Speaker equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a speaker device capable of reproducing and outputting inaudible low-frequency vibrations of approximately 20 Hz or less (hereinafter referred to as "ultra-low frequency vibrations"), and equipped with a function to visualize the presence of ultra-low frequency vibrations in the reproduced output data if they are present. [Solution] The speaker device 1, which is communicatively connected to the information device 2, includes a data receiving unit 11A that receives audible audio data and / or infrasound vibration data from the information device, a display unit 14 that indicates the presence or absence of infrasound vibration, and an expression control unit 11C that causes the display unit 14 to display in a predetermined manner when the received data is played back. The information device 2 includes a user input receiving unit 22 that acquires the type of data to be played back and the expression manner of the display means, an audio data receiving unit 23 that acquires audio data according to the data type, and a data transmission unit 25 that transmits an existence signal indicating the presence or absence of audio data and infrasound vibration data, and an expression manner to the speaker device 1.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a speaker device capable of outputting inaudible low-frequency vibrations generally below 20 Hz (hereinafter, "ultra-low frequency vibrations"), and having a function of visualizing the presence of ultra-low frequency vibrations when they are included in the output audio data.

Background Art

[0002] Although it is a basic function of a speaker to convert digital audio data into analog, amplify it, and reproduce it, Patent Document 1 discloses a speaker device that attempts to enjoy music not only aurally but also visually using a light-emitting element with respect to this basic function.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Changing the topic, findings are being gathered that ultra-low frequency vibrations have some beneficial effects on humans when received by the body. Therefore, there is an example of manufacturing a device that generates ultra-low frequency vibrations, installing it in an elderly care facility, and attempting a demonstration experiment. If there are beneficial effects on humans, it is regrettable that many CDs cut the components of ultra-low frequency vibrations, and it is desirable to reproduce them without cutting. However, the problem is that since they cannot be heard by the human ear, it is not known whether the music, radio programs, etc. being watched or listened to contain ultra-low frequency vibrations or not. Even if the physical condition improves, it is not known whether it is due to the effect of ultra-low frequency vibrations. Therefore, if the audible audio data being reproduced contains ultra-low frequency vibrations, it was considered to visualize them.

[0005] From this perspective, I searched J-PlatPat for inventions relating to speakers that visually represent inaudible ultra-low frequency vibrations, but I could not find any prior applications. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A speaker device for solving the problems of the present invention is: A receiving means for acquiring audible audio data (including not only music but also television and radio programs; anything that is audible is acceptable) and / or inaudible infrasound vibration data, A display means that expresses the presence or absence of ultra-low frequency vibrations (not just the lighting or blinking of a single light-emitting element, but also illumination using multiple light-emitting elements, etc., going beyond mere display), The system is characterized by comprising a control means that, when reproducing received data, causes the display means to display in a predetermined manner if ultra-low frequency vibration data is also present in the reproduced data. In this specification, "audio data" includes both audible audio data and inaudible infrasound vibration data. Audio data excluding infrasound vibration data is referred to as "audible audio data."

[0007] This makes it possible to visually capture ultra-low frequency vibration data that is inaudible to the human ear.

[0008] The speaker device of the present invention can output three types of audio data: (1) data including audible audio data and inaudible ultra-low frequency vibration data, (2) audible audio data only, and (3) inaudible ultra-low frequency vibration data only. The type of audio data to be output can be specified via an information device, and the information device may receive the specified type of data from a sound source server or similar device that manages and stores music data, and then transmit it to the speaker device. Alternatively, the type of data to be output can be specified by the speaker device itself, and then transmitted to the information device. The information device then receives the specified type of audio data from the sound source server or similar device and transmits it to the speaker device.

[0009] This means that the audio data transmitted from the information device to the speaker device only needs to be output from the speaker, eliminating the need for the speaker device to determine whether or not ultra-low frequency vibration data is included in the playback data.

[0010] The display means provided in the speaker device may be one or any number of light-emitting elements (e.g., LEDs or light bulbs) or a display screen (e.g., a monochrome or color liquid crystal screen). The display style of the display means can be specified by the user via the information device or speaker device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] Since ultra-low frequency vibrations, which are imperceptible to hearing, can be perceived visually, it can provide an incentive to incorporate ultra-low frequency vibrations into daily life or to try them out to see if they are effective. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This figure illustrates an overview of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the block configuration of the speaker device and information equipment according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a user input screen displayed on the screen of an information device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the processing flow on the information device side of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates the processing flow on the speaker device side of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the block configuration of the speaker device and information equipment according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates the switches added to the speaker device of the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The outline of the system of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The present invention is implemented by connecting a speaker device to an information device via a wired or wireless communication line N1. It is necessary that an application program (hereinafter, “speaker control app”) for controlling the speaker device be installed in the information device. The information device transmits the data received from a sound source server or the like via the communication line N2 to the speaker device according to the type of voice data specified by the user. The speaker device reproduces and outputs the transmitted data, and visualizes it when outputting an ultra-low frequency vibration. The type of voice data to be reproduced, the mode of expression by the display means, etc. will be specified by the user, and this specification can be made from either the speaker device or the information device. In the following first embodiment, it is specified on the information device side, and in the second embodiment, it is specified on the speaker device side. It is not impossible to implement the present invention with only the speaker device. However, when audible voice data and inaudible ultra-low frequency vibration data are integrated, it is not easy to determine whether ultra-low frequency vibration data is included. Therefore, it can be said that it is reasonable to control the speaker device with the speaker control app installed in the information device.

[0014] (First Embodiment) Next, the first embodiment (hereinafter, “this embodiment”) will be described while referring to FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. 2 shows the functional block configurations of the speaker device 1 and the information device 2 constituting the present system.

[0015] According to FIG. 2, first, the block configuration related to the speaker control app AP of the information device 2 will be described. The information device 2 is assumed to be a smartphone. This is because many people of all ages and genders use it daily. Of course, a tablet terminal, a personal computer (PC), or the like may also be used. It is essential that the speaker control app AP be installed in the information device 2. The speaker control application AP includes, as functional blocks, a user input reception unit 22, an audio data reception unit 23, a transmission data generation unit 24, a data transmission unit 25, etc., which are realized by expanding the program stored in the storage unit 21 onto the memory and executed by the CPU. Further, a communication interface unit 26 is also essential for the execution of the speaker control application AP, and this includes Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-fi (registered trademark), etc.

[0016] The user input reception unit 22 receives an input from a user (hereinafter referred to as "user") who uses the speaker device 1, such as from the screen illustrated in FIG. 3. In the present embodiment, there are three types of audio data output from the speaker device 1. (Type 1) "Audible audio data" and "inaudible ultra-low frequency vibration data" (Type 2) Only "audible audio data" (Type 3) Only "inaudible ultra-low frequency vibration data" In principle, the type of this audio data is selected by the user. Although omitted in the screen example of FIG. 3, when selecting Type 1 or Type 2, the name of the audible audio data that the user wants to listen to may be input. When selecting Type 1 or Type 3, the speaker device 1 expresses that the inaudible ultra-low frequency vibration data will also be reproduced, but the user may select this expression style via a screen such as that in FIG. 3.

[0017] The audio data reception unit 23 receives audio data from the server 3, etc., according to the user-specified data type acquired by the user input reception unit 22. In the case of Type 1, ultra-low frequency vibration data is also received. In the case of Type 3, only ultra-low frequency vibration data is received. If the user has saved a favorite music piece, etc., in the information device 2, instead of acquiring it from the server 3, the saved music piece, etc., may be retrieved. The ultra-low frequency vibration data output by speaker device 1 is not limited to that received from server 3; if it is stored in the information device 2 or the storage unit of speaker device 1, it may be retrieved.

[0018] When Type 1 audio data is selected, the transmission data generation unit 24 superimposes the audible audio data and the infrasound vibration data. This is because these data are normally transmitted separately from server 3 and other sources. However, if the speaker device 1 is designed to superimpose the separate data, the data integration on the information device 2 side is omitted. When the transmission data generation unit 24 transmits type 1 or type 3 data to speaker device 1, it also sets an existence signal to ON to indicate the presence or absence of ultra-low frequency vibration data and transmits this simultaneously.

[0019] The data transmission unit 25 transmits audio data and presence signals for output to the speaker device 1 via the communication interface unit 26. If the user has specified a display style for the speaker device 1, this is also transmitted.

[0020] Next, the block configuration of speaker device 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 2. The speaker device 1 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a speaker 13 and display unit 14 which are output units, a communication interface unit 15, and the like. It also includes switches and other components as appropriate, but these are not shown in the illustration. The control unit 11 functions by executing a program stored in the memory unit 12. The memory unit 12 stores not only the program but also various parameters (such as blinking interval and brightness) and data during execution. A specification is conceivable in which only infrasound vibration data is output when the speaker device 1 is powered on and no audible music is played, and the infrasound vibration data to be output in this case may be stored. Speaker 13 includes not only the speaker itself, but also the D / A conversion section and the amplification section. The display unit 14 may include, as appropriate, light-emitting elements such as LEDs, or screens such as liquid crystal displays. The communication interface unit 15 is necessary for communication with external devices, including the information device 2, and this includes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

[0021] The control unit 11 includes a data receiving unit 11A, an audio playback unit 11B, an expression control unit 11C, and the like.

[0022] The data receiving unit 11A receives audio data for playback through the speaker and a signal indicating the presence of ultra-low frequency vibrations (ON or OFF) from the information device 2. It may also receive a display style (such as lighting or blinking) from the information device 2. If no display style is transmitted, it refers to the default value stored in the memory unit 12. When audible audio data and infrasound vibration data are transmitted as separate data sets for playback, the speaker device 1 superimposes them together.

[0023] The audio playback unit 11B controls the process of D / A conversion and amplification of the digital audio data received from the information device 2, and then outputting it from the speaker 13.

[0024] The expression control unit 11C controls the expression style of the display unit 14. If the value of the presence signal changes from ON to OFF before or after receiving audio data from information device 2, the current display style of the display unit 14 is cleared. If the value of the presence signal does not change, the display style remains as it is. When the value of the presence signal changes from OFF to ON, the display style is changed as follows, depending on the type of display unit 14. If the display unit 14 is an LED, it can be turned on, blinked, or its brightness changed. If there are two or more LEDs, the color may be changed. If there are multiple LEDs, an illumination-like effect may be achieved. If the display unit 14 is a screen such as an LCD, it is advisable to display patterns such as moiré or waveforms of infrasound vibrations in progress. In short, the goal is simply to be able to visually recognize whether or not ultra-low frequency vibrations are present in the sound output from speaker 13.

[0025] The main differences between speaker device 1 of this embodiment and conventional speaker devices are as follows: • Add a function to the computer program that implements the control unit 11 that receives an existence signal and controls the display unit. - Light-emitting elements, liquid crystal screens, switches, etc. are attached to the outer surface of the speaker device 1's casing, and a circuit board is created that integrates these components onto a control circuit. • Stores default infrasound vibration data. This may be used when only infrasound vibration data is played when speaker device 1 is powered on, without playing any audible music or other audio.

[0026] This concludes the explanation of the block configuration of speaker device 1 and information device 2. Next, the processing flow of this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0027] First, we will describe the processing on the information device 2 side, as shown in Figure 4. When the speaker control application AP is launched on information device 2, it waits for user input. If user input is received (yes in step S101; hereafter, "step S101" will be referred to as "S101"), it determines whether the type of audio data specified by the user includes ultra-low frequency vibration data (S102). If it does (yes in S102), the presence signal is turned ON (S103); otherwise, the presence signal is turned OFF (S104). Next, the data of the type specified in S101 is received from server 3 (S105). If audible audio data and ultra-low frequency vibration data are received separately (yes in S106), both data are superimposed (S107). The audio data of the specified type is sent to speaker device 1 (S108). The display style specified by the user is also sent at this time. If there is no user input and the application is instructed to end (yes in S109), the execution on information device 2 ends. If the app does not terminate (No in S109), it returns to S101 and waits for user input.

[0028] Next, we will describe the processing on the speaker device 1 side, as shown in Figure 5. The system receives audio data and a display style from information device 2 (S201). If the audio data consists of audible sound and infrasound vibrations (yes in S202), the two are superimposed (S203). If the presence signal transmitted from information device 2 is ON (ON in S204), the display unit 14 is displayed in the specified style (S205). After the transmitted audio data is played back (S206), as long as the power to speaker device 1 is not turned off (No in S207), the system returns to S201 and waits for user input. When the power is turned off (Yes in S207), the execution of speaker device 1 ends. If there is no data transmission from information device 2 while the power is ON (No in S201), the system waits until data is transmitted.

[0029] [Second Embodiment] This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the user inputs data into the speaker device and transmits the input data to an information device. The following describes the differences between the speaker device 101 and information device 102 of this embodiment and the first embodiment. Note that the same reference numerals are used for components with the same function as in the first embodiment.

[0030] As shown in Figure 6, the control unit 1011 of the speaker device 101 in this embodiment differs from the speaker device 1 of the first embodiment in that a user input receiving unit 1011A and an input data transmission unit 1011B are added to the control unit 1011. Furthermore, it is also equipped with various switches 1012 which serve as user input means. As shown in Figure 7, the outer periphery of the speaker device 101 is equipped with a data switching switch 1012A, an expression style selection switch 1012B, and the like. For example, the data switching switch 1012A is configured such that pressing it once selects data type 1, pressing it again selects data type 2, and so on. The expression style selection switch 1012B is configured such that each press cycles through illumination → blinking → brightness change → and so on. Of course, the method of user specification is not limited to this. For example, a switch could be provided for each data type. An LCD screen (not shown) could also be added near switches 1012A and 1012B to display the content specified by the user. The user input receiving unit 1011A transmits the user input from these switches to the information device 102 via the input data transmission unit 1011B.

[0031] Note that while Figure 7 shows a single light-emitting element as an example of the display unit 14, it may also be multiple elements, a liquid crystal screen, or a combination of a light-emitting element and a liquid crystal screen. Anything is acceptable as long as the user can visually confirm that ultra-low frequency vibrations are being output. This point is also the same in the first embodiment.

[0032] The speaker control application AP2 for the information device 102 differs from the application AP of the first embodiment in that it includes a user input receiving unit 1021. In the original application AP, a user input screen (see Figure 3) was provided for user input. However, in this embodiment, application AP2 receives user input from the speaker device 101. In other respects, application AP2 is almost identical to application AP.

[0033] The two embodiments described above are merely examples. For instance, there are many other possible methods for user input, presentation styles, and so on. [Industrial applicability]

[0034] Since it is possible to visually confirm whether or not infrasound vibrations are included in the sound emitted from the speaker, it is possible to increase the number of people interested in infrasound vibrations. This will promote the development and manufacture of not only the speaker device of the present invention, but also other equipment that utilizes infrasound vibrations. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0035] 1,101: Speaker device 2,102: Information equipment AP, AP2: Speaker control app

Claims

1. A data receiving means for acquiring audible audio data and / or inaudible low-frequency vibration (hereinafter, "infrasound vibration") data, A display means for visually representing the presence or absence of the aforementioned ultra-low frequency vibrations, When playing back the received data, the display means is provided with a display control means that causes the display means to display the data in a predetermined manner, A speaker device characterized by having the following features.

2. A speaker device that can communicate with information equipment, The speaker device is A data receiving means for receiving audible audio data and / or infrasound vibration data from the information device, A display means for indicating the presence or absence of the aforementioned ultra-low frequency vibration, When the received data is played back, the display means is provided with a display control means that causes the display means to display the data in a predetermined manner. The aforementioned information device is A user-specified input means for acquiring the type of data to be output and the representation mode of the display means, A voice data receiving means for acquiring voice data according to the aforementioned data type, A data transmission means for transmitting the audio data, an existence signal indicating the presence or absence of ultra-low frequency vibration data within the audio data, and the expression mode to the speaker device, A speaker device characterized by comprising the following:

3. A speaker device that can communicate with information equipment, The speaker device is A display means for indicating the presence or absence of ultra-low frequency vibrations, A user input receiving means for acquiring the type of data to be output and the display mode of the display means, A data receiving means for receiving audio data corresponding to the specified data type from the information device, When playing back the received data, if ultra-low frequency vibration data is also present in the played-back data, the display means is provided with a control means to display it in a predetermined manner. The aforementioned information device is A user-specified receiving means for acquiring the type of data to be output from the speaker device, A voice data receiving means for acquiring voice data according to the aforementioned data type, A data transmission means for transmitting the audio data to the speaker device, A speaker device characterized by comprising the following:

4. The speaker device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the display means is one or any number of light-emitting elements.

5. The speaker device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the display means is a display screen.

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