# US 2017/0289716 A1 · Test device and test method

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- Number: US 2017/0289716 A1
- Document ID: US20170289716A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/446,178
- Filed: 2017-03-01
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-29
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Takeshi Mizumoto; Keisuke Nakamura; Kazuhiro Nakadai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170289716A1

## CPC

- H04R 29/006: {Microphone matching}
- H04R 29/005: {Microphone arrays}
- 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 transfer function calculation unit is configured to calculate a transfer function from a sound source installed in a predetermined target direction to each microphone of a microphone array, and a determination unit is configured to determine whether or not the microphone array is normal on the basis of a difference amount between a transfer function to each microphone and a predetermined ideal transfer function to each microphone.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A test device, comprising:
a transfer function calculation unit configured to calculate a transfer function from a sound source installed in a predetermined target direction to each microphone of a microphone array; and
a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the microphone array is normal on the basis of a difference amount between a transfer function to each microphone and a predetermined ideal transfer function to each microphone.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The test device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a representative transfer function determination unit configured to cluster, between the target directions, a time difference between the microphones of sound from the sound source and determine the transfer function corresponding to a representative value of the time difference for each cluster obtained by the clustering as a representative transfer function,
wherein the determination unit is configured to determine whether the microphone array is normal on the basis of an inter-cluster representative value of the difference amount between the representative transfer function and the ideal transfer function for each cluster, as the difference amount.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The test device according to claim 2,
wherein the determination unit is configured to calculate a Euclidean distance between the representative transfer function and the ideal transfer function, as the difference amount.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The test device according to claim 2,
wherein the determination unit is configured to calculate a weighted Euclidean distance by multiplying a difference between the representative transfer function and the ideal transfer function by a predetermined auditory weighting characteristic, as the difference amount.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The test device according to claim 2,
wherein the determination unit is configured to calculate an inter-frequency integral value of a weighted sum obtained by weighting each of a phase difference and an intensity difference between the representative transfer function and the ideal transfer function with a predetermined weighting characteristic, as the difference amount.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The test device according to claim 2, further comprising:
a calibration value calculation unit configured to calculate a calibration value for reducing the difference amount between a transfer function from the sound source and the ideal transfer function.

### Claim 7

A test method in a test device, comprising:
a transfer function calculation step of calculating a transfer function from a sound source installed in a predetermined target direction to each microphone of a microphone array; and
a determination step of determining whether or not the microphone array is normal on the basis of a difference amount between a transfer function to each microphone and a predetermined ideal transfer function to each microphone.