# US 11,310,598 B2 · Acoustic control apparatus, method, program, and device including the apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,310,598 B2 - Document ID: US11310598B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/804,249 - Filed: 2020-02-28 - Published: 2021-03-18 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-18 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Inventors: Akihiko Enamito - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11310598B2 ## CPC - H04R 3/04: for correcting frequency response - G10L 25/51: for comparison or discrimination - H04S 2420/01: Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD] - 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) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS ## Abstract According to one embodiment, an acoustic control apparatus includes a first calculator, a second calculator, and a first setting unit. The first calculator calculates a first relationship established between acoustic filter coefficients, based on sounds emitted from sound sources. The second calculator calculates a second relationship established between the acoustic filter coefficients by matching a first sound pressure ratio with a second sound pressure ratio, in a complex sound pressure ratio between ears of a user who desires the sound information. The first setting unit sets an acoustic filter coefficient corresponding to each of the sound sources, based on the first relationship and the second relationship. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An acoustic control apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit that obtains a sound signal including sound information, the sound signal being based on sounds emitted from sound sources; a first calculator that calculates a first relationship established between acoustic filter coefficients, based on the sounds which are driven by a drive signal obtained by applying the sound signal to the acoustic filter coefficients set for each sound source; a second calculator that calculates a second relationship established between the acoustic filter coefficients by matching a first sound pressure ratio with a second sound pressure ratio, in a complex sound pressure ratio between ears of a user who desires the sound information, the first sound pressure being based on a synthetic sound of the sounds emitted from the sound sources, and the second sound pressure being based on a virtual sound source, assuming that the virtual sound source of a virtual acoustic image is present in an incoming direction of the synthetic sound; and a first setting unit that sets an acoustic filter coefficient corresponding to each of the sound sources, based on the first relationship and the second relationship. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first calculator is configured to calculate the first relationship established between the acoustic filter coefficients so as to minimize the acoustic power of the sound sources, based on wavelengths of the sounds emitted from the sound sources and each distance between the sound sources. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second setting unit that sets a correction filter coefficient for correcting at least one of the acoustic filter coefficients, based on a reducing limitation index of acoustic power determined in accordance with the each distance between the sound sources and wavelengths of the sounds emitted from the sound sources. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a determination unit that determines whether or not the each distance between the sound sources allows the acoustic power to be reduced based on the reducing limitation index. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first calculator calculates the first relationship established between the acoustic filter coefficients so as to minimize, in a desired region, acoustic energy from the sounds emitted from the sound sources. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first calculator and the second calculator calculate the first relationship and the second relationship, respectively, based on sounds emitted from the sound sources arranged at different distances from the user in a same direction from the user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first calculator and the second calculator calculate the first relationship and the second relationship, respectively, based on sounds when vibrating surfaces of sounds emitted from the sound sources based on the same sound information arrive at the user at different points of time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second calculator sets a virtual sound source such that a direction of the virtual sound source coincides with a direction in which the sound sources are present as viewed from the user. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first calculator and second calculator calculate the first relationship and second relationship, respectively, based on sounds generated from the sound sources arranged in a circular shape on a plane that is regarded as being perpendicular within a range as viewed from the user. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program which is executed by a computer to provide the steps of: obtaining a sound signal including sound information, the sound signal being based on sounds emitted from sound sources; calculating a first relationship established between acoustic filter coefficients, based on the sounds which are driven by a drive signal obtained by applying the sound signal to the acoustic filter coefficients set for each sound source; calculating a second relationship established between the acoustic filter coefficients by matching a first sound pressure ratio with a second sound pressure ratio, in a complex sound pressure ratio between ears of a user who desires the sound information, the first sound pressure being based on a synthetic sound of the sounds emitted from the sound sources, and the second sound pressure being based on a virtual sound source, assuming that the virtual sound source of a virtual acoustic image is present in an incoming direction of the synthetic sound; and setting an acoustic filter coefficient corresponding to each of the sound sources, based on the first relationship and the second relationship. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A device comprising the acoustic control apparatus according to claim 1. ### Claim 12 An acoustic control method comprising: obtaining a sound signal including sound information, the sound signal being based on sounds emitted from sound sources; calculating a first relationship established between acoustic filter coefficients, based on the sounds which are driven by a drive signal obtained by applying the sound signal to the acoustic filter coefficients set for each sound source; calculating a second relationship established between the acoustic filter coefficients by matching a first sound pressure ratio with a second sound pressure ratio, in a complex sound pressure ratio between ears of a user who desires the sound information, the first sound pressure being based on a synthetic sound of the sounds emitted from the sound sources, and the second sound pressure being based on a virtual sound source, assuming that the virtual sound source of a virtual acoustic image is present in an incoming direction of the synthetic sound; and setting an acoustic filter coefficient corresponding to each of the sound sources, based on the first relationship and the second relationship.