# US 2019/0174227 A1 · Signal processing system and signal processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0174227 A1 - Document ID: US20190174227A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/267,445 - Filed: 2019-02-05 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-12 - Assignees: Yamaha Corporation - Applicants: Yamaha Corporation - Inventors: Ryo TANAKA; Koichiro SATO; Yoshifumi OIZUMI; Takayuki INOUE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190174227A1 ## CPC - H04R 3/005: {for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - H04R 3/00: Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) - H04R 3/02: for preventing acoustic reaction {, i.e. acoustic oscillatory feedback (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/453)} - H04R 3/04: for correcting frequency response - H04R 3/12: for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - H04R 2410/01: Noise reduction using microphones having different directional characteristics - H04R 2410/05: Noise reduction with a separate noise microphone - H04R 2420/00: Details of connection covered by H04R, not provided for in its groups - 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 processing system includes microphone units connected in series and a host device connected to one of the microphone units. Each of the microphone units has a microphone, a temporary storage memory, and a processing section for processing the sound picked up by the microphone. The host device has a non-volatile memory in which a sound signal processing program for the microphone units is stored. The host device transmits the sound signal processing program read from the non-volatile memory to each of the microphone units. Each of the microphone units temporarily stores the sound signal processing program in the temporary storage memory. The processing section performs a process corresponding to the sound signal processing program temporarily stored in the temporary storage memory and transmits the processed sound to the host device. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-7. (canceled) ### Claim 8 A microphone system comprising: a microphone unit, wherein the microphone unit comprises: a microphone configured to pick up sound; a temporary storage memory; and a processing section configured to process the sound picked up by the microphone; wherein the temporary storage memory temporarily stores a sound signal processing program; and wherein the processing section performs a process corresponding to the sound signal processing program temporarily stored in the temporary storage memory and transmits the processed sound to a sound processing host device connected to the microphone unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The microphone system according to claim 8, further comprising: another microphone unit configured to be connected to the microphone unit in series, wherein the another microphone unit comprises: a microphone configured to pick up sound; a temporary storage memory; and a processing section configured to process the sound picked up by the microphone; wherein the temporary storage memory of the another microphone unit temporarily stores the sound signal processing program; and wherein the processing section of the another microphone unit performs a process corresponding to the sound signal processing program temporarily stored in the temporary storage memory of the another microphone unit and transmits the processed sound to the sound processing host device connected to the microphone unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The microphone system according to claim 8, wherein the microphone unit extracts unit bit data from serial data which is received from the sound processing host device, and temporarily stores the extracted unit bit data into the temporary storage memory; and wherein the processing section performs a process corresponding to the sound signal processing program obtained by combining the unit bit data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The microphone system according to claim 9, wherein each of the microphone unit and the another microphone unit divides the processed sound into unit bit data and transmits the unit bit data to the microphone unit connected as the higher order unit, and the microphone unit and the another microphone unit respectively cooperate to create serial data to be transmitted, and transmit the serial data to the sound processing host device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The microphone system according to claim 8, wherein the temporary storage memory is a temporary storage memory for temporarily storing the sound signal processing program therein. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The microphone system according to claim 8, wherein the sound signal processing program temporarily stored in the temporary storage memory is erased when power supplied to the microphone unit is shut off; and wherein when a startup state of the microphone unit is detected, the microphone unit receives the sound signal processing program from the sound processing host device and performs the process by the processing section. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The microphone system according to claim 8, wherein the sound signal processing program is an echo canceller program or a noise canceller program configured to remove noise components. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The microphone system according to claim 8, wherein the microphone unit receives a test sound wave emitted from a speaker of the sound processing host device; and wherein the number of filter coefficients of the microphone unit is changed based on level data with regard to the test sound wave emitted by the speaker. ### Claim 16 A microphone system comprising: a microphone unit, wherein the microphone unit comprises: a microphone configured to pick up sound; a storage memory; and a processing section configured to process the sound picked up by the microphone; wherein the storage memory stores a sound signal processing program; and wherein the processing section performs a process corresponding to the sound signal processing program stored in the storage memory and transmits the processed sound to a sound processing host device connected to the microphone unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The microphone system according to claim 16, further comprising: another microphone unit configured to be connected to the microphone unit in series, wherein the another microphone unit comprises: a microphone configured to pick up sound; a storage memory; and a processing section configured to process the sound picked up by the microphone; wherein the storage memory of the another microphone unit stores the sound signal processing program; and wherein the processing section of the another microphone unit performs a process corresponding to the sound signal processing program stored in the storage memory of the another microphone unit and transmits the processed sound to the sound processing host device connected to the microphone unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The microphone system according to claim 16, wherein the microphone unit extracts unit bit data from serial data which is received from the sound processing host device, and stores the extracted unit bit data into the storage memory; and wherein the processing section performs a process corresponding to the sound signal processing program obtained by combining the unit bit data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The microphone system according to claim 17, wherein each of the microphone unit and the another microphone unit divides the processed sound into unit bit data and transmits the unit bit data to the microphone unit connected as the higher order unit, and the microphone unit and the another microphone unit respectively cooperate to create serial data to be transmitted, and transmit the serial data to the sound processing host device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The microphone system according to claim 16, wherein the storage memory is a temporary storage memory for temporarily storing the sound signal processing program therein. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The microphone system according to claim 16, wherein the sound signal processing program stored in the storage memory is erased when power supplied to the microphone unit is shut off; and wherein when a startup state of the microphone unit is detected, the microphone unit receives the sound signal processing program from the sound processing host device and performs the process by the processing section. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The microphone system according to claim 16, wherein the sound signal processing program is an echo canceller program or a noise canceller program configured to remove noise components. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The microphone system according to claim 16, wherein the microphone unit receives a test sound wave emitted from a speaker of the sound processing host device; and wherein the number of filter coefficients of the microphone unit is changed based on level data with regard to the test sound wave emitted by the speaker. ### Claim 24 A signal processing method for a signal processing system having a microphone unit and a sound processing host device connected to the microphone unit, the microphone unit having a microphone configured to pick up sound, a storage memory, and a processing section configured to process the sound picked up by the microphone, the signal processing method comprising: reading a sound signal processing program for the microphone unit from a memory of the sound processing host device; transmitting the sound signal processing program read from the memory to the microphone unit; storing the sound signal processing program transmitted from the sound processing host device into the storage memory of the microphone unit; performing a process corresponding to the sound signal processing program stored in the storage memory and transmitting the processed sound to the sound processing host device; and receiving the processed sound which has been processed based on the sound signal processing program from the microphone unit. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The signal processing method according to claim 24, wherein the signal processing system has another microphone unit connected to the microphone unit in series; and wherein the another microphone unit has a microphone configured to pick up sound, a temporary storage memory, and a processing section configured to process the sound picked up by the microphone. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The signal processing method according to claim 25, further comprising: dividing the sound signal processing program into unit bit data and arranging the unit bit data in the order of being respectively received by the microphone unit and the another microphone unit to create serial data, and transmitting the serial data to each of the microphone unit and the another microphone unit. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The signal processing method according to claim 25, further comprising: changing the number of filter coefficients of each of the microphone unit and the another microphone unit based on level data received from each of the microphone unit and the another microphone unit; determining a change parameter for changing the number of filter coefficients; dividing the change parameter into unit bit data and arranging the unit bit data in the order of being respectively received by the microphone unit and the another microphone unit to create serial data, and transmitting the serial data for the change parameter to the microphone unit and the another microphone unit respectively. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The signal processing method according to claim 25, further comprising: performing a process corresponding to the sound signal processing program stored in the storage memory of each of the microphone unit and the another microphone unit and transmitting the processed sounds to the sound processing host device; and receiving the processed sounds from each of the microphone unit and the another microphone unit. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The signal processing method according to claim 27, further comprising: emitting a test sound wave toward the microphone unit and the another microphone unit from a speaker; and changing the number of the filter coefficients of each of the microphone unit and the another microphone unit based on level data received from each of the microphone unit and the another microphone unit with regard to the test sound wave emitted by the speaker.