# US 10,482,870 B1 · Sound-processing apparatus and sound-processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,482,870 B1 - Document ID: US10482870B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/398,007 - Filed: 2019-04-29 - Published: 2019-11-21 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-10 - Assignees: Nanjing Horizon Robotics Technology Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Nanjing Horizon Robotics Technology Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Guangwei Cheng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10482870B1 ## CPC - G10K 11/17823: {Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment} - G10L 21/0208: Noise filtering - H04R 3/12: for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - G10K 2210/3044: Phase shift, e.g. complex envelope processing - G10L 2021/02082: {the noise being echo, reverberation of the speech} - G10K: SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract A sound-processing apparatus comprises at least one pair of sound transducers. A first sound transducer may receive an audio source signal and output a first sound signal according to the audio source signal. A second sound transducer may receive the audio source signal and output a second sound signal according to the audio source signal, the second sound signal having opposite phase from the first sound signal. A difference between the second and first sound signal amplitudes may be less than or equal to an amplitude threshold value. A sound acquisition device may acquire a sound signal. Path-characteristic differences between amplitude-frequency characteristics of a first sound path from the first sound transducer to the sound acquisition device and a second sound path from the second sound transducer to the sound acquisition device may be less than or equal to a first characteristic threshold value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sound-processing apparatus comprising: at least one pair of sound transducers, each pair of sound transducers including a. a first sound transducer for receiving an audio source signal and outputting a first sound signal according to the audio source signal; and b. a second sound transducer for receiving the audio source signal and outputting a second sound signal according to the audio source signal, c. the second sound signal having an opposite phase from the first sound signal, and difference between an amplitude of the second sound signal and an amplitude of the first sound signal being less than or equal to an amplitude threshold value; and a sound acquisition device for acquiring a sound signal, path-characteristic difference between an amplitude-frequency characteristic of a first sound path from the first sound transducer to the sound acquisition device and an amplitude-frequency characteristic of a second sound path from the second sound transducer to the sound acquisition device being less than or equal to a first characteristic threshold value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sound-processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the first sound transducer comprises a first sound output unit for converting the audio source signal into the first sound signal; and the second sound transducer comprises an inverter for inverting the audio source signal and a second sound output unit for converting the inverted audio source signal to the second sound signal, unit-characteristic difference between an amplitude-frequency characteristic of the first sound output unit and an amplitude-frequency characteristic of the second sound output unit is less than or equal to a second characteristic threshold value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sound-processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first sound transducer further comprises a corrector for compensating the audio source signal according to at least one of the path-characteristic difference and the unit-characteristic difference before the audio source signal reaches the first sound output unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The sound-processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second sound transducer further comprises a corrector for compensating the audio source signal or the inverted audio source signal according to at least one of the path-characteristic difference and the unit-characteristic difference before the audio source signal reaches the inverter or before the inverted audio source signal reaches the second sound output unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The sound-processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein distance difference between the first sound path and the second sound path is less than or equal to a distance threshold value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The Sound-processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first sound output unit and the second sound output unit are plane-symmetrically positioned relative to the sound acquisition device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The sound-processing apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: a shell having a first position, and a second position and a third position that are symmetrical with respect to the first position, the sound acquisition device being arranged at the first position, the first sound output unit and the second sound output unit being arranged at the second position and the third position, respectively, and having the same distance and orientation angle relative to the sound acquisition device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The sound-processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the shell has consistent material at its symmetrical position with respect to the sound acquisition device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The sound-processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the shell is a cylinder, the sound acquisition device being disposed at a center position in a bottom surface of the cylinder, the first sound output unit and the second sound output unit being disposed at positions in a circumferential surface of the cylinder symmetrical relative to an axis of the cylinder. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The sound-processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the shell is a cuboid, the sound acquisition device being disposed at a center position in a bottom surface of the cuboid, the first sound output unit and the second sound output unit being disposed at positions in two opposite sides of the cuboid symmetrical relative to a volume centerline of the cuboid. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The sound-processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a sampler for sampling the audio source signal to obtain a reference signal; and an echo canceller for performing noise reduction processing on the sound signal acquired by the sound acquisition device based on the reference signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The sound-processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the echo canceller removes residual component of the audio source signal from the sound signal acquired by the sound acquisition device based on the reference signal through at least one of an adaptive filtering algorithm and a double-talk control mechanism. ### Claim 13 A sound-processing apparatus comprising: at least one set of sound transducers, each set of sound transducers comprising: d. a first sound transducer for receiving a left channel signal of stereo source signals and outputting a first sound signal according to the left channel signal; e. a second sound transducer for receiving a right channel signal of the stereo source signals and outputting a second sound signal according to the right channel signal; f. a third sound transducer for receiving the left channel signal and outputting a third sound signal according to the left channel signal; and g. a fourth sound transducer for receiving the right channel signal and outputting a fourth sound signal according to the right channel signal, h. the third sound signal having a phase opposite to that of the first sound signal and difference between an amplitude of the third sound signal and an amplitude of the first sound signal being less than or equal to a first amplitude threshold value, and the fourth sound signal having a phase opposite to that of the first sound signal and difference between an amplitude of the fourth sound signal and an amplitude of the second sound signal being less than or equal to a second amplitude threshold value; and a sound acquisition device for acquiring a sound signal, first path-characteristic difference between an amplitude-frequency characteristic of a first sound path from the first sound transducer to the sound acquisition device and an amplitude-frequency characteristic of a third sound path from the third sound transducer to the sound acquisition device being less than or equal to a frist characteristic threshold value, and second path-characteristic difference between an amplitude-frequency characteristic of a second sound path from the second sound transducer to the sound acquisition device and an amplitude-frequency characteristic of a fourth sound path from the fourth sound transducer to the sound acquisition device being less than or equal to a second characteristic threshold value. ### Claim 14 A sound-processing method comprising: receiving an audio source signal by a sound-processing apparatus, the sound-processing device comprising at least one pair of sound transducers and a sound acquisition device, each pair of sound transducers comprising a first sound transducer and a second sound transducer; outputting, by the first sound transducer, a first sound signal according to the audio source signal; and outputting, by the second sound transducer, a second sound signal according to the audio source signal, the second sound signal having a phase opposite to that of the first sound signal, and difference between an amplitude of the second sound signal and an amplitude of the first sound signal being less than or equal to an amplitude threshold value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The sound-processing method of claim 14, further comprising: acquiring a sound signal by the sound acquisition device; sampling the audio source signal to obtain a reference signal; and performing noise reduction processing on the sound signal acquired by the sound acquisition device based on the reference signal.