# US 12,010,503 B2 · Signal generating apparatus, vehicle, and computer-implemented method of generating signals

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- Number: US 12,010,503 B2
- Document ID: US12010503B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/832,791
- Filed: 2022-06-06
- Published: 2023-01-12
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-07-09
- Assignees: Yamaha Corporation
- Applicants: Yamaha Corporation
- Inventors: Hideki Harada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010503B2

## CPC

- H04S 7/303: {Tracking of listener position or orientation}
- H04R 5/04: Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)}
- H04S 3/002: {Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution (control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field H04S7/30)}
- H04S 7/307: {Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control (H04S7/301 takes precedence)}
- H04R 2499/13: Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
- H04S 2400/13: Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems
- 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]
- H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS
- 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 signal generating apparatus includes: a memory configured to store instructions; and a processor communicatively connected to the memory and configured to execute the stored instructions to function as: a first generator configured to generate a processed signal by adjusting frequency characteristics of an audio signal representative of a sound from a virtual sound source based on a Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) corresponding to a target position of the virtual sound source; and a second generator configured to: generate, based on the processed signal generated by the first generator, a plurality of output signals in one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of loudspeakers; and perform panning processing to adjust a level of each output signal of the plurality of output signals based on the target position.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A signal generating apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to store instructions; and
a processor communicatively connected to the memory and configured to execute the stored instructions to function as:
a first generator configured to generate a processed signal by adjusting frequency characteristics of an audio signal representative of a sound from a virtual sound source based on a Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) corresponding to a target position of the virtual sound source; and
a second generator configured to:
generate, based on the processed signal, a plurality of output signals in one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of loudspeakers; and
perform panning processing to adjust a level of each output signal of the plurality of output signals based on the target position,
wherein the HRTF corresponding to the target position defines a position in a front-back direction of a seat in sound image localization imaged in accordance with sounds emitted from the plurality of loudspeakers based on the plurality of output signals, and
wherein the panning processing defines a position in a left-right direction of the seat in the sound image localization.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The signal generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the HRTF corresponding to the target position is a right-HRTF (R-HRTF) or a left-HRTF (L-HRTF),
the R-HRTF is an HRTF for a right ear corresponding to the target position, and
the L-HRTF is an HRTF for a left ear corresponding to the target position.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The signal generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the HRTF corresponding to the target position includes a right-HRTF (R-HRTF) and a left-HRTF (L-HRTF),
the R-HRTF is an HRTF for a right ear corresponding to the target position,
the L-HRTF is an HRTF for a left ear corresponding to the target position, and
the first generator includes:
a synthesizer configured to generate an HRTF based on the R-HRTF and the L-HRTF; and
a signal generator configured to generate the processed signal by adjusting the frequency characteristics of the audio signal based on the HRTF generated by the synthesizer.

### Claim 4

A vehicle comprising:
a plurality of loudspeakers;
a seat; and
a signal generating apparatus, wherein the signal generating apparatus includes:
a memory configured to store instructions; and
a processor communicatively connected to the memory and configured to execute the stored instructions to function as:
a first generator configured to generate a processed signal by adjusting frequency characteristics of an audio signal representative of a sound from a virtual sound source based on a Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) corresponding to a target position of the virtual sound source; and
a second generator configured to:
generate, based on the processed signal, a plurality of output signals in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of loudspeakers; and
perform panning processing to adjust a level of each output signal of the plurality of output signals based on the target position,
wherein the HRTF corresponding to the target position defines a position in a front-back direction of the seat in sound image localization imaged in accordance with sounds emitted from the plurality of loudspeakers based on the plurality of output signals, and
wherein the panning processing defines a position in a left-right direction of the seat in the sound image localization.

### Claim 5

A signal generating apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to store instructions; and
a processor communicatively connected to the memory and configured to execute the stored instructions to function as:
a signal processor configured to:
generate, based on an audio signal representative of a sound from a virtual sound source, a plurality of signals in one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of loudspeakers; and
generate a plurality of processed signals by performing panning processing to adjust a level of each signal of the plurality of signals based on a target position of the virtual sound source; and
a generator configured to generate a plurality of output signals by adjusting frequency characteristics of the plurality of processed signals based on a Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) corresponding to the target position,
wherein the HRTF corresponding to the target position defines a position in a front-back direction of a seat in sound image localization imaged in accordance with sounds emitted from the plurality of loudspeakers based on the plurality of output signals, and
wherein the panning processing defines a position in a left-right direction of the seat in the sound image localization.

### Claim 6

A computer-implemented method of generating signals, the method comprising:
generating a processed signal by adjusting frequency characteristics of an audio signal representative of a sound from a virtual sound source based on a Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) corresponding to a target position of the virtual sound source;
generating, based on the processed signal, a plurality of output signals in one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of loudspeakers; and
performing panning processing to adjust a level of each output signal of the plurality of output signals based on the target position,
wherein the HRTF corresponding to the target position defines a position in a front-back direction of a seat in sound image localization imaged in accordance with sounds emitted from the plurality of loudspeakers based on the plurality of output signals, and
wherein the panning processing defines a position in a left-right direction of the seat in the sound image localization.