Indoor structure with an audio system

Abstract

To provide an indoor structure having an acoustic system and a set of speakers and a wall surface material by which a function of an indoor space is easily improved.SOLUTION: An indoor structure has an acoustic system 15. The acoustic system has, on a wall part, a surface material 17 and a speakers 16 arranged on one surface of the surface material and constituted by a vibrator 18. The other surface of the surface material is exposed to an indoor space so as to form an inner surface of the indoor space. The surface material includes a surface mounting material having a design surface. The design surface of the surface mounting material constitutes the other surface of the surface material. A signal for sound to be output is transmitted to each one of the plurality of speakers or to each one of groups when one group including the speakers to be selected from the plurality of speakers is defined as one group. The wall part of the indoor structure has a wall surface material 11a which does not function as a speaker, at a position where the plurality of speakers included in the acoustic system are not arranged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an indoor structure having an acoustic system.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a technique in which a planar panel is used as a diaphragm, and a vibrator (exciter) is attached to the diaphragm and vibrated to function as a speaker. According to this, it is possible to use a decorative material as a speaker.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As described above, by using a planar speaker in which a vibrator is installed on the back surface or inside of a plate material that constitutes an indoor space such as a wall, a floor, or a ceiling, it is possible to configure the indoor space without being visually recognized as a speaker. Therefore, it is possible to improve the effective use of space and the appearance. However, in this technology, in a space where a plurality of people gather such as a conference room, a store, or a workplace, and in a personal space such as a bedroom or a living room in a house (sometimes collectively referred to as an "indoor space"), from the viewpoints of convenience, comfort, functionality, and preference, etc., it cannot necessarily be said that it is sufficient for configuring the entire indoor space.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an indoor structure having an acoustic system that can easily improve the function of an indoor space.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an indoor structure that constitutes an indoor space surrounded by a wall portion, a floor portion, and a ceiling portion. An acoustic system is arranged in the indoor structure. The acoustic system has a plurality of speakers on the wall portion, the speakers being composed of a facing material and a vibrator arranged on one surface of the facing material. The other surface of the facing material is exposed to the indoor space and forms the inner surface of the indoor space. The facing material includes a decorative material having a design surface, and the design surface of the decorative material constitutes the other surface of the facing material. For each of the plurality of speakers, or for each of a plurality of groups formed by selecting a group of speakers selected from the plurality of speakers, a signal for the sound to be output is transmitted. The wall portion of the indoor structure has a wall surface material that does not function as a speaker at a portion where the plurality of speakers of the acoustic system are not arranged. The wall surface material includes a decorative material that is different from the decorative material of the facing material of the speaker and has a design surface, and the design surface of the decorative material is exposed to the indoor space and forms the inner surface of the indoor space. The aspect of the design surface of the decorative material of the wall surface material is the same as or different from the aspect of the design surface of the decorative material of the facing material of the speaker.

[0007] The aspect of the design surface of the decorative material of the wall surface material may be the same as the aspect of the design surface of the decorative material of the facing material of the speaker.

[0008] The aspect of the design surface of the decorative material of the wall surface material may be different from the aspect of the design surface of the decorative material of the facing material of the speaker.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a set of a speaker and a wall surface material for use in the above indoor structure, the set having a speaker composed of a facing material having a decorative material with a design surface and a vibrator arranged on one surface of the facing material, and a wall surface material having a decorative material with a design surface.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

[0011] Hereinafter, each embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Note that the size and shape of each member shown in the drawings may be exaggerated or deformed from the viewpoint of easy understanding. Also, for ease of viewing, the description of repeated reference numerals may be omitted.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining one embodiment, and schematically shows the appearance of an indoor structure 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "indoor structure 10") having an acoustic system. FIG. 2 is a front view of a wall portion 11 provided in the indoor structure 10 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view for explaining a speaker 16 included in the indoor structure 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, showing a part of a backside surface material 17b broken to expose a core material 17a. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an acoustic system 15 included in the indoor structure 10.

[0013] As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 4, the indoor structure 10 of this embodiment has a wall portion 11 that forms a side surface, a ceiling portion 12 that forms an upper portion, and a floor portion 13 that forms a lower portion so as to partition an indoor space 1, and the indoor space 1 is partitioned by the inside surrounded by these. In FIG. 1, for simplicity of illustration and description, the wall portion on the front side (front side of the paper surface) of the figure and openings such as windows and doors, furniture, lighting fixtures, and miscellaneous goods that are usually provided at one or more locations in the indoor structure 10 are not shown. In this embodiment, an acoustic system 15 is applied to the wall portion 11 among them. Therefore, here, the description will be made on the premise of the acoustic system 15 applied to the wall portion 11, but it is not limited to this, and instead of this, or in addition to this, the acoustic system may be applied to the ceiling portion and / or the floor portion.

[0014] In the present invention, the acoustic system 15 has at least a speaker 16 and a configuration for driving the speaker 16 to generate sound waves. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, in addition to the speaker 16, it includes a sensor 20, an input device 21, a sound source device 22, an arithmetic device 25, and an amplification device 30. Hereinafter, each configuration will be described.

[0015] The speaker 16 is a device that outputs sound toward the indoor space 1, and in this embodiment, it is a planar speaker. As the speaker 16, a known planar speaker can be used. As an example, as shown in FIG. 3, the speaker 16 includes a face material 17 and a vibrator 18. As shown in FIG. 3, the face material 17 has a core material 17a, and a backside surface material 17b is disposed on one surface side of the core material 17a, and a frontside surface material 17c is disposed on the other surface side of the core material 17a.

[0016] The core material 17a can use, for example, a plate material with a structure called a so-called honeycomb core. In a typical configuration, a plurality of hexagonal prism cylinders are arranged in a planar shape in a direction orthogonal to the side surfaces of the hexagonal prisms with the side surfaces adjacent to each other to form a plate-like member. Such honeycomb core materials are well-known, but include aluminum alloys such as aluminum or duralumin, epoxy resins, phenolic resins, melamine resins, phenolic epoxy resins, thermosetting resins such as urethane resins, olefin resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and ethylene-propylene copolymers, various nylons, polyamide resins such as aramid resins (aromatic polyamides), thermoplastic resins such as polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylic resins, and polycarbonate resins, papers such as high-quality paper, Japanese paper, and paper mixed with aluminum hydroxide, woven or non-woven fabrics made of glass fibers, carbon fibers, polyester resin fibers, polyamide resin fibers, etc., and materials obtained by impregnating and curing the above-mentioned paper, woven fabric, or non-woven fabric with the thermosetting resin. In addition, as materials other than the honeycomb core, single boards, plywoods, fiberboards, particle boards, laminated woods, etc. made of various trees such as cedar, cypress, pine, oak, Japanese oak, chestnut, lauan, and teak can also be used.

[0017] The backside facing material 17b is a plate-like facing material arranged on the surface side opposite to the indoor space 1 when the speaker 16 is arranged on the wall portion 11. And a vibrator 18 is arranged on the backside facing material 17b. From such a viewpoint, it is preferable that the backside facing material 17b has relatively high strength and high flexural rigidity. Therefore, the material constituting the backside facing material 17b is not particularly limited, and can be considered in the same way as the core material. However, it does not necessarily have to be the same as the core material, and different materials may be used.

[0018] The front side facing material 17c is a plate-like facing material arranged so as to face the indoor space 1 when the speaker 16 is arranged on the wall portion 11. Therefore, the surface of the front side facing material 17c is the design surface. The front - side facing material 17c can be, for example, in a form consisting of a plate material made of the same material as the above - mentioned back - side facing material 17b and wallpaper that constitutes the designed surface attached to its surface.

[0019] The vibrator 18 is a device that is attached to the back - side facing material 17b of the facing material 17, vibrates based on the received signal, and transmits this vibration to the facing material 17 to output it as sound. Such a vibrator is sometimes called an exciter, and a known one can be applied. The position where the vibrator 18 is arranged on the back - side facing material 17b is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. A plurality of vibrators 18 may be arranged on one facing material 17. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, in addition to installing the vibrator 18 on the back - side facing material 17b of the facing material 17, although not shown in the figure, it can also be installed in a state where a part or all of it is embedded in the facing material 17.

[0020] The sensor 20 is a device that detects a desired state. The type of the sensor may be any type of sensor according to the need and is not particularly limited. For example, a human - presence sensor that detects the presence or absence of a person, a light sensor, a sensor that detects a person's facial expression by analysis based on a predetermined algorithm using image information, an acoustic sensor that detects sounds of various frequencies such as ultra - low - frequency sound, audible - frequency band sound, and ultrasonic waves, a sensor that detects a person's voice by analysis based on a predetermined algorithm using the sound information detected by the acoustic sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a body - motion sensor such as a gyro sensor that detects the motion state of an object such as a person, an animal, or an inanimate object, such as position, speed, angular velocity, acceleration, or angular acceleration, a vital - sensing sensor that detects various physical quantities such as body temperature, blood pressure, respiratory rate, electrocardiogram, and electroencephalogram, and analyzes them with a predetermined algorithm as necessary to measure or visualize a person's physical or mental state and sleep state, a magnetic sensor, an infrared sensor, and various other sensors.

[0021] The input device 21 is a device that inputs commands to the arithmetic device 25. It is not particularly limited as long as it can input commands to the arithmetic device 25, and examples include a keyboard, a mouse, etc.

[0022] The sound source device 22 is a device that inputs a signal corresponding to sound to the arithmetic unit 25. Although not particularly limited, for example, in addition to a device that directly converts sound into an audio signal such as electricity in real time, like a microphone, various forms of audio recording and playback devices such as a recording disc, an optical disc, a magnetic tape, and various semiconductor storage devices that convert sound into various physical quantities such as groove shape, magnetism, electricity, and optical properties such as light reflectance for recording and appropriately reproduce it as an audio signal can be mentioned. In FIG. 4, only one sound source device 22 is shown, but a plurality of sound source devices 22 may be prepared, and individual sound source devices 22 may record and reproduce different audio signals respectively.

[0023] The arithmetic unit 25 calculates and determines the sound to be output from the speaker 16 based on a program, and transmits an audio signal to the amplifier device 30 based on the control signal (instruction) as a result. Specific aspects such as the content of the calculation will be described later. Such an arithmetic unit 25 can be configured by a computer such as a personal computer. That is, in a computer equipped with a CPU as a central processing unit, a RAM, a ROM, an HDD, etc. as storage devices, the CPU can be configured to execute a computer program stored in the ROM or HDD using the RAM. In addition, the calculation by this arithmetic unit 25 is preferably performed individually for a plurality of arranged speakers 16, or when a plurality of speakers 16 are grouped as one group, it can be performed for each group of a plurality of groups. Thereby, it is possible to more appropriately and flexibly realize the output of sound as needed.

[0024] The amplifier device 30 is a device that receives a control signal from the arithmetic unit 25, amplifies an audio signal from a predetermined sound source device 22 based on this, and transmits it to a predetermined speaker 16, and is a device called a so-called amplifier. Such an amplifier device 30 is not particularly limited, and a known one can be used.

[0025] The indoor structure 10 is formed by combining the above-described components in the following manner, for example. Since the indoor structure 10 constitutes the indoor space 1, in this embodiment, a known ceiling material is arranged on the ceiling portion 12, and a known floor material 13 is arranged on the floor portion 13. And at least one, preferably a plurality of speakers 16 are arranged on the wall portion 11. At this time, the surface-side finishing material 17c of the speaker 16 is arranged so as to face the indoor space 1. Also, as can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the speakers 16 are arranged alternately with the normal wall material 11a at intervals in both the vertical and horizontal directions. In this way, it is not necessary for the plurality of speakers 16 to cover the entire wall portion 11, and for the portions where the speakers 16 are not arranged, normal (non-speaker) wall material 11a may be arranged. The arrangement of the speakers 16 does not necessarily have to be at intervals as in this embodiment, and can be arranged in a pattern according to need.

[0026] At this time, if the design surface of the surface-side finishing material 17c of the speaker 16 and the design surface of the normal wall material 11a are the same, the speakers 16 and the normal wall material 11a cannot be distinguished visually, so a space where the speakers 16 are not recognized can be created. However, it is not limited to this, and the design surface of the surface-side finishing material 17c of the speaker 16 may be made different from the design surface of the normal wall material 11a, or otherwise, the design surface of the surface-side finishing material 17c may be made an accent of the interior such as a painting or a photograph.

[0027] The sensor 20 is arranged at a position where it is easy to detect the object to be detected. Since the input device 21 is a means for directly inputting information to the arithmetic device 25, it may be arranged at any position as long as input is possible. Similarly, the sound source device 22 may be installed at a necessary position. Note that the sensor 20, the input device 21, the arithmetic device 25, and the amplification device 30 do not necessarily have to be provided, or one or two or more of them may be arranged.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 4, when the arithmetic unit 25 includes either the sensor 20 or the input device 21, it is configured to receive and capture signals therefrom, and to be able to transmit an audio signal generated from the selected sound source device 22 based on a control signal output as a result of the arithmetic operation to the amplification device 30. These capturing and transmission may be either wired or wireless. Therefore, the position where the arithmetic unit 25 is disposed is not particularly limited, and it may be anywhere inside or outside the indoor space 1, in a separate room, in another building, or the like.

[0029] As can be seen from Fig. 4, the amplification device 30 is connected to the arithmetic unit 25 to receive the signal from the arithmetic unit 25 as described above, and is connected to the vibrator 18 of the speaker 16 to transmit the amplified signal to the vibrator 18. As shown in Fig. 4, when individually controlling the outputs of the plurality of speakers 16, an amplification device 30 is disposed for each of the plurality of speakers 16. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 5, when a group including the plurality of speakers 16 is regarded as one group and the sound output for each group is controlled, one amplification device 30 may be installed for each group. The example of Fig. 5 is an example in which a plurality of speakers belonging to the same height position are grouped as one group, and a total of four groups are configured.

[0030] With the indoor structure 10 as described above, it can be operated, for example, as follows. The flow is shown in Fig. 6. When at least one of the sensor 20 and the input device 21 is provided, the arithmetic unit 25 receives the audio signals from these (S11). The signal from the sensor 20 is a signal of information detected by the sensor 20. The signal from the input device 21 is, for example, a signal for selecting a desired sound with respect to the arithmetic unit 25, and it is assumed that a desired sound is directly selected from a keyboard. Examples of the signal from the sound source device 22 include signals from sound regenerators such as microphones, audio signal recorders / players such as CDs, audio signals transmitted via a communication line, and audio signals generated from the arithmetic unit and storage device of a computer. Next, based on the received signal, the arithmetic unit 25 calculates and determines the sound to be output for each speaker or each group by a program (S12). Here, in the case of an audio system not equipped with the sensor 20, the input device 21, and the sound source device 22, a signal for the sound to be output is calculated and determined based on a predetermined program. The arithmetic unit 25 outputs the determined signal to the amplifier 30 (S13), and the received amplifier 30 amplifies the signal and outputs it to the vibrator 18 of the speaker 16 (S14). Thereby, the face material 17 of the speaker 16 vibrates to output sound (S15). The above S11 to S15 are repeated, and a desired sound is provided as appropriate.

[0031] According to the indoor structure 10 as described above, it is possible to achieve both a spatial design and a sound environment. That is, visually, the wall materials and the speakers constituting the space are integrated to realize a clean and beautiful spatial design, and auditorily, different sounds can be output depending on the part of the space, ensuring the diversity of the sound environment production.

[0032] Regarding the sound environment, for example, by changing the sound output according to the height position of the speaker 16 to the group of speakers, the sound of a bird singing is output from the speaker 16 to the group of speakers at a high position, and the sound of the branches and leaves of trees such as the sound of the wind blowing through the pine trees or environmental music such as background music is output from the speaker 16 to the group of speakers at the position of a person's head, and the sound of water flowing is output from the speaker 16 to the group of speakers at a low position, for example, the sound of the waves on the coast, the sound of a small stream, the sound of insects such as the sound of a bell cricket, etc., it is possible to generate a type of sound that matches the position where the sound is generated. Therefore, a three-dimensional distribution of sound in an indoor space, i.e., a sound field, is stereoscopically configured to faithfully reproduce, with a sense of presence, the sound field of an actual sound source and its generation environment for a person in the indoor space 1, or to further develop it as a means of realizing virtual reality in the acoustic aspect, or to enhance concentration, enhance the relaxation effect, activate or calm the progress of a meeting. Alternatively, by changing the sound output according to the depth direction of the indoor space 1, a sense of depth can be added to the sound, making the space feel wider and adding a sense of liberation. In this way, since the sound output can be appropriately changed according to the location, it is possible to create a desired sound environment, and the method for doing so is easy. At that time, since the speakers are not noticeable, there is also the advantage that the sound is easily accepted naturally.

[0033] Specific examples regarding the diversity of sound environment effects are given below.

[0034] In various hotel guest rooms, lobbies, bathrooms, guest rooms, barbershops or beauty salons, various relaxation facilities, commercial facilities, stores, hospitals, medical facilities such as clinics, schools, study rooms, offices, conference rooms, amusement facilities (such as game centers), homes, etc., as described above, it is possible to expect the relaxation effect, improvement of concentration, faithful and immersive reproduction of the sound field, and reproduction of virtual reality in the acoustic aspect. For example, these effects can be further enhanced by calculating and changing the sound and volume output based on temperature sensors, humidity sensors, body movement sensors, vital sensors, etc. using an arithmetic unit. Regarding the conference room, in addition to the above, the voice of the speaker can be output through speakers near the listeners to make it easier to hear, or the sense of presence of TV conference participants and the persuasive power of their speeches can be emphasized with a very high sense of immersion by utilizing sound field reproduction or virtual reality effects. Also, sounds can be output to mask the voices in the conference so that they do not leak outside, or the human psyche can be activated or calmed according to the activity level of the conference. In that case, for example, based on signals from a human presence sensor or a volume sensor, an arithmetic device evaluates the activity level of the conference according to a predetermined algorithm, and the type, quality, volume, frequency band, formant, sound generation position, etc. of the output sound are adjusted by the arithmetic device so as to produce a psychological effect of activating or calming the conference based on that activity level. In working spaces such as schools, study rooms, and offices, in addition to the above, sounds can also be output to mask the voices of phones, etc. and the typing sounds of keyboards so that they do not leak outside. In that case, the quality and volume of the output sound may be calculated and adjusted by an arithmetic device based on the output signal from a volume sensor. In stores, in addition to the above, sounds explaining the products can be played for each area where the products are displayed. In that case, a human presence sensor may detect that a person is looking at the product, and this is calculated by an arithmetic device, and a voice may be output. According to this, customers can listen to the explanations from the beginning. In the bedroom at home, it is possible to output sounds that can wake up at the timing of getting up or going to bed and effectively perform sleep. At this time, in addition to the alarm, for example, an arithmetic device may calculate based on signals from a sleep monitor, and the type of sound may be determined. When there is an infant, sounds that can relax or promote sleep for the infant can be output. In that case, the type and volume of the sound output by calculation by an arithmetic device based on face recognition and signals from a microphone are determined. From the perspective of crime prevention and disaster prevention, it is possible to output notifications and warning sounds for intruders and disaster prevention information. At this time, a human presence sensor detects the presence of a person, and an appropriate location is determined by calculation by an arithmetic device, and a sound can be output. In medical facilities, dispensing pharmacies, etc., it is possible to output masking sounds so that voices of conversations regarding medical information and personal information do not leak outside. In that case, for example, the type, quality, volume, sound generation position, etc. of the sound output based on signals from a human presence sensor or a volume sensor may be adjusted by an arithmetic unit. Inside a room in a house where there are pets (companion animals) such as dogs and cats, it is possible to detect the voices and movements of the pets such as dogs and cats inside the room, and when in an excited state, output a sound that calms them down and promotes relaxation.

Explanation of Signs

[0035] 1 Indoor space 10 Indoor structure having an acoustic system 11 Wall part 12 Ceiling part 13 Floor part 15 Acoustic system 16 Speaker 17 Face material 18 Vibrator 20 Sensor 21 Input device 22 Sound source device 25 Arithmetic unit 30 Amplifier

Claims

1. An indoor structure constituting an indoor space surrounded by walls, a floor, and a ceiling, An audio system is disposed in the interior structure, The audio system comprises: The wall portion has a plurality of speakers each composed of a panel that vibrates to output sound and a vibrator disposed on one surface of the panel, The other surface of the face material is exposed to the indoor space and forms an inner surface of the indoor space, The surface material includes a mounting material having a design surface, and the design surface of the mounting material constitutes the other surface of the surface material; the entire surface of the speaker facing the indoor space is the design surface of the covering material constituting the other surface of the surface material, Transmitting a signal for a sound to be output to each of the plurality of speakers, or to each of a plurality of groups when a group of speakers selected from the plurality of speakers is regarded as one group; a wall portion of the interior structure has a wall material that does not function as a speaker in a portion where the plurality of speakers of the acoustic system are not arranged, the wall material includes a covering material having a design surface different from the covering material of the face material of the speaker, and the design surface of the covering material is exposed to the indoor space and forms an inner surface of the indoor space; The aspect of the design surface of the covering material of the wall material is the same as or different from the aspect of the design surface of the covering material of the surface material of the speaker, Indoor structure.

2. The indoor structure according to claim 1 , wherein the aspect of the design surface of the covering material of the wall material is the same as the aspect of the design surface of the covering material of the surface material of the speaker.

3. The indoor structure according to claim 1 , wherein a state of the design surface of the covering material of the wall material is different from a state of the design surface of the covering material of the surface material of the speaker.

4. A set of a speaker and a wall material for use in an indoor structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A speaker including a surface material having a decorative surface and a vibrator disposed on one surface of the surface material; A wall material having a surface material having a design surface; having A set of speakers and wall covering materials.

Images