. The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 2, characterized in that the indicator includes an indicator of whether or not the loudspeaker sound is clear.

4. The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation display unit displays the evaluation information in a matrix table in which the levels of two indicators are used as the horizontal axis and the vertical axis, and the number of participants corresponding to each level is displayed.

5. The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation display unit displays the evaluation information for a common loudspeaker, with different filtering conditions based on the participant information, side by side.

6. The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation display unit displays the evaluation information together with a map of the locations where the participants heard the sound.

7. The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 6, characterized in that the evaluation display unit displays the evaluation information along with the location of the participant on the map.

8. The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 6, characterized in that the evaluation display unit displays the evaluation information along with the location of the loudspeaker on the map.

9. The evaluation information analysis device is connected to the evaluation information input device or the evaluation information display device in a manner that enables information communication, The loudspeaker evaluation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation information analysis device has an evaluation analysis unit that analyzes the correlation between the loudspeaker sound recorded at the location where the participant listened and the evaluation information.

10. The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 1, characterized in that it has an evaluation information analysis device that analyzes the correlation between weather information at the location where the participant listened and the evaluation information.

11. The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 10, characterized in that the evaluation information analysis device narrows down the evaluation information to be analyzed based on the participant information.

12. The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation information input device has a condition change input unit for inputting changes in the listening conditions of the participant.

13. The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 12, characterized in that the listening conditions are the listening location of the participant.

14. The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the participant information includes weather information.

15. The evaluation information analysis device is connected to the aforementioned evaluation information display device in a manner that enables information communication, The aforementioned evaluation information analysis device is An analysis unit that analyzes the correlation between the evaluation information and the amplified sound, An analysis results display unit that displays the analysis results from the aforementioned analysis unit, The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 1, characterized by having the following features.

16. The evaluation information analysis device is connected to the aforementioned evaluation information display device in a manner that enables information communication, The aforementioned evaluation information analysis device is An analysis unit analyzes the correlation between weather information at the location where the participant heard the information and the evaluation information. An analysis results display unit that displays the analysis results from the aforementioned analysis unit, The loudspeaker sound evaluation system according to claim 1, characterized by having the following features.

17. A participant information input section for inputting information about participants who will be evaluating the amplified sound from the loudspeaker, An evaluation input unit in which participants who have listened to the aforementioned amplified sound input evaluation information indicating the level of a pre-set indicator regarding their listening ability, An evaluation information input device characterized by having the following features.

18. An evaluation information display device characterized by having an evaluation display unit that selectively displays evaluation information indicating the level of a pre-set index for the listening status of participants participating in the evaluation of amplified sound from a loudspeaker, according to the participant information of multiple participants.

19. An analysis unit analyzes the correlation between evaluation information indicating the level of a pre-set index and the loudspeaker sound or weather information, regarding the listening ability of participants participating in the evaluation of the loudspeaker sound. An analysis results display unit that displays the analysis results from the aforementioned analysis unit, An evaluation information analysis device characterized by having the following features.

20. The evaluation input unit performs an evaluation information input process in which participants who have listened to the amplified sound from the loudspeaker input evaluation information indicating the level of a pre-set indicator regarding their own listening ability. The evaluation display unit performs an evaluation information display process that selectively displays the evaluation information corresponding to the loudspeaker according to the participant information, A method for evaluating amplified sound, characterized by including the following:

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