# US 2013/0156228 A1 · Sound Processing Apparatus, Sound System 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 2013/0156228 A1 - Document ID: US20130156228A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/720,139 - Filed: 2012-12-19 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-20 - Assignees: Yamaha Corporation - Inventors: Masaki KATAYAMA; Ryotaro AOKI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156228A1 ## CPC - H03G 3/20: Automatic control ({H03G3/005 takes precedence;} combined with volume compression or expansion H03G7/00) - H03G 3/348: {Muting in response to a mechanical action or to power supply variations, e.g. during tuning; Click removal circuits} - 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 7/30: {Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field} - H03G: CONTROL OF AMPLIFICATION - 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) - H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS ## Abstract A sound processing apparatus processes a first sound signal and a second sound signal. The sound processing apparatus includes a first adjustor which adjusts a volume of the first sound signal, a second adjustor which adjusts a volume of the second sound signal, and a control unit which causes the first adjustor and the second adjustor to adjust the first sound signal gradually changed over a first gradually-change time and the second sound signal gradually changed over a second gradually-change time, wherein the second gradually-change time is shorter than and included in the first gradually-change time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sound processing apparatus which processes a first sound signal and a second sound signal, the sound processing apparatus comprising: a first adjustor which adjusts a volume of the first sound signal; a second adjustor which adjusts a volume of the second sound signal; and a control unit which causes the first adjustor and the second adjustor to adjust the first sound signal gradually changed over a first gradually-change time and the second sound signal gradually changed over a second gradually-change time, wherein the second gradually-change time is shorter than and included in the first gradually-change time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sound processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the first adjustor and the second adjustor to cause gradually-change the first sound signal and gradually-change the second sound signal to start or end at a common point in time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sound processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first gradually-change time is set to a time equal to or longer than the time of half wavelength of a waveform corresponding to a first frequency included in the first sound signal, and the second gradually-change time is set to a time equal to or longer than the time of half wavelength of a waveform corresponding to a second frequency included in the second sound signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sound processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit has a capability of performing fade-out on the first sound signal and the second sound signal before a silence period starts and fade-in on the first sound signal and the second sound signal when the silence period elapses, and the control unit causes the first adjustor and the second adjustor to adjust, for either or both of the fade-out or the fade-in, the first sound signal gradually changed over the first gradually-change time and the second sound signal gradually changed over the second gradually-change time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sound processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the first gradually-change time and the second gradually-change time to be variable in accordance with characteristics of the first sound signal and the second sound signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The sound processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit sets the first gradually-change time and the second gradually-change time in accordance with slopes at given points of waveforms of the first sound signal and the second sound signal within a buffer period having a predetermined length before the first gradually-change time and the second gradually-change time. ### Claim 7 A sound system comprising: a first speaker in which a lower limit value of a reproduction band is set to be a first frequency; a second speaker in which a lower limit value of a reproduction band is set to be a second frequency beyond the first frequency; and a sound processing apparatus which generates a first sound signal to be supplied to the first speaker and a second sound signal to be supplied to the second speaker, wherein the sound processing apparatus includes a first adjustor which adjusts a volume of the first sound signal, a second adjustor which adjusts a volume of the second sound signal, and a control unit which causes the first adjustor and the second adjustor to adjust the first sound signal gradually changed over a first gradually-change time and the second sound signal gradually changed over a second gradually-change time, wherein the second gradually-change time is shorter than and included in the first gradually-change time. ### Claim 8 A sound processing method for processing a first sound signal and a second sound signal, the sound processing method comprising: adjusting a volume of the first sound signal and a volume of the second sound signal to cause the first sound signal gradually changed over a first gradually-change time and the second sound signal gradually changed over a second gradually-change time, wherein the second gradually-change time is shorter than and included in the first gradually-change time.