Audio device and audio control method

Abstract

To provide an acoustic device capable of improving user convenience by performing adaptive and efficient power-saving control depending on the user's situation in events such as conferences where utterance and reception scenes are assumed.SOLUTION: The acoustic device includes: a detection unit that detects transition timing to a first power-saving mode and a second power-saving mode respectively; a battery; a monitoring unit for monitoring the remaining capacity of the battery; a signal processor that processes audio signals; a sound emitter unit for acoustically outputting the processed audio signals; a communication unit which is capable of sending and receiving to and from the communication terminal and which transmits the processed audio signals to a communication terminal; and a control unit configured to control the signal processor to stop the operation based on the detection of the transition timing to the first power saving mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an audio device and an audio control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which, when the battery in one of two hearing aids worn on the left and right sides runs out, the other is notified that the battery has run out. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2011 / 045905 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the configuration of Patent Document 1 does not assume that the left and right hearing aids will be able to determine in advance when their own batteries are dead. In the first place, hearing aids are provided with a receiving function, but it is not assumed that they will be provided with a transmitting function that can be used regularly or irregularly. Therefore, if an attempt is made to apply the configuration of Patent Document 1 to use in a meeting or the like where the wearer is expected to speak, for example, the lack of a transmitting function means that the hearing aid cannot be used without being able to determine in advance when the battery is dead, making it difficult to perform efficient power saving control and potentially reducing user convenience.

[0005] In recent years, with the spread of smartphones, the use of small wireless earphones is becoming mainstream. This type of earphone is configured with left and right earphones independently, and each earphone has a built-in battery, which is charged appropriately before use. Recently, with the increase in teleworking in business scenes, the number of cases where this type of earphone is used for remote online meetings due to its convenience is increasing, and there is a growing demand for preventing the battery from running out during a meeting.

[0006] The present disclosure has been devised in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and aims to provide an audio device and an audio control method that can perform adaptive and efficient power saving control according to the user's situation and improve user convenience in events such as meetings where speaking and receiving scenes are expected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present disclosure provides an audio device comprising two acoustic devices attached to the left and right ears of a user, each of the acoustic devices having a detection unit that detects a timing for transitioning to a first power saving mode and a second power saving mode, a battery, a monitoring unit that monitors the remaining capacity of the battery, a signal processing unit that processes an input audio signal, a sound emitting unit that acoustically outputs the processed audio signal, a communication unit that is connected to a communication terminal carried by the user so as to be capable of transmitting and receiving the processed audio signal to the communication terminal, and a control unit that stops operation of the signal processing unit based on detection of the timing for transitioning to the first power saving mode, the control unit: From the first power saving mode An audio device is provided which, based on detection of the timing for transitioning to the second power saving mode, notifies the user to charge one of the audio devices having a low remaining battery capacity for a specified period of time, and allows the user to continue using only the other audio device having a high remaining battery capacity.

[0008] The present disclosure also relates to an acoustic control method for controlling two acoustic devices, each having a battery and worn on a left ear and a right ear of a user, the method comprising: a detection step for detecting timing for transitioning to a first power saving mode and a second power saving mode for each of the acoustic devices; a monitoring step for monitoring remaining capacity of the battery; a signal processing step for processing an input audio signal; a sound emission step for acoustically outputting the processed audio signal; a communication step for transmitting the processed audio signal to a communication terminal carried by the user, the communication terminal being connected so as to be capable of transmitting and receiving the audio signal; and a control step for stopping operation in the signal processing step based on detection of the timing for transitioning to the first power saving mode, the control step comprising: From the first power saving mode An acoustic control method is provided which, based on detection of the timing to transition to the second power saving mode, notifies the user to charge one of the acoustic devices having a low remaining battery capacity for a specified period of time, and allows the user to continue using only the other acoustic device having a high remaining battery capacity. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, in an event such as a conference where speech and reception scenes are expected, adaptive and efficient power saving control can be performed according to the user's situation, thereby improving user convenience. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of the internal hardware configuration of the earphone housing according to the first embodiment; [Diagram 2] A functional block diagram illustrating the processing on each circuit board of the pair of left and right earphone housings shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow in a first power saving mode by the circuit board shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow in a second power saving mode by the circuit board shown in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a display on the screen of the user's smartphone shown in FIG. 1; [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a display different from the example of FIG. 5 ; [Figure 7] A time chart for explaining an example of a use case of the earphone according to the first embodiment DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings as appropriate, an embodiment specifically disclosing an acoustic device and an acoustic control method according to the present disclosure will be described in detail. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or duplicate explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Also, each of the attached drawings will be referred to according to the direction of the symbols. Note that the attached drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0012] As an example of the present disclosure, a completely wireless earphone having a pair of left and right earphone housings 2R, 2L in which the earphone housings 2R, 2L are wirelessly connected to each other will be described; however, the present disclosure is not limited to this form, and the contents of the present disclosure can be applied as appropriate to any earphone having left and right independent earphone housings and batteries 22R, 22L built into each earphone housing 2R, 2L.

[0013] In addition, the term "unit" or "device" in the embodiments is not limited to a physical configuration that is mechanically realized by hardware, but also includes a configuration whose functions are realized by software such as a program. Also, the functions of one configuration may be realized by two or more physical configurations, or the functions of two or more configurations may be realized by, for example, one physical configuration.

[0014] (Embodiment 1) A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG.

[0015] [Hardware configuration of earphone device] First, the hardware configuration of an earphone device 1 (an example of an audio device) according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic example of the internal hardware configuration of earphone housings 2R and 2L according to the present embodiment.

[0016] In the present embodiment, the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L of the pair of left and right earphone housings 2R, 2L (described later) of the earphone device 1 have the same configuration. Therefore, in the attached drawings, the same configurations of the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L are given the same symbols. However, the numbers are written so that the configurations on the right side can be distinguished (identified) from the configurations on the left side by adding "R" to the end of the numbers and "L" to the end of the numbers. Also, in the following description, only the right earphone housing 2R will be described, and the description of the other earphone housing 2L, the left earphone housing 2L, may be omitted or simplified.

[0017] 1, the earphone device 1 is an inner-type acoustic device that is worn in the ears of a user U, and is configured with a pair of left and right earphone housings 2R, 2L (examples of acoustic devices) and earpieces attached to each of the earphone housings 2R, 2L. Note that the earpiece of the left earphone housing 2L is not shown in the figure.

[0018] The earphone device 1 is made up of a pair of left and right earphone housings 2R, 2L (that is, an earphone housing 2L for the left ear and an earphone housing 2R for the right ear), which are worn on the left and right ears of the user U. For example, each of the earphone housings 2R, 2L is held in a state where it is inserted into the ear canal of the user U's ear by an earpiece, and this held state is the state in which the earphone device 1 is in use, and the same is true for the left ear earphone housing 2L.

[0019] For ease of explanation, FIG. 1 only illustrates the right-side earphone housing 2R, and omits the illustration of the left-side earphone housing 2L; however, as mentioned above, the left-side earphone housing 2L is similar, so its explanation will be omitted or simplified below.

[0020] In this embodiment, the earphone device 1 has wireless communication units 34R, 34L (an example of a communication unit, see below) capable of communicating according to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication standard. The earphone device 1 is wirelessly connected via the wireless communication units 34R, 34L to a sound source device such as a radio device or a music playback device for music playback, or to a telephone device such as a smartphone P1 (an example of a communication terminal, see below) carried by a user U for telephone use. The earphone device 1 receives audio signals and music signals transmitted from these devices, and outputs the audio signals as sound waves, or picks up the speech of the user U and transmits the collected audio results to these devices.

[0021] In the present embodiment, a smartphone P1 is shown and described as an example of a device with which the earphone device 1 wirelessly communicates, but the invention is not limited to this and the earphone device 1 can be connected to various devices as long as they are capable of wireless communication. In addition, in Fig. 1, the earphone device 1 (the right earphone housing 2R) is shown large and emphasized for ease of understanding.

[0022] The right earphone housing 2R has a housing 3R as a structural member, and its appearance is formed in a rounded box shape. The housing 3R is made of a composite material such as synthetic resin, metal, and ceramic, and a storage space (specifically, a rear chamber 4R and a front chamber 11R) is formed inside. The rear chamber 4R and the front chamber 11R are separated by a partition plate. In addition, the housing 3R is provided with a mounting cylinder portion (not shown) that communicates with the front chamber 11R side of the storage space (specifically, the rear chamber 4R and the front chamber 11R).

[0023] The earpiece 5R is made of a flexible material such as silicone, and is injection molded to have an inner cylinder (not shown) and an outer cylinder (not shown). The inner cylinder of the earpiece 5R is inserted and fixed into a cylindrical mounting portion of the housing 3R, and the earpiece 5R is provided replaceably (detachably) on the cylindrical mounting portion of the housing 3R. The outer cylinder of the earpiece 5R is attached to the ear canal of the user U, and elastically deforms according to the shape of the ear canal into which it is attached. This elastic deformation holds the earpiece 5R in the ear canal of the user U.

[0024] The earphone housing 2R is configured to include, as electric and electronic components, a driver 10R (an example of a sound emitting section), multiple microphones (e.g., an internal microphone 6R, an external microphone 7R, and a speech microphone 8R), a bone conduction sensor 9R (an example of a second sensor), and a circuit board 20R (an example of a signal processing section and control section). These electric and electronic components are mainly stored in the storage space of the housing 3R.

[0025] The driver 10R is an electronic component known as a speaker, and converts an audio signal into a sound wave (air vibration) and outputs the sound. Specifically, the driver 10R has a diaphragm (not shown) and converts the audio signal into a sound wave by vibrating the diaphragm based on the audio signal input to the driver 10R. The sound wave output from the driver 10R propagates to the eardrum of the user U through the cavity of the earpiece 5R. In this embodiment, the driver 10R acoustically emits (outputs) an audio signal or a music signal reproduced by a smartphone P1 held by the user U through the earpiece 5R.

[0026] Specifically, the multiple microphones include at least three types: an internal microphone 6R, an external microphone 7R (an example of a first sensor), and a speech microphone 8R (an example of a first sensor). In this embodiment, these multiple microphones (for example, the internal microphone 6R, the external microphone 7R, and the speech microphone 8R) are arranged in the earphone housing 2R so as to be able to detect the surroundings of the user U when the earphone housing 2R is attached to the auricle, as well as the sound of the user U speaking, etc.

[0027] The internal microphone 6R is disposed inside a front chamber 11R that constitutes a part of the storage space of the housing 3R, and is disposed so that its detection portion faces the sound emitting portion of the driver 10 from the front chamber 11R. The internal microphone 6R is also disposed as close as possible to the ear canal of the ear of the user U in the front chamber 11R of the housing 3R. As a result, the internal microphone 6R picks up the sound that is physically generated inside the front chamber 11R, including the sound waves output from the driver 10R.

[0028] That is, the internal microphone 6R is disposed so as to be able to collect noise entering the front room 11R through the housing 3R and the earpiece 5R as a wraparound sound signal together with the audio signal or music signal output from the driver 10R. The internal microphone 6R is also electrically connected to the circuit board 20R by a signal line.

[0029] The external microphone 7R and the speech microphone 8R are disposed inside the rear chamber 4R. However, unlike the internal microphone 6R described above, a plurality of through holes (not shown) are formed in the surface of the housing 3R, and the external microphone 7R and the speech microphone 8R are fixed to the housing 3R so as to be able to pick up sounds outside the earphone housing 2R through each of these through holes.

[0030] The external microphone 7R is positioned so as to be able to pick up ambient sounds and / or wind noise outside the earphone housing 2R. The speech microphone 8R is positioned so as to be able to pick up speech from a user U wearing at least one earphone housing 2R, and realizes so-called hands-free calling together with the driver 10R in a state in which the earphone housing 2R can communicate with a mobile phone device such as the user U's smartphone P1.

[0031] The bone conduction sensor 9R is configured to include a piezoelectric element (not shown) and converts vibrations (bone conduction vibrations) transmitted to the human bones of the user U into an electrical signal. The bone conduction sensor 9R is attached to the earphone housing 2R so as to be able to come into contact with the face surface around the ear or the back surface of the auricle. The bone conduction sensor 9R is also disposed at a distance from the driver 10R. Since the voice spoken by the user U is conducted to the bones of the face or head, the bone conduction sensor 9R detects the vibrations of the human bones, converts the detection result into an electrical signal, and outputs it. This electrical signal makes it possible to detect whether the user U is speaking. The bone conduction sensor 9R is electrically connected to the circuit board 20R by a signal line.

[0032] Circuit board 20R is formed in a flat plate shape with multiple circuits (see below) arranged on its surface, and operates as a control board for earphone housing 2R that performs appropriate signal processing on audio signals and music signals, as described below.

[0033] [Circuit board configuration] Next, the configuration of the circuit board 20R will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating the processing on each circuit board 20R of the pair of left and right earphone housings 2R, 2L shown in Fig. 1. Note that, below, one (right) circuit board 20R of the pair of left and right earphone housings 2R, 2L will be described, but the other (left) circuit board 20L has the same configuration as the circuit board 20R on the right side. Therefore, as mentioned above, the same reference numerals are used for the left circuit board 20L in Fig. 2, and the description thereof will be omitted or simplified.

[0034] 2, the circuit board 20R is configured as a general-purpose control board as described above. Specifically, the circuit board 20R is equipped with at least a main circuit 30R (an example of a detection unit / control unit), an ANC circuit 40R (an example of a control unit), and a detection circuit 60R (an example of a control unit) as arithmetic circuits.

[0035] The main circuit 30R, ANC circuit 40R and detection circuit 60R are configured using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit) or DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and control each other in a coordinated manner by transmitting and receiving control signals to each other, and exchange audio signals as PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) digital signals.

[0036] The circuit board 20R also has a ROM circuit 23R as a read-only memory circuit and a RAM circuit 24R as a writable memory circuit mounted thereon. The circuit board 20R also has a battery 22R as a power source for the earphone housing 2R, and a power monitoring unit 21R (an example of a monitoring unit) that detects and monitors the charging status, consumption status, and remaining amount of power of the battery 22R. The power monitoring unit 21R transmits (outputs) the detection and monitoring results to the main circuit 30R.

[0037] The ROM circuit 23R stores and holds a program (not shown) as software, and the program is executed by each of the main circuit 30R, the ANC circuit 40R, and the detection circuit 60R as arithmetic circuits (see below). The RAM circuit 24R is used as a temporary storage circuit during the execution. In addition, in this embodiment, the circuit board 20R also has a plurality of integrated circuits mounted thereon as hardware that are physically mounted thereon and that specialize in performing predetermined processing.

[0038] 3 represent functions realized by software such as a program, or functions realized by hardware such as a dedicated integrated circuit. Furthermore, these functions are provided so that they can be turned on and off by the main circuit 30R, the ANC circuit 40R, and the detection circuit 60R, respectively.

[0039] In the present embodiment, the functions realized by the circuit board 20R are realized by both software and hardware, but this is not limiting. For example, all of the functions may be configured by hardware as a physical configuration of the "device."

[0040] In addition, the smartphone P1 owned by the user U of the earphone device 1 and the other smartphone P2 including the call partner are both connected to the mobile phone network 100, and the user U can make a call to the call partner, that is, make a speech or send a speech, through the mobile phone network 100. When making a speech or sending a speech, the user U can make a so-called hands-free call by using the earphone device 1 of this embodiment. When making a hands-free call, an audio signal of the speech or send is exchanged between the smartphone P1 of the user U and the earphone device 1 by wireless communication. In addition, each of the earphone housings 2R and 2L constituting the earphone device 1 can individually perform wireless communication with the smartphone P1, but cannot directly perform wireless communication with each other. Therefore, each of the earphone housings 2R and 2L constituting the earphone device 1 can receive data or information transmitted from the smartphone P1. The smartphone P1 of the user U is provided with a display unit D1 such as a display device. This display unit D1 is configured to be able to display various messages based on instructions from the main circuit 30R of the circuit board 20R, as described later.

[0041] In addition, the smartphone P1 of the user U is configured to be able to explicitly switch to a first power saving mode (see below), that is, to (forcibly) switch to the first power saving mode, by an operation of the user U. This switch setting in the smartphone P1 of the user U is detected by the main circuit 30R of the circuit board 20R.

[0042] As a specific example, when an online conversation application (hereinafter also referred to as "online conversation app") such as Zoom (registered trademark) or Microsoft Teams (registered trademark) is installed on the smartphone P1, the audio output on the user U side may be set to mute (silence) in this online conversation app. In this mute setting state, the earphone housing 2R is not actually used, so in this embodiment, a first power saving transition is performed by the main circuit 30R to save power for the battery 22R of the earphone housing 2R. Alternatively, the user U may explicitly (forcibly) set the smartphone P1 to transition to a power saving mode using a predetermined setting program. Such a transition is detected by the main circuit 30R of the circuit board 20R.

[0043] The smartphone P1 of the user U is provided so that the transition operation of the power saving modes including the first power saving mode can be set to ON or OFF overall in a predetermined setting program. For example, when the transition operation of the power saving modes is set to OFF overall, the smartphone P1 does not transition to the first power saving mode or the second power saving mode (see below).

[0044] The mobile phone network 100 may also include at least a wired or wireless line that enables communication between telephone devices such as the smartphone P1, and may also include some or all of an Internet line. The mobile phone network 100 may also include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and other types of networks that are interconnected and used to facilitate communication between telephone devices.

[0045] In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L each have a battery 22R, 22L (see below) and are used in a rechargeable manner. Furthermore, an earphone charging stand 12 (cradle) is also prepared as a charging device for supplying power to the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L. The right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L can each be placed on the earphone charging stand 12 or removed from the earphone charging stand 12. The earphone charging stand 12 is supplied with power for charging the battery 22R built into the right earphone housing 2R or the battery 22L built into the left earphone housing 2L, for example, from a personal computer, a car console, or a mobile battery via USB-IF (registered trademark), or from an AC power source via an AC adapter and USB-IF (registered trademark). Note that IF is an abbreviation for interface. Charging of the right battery 22R or the left battery 22L from the earphone charging stand 12 is performed through the terminals of the earphone charging stand 12, for example, by contact between a terminal (not shown) provided on the earphone charging stand 12 and a terminal (not shown) provided on the right earphone housing 2R and connected to the battery 22R, or a terminal (not shown) provided on the left earphone housing 2L and connected to the battery 22L, when the earphone charging stand 12 is placed on the earphone charging stand 12. At that time, control signals or status signals related to charging may be exchanged by contact between another terminal (not shown) provided on the earphone charging stand 12 and another terminal (not shown) provided on the right earphone housing 2R and connected to the power monitoring unit 21R, or another terminal (not shown) provided on the left earphone housing 2L and connected to the power monitoring unit 21L. Alternatively, charging of the right battery 22R or the left battery 22L from the earphone charging stand 12 may be performed using magnetic coupling when the earphone charging stand 12 is placed on the earphone charging stand 12.The charging state, which indicates a state in which earphone charging stand 12 is charging right-side battery 22R or left-side battery 22L, is detected by power monitoring unit 21R or power monitoring unit 21L upon receiving a supply of power from earphone charging stand 12 by placing right-side earphone housing 2R or left-side earphone housing 2L on earphone charging stand 12, and is transmitted from wireless communication unit 34R or wireless communication unit 34L to smartphone P1 of user U. Smartphone P1 of user U is configured to be able to notify user U of the transmitted information such as the charging state through its display unit D1 or its audio output unit.

[0046] The main circuit 30R includes a bandpass filter / volume adjustment section 31R, a music playback / telephone mode switching section 32R, a volume adjustment section 33R, and a wireless communication section 34R (an example of a communication section).

[0047] In this embodiment, the main circuit 30R is configured to be able to detect the timing of transition to each of the first power saving mode and the second power saving mode. When the main circuit 30R detects the timing of transition to the first power saving mode, it stops the operation of some of the functions related to signal processing in the main circuit 30R, the ANC circuit 40R, and the detection circuit 60R based on the detection. This operation stop makes it possible to slow down the power consumption of the battery 22R in the right earphone housing 2R and extend the remaining capacity (lifespan) of the battery 22R (see details below). Note that the main circuit 30R is configured to be able to instruct the smartphone P1 of the user U through its wireless communication unit 34R to display a predetermined message (for example, a message encouraging the use of another earphone housing, information such as the charging state including the remaining capacity of the battery 22R) on its display unit D1.

[0048] The wireless communication unit 34R has a transmission circuit 35R and a reception circuit 36R, and wirelessly connects the right earphone housing 2R and the user U's smartphone P1 so that transmission and reception are possible, and transmits a processed audio signal to the user U's smartphone P1. The transmission circuit 35R transmits various signals including the processed audio signal to the user U's smartphone P1, and the reception circuit 36R receives various signals including the processed audio signal transmitted from the user U's smartphone P1. The right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L are configured to be able to exchange information with each other via their respective wireless communication units 34R. In this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 34R of the earphone device 1 performs communication according to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication standard, but is not limited thereto, and may be provided so as to be connectable to a communication line such as WiFi (registered trademark) or a mobile communication line.

[0049] The bandpass filter and volume adjustment unit 31R receives control signals representing the detection results of the speech detection unit 61R (see below) and the wind noise detection unit 62R (see below) of the detection circuit 60R, and also receives an audio signal transmitted as a digital signal from a noise suppression unit 64R (see below) of the detection circuit 60R. Based on the control signal from the detection circuit 60R, the bandpass filter and volume adjustment unit 31R passes audio components of a predetermined frequency band from the received audio signal, and adjusts the volume level of the passed audio signal (for example, an audio signal based on the speech of the user U or an audio signal of ambient sound).

[0050] That is, the bandpass filter and volume adjustment unit 31R adjusts the characteristics of the audio signal based on the speech of the user U, based on the presence or absence of speech by the user U and the detection result of wind noise. This adjusted audio signal is wirelessly transmitted as a speech transmission signal to the smartphone P1 of the user U through the wireless communication unit 34R of the circuit board 20R. Note that the bandpass filter and volume adjustment unit 31R is provided so as to operate only when the earphone device 1 is used for telephone purposes.

[0051] The music playback / telephone mode switching unit 32R is wirelessly connected to the smartphone P1 of the user U through the wireless communication unit 34R of the circuit board 20R, and receives an audio signal transmitted from the smartphone P1. That is, the music playback / telephone mode switching unit 32R is provided so that it can input an audio signal or a music signal for playback from the smartphone P2 of the other party. Then, based on the received audio signal or the control signal transmitted from the smartphone P1, the music playback / telephone mode switching unit 32R determines whether the operation mode (use) of the earphone device 1 is for music playback or for telephone use, and manages the input.

[0052] For example, in this embodiment, the music playback / telephone mode switching unit 32R receives an audio signal transmitted from the other party of the user U as an incoming call signal, and determines that the use is for telephone based on the reception result. Then, the music playback / telephone mode switching unit 32R switches the operation mode of the earphone device 1 to telephone use, and transmits the audio signal input thereto to the volume adjustment unit 33R.

[0053] The volume adjustment unit 33R adjusts the volume level of the transmitted audio signal and transmits it to a first digital addition unit 50R (described later) of the ANC circuit 40R.

[0054] Furthermore, the main circuit 30R determines the remaining battery level of the earphone housing 2R based on the output of the power monitoring unit 21 and transmits the result to the smartphone P1. When the main circuit 30R receives a switching instruction for preventing uneven wear from the smartphone P1, it turns off the use of the external microphone 7R, the microphone for speaking 8R, the bone conduction sensor 9R, the ANC circuit 40R, and the detection circuit 60R (an example of a power saving mode). When the main circuit 30R receives a re-switching instruction for preventing uneven wear from the smartphone P1 after a predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes) has elapsed, it turns on the use of the external microphone 7R, the microphone for speaking 8R, the bone conduction sensor 9R, the ANC circuit 40R, and the detection circuit 60R, which had been turned off. In other words, by switching the earphone housing to be used to one of the earphone housings 2R and 2L every predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes) described above, it is possible to use the earphone device 1 for a long period of time.

[0055] The ANC circuit 40R is configured to include a first amplifier section 41R, a second amplifier section 42R, a third amplifier section 43R, a fourth amplifier section 44R, a first analog-to-digital conversion section 45R, a second analog-to-digital conversion section 46R, a side tone filter section 47R, an ambient filter / volume adjustment section 48R (an example of a signal processing section), a feedforward filter section 49R (an example of a signal processing section), a first digital adder section 50R, a second digital adder section 51R, a digital-to-analog conversion section 52R, a feedback filter section 53R (an example of a signal processing section), and an analog adder section 54R.

[0056] The first amplifier section 41R is electrically connected to the external microphone 7R, amplifies the audio signal output from the external microphone 7R, and outputs the amplified audio signal to the first analog-digital conversion section 45R.

[0057] The second amplifier section 42R is electrically connected to the speaking microphone 8R, amplifies the audio signal output from the speaking microphone 8R, and outputs the amplified audio signal to the first analog-digital converter section 45R.

[0058] The first analog-to-digital conversion unit 45R converts two-channel analog signals based on the speech microphone 8R or the external microphone 7R into digital signals. The first analog-to-digital conversion unit 45R transmits the two-channel digital signals to a sidetone filter unit 47R, an ambient filter and volume adjustment unit 48R, a feedforward filter unit 49R, and a beamformer 63R (described later) of the detection circuit 60R.

[0059] The second analog-digital conversion unit 46R is electrically connected to the bone conduction sensor 9R and converts the electrical signal output from the bone conduction sensor 9R into a digital signal. The second analog-digital conversion unit 46R transmits this digital signal to an utterance detection unit 61R (described later) of the detection circuit 60R.

[0060] The sidetone filter unit 47R receives two channels of digital audio signals sent from the first analog-to-digital conversion unit 45R. These digital audio signals are based on the external microphone 7R and the speech microphone 8R, and the sidetone filter unit 47R sends these digital audio signals to the first digital addition unit 50R.

[0061] That is, when the earphone device 1 is used for telephone purposes, the external microphone 7R and the speech microphone 8R pick up the speech of the user U. Therefore, due to the operation of the sidetone filter unit 47R, a part of the speech of the user U is looped back (added) to the audio signal that is ultimately output to the driver 10R. This allows the user U to hear the voice he or she has produced through the earphone device 1, making it easier for the user to speak when using the earphone device 1 for telephone purposes. Note that the sidetone filter unit 47R is set to operate only when the earphone device 1 is used for telephone purposes.

[0062] Similarly, the ambient filter and volume adjustment unit 48R receives the two-channel audio digital signals output from the first analog-to-digital conversion unit 45R. The ambient filter and volume adjustment unit 48R mainly extracts low-frequency components from these two-channel audio signals, adjusts the volume levels of the extracted components, and transmits them to the first digital addition unit 50R.

[0063] In the normal use state of the earphone device 1, the earpiece 5R and the like prevent the transmission of ambient sounds of the user U to the inside of the user U's auricle. Then, the ambient filter and volume adjustment unit 48R operates to actively capture ambient sounds such as vehicle noise and alarm sirens through the external microphone 7R and the speech microphone 8R, and electrically pass the ambient sounds from the outside world to the ear canal of the user U. This allows the user U to grasp the ambient sound situation even when wearing the earphone device 1 (the right earphone housing 2R). The operation of the ambient filter and volume adjustment unit 48R is controlled by an operation system or application installed on the user U's smartphone P1 or the like.

[0064] Similarly, the feedforward filter unit 49R receives the digital audio signals for two channels output from the first analog-to-digital conversion unit 45R. The feedforward filter unit 49R performs filtering mainly on mid-range (mid-frequency) components that contain a large amount of human voice, and transmits the processing result to the second digital addition unit 51R.

[0065] The first digital adder unit 50R adds the digital audio signal transmitted from the side tone filter unit 47R or the ambient filter / volume adjustment unit 48R to the digital audio signal transmitted from the volume adjustment unit 33R of the main circuit 30R, and transmits the result to the second digital adder unit 51R.

[0066] The second digital adder 51R receives the digital audio signals transmitted from the first digital adder 50R and the feedforward filter unit 49R, adds these digital signals together, and transmits the addition result to a digital-to-analog converter 52R.

[0067] Digital-to-analog conversion section 52R converts the sum into an analog signal, and outputs the converted analog signal to analog addition section 54R.

[0068] The third amplifier section 43R is electrically connected to the internal microphone 6R, and amplifies the audio signal (that is, the wraparound sound signal) output from the internal microphone 6R, and outputs the amplified signal to the feedback filter section 53R.

[0069] The feedback filter unit 53R converts the analog signal based on the internal microphone 6R into an inverse phase signal to generate an inverse phase signal, and outputs the signal to the analog addition unit 54R.

[0070] The analog adding unit 54R adds the audio signal output from the digital-to-analog converting unit 52R and the audio signal (opposite phase signal) output from the feedback filter unit 53R as an analog signal, and outputs the result to the fourth amplifier unit 44R.

[0071] As described above, the internal microphone 6R collects the noise that cannot be suppressed by the earpiece 5R and enters the auricle of the user U as wraparound sound together with the audio signal or music signal output from the driver 10R. The feedback filter unit 53R converts the collected wraparound sound audio signal into an inverse phase to generate an inverse phase signal of the analog signal. The analog adder unit 54R adds the inverse phase signal to the analog signal immediately before it is output to the driver 10R. Adding these analog signals makes it possible to actively remove the above-mentioned noise.

[0072] In this way, the feedback filter unit 53R and the analog addition unit 54R reduce noise contained in the audio signal from the user U's smartphone P1 based on a signal that is picked up by the internal microphone 6R after a portion of the audio signal output from the driver 10R is routed around to the internal microphone 6R.

[0073] The fourth amplifier unit 44R is electrically connected to the driver 10R, and amplifies the analog signal output from the analog addition unit 54R and outputs the amplified signal to the driver 10R. Based on the input, the driver 10R outputs a signal such as an audio signal or a music signal as a physical air vibration (sound wave).

[0074] Similarly, the feedback filter unit 53R and the analog adder unit 54R are controlled to be turned on or off by an application installed on the smartphone P1 or the like, and can also be turned on or off at will by the user U. When set to off in this way, a control signal relating to this setting is transmitted to the analog adder unit 54R. Based on this control signal, the analog adder unit 54R performs control so that the audio signal from the feedback filter unit 53R is not input to itself.

[0075] The detection circuit 60R includes an utterance detection section 61R, a wind noise detection section 62R, a beam forming section 63R (an example of a signal processing section), and a noise suppression section 64R (an example of a signal processing section).

[0076] The speech detection unit 61R is connected to the second analog-digital conversion unit 46R of the ANC circuit 40R, and receives a digital signal transmitted from the second analog-digital conversion unit 46R. This digital signal is a signal based on the bone conduction sensor 9R. The speech detection unit 61R detects bone conduction vibrations caused by the user U's speech using this digital signal, and determines (detects) whether the user U is speaking. This detection result is transmitted as a control signal to the beam forming unit 63R and the bandpass filter and volume adjustment unit 31R of the main circuit 30R.

[0077] The wind noise detection unit 62R is directly electrically connected to the external microphone 7R and the speech microphone 8R, and receives analog signals before being amplified by the first amplifier unit 41R and the second amplifier unit 42R. These analog signals are two-channel analog signals based on the external microphone 7R and the speech microphone 8R. The wind noise detection unit 62R uses these two-channel analog signals to detect wind noise occurring around the user U, and determine (detect) the presence or absence of wind noise.

[0078] Furthermore, the wind noise detection unit 62R can detect the level (strength) of the wind noise and / or ambient noise by, for example, reading a threshold value stored in a memory device of the circuit board 20R in advance and determining whether the digital signals for two channels are equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

[0079] As a specific example, the wind noise detection unit 62R of this embodiment calculates the correlation between the two channels of ambient sounds picked up by the external microphone 7R and the speech microphone 8R, and the intensity level of the ambient sounds. Since ordinary sounds are often correlated with each other, the wind noise detection unit 62R can determine that there is wind noise if the calculation results in the two channels of ambient sounds being uncorrelated with each other and the intensity level being high.

[0080] In this way, the wind noise detection unit 62R detects the presence or absence of wind noise around the user U based on the ambient sounds picked up by the external microphone 7R and / or the speaking microphone 8R, and in this embodiment, transmits this detection result to the bandpass filter and volume adjustment unit 31R of the main circuit 30R.

[0081] The beam forming unit 63R is connected to the first analog-digital conversion unit 45R of the ANC circuit 40R, and receives two-channel digital signals transmitted from the first analog-digital conversion unit 45R. The beam forming unit 63R performs audio processing on these two-channel digital signals to suppress sounds other than those uttered by the user U. This audio processing enables the beam forming unit 63R to increase the directivity of the sound physically emitted from the mouth of the user U and pick it up, making it possible to transmit (speak) a sound that is easy for the other party to hear during a so-called hands-free call.

[0082] Then, the beam forming unit 63R transmits the digital voice signal with increased directivity toward the mouth of the user U to the noise suppression unit 64R. The noise suppression unit 64R performs noise suppression processing on the received digital voice signal, and transmits the processing result to the bandpass filter and volume adjustment unit 31R of the main circuit 30R.

[0083] The above has described the right earphone housing 2R of the pair of left and right earphone housings 2R, 2L, but the configuration of the other left earphone housing 2L is the same as the configuration of the right earphone housing 2R described above.

[0084] [Processing flow in the first power saving mode by the circuit board] Next, a process flow in the first power saving mode by the circuit boards 20R and 20L according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow in the first power saving mode by the circuit boards 20R and 20L shown in Fig. 2.

[0085] 3, the smartphone P1 of the user U determines whether or not the transition operation of the power saving mode including the first power saving mode is set to ON overall in a predetermined setting application (S101). If the determination result indicates that the power saving mode is not set to ON, that is, is set to OFF (NO in S101), the process flow ends (END).

[0086] On the other hand, if it is determined that the power saving mode is set to ON (YES in S101), the main circuits 30R, 30L of the circuit boards 20R, 20L detect the remaining power (remaining capacity) of the batteries 22R, 22L through the power monitoring units 21R, 21L and transmit the detection result to the smartphone P1 of the user U (S102). The smartphone P1 of the user U determines which battery has the lesser remaining power based on the detection results of the remaining power of the batteries 22R, 22L transmitted from the main circuits 30R, 30L of the circuit boards 20R, 20L, and transmits an instruction to the circuit boards 20R, 20L of the earphone housings 2R, 2L to turn off the use of the external microphone 7R, the speech microphone 8R, the bone conduction sensor 9R, the ANC circuit 40R, and the detection circuit 60R of the battery with the lesser power (for example, the earphone housing 2R) (S103). The main circuit 30R turns off the external microphone 7R, the speech microphone 8R, the bone conduction sensor 9R, the ANC circuit 40R, and the detection circuit 60R based on an instruction from the smartphone P1. On the other hand, even if the main circuit 30L receives an instruction from the smartphone P1, it continues to use the external microphone 7L, the speech microphone 8L, the bone conduction sensor 9L, the ANC circuit 40L, and the detection circuit 60L without turning them off.

[0087] The smartphone P1 judges whether a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes) has passed since the smartphone P1 transmitted the above-mentioned off instruction to the main circuits 30R and 30L (S104). When the smartphone P1 judges that a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes) has passed since the smartphone P1 transmitted the above-mentioned off instruction (YES in S104), the smartphone P1 transmits a switching instruction to the main circuits 30R and 30L to switch the use of the external microphone, the speech microphone, the bone conduction sensor, the ANC circuit, and the detection circuit to the opposite side (i.e., the side of the earphone housing that is off) (S105). As a result, when the main circuit 30R receives the switching instruction from the smartphone P1, it turns on the use of the external microphone 7R, the speech microphone 8R, the bone conduction sensor 9R, the ANC circuit 40R, and the detection circuit 60R that were turned off. Furthermore, upon receiving a switching instruction from the smartphone P1, the main circuit 30L turns off the use of the external microphone 7L, the speech microphone 8L, the bone conduction sensor 9L, the ANC circuit 40L, and the detection circuit 60L.

[0088] The main circuits 30R, 30L detect the remaining power (remaining capacity) of the batteries 22R, 22L through the power monitoring units 21R, 21L, and determine whether or not the detected remaining power is both equal to or less than a predetermined time threshold, as an example in this embodiment, equal to or less than 30 [min (minutes)] (S106).

[0089] If the result of the determination is that the time is not equal to or less than the predetermined time threshold (NO in S106), the process flow returns to step S102 again. That is, unless the remaining power of the batteries 22R, 22L of the pair of left and right earphone housings 2R, 2L is equal to or less than the predetermined time, the process flow does not proceed to steps S107 and thereafter. The aforementioned predetermined time threshold is stored and held in the ROM circuits 23R, 23L. In the present embodiment, 30 [min] is set as an example value, but is not limited to this. An appropriate value is selected according to various situations.

[0090] If it is determined that the remaining power of the batteries 22R, 22L is equal to or less than a predetermined time threshold (YES in S106), the circuit boards 20R, 20L cause the display unit D1 of the user U's smartphone P1 to display a message indicating "Power saving mode activated" via the wireless communication units 34R, 34L (S107). With this display, the earphone device 1 notifies the user U that either the right earphone housing 2R or the left earphone housing 2L is in power saving mode. With this notification, it is possible to encourage the user U to charge each of the earphone housings 2R, 2L even at this point in time.

[0091] Then, the wind noise detection units 62R, 62L detect the ambient sound of the user U based on the detection signals of two channels based on the external microphones 7R, 7L and the speech microphones 8R, 8L, and detect the level of the ambient sound. That is, the wind noise detection units 62R, 62L determine whether the level of the detection signals of the external microphones 7R, 7L is equal to or lower than a predetermined level threshold (an example of a first predetermined value), 10 [dBV] or lower as an example in this embodiment (S108). If it is determined that the level is not equal to or lower than the predetermined level threshold (NO in S108), the process flow returns to step S108 again. That is, unless the detection signals of the external microphones 7R, 7L are equal to or lower than the predetermined level threshold, the process flow does not proceed to steps after S109.

[0092] If it is determined that the detection signals of the external microphones 7R, 7L are equal to or lower than the predetermined level threshold (YES in S108), then the wind noise detection units 62R, 62L determine whether the levels of the detection signals of the speech microphones 8R, 8L are equal to or lower than a predetermined level threshold (an example of a first predetermined value), also 10 dBV as an example in this embodiment (S109).If it is determined in this step that the detection signals are not equal to or lower than the predetermined level threshold (NO in S109), the process flow returns to step S108 again.

[0093] On the other hand, if it is determined that the detection signals of the external microphones 7R, 7L are equal to or lower than the predetermined level threshold (YES in S109), the speech detection units 61R, 61L determine whether the detection signals of the bone conduction sensors 9R, 9L are equal to or lower than the predetermined level threshold (an example of a first predetermined value), also equal to or lower than 10 [dBV] as an example in this embodiment (S110). If it is determined that the detection signals are not equal to or lower than the predetermined level threshold (NO in S110), the process flow returns to step S108 again.

[0094] In other words, according to steps S108 to S110, unless the detection signal from any of the external microphones 7R, 7L, the speaking microphones 8R, 8L and the bone conduction sensors 9R, 9L is below a predetermined level threshold, the processing step will not transition to the first power saving mode from S111 onwards.

[0095] In other words, it is possible to transition to the first power saving mode only when the detection signal of any of the external microphones 7R, 7L, the speech microphones 8R, 8L, and the bone conduction sensors 9R, 9L becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined level threshold. The main circuits 30R, 30L detect the timing of transition to the first power saving mode based on the detection. In addition, in terms of the detection signal of the speech microphones 8R, 8L only, the main circuits 30R, 30L detect the timing of transition to the first power saving mode based on the detection of the speech of the user U. The above-mentioned predetermined level threshold is also stored and held in the ROM circuits 23R, 23L. In addition, in this embodiment, 10 [dbV] is set as an example of the value, but is not limited to this. Similarly, an appropriate value is selected according to various situations. In addition, each of the predetermined level thresholds may be set to a value different from each other.

[0096] As described above, the power saving mode transitions to the first power saving mode, and the main circuits 30R, 30L detect the timing of transition to the first power saving mode. Based on this detection, the main circuits 30R, 30L stop some of the functions related to audio signal processing in the main circuits 30R, 30L themselves, the ANC circuits 40R, 40L, and the detection circuits 60R, 60L.

[0097] Specifically, the main circuits 30R, 30L output instructions to the ANC circuits 40R, 40L to control the functions of the feedforward filter units 49R, 49L and the feedback filter units 53R, 53L (including the third amplifier units 43R, 43L) of the ANC circuits 40R, 40L to be turned off and stopped (S111). Similarly, the main circuits 30R, 30L output instructions to the detection circuits 60R, 60L to control the functions of the beamform units 63R, 63L and the noise suppression units 64R, 64L of the detection circuits 60R, 60L to be turned off and stopped (S112, S113). Furthermore, the main circuits 30R, 30L similarly output instructions to the ANC circuits 40R, 40L to control the functions of the ambient filter / volume adjustment units 48R, 48L of the ANC circuits 40R, 40L to be turned off and stopped (S114).

[0098] Then, the circuit boards 20R, 20L determine whether or not the mute setting for the audio output of the user U is set to ON in, for example, an online conversation app on the smartphone P1 of the user U (S115). If the determination result indicates that the mute setting is not set to ON in the online conversation app, that is, that the mute setting is set to OFF (NO in S115), the main circuits 30R, 30L cannot detect the final timing of transition to the first power saving mode, and the process flow returns to step S101.

[0099] On the other hand, if it is determined that the mute setting is set to ON in the online conversation application (YES in S115), in other words, the main circuits 30R, 30L detect the timing of transition to the first power saving mode based on an instruction from the user U, and set the functions of the transmission circuits 35R, 35L of the wireless communication units 34R, 34L to OFF and stop their operation (S116). Furthermore, the main circuits 30R, 30L lower (drop) the reception bit rate of the audio signal from the smartphone P1 of the user U by a predetermined amount during the first power saving mode (S117). This reduction in the bit rate reduces the amount of information processed per unit time by the circuit boards 20R, 20L, and as a result, it becomes possible to suppress the power consumption of the right earphone housing 2R or the left earphone housing 2L.

[0100] [Processing flow in the second power saving mode by the circuit board] Next, a process flow in the second power saving mode by the circuit boards 20R, 20L according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 6. Fig. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a process flow in the second power saving mode by the circuit boards 20R, 20L shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a display on the screen of the smartphone P1 of the user U shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a display different from the example of Fig. 5.

[0101] 4, the smartphone P1 of the user U determines whether or not the transition operation of the power saving mode including the first power saving mode and the second power saving mode is set to ON overall in a predetermined setting application (S201). If the determination result indicates that the power saving mode is not set to ON, that is, is set to OFF (NO in S201), the process flow ends (END).

[0102] On the other hand, if it is determined that the power saving mode is set to ON (YES in S201), as shown in Fig. 5, an extended use time setting screen is displayed on the display unit D1 of the smartphone P1 of the user U (S202). The extended use time setting screen is for allowing the user U to set an extended use time of the earphone device 1, and in this embodiment, the screen is a selection type, and is provided so that one of a plurality of extension times listed by a radio button or the like can be selected. Note that the extended use time setting screen is not limited to a selection type, and may be an input type as shown in Fig. 6, and is arbitrarily selected taking into consideration the operability of the user U.

[0103] The main circuits 30R, 30L of the circuit boards 20R, 20L detect the remaining power of the batteries 22R, 22L through the power monitoring units 21R, 21L. The main circuits 30R, 30L judge whether the remaining power is equal to or less than a predetermined time threshold, for example, 10 [min (minutes)] or less in this embodiment (S203). If the judgment result is that the remaining power is not equal to or less than the predetermined time threshold (NO in S203), the process flow returns to step S203 again. That is, the process flow does not proceed to steps S204 and after unless the remaining power of the batteries 22R, 22L of the right earphone housing 2R or the left earphone housing 2L is equal to or less than the predetermined time. The aforementioned predetermined time threshold is also stored and held in the ROM circuits 23R, 23L. In this embodiment, 10 [min (minutes)] is set as an example value, but is not limited to this. An appropriate value is selected according to various situations.

[0104] When it is determined that the remaining power of the batteries 22R, 22L is equal to or less than the predetermined time threshold (YES in S203), the main circuits 30R, 30L detect that it is time to transition to the second power saving mode. Based on that detection, the main circuits 30R, 30L exchange information with each other via their respective wireless communication units 34R, 34L, and compare which of the batteries 22R, 22L has the less remaining power, the right earphone housing 2R or the left earphone housing 2L (S204).

[0105] If the comparison result indicates that the remaining charge of the battery 22L in the left earphone housing 2L is low, the left main circuit 30L reduces the volume of the audio signal acoustically output from the left earphone housing 2L by a predetermined volume level, -6 [dB] (an example of the second predetermined value) in this embodiment, during the second power saving mode (S205). Note that the aforementioned predetermined volume level is also stored and held in the ROM circuits 23R, 23L. Also, in this embodiment, -6 [db] is set as an example value, but is not limited to this. An appropriate value is selected according to various situations.

[0106] Then, the left main circuit 30L causes the display unit D1 of the user U's smartphone P1 to display (output) a message, via the wireless communication unit 34L, urging the user U to charge the left earphone housing 2L for a predetermined period of time (S206). As a result, the left and right main circuits 30R, 30L and the user U's smartphone P1 continue to use only the other earphone housing 2R, 2L with the greater remaining capacity of the batteries 22R, 22L, that is, the right earphone housing 2R.

[0107] After displaying that message, the left main circuit 30L determines whether charging of the battery 22L of the left earphone housing 2L has started based on the transmission from the power monitoring unit 21R (S207). If that determination result indicates that the user U has not placed the left earphone housing 2L on the earphone charging stand 12 and charging has not started, the process flow returns to step S206. In other words, the process flow does not proceed to steps after S211 unless the user U places the left earphone housing 2L on the earphone charging stand 12 when the remaining power level of the battery 22L of the left earphone housing 2L is low.

[0108] On the other hand, if it is determined that the remaining charge of the battery 22R is low in the right earphone housing 2R as a result of the comparison of the remaining charges of the batteries 22R and 22L described above, the same process as that for the left earphone housing 2L is executed for the right earphone housing 2R. That is, the main circuit 30R of the right earphone housing 2R reduces the volume of the audio signal acoustically output from the right earphone housing 2R by a predetermined volume level (for example, -6 [dB]) during the second power saving mode (S208). Then, the right main circuit 30R causes the display unit D1 of the smartphone P1 of the user U to display a message encouraging the right earphone housing 2R to be charged for a predetermined period of time (S209).

[0109] After displaying that message, the right main circuit 30R determines whether charging of the battery 22R of the right earphone housing 2R has started (S210). If that determination results in a determination that charging has not started, the process flow returns to step S209. In other words, unless the user U places the right earphone housing 2R on the earphone charging stand 12 when the remaining charge of the battery 22R in the right earphone housing 2R is low, the process flow does not proceed to steps subsequent to S211.

[0110] When it is determined that charging of the battery 22R, 22L of the right earphone housing 2R or the left earphone housing 2L has started, the right main circuit 30R or the left main circuit 30L determines whether charging for a predetermined time, 10 [min] as an example in this embodiment, has been completed based on the transmission (output) of the power monitoring units 21R, 21L (S211). When it is determined that charging for the predetermined time has not been completed (NO in S211), the process flow returns to step S211. That is, unless charging for the predetermined time has been completed, the process flow does not proceed to steps S212 and thereafter. The value of the predetermined time described above is also stored and held in the ROM circuits 23R, 23L. In addition, in this embodiment, 10 [min] is set as an example value, but is not limited to this. An appropriate value is selected according to various situations.

[0111] On the other hand, if it is determined that charging for the specified time has been completed (YES in S211), that is, if it is detected based on the output of the power monitoring units 21R, 21L that charging for one of the earphone housings 2R, 2L for the specified time has been completed, the main circuits 30R, 30L notify the user U through the display unit D1 of the user U's smartphone P1 to prompt the user U to also charge the other (other) earphone housing 2R, 2L for the specified time (prompting the user to charge and replace the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L) (S212).

[0112] The main circuits 30R, 30L determine whether or not the charge of either of the earphone housings 2R, 2L has been replaced (S213). Specifically, when the main circuits 30R, 30L determine that either of the earphone housings has been placed on the earphone charging stand 12 based on the output of the power monitoring units 21R, 21L, they notify the smartphone P1 that it has been placed on the earphone charging stand 12. The smartphone P1 recognizes the charging state of either of the earphone housings placed on the earphone charging stand 12. The main circuits 30R, 30L notify the smartphone P1 that the other earphone housing that was being charged on the earphone charging stand 12 has been removed from the earphone charging stand 12. By receiving this notification, the smartphone P1 can determine that the earphone housing that is being charged on the earphone charging stand 12 has been replaced, and transmits this determination result to the main circuits 30R, 30L. Note that the processing from step S214 onwards is not started until the main circuits 30R, 30L determine that the charge of either of the earphone housings 2R, 2L has been replaced. As a result, the main circuits 30R, 30L continue to use only the earphone housing 2R, 2L that has completed charging for the specified period of time.

[0113] The main circuits 30R, 30L determine whether or not the user U has switched the charging of the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L and the battery 22R, 22L of the other earphone housing 2R, 2L has been charged for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes) (S214). If it is determined that the charging for the predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes) has not been completed (NO in S214), the process flow returns to step S212. In other words, unless the charging for the predetermined time has been completed, the process flow does not proceed to steps subsequent to S214.

[0114] If it is determined that charging for a predetermined period of time has been completed in the battery 22R, 22L of the other earphone housing 2R, 2L (YES in S214), the main circuit 30R, 30L causes the display unit D1 of the user U's smartphone P1 to display a message indicating that charging has been completed via the wireless communication unit 34R, 34L (S215).

[0115] Then, the smartphone P1 of the user U wirelessly communicates with the earphone charging stand 12 to determine whether or not both the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L have been removed from the earphone charging stand 12 (S216). If the determination result is that neither has been removed from the earphone charging stand 12 (NO in S216), the process flow returns to step S214. In other words, unless the user U removes the right earphone housing 2R or the left earphone housing 2L from the earphone charging stand 12, the process flow does not proceed to steps subsequent to S217.

[0116] If it is determined that the earphones have been removed from the earphone charging stand 12 (YES in S216), both the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L are capable of wireless connection to the smartphone P1 of the user U (S217). This allows the user U to use the earphone device 1 again in a normal state (stereo).

[0117] Next, the smartphone P1 of the user U determines whether the extension of use of the earphone device 1 has been reset (S218). If it is determined that the extension has not been reset (NO in S218), the process flow ends (END). On the other hand, if it is determined that the extension has been reset (YES in S218), the process flow returns to step S202, and the above-mentioned steps S202 to S218 are repeatedly executed.

[0118] As described above, the earphone device 1 (an example of an acoustic device) of the first embodiment includes two earphone housings 2R, 2L (an example of an acoustic device) that are worn on the left and right ears of a user U. Each earphone housing 2R, 2L includes a main circuit 30R, 30L (an example of a detection unit) that detects the timing of transition to the first power saving mode and the second power saving mode, a battery 22R, 22L, a power monitoring unit 21R, 21L (an example of a monitoring unit) that monitors the remaining capacity of the battery 22R, 22L, a feedforward filter unit 49R, 49L, a feedback filter unit 53R, 53L, a beamformer 63R, 63L, a noise suppressor 64R, 64L, and an ambient filter / volume adjuster 48R, 48L (an example of a signal processing unit) that process input audio signals, and an audio output unit 48R, 48L that acoustically outputs the processed audio signals. The driver 10R, 10L (an example of a sound emitting unit) is connected to a smartphone P1 (an example of a communication terminal) carried by a user U so that transmission and reception can be performed between the driver 10R, 10L and a smartphone P1 (an example of a communication terminal) carried by the user U, and a wireless communication unit 34R, 34L (an example of a communication unit) that transmits a processed audio signal to the smartphone P1 of the user U, and a main circuit 30R, 30L (an example of a control unit) that stops the operation of the feedforward filter unit 49R, 49L, the feedback filter unit 53R, 53L, the beamform unit 63R, 63L, the noise suppression unit 64R, 64L, and the ambient filter / volume adjustment unit 48R, 48L based on detection of the timing of transition to the first power saving mode. The main circuit 30R, 30L notifies the user U that the remaining capacity of the battery 22R, 22L is low for a predetermined time based on detection of the timing of transition to the second power saving mode, and continues to use only the other earphone housing 2R, 2L with the remaining capacity of the battery 22R, 22L.

[0119] Moreover, according to the acoustic control method of embodiment 1, there is provided an acoustic control method for controlling two earphone housings 2R, 2L (an example of an acoustic device), each of which has a battery 22R, 22L and is worn on the left and right ears of a user U, and the acoustic control method includes a detection step of detecting the timing for transitioning to a first power saving mode and a second power saving mode for each of the earphone housings 2R, 2L, a monitoring step of monitoring the remaining capacity of the batteries 22R, 22L, a signal processing step of processing an input audio signal, a sound emission step of acoustically outputting the processed audio signal, a communication step of transmitting the processed audio signal to a smartphone P1 (an example of a communication terminal) carried by the user U, via which transmission and reception is possible, and a control step of stopping operation in the signal processing step based on the detection of the timing for transitioning to the first power saving mode. In the control step, based on detection of the timing to transition to the second power saving mode, the user U is notified to prompt the user U to charge the earphone housing 2R, 2L having the lower remaining capacity of the battery 22R, 22L for a specified period of time, and continues to use only the other earphone housing 2R, 2L having the higher remaining capacity of the battery 22R, 22L.

[0120] For this reason, the power saving mode has multiple stages, namely, a first power saving mode and a second power saving mode. In the first power saving mode, the operation of the signal processing units such as the feedforward filter units 49R, 49L, the feedback filter units 53R, 53L, the beam forming units 63R, 63L, the noise suppression units 64R, 64L, and the ambient filter / volume adjustment units 48R, 48L is stopped, so that the power consumption required for the calculation processing on the circuit boards 20R, 20L can be suppressed as much as possible. Then, in the second power saving mode, after the first power saving mode, the batteries 22R, 22L of the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L are charged in order from the one with the least remaining power, so that the remaining power of the batteries 22R, 22L of the earphone device 1 as a whole can be extended as much as possible. As a result, in an event such as a meeting where a scene of speaking and receiving is expected, adaptive and efficient power saving control can be performed according to the situation of the user U, and the convenience of the user U can be improved.

[0121] Moreover, the earphone device 1 (an example of an audio device) of the first embodiment further includes an external microphone 7R and a speech microphone 8R (an example of a first sensor) that detect the level of the ambient sound. The main circuits 30R and 30L (an example of a detection unit) detect the timing of transition to the first power saving mode based on detection that the level of the ambient sound is equal to or lower than a predetermined level threshold (an example of a first predetermined value). Therefore, the first power saving mode is transitioned under a usage situation where it is not necessary to detect the level of the ambient sound, so that even if some of the signal processing functions of the earphone device 1 are stopped in the power saving mode, the convenience of the user U is not impaired, and adaptive and efficient power saving control can be realized.

[0122] Furthermore, according to the earphone device 1 (an example of an audio device) of the first embodiment, the main circuits 30R, 30L (an example of a detection unit) detect the timing of transition to the first power saving mode based on an instruction from the smartphone P1 (an example of a communication terminal) of the user U. As a result, for example, the earphone device 1 is put into the power saving mode in response to an explicit instruction from the user U in a setting program of the smartphone P1 of the user U, thereby achieving adaptive and efficient power saving control in line with the will of the user U.

[0123] According to the earphone device 1 (an example of an audio device) of the first embodiment, the wireless communication units 34R, 34L (an example of a communication unit) have transmitting circuits 35R, 35L that transmit processed audio signals to the smartphone P1 (an example of a communication terminal) of the user U, and receiving circuits 36R, 36L that receive audio signals transmitted from the smartphone P1 of the user U. The main circuits 30R, 30L (an example of a control unit) stop the operation of the transmitting circuit 35R when detecting a timing to switch to the first power saving mode based on an instruction from the smartphone P1 of the user U. For this reason, for example, the earphone device 1 is switched to the power saving mode according to a mute setting of an online conversation application installed on the smartphone P1 of the user U, so that adaptive and efficient power saving control can be realized without substantially impairing the convenience of the user U and without causing inconvenience in the power saving mode.

[0124] Furthermore, according to the earphone device 1 (an example of an audio device) of the first embodiment, the main circuits 30R, 30L (an example of a control unit) reduce, by a predetermined amount, the receiving bit rate of the audio signal from the smartphone P1 (an example of a communication terminal) of the user U during the first power saving mode. This reduces the amount of information processed per unit time by the circuit boards 20R, 20L, and as a result, the power consumption of the earphone housing can be suppressed.

[0125] Furthermore, the earphone device 1 (an example of an audio device) of the first embodiment further includes bone conduction sensors 9R, 9L (an example of a second sensor) that detect the speech of the user U. The main circuits 30R, 30L (an example of a detection unit) detect the timing to transition to the first power saving mode based on the detection of the speech of the user U. As a result, the earphone device 1 is set to the power saving mode when it is not being used for the speech of the user U, so that adaptive and efficient power saving control can be achieved without substantially impairing the convenience of the user U and without causing the user U to feel inconvenience in the power saving mode.

[0126] Furthermore, according to the earphone device 1 (an example of an acoustic device) of the first embodiment, the main circuits 30R, 30L (an example of a control unit) reduce the volume of the audio signal acoustically output from the other earphone housings 2R, 2L (an example of an acoustic device) by a predetermined volume level (an example of a second predetermined value) during the second power saving mode. Power consumption at the output of the drivers 10R, 10L can be suppressed to achieve efficient power saving control.

[0127] Furthermore, according to the earphone device 1 (an example of an acoustic device) of the first embodiment, the main circuits 30R, 30L (an example of a control unit) output, during the second power saving mode, a message to the smartphone P1 (an example of a communications terminal) of the user U, urging the user U to charge one of the earphone housings 2R, 2L (an example of an acoustic device) for a predetermined period of time. This makes it possible to more explicitly urge the user U to charge the earphone housing 2R, 2L that has the lesser remaining battery power 22R, 22L, thereby achieving efficient power saving control.

[0128] Furthermore, according to the earphone device 1 (an example of an audio device) of the first embodiment, when the main circuits 30R, 30L (an example of a control unit) detect that charging of one of the earphone housings 2R, 2L (an example of an audio device) for a predetermined period of time has been completed based on the output of the power monitoring units 21R, 21L (an example of a monitoring unit), the main circuits 30R, 30L notify the user U to urge the user U to charge the other earphone housing 2R, 2L for a predetermined period of time, and allow the user U to continue using only the earphone housing 2R, 2L for which charging for the predetermined period of time has been completed. This allows the user U to continue using only one of the right earphone housing 2R or the left earphone housing 2L and charge the other, thereby achieving efficient power saving control while using the earphone device 1 to the minimum extent necessary without significantly impairing the convenience of the user U. As a result, the total remaining amount of power of the batteries 22R, 22L of the entire earphone device 1 can be extended, and full use can be achieved as soon as possible.

[0129] [Use case of the first embodiment] An example of a use case of the above-mentioned embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a time chart for explaining an example of a use case of the earphone device 1 of embodiment 1. Note that in this use case, an online conversation application is installed on the smartphone P1 of a user U, and an online conference is assumed to be held using this online conversation application.

[0130] As shown in Fig. 7, for example, an online conference is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. and end at 11:00 a.m. Furthermore, when the online conference starts at 10:00 a.m., the batteries 22R, 22L of the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L have little power remaining and will run out in one hour. For a while with this remaining power, the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L are used by the user U in normal operation as a pair.

[0131] The main circuits 30R, 30L detect the timing to transition to the first power saving mode when the remaining charge of the batteries 22R, 22L is 30 [min] based on the transmission from the power monitoring units 21R, 21L. Based on this detection, as described above, the main circuits 30R, 30L stop the operation of some of the functions related to audio signal processing in the main circuits 30R, 30L themselves, the ANC circuits 40R, 40L, and the detection circuits 60R, 60L. This puts the earphone device 1 into the first power saving mode when using a pair of the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L, and for example, the remaining charge of the power of both the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L is extended to 10 [min].

[0132] Here, if the online conference cannot end at the scheduled time of 11:00 a.m. and it is decided to extend the online conference before 11:00 a.m., the main circuits 30R, 30L detect the timing to transition to the second power saving mode when the remaining power drops to 10 [min (minutes)] or less through the power monitoring units 21R, 21L. Based on this detection, the left and right earphones exchange information through their respective wireless communication units 34R, 34L as described above, and compare which of the batteries 22R, 22L has the less remaining power, the right earphone housing 2R or the left earphone housing 2L.

[0133] As a result of this comparison, in this use case, if the main circuits 30R, 30L determine that the remaining power of the left earphone housing 2L is less, they notify the user U to urge him or her to charge the left earphone housing 2L for a predetermined period of time. As a result, the user U removes the left earphone housing 2L from his or her ear and sets it on the earphone charging stand 12 to charge it. As a result, use of only the right earphone housing 2R continues, and the earphone device 1 is put into a state of the second power saving mode for one-sided use. Furthermore, as a result of this charging, for example, the remaining power of the left earphone housing 2L is extended to 1 [h (hour)] 10 [min (minute)].

[0134] Then, when charging of the battery 22L of the left earphone housing 2L for a predetermined period of time is completed, a charge exchange is performed between the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L. Through this charge exchange, charging of the battery 22R of the right earphone housing 2R is performed, and when this charging is also completed, the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L are worn by the user U in both ears, and are in a state capable of being wirelessly connected to the user U's smartphone P1. This allows the user U to use the earphones in a normal state (stereo) (normal use of a pair of left and right earphones).

[0135] Furthermore, when both the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L are in use, when the remaining power of the battery 22L of the left earphone housing 2L reaches 30 [min], the timing to transition to the first power saving mode is detected for this left earphone housing 2L. Based on this detection, the main circuit 30L of the left earphone housing 2L stops the operation of some of the functions related to audio signal processing in the main circuit 30L itself, the ANC circuit 40L, and the detection circuit 60L in the left earphone housing 2L. As a result, for example, the remaining power is extended to 1 [h] 20 [min].

[0136] Next, when the remaining power of the battery 22R in the right earphone housing 2R reaches 30 [min], the timing to transition to the first power saving mode is detected for this right earphone housing 2R. Based on this detection, the main circuit 30R in the right earphone housing 2R stops the operation of some of the functions related to audio signal processing in the main circuit 30R itself, the ANC circuit 40R, and the detection circuit 60R in the right earphone housing 2R. As a result, the remaining power is extended to, for example, 1 [h] 30 [min].

[0137] In this way, even when the remaining power of the batteries 22R, 22L of the right earphone housing 2R and the left earphone housing 2L is low at the start of a conference as in this use case, and the conference lasts longer than planned, it is possible to achieve adaptive and efficient power saving control for the earphone device 1. This makes it possible to improve convenience for the user U.

[0138] Although several embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications, corrections, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the components in the above-mentioned embodiments may be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0139] The present disclosure is useful as an audio device and an audio control method that perform adaptive and efficient power saving control according to the user's situation in events such as conferences where speaking and receiving scenes are expected, thereby improving user convenience. [Explanation of symbols]

[0140] 1. Earphone device 2R, 2L Earphone housing 3R Housing 4R rear chamber 5R earpiece 6R,6L Internal microphone 7R,7L External microphone 8R, 8L Speech microphone 9R, 9L Bone conduction sensor 10R,10L Driver 11R Front room 12 Earphone charging stand 20R, 20L Circuit board 21R,21L Power monitoring section 22R, 22L Battery 23R,23L ROM circuit 24R,24L RAM circuit 30R, 30L main circuit 31R, 31L Bandpass filter / volume control section 32R, 32L Music playback / phone mode switch 33R,33L Volume adjustment section 34R,34L Wireless communication section 35R, 35L Transmitter circuit 36R, 36L receiving circuit 40R,40L ANC circuit 41R, 41L 1st amplifier section 42R, 42L Second amplifier section 43R, 43L 3rd amplifier section 44R, 44L 4th amplifier section 45R, 45L 1st analog-to-digital converter 46R, 46L Second analog-to-digital converter 47R, 47L Sidetone filter section 48R, 48L Ambient filter / volume adjustment section 49R, 49L Feedforward filter section 50R, 50L First digital adder 51R, 51L Second digital adder 52R, 52L Digital-to-analog conversion section 53R, 53L Feedback filter section 54R, 54L Analogue Adder 60R, 60L detection circuit 61R, 61L Speech detection unit 62R, 62L Wind noise detector 63R, 63L Beam Forming Unit 64R,64L Noise suppression section 100 mobile phone networks P1 Smartphone D1 display section

Claims

1. The device includes two acoustic devices that are attached to the left and right ears of a user, Each of the acoustic devices is a detection unit that detects timings of transition to each of the first power saving mode and the second power saving mode; A battery; A monitoring unit that monitors a remaining capacity of the battery; A signal processing unit that processes an input audio signal; a sound output unit that acoustically outputs the processed audio signal; a communication unit that is connected to a communication terminal carried by the user so as to be capable of transmitting and receiving the processed voice signal to the communication terminal; a control unit that stops the operation of the signal processing unit based on detection of a timing for transition to the first power saving mode, The control unit is based on detection of a timing of transition from the first power saving mode to the second power saving mode, notifying the user of a notification that the one acoustic device having a low remaining battery capacity should be charged for a predetermined period of time, and allowing the user to continue using only the other acoustic device having a high remaining battery capacity; sound equipment.

2. A first sensor is further provided for detecting a level of an ambient sound; The detection unit detects a timing to transition to the first power saving mode based on detection that the level of the ambient sound is equal to or lower than a first predetermined value.

2. An acoustic device according to claim 1.

3. The detection unit detects timing for transitioning to the first power saving mode based on an instruction from the communication terminal.

2. An acoustic device according to claim 1.

4. the communication unit includes a transmission circuit that transmits the processed voice signal to the communication terminal, and a reception circuit that receives the voice signal transmitted from the communication terminal; the control unit stops the operation of the transmission circuit when detecting a timing to transition to the first power saving mode based on an instruction from the communication terminal.

4. An acoustic device according to claim 3.

5. the control unit reduces a receiving bit rate of the audio signal from the communication terminal by a predetermined amount during the first power saving mode.

5. An acoustic device according to claim 4.

6. A second sensor is further provided to detect the user's speech, The detection unit detects a timing for transitioning to the first power saving mode based on detection of an utterance by the user.

2. An acoustic device according to claim 1.

7. the control unit reduces a volume of an audio signal acoustically output from the other acoustic device by a second predetermined value during the second power saving mode.

2. An acoustic device according to claim 1.

8. the control unit causes the communication terminal to output a message prompting the user to charge the one acoustic device for a predetermined period of time during the second power saving mode.

2. An acoustic device according to claim 1.

9. When the control unit detects that charging of the one acoustic device for a predetermined period of time has been completed based on the output of the monitoring unit, the control unit notifies the user to prompt the user to charge the other acoustic device for the predetermined period of time, and allows the user to continue using only the one acoustic device for which charging of the predetermined period of time has been completed.

2. An acoustic device according to claim 1.

10. A method for hearing aids comprising the steps of: providing a pair of acoustic devices each attached to a left ear and a right ear of a user; Each of the acoustic devices is a first sensor for detecting an ambient sound level; a detection unit that detects timings of transition to each of the first power saving mode and the second power saving mode; A battery; A monitoring unit that monitors a remaining capacity of the battery; A signal processing unit that processes an input audio signal; a sound output unit that acoustically outputs the processed audio signal; a communication unit that is connected to a communication terminal carried by the user so as to be capable of transmitting and receiving the processed voice signal to the communication terminal; a control unit that stops the operation of the signal processing unit based on detection of a timing for transition to the first power saving mode, The detection unit is Detecting a timing to transition to the first power saving mode based on detection that the level of the ambient sound is equal to or lower than a first predetermined value; The control unit is based on detection of a timing for transition to the second power saving mode, notifying the user of a notification that the one acoustic device having a low remaining battery capacity should be charged for a predetermined period of time, and allowing the user to continue using only the other acoustic device having a high remaining battery capacity; sound equipment.

11. A method for hearing aids comprising the steps of: providing a first acoustic device for hearing aids that are attached to a left ear and a right ear of a user; Each of the acoustic devices is a detection unit that detects timings of transition to each of the first power saving mode and the second power saving mode; A battery; A monitoring unit that monitors a remaining capacity of the battery; A signal processing unit that processes an input audio signal; a sound output unit that acoustically outputs the processed audio signal; a communication unit that is connected to a communication terminal carried by the user so as to be capable of transmitting and receiving the processed voice signal to the communication terminal; a control unit that stops the operation of the signal processing unit based on detection of a timing for transition to the first power saving mode, The control unit is During the first power saving mode, a receiving bit rate of an audio signal from the communication terminal is reduced by a predetermined amount, and based on detection of a timing for transition to the second power saving mode, a notification is given to the user urging the user to charge the one acoustic device having a low remaining battery capacity for a predetermined period of time, and only the other acoustic device having a high remaining battery capacity is allowed to continue to be used. sound equipment.

12. A method for hearing aids comprising the steps of: providing a first hearing aid for hearing aids, the first hearing aid comprising: Each of the acoustic devices is a second sensor for detecting speech of the user; a detection unit that detects timings of transition to each of the first power saving mode and the second power saving mode; A battery; A monitoring unit that monitors a remaining capacity of the battery; A signal processing unit that processes an input audio signal; a sound output unit that acoustically outputs the processed audio signal; a communication unit that is connected to a communication terminal carried by the user so as to be capable of transmitting and receiving the processed voice signal to the communication terminal; a control unit that stops the operation of the signal processing unit based on detection of a timing for transition to the first power saving mode, The detection unit detects a timing for transitioning to the first power saving mode based on detection of an utterance by the user; The control unit is based on detection of a timing for transition to the second power saving mode, notifying the user of a notification that the one acoustic device having a low remaining battery capacity should be charged for a predetermined period of time, and allowing the user to continue using only the other acoustic device having a high remaining battery capacity; sound equipment.

13. A method for hearing aids comprising the steps of: providing a first acoustic device for hearing aids that are attached to a left ear and a right ear of a user; Each of the acoustic devices is a detection unit that detects timings of transition to each of the first power saving mode and the second power saving mode; A battery; A monitoring unit that monitors a remaining capacity of the battery; A signal processing unit that processes an input audio signal; a sound output unit that acoustically outputs the processed audio signal; a communication unit that is connected to a communication terminal carried by the user so as to be capable of transmitting and receiving the processed voice signal to the communication terminal; a control unit that stops the operation of the signal processing unit based on detection of a timing for transition to the first power saving mode, The control unit is During the second power saving mode, a volume of an audio signal acoustically output from the other acoustic device is reduced by a second predetermined value, and based on detection of a timing for transition to the second power saving mode, a notification is issued to the user urging the user to charge the one acoustic device having a low remaining battery capacity for a predetermined period of time, and the user is allowed to continue using only the other acoustic device having a high remaining battery capacity. sound equipment.

14. 1. An acoustic control method for controlling two acoustic devices, each having a battery and worn on a left ear and a right ear of a user, comprising: For each said acoustic device, a detection step of detecting timings of transition to each of a first power saving mode and a second power saving mode; a monitoring step of monitoring a remaining capacity of the battery; a signal processing step for processing an input audio signal; a step of acoustically outputting the processed audio signal; a communication step of transmitting the processed voice signal to a communication terminal carried by the user, the communication terminal being connected to the communication terminal so as to be capable of transmitting and receiving the voice signal; a control step of stopping an operation in the signal processing step based on detection of a timing of transition to the first power saving mode, In the control step, based on detection of a timing of transition from the first power saving mode to the second power saving mode, notifying the user of a notification that the one acoustic device having a low remaining battery capacity should be charged for a predetermined period of time, and allowing the user to continue using only the other acoustic device having a high remaining battery capacity; Acoustic control methods.

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