JP2006340305A - Speaker array apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the degree of freedom of an installation place, and enable a user to easily setting directivity of sounds. <P>SOLUTION: A microphone 2 is installed at a listening position so that a speaker array 10 radiates a test audio beam corresponding to a measuring signal, sweeping for gradually changing an angle of a test audio beam is executed, and the microphone 2 collects the audio beam. A beam angle detector 5 obtains a radiation angle of sounds of multi-channel on the basis of measured data stored in a level measuring part 4. A control unit 6 decides the directivity of sounds of each channel and sets directivity for a beam control section 8 for controlling the directivity of the sounds of each channel. A level measuring part 4 performs collecting and storing the measured data after a predetermined waiting time elapses after updating the radiation angle of the test audio beam, every time the radiation angle is updated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a speaker array device that outputs a plurality of sound beams and reproduces surround sound, and more particularly to a speaker array device that has a high degree of freedom in installation location and can easily set sound directivity. .

  Conventionally, a technique for controlling the directivity of sound signal propagation by forming a plurality of sound beams using a speaker array composed of a plurality of speakers arranged in a matrix (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ). By using this technology, it is not necessary to install a plurality of speakers around the user (listener) as in the conventional surround system, and a plurality of sound beams are output from a single panel speaker array. Surround sound can be played.

  FIG. 12 is a top perspective view of a listening room in which the speaker array device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is installed, and shows an example in which a 5.1 channel surround system is realized by the speaker array device. In the following description, in the 5.1 channel surround system, the front left channel is L (Left) ch, the front right channel is R (Right) ch, the center channel is C (Center) ch, and the rear left The channel is called SL (Surround Left) ch, the rear right channel is called SR (Surround Right) ch, and the subwoofer is called LFE (Low Frequency Effects) ch.

  The speaker array apparatus 213 shown in FIG. 12 includes a plurality of speaker units arranged in a predetermined arrangement on a baffle plate, and adjusts the timing for outputting surround sound from each speaker unit for each channel and radiates it in a beam shape. Then, delay control is performed so that the sound beam is focused at an arbitrary point in space. Then, by reflecting the sound of each channel to the ceiling or wall, a sound source is created in the wall direction and a multi-channel sound field is reproduced.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the speaker array device 213 arranged in the listening room 220 directly outputs the same sound as that of the center speaker (C) and the subwoofer (LFE) for low sound reinforcement to the user U. In addition, the speaker array device 213 reflects the sound beam on the left and right walls 221 and 222 of the listening room 220 to create a virtual Rch speaker 214 and a virtual Lch speaker 215. Further, the speaker array device 213 reflects the sound beams on the left and right walls 221 and 222 and the rear wall 223 of the listening room 220 to create virtual SRch speakers 216 and virtual SLch speakers 217 on the left and right sides of the user U. As described above, in the surround system using the speaker array, the sound signal of each channel is delayed and beamed, and the beamed sound is reflected on the wall to create a plurality of sound sources, thereby creating a plurality of sound sources around the user U. A surround feeling as if a speaker was installed can be obtained.

Japanese translation of PCT publication No. 2003-510924

  Conventionally, when installing a speaker array device, the speaker array device is provided with the width, depth, and height of the listening room as information on the listening position of the user and shape information of the installation environment. The directivity of the voice was automatically calculated and set. In addition, when such a setting function is not provided in the speaker array device, or when the preconditions for automatic calculation and the room environment are greatly different, an expert listens to the reproduction sound of the speaker array device at the listening position, Adjustments were made while manually changing the sound directivity of each channel.

  However, when the speaker array device automatically sets the sound directivity of each channel based on the shape and size information of the room input by the user, the shape of the listening room in which the speaker array device is installed and the speaker array device There was a problem that the installation location was limited. In other words, the listening room in which the speaker array device is installed has an ideal shape such as a rectangular parallelepiped or a cube as shown in FIG. 12, and if the speaker array device is not installed in a computable position and direction, the correct radiation angle of the sound beam Could not be requested. Therefore, in a listening room with a specially shaped listening room or large furniture, the sound directivity setting of the speaker array device cannot be set automatically, and manual adjustment may be necessary. It was.

  In addition, when setting the directivity of the sound of each channel manually, the sound beam adjustment is often dependent on the sense of the setter, so individual differences are likely to occur in the viewing environment, and the setting operation requires knowledge and knowledge. Familiarity is necessary. Therefore, the adjustment of the sound beam is performed by an expert as described above, and there is a problem that it is difficult for the user himself to adjust.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a speaker array device that has a high degree of freedom in the installation location of the speaker array device and that allows the user to easily set the sound directivity. Objective.

The speaker array device of the present invention adds a delay time to each of a multi-channel audio signal input from the outside and a speaker array composed of a plurality of speaker units arranged in a matrix or a line. , Directivity control means for driving the speaker array so that sounds corresponding to the multi-channel sound signals are radiated with different directivities, and measurement signals from the speaker array when setting the directivity control means. A sound beam sweeping means for radiating a test sound beam corresponding to the test sound beam and performing a sweep for gradually changing the radiation angle of the test sound beam; The microphone that collects the direct sound and the reflected sound of the sound, and the microphone collected the sound during the sweep Storage means for storing the relationship between the signal level of the voice and the radiation angle of the test sound beam as measurement data, the signal peak of the measurement data stored in the storage means, and the test sound beam when the signal peak is obtained The angle detection means for obtaining the radiation angle for outputting the multi-channel sound from the radiation angle for each channel, and the directivity of the multi-channel sound for each channel is determined from the radiation angle obtained by the angle detection means. And setting means for setting the delay time corresponding to the directivity for each channel in the directivity control means, and the storage means waits for a predetermined time after the radiation angle of the test sound beam is updated. The measurement data is collected and stored after a lapse of time each time the radiation angle of the test sound beam is updated. That.
Moreover, one structural example of the speaker array apparatus of this invention has further the waiting time setting means which sets the said waiting time according to the acoustic state of the room in which the said speaker array was installed.

  In addition, the speaker array device of the present invention adds a delay time to each of a speaker array including a plurality of speaker units arranged in a matrix or a line, and a multi-channel audio signal input from the outside during normal listening. And directivity control means for driving the speaker array so that sounds corresponding to the multi-channel sound signals are emitted with different directivities, and at the time of setting the directivity control means, the speaker array A sound beam sweeping means for radiating a test sound beam corresponding to the measurement signal and performing a sweep for gradually changing the radiation angle of the test sound beam, and according to an acoustic state of a room in which the speaker array is installed at the time of the sweep Level control means for controlling the signal level of the test sound beam, and a portion where the speaker array is installed A microphone that collects the direct sound and reflected sound of the test sound beam, and the relationship between the signal level of the sound collected by the microphone during the sweep and the radiation angle of the test sound beam. A storage means for storing the data, and a radiation angle at which the multi-channel sound should be output from a signal peak of the measurement data stored in the storage means and a radiation angle of the test sound beam when the signal peak is obtained. Angle detection means determined for each channel, and directivity of the multi-channel sound is determined for each channel from the radiation angle determined by the angle detection means, and the delay time corresponding to the directivity is determined as the directivity control means. And setting means for setting for each channel.

  In addition, the speaker array device of the present invention adds a delay time to each of a speaker array including a plurality of speaker units arranged in a matrix or a line, and a multi-channel audio signal input from the outside during normal listening. And directivity control means for driving the speaker array so that sounds corresponding to the multi-channel sound signals are emitted with different directivities, and at the time of setting the directivity control means, the speaker array The test sound beam corresponding to the measurement signal is radiated and the sound beam sweeping means for sweeping to gradually change the radiation angle of the test sound beam and the test sound beam are installed at the listening position of the room where the speaker array is installed, and the test A microphone that collects the direct sound and reflected sound of the sound beam, and the microphone collects during the sweep. Storage means for storing the relationship between the signal level of the sound and the radiation angle of the test sound beam as measurement data, and the measurement data according to the arrangement of obstacles in the room where the speaker array is installed. Band control means for determining the frequency band of the sound to be recorded, the signal peak of the measurement data stored in the storage means, and the radiation angle of the test sound beam when the signal peak is obtained, the multi-channel sound. Angle detection means for obtaining a radiation angle to be output for each channel, and determining the directivity of the multi-channel sound for each channel from the radiation angle obtained by the angle detection means, and the delay time corresponding to this directivity. And setting means for setting the directivity control means for each channel.

  According to the present invention, when the speaker array apparatus is installed indoors, a microphone is installed at the listening position of the user, and a test sound beam corresponding to the measurement signal is emitted from the speaker array, and the test sound beam is emitted. By sweeping the angle gradually and collecting the sound with the microphone at this time, the sound output directly from the speaker array to the microphone or the sound reflected from the room wall toward the microphone It can be detected as a level peak. As a result, it is possible to easily detect in a short time whether a multi-channel sound can be optimally reproduced when each sound is output from the array speaker at what radiation angle. As a result, according to the present invention, regardless of the shape of the room in which the speaker array device is installed or the arrangement of furniture, the user can easily and appropriately set the directivity control means of the speaker array device. In the present invention, the measurement data is collected and stored after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed since the radiation angle of the test sound beam is updated, thereby facilitating peak detection of the measurement data. The detection accuracy can be improved, and as a result, the optimum radiation angle for outputting the sound of each channel can be easily and accurately obtained.

  Moreover, in this invention, the measurement suitable for the acoustic state of a room can be performed by setting waiting time according to the acoustic state of the room in which the speaker array was installed.

  Further, in the present invention, by controlling the signal level of the test sound beam according to the acoustic state of the room where the speaker array is installed, the influence of the acoustic state of the room on the measurement accuracy can be mitigated. The optimum radiation angle for outputting the sound of each channel can be obtained easily and accurately.

  Further, according to the present invention, the arrangement state of the obstacle gives the measurement accuracy by determining the frequency band of the sound stored as the measurement data according to the arrangement state of the obstacle in the room where the speaker array is installed. The influence can be mitigated, and as a result, the optimum radiation angle for outputting the sound of each channel can be obtained easily and accurately.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a speaker array device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view showing an arrangement example of speaker units on a baffle plate of the speaker array.
The speaker array device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a microphone 2, an A / D converter 3, a level measurement unit 4, a beam angle detection unit 5, a control unit 6, a measurement signal generation unit 7, and a beam control unit. 8, an amplifier 9, a speaker array 10, an operation unit 11, and a display unit 12. The level measurement unit 4 constitutes storage means, the beam angle detection unit 5 constitutes angle detection means, the control unit 6 constitutes path distance calculation means, setting means, and waiting time setting means, and the beam control unit 8 The directivity control unit is configured, and the control unit 6, the measurement signal generation unit 7, and the beam control unit 8 configure an audio beam sweep unit. In addition, the part except the microphone 2 of the speaker array apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is called the main body 1h.

The microphone 2 is an omnidirectional microphone and is connected to the A / D converter 3.
The A / D converter 3 converts the analog audio signal collected by the microphone 2 into a digital audio signal in the audio beam setting mode in which the beam control unit 8 is set by obtaining the sound radiation angle and path distance of each channel. And output to the level measuring unit 4.

The level measurement unit 4 stores measurement data collected by the microphone 2 in the sound beam setting mode.
The beam angle detection unit 5 reads the measurement data stored in the level measurement unit 4 after the sound collection in the sound beam setting mode is completed, detects the peak of the measurement data, and Cch, Lch, Rch, SLch, SRch The radiation angle at which the sound of each channel is output is detected, and the detection result is notified to the control unit 6.

The measurement signal generator 7 outputs a measurement signal to the beam controller 8 in the sound beam setting mode.
In the sound beam setting mode, the beam control unit 8 outputs a test sound beam corresponding to the measurement signal from the measurement signal generation unit 7 from the speaker array 10 while changing the radiation angle, and during normal listening after the setting is completed. Then, the directivity according to the setting is given to the sound of each channel and output from the speaker array 10.

  The speaker array 10 has a plurality of speaker units 101 arranged in a matrix or a line on a front baffle plate 100. In the example of FIG. 2, an example in which the speaker units 101 are arranged in a matrix is shown.

  Here, the principle of directivity control by the speaker array apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. A large number of speaker units 101-1 to 101-n are arranged in a line, an arc whose distance from the focal point P is L is Z, and a straight line connecting the focal point P and each of the speaker units 101-1 to 101-n is a straight line. Suppose that virtual speaker units 102-1 to 102-n as shown by broken lines in FIG. 3 are arranged at intersections where these extended straight lines intersect with the arc Z. Since the distances from these virtual speaker units 102-1 to 102-n to the focal point P are all L, the sound radiated from each of the speaker units 102-1 to 102-n reaches the focal point P at the same time.

  In order to simultaneously make the sound radiated from the actual speaker unit 101-i (i = 1, 2,... N) reach the focal point P, the speaker unit 101-i and the virtual speaker unit 102 corresponding to the speaker unit 101-i. What is necessary is just to add the delay (time difference) according to the distance between -i to the sound output from the speaker unit 101-i. That is, when viewed from the focal point P, control is performed as if virtual speaker units 102-1 to 102-n are arranged on the arc Z. As a result, at the focal point P, the phases of the outputs of the speaker units 101-1 to 101-n are aligned and a sound pressure peak is created. As a result, a sound pressure distribution having a directivity that emits an audio beam toward the focal point P can be obtained. In addition, by arranging the speakers in a matrix rather than a line, a sound beam having a three-dimensional directivity can be output.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating the processing of the beam control unit 8 for the audio signal. The delay unit 80-L generates (n) Lch audio signals corresponding to the number of speaker units, each of which adds a delay time to the input Lch audio signal, and the delay unit 80-R receives the input Rch audio signal. N Rch audio signals each having a delay time added to the signal are generated, and the delay unit 80-C generates n Cch audio signals each having a delay time added to the input Cch audio signal. The delay unit 80-SL generates n SLch audio signals obtained by adding a delay time to the input SLch audio signal, and the delay unit 80-SR outputs the input SRch audio signal. Each of the n SRch audio signals to which the delay time is added is generated. Delay times added by the delay units 80-L, 80-R, 80-C, 80-SL, and 80-SR are individually set by the control unit 6.

Then, the adder 81-1 includes Lch, Rch, Cch, SLch, SRch for the speaker unit 101-1 output from the delay units 80-L, 80-R, 80-C, 80-SL, 80-SR. Are added to generate the audio signal AO-1, and the adder 81-2 adds the Lch, Rch, Cch, SLch, and SRch audio signals for the speaker unit 101-2 to generate the audio signal. AO-2 is generated, and the adder 81-n adds the audio signals of Lch, Rch, Cch, SLch, SRch for the speaker unit 101-n to generate an audio signal AO-n.
The amplifiers 9-1 to 9-n amplify the audio signals AO-1 to AO-n output from the beam control unit 8, respectively, and drive the speaker units 101-1 to 101-n.

For example, when the speaker array device 1 is installed, the operation unit 11 receives various setting inputs from the user and passes the input information to the control unit 6.
The display unit 12 displays the content transmitted to the user based on the control signal output from the control unit 6.

  The control unit 6 controls the entire speaker array apparatus. In the sound beam setting mode, the control unit 6 causes the measurement signal generation unit 7 and the beam control unit 8 to sweep the test sound beam, and at the same time, obtains the measurement data at this time from the level measurement unit. 4, and the setting of the beam control unit 8 is performed based on the measurement data.

  Next, the operation of the speaker array device 1 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the speaker array device 1 in the sound beam setting mode. First, the user U installs the speaker array 10 at a desired position in the listening room and installs the microphone 2 at the listening position. Then, the user U operates the operation unit 11 of the main body 1h, inputs room acoustic type information indicating the acoustic state of the listening room, and executes the sound beam setting mode (step S1 in FIG. 5).

  If the acoustic state of the room is rich in reverberant sound, the user U sets the room acoustic type information to “live”, for example. If the acoustic state of the room is poor in reverberant sound, the user U changes the room acoustic type information to, for example, “Dead”. In order to input the room acoustic type information, the control unit 6 displays a selection screen on the display unit 12, and the user U operates the operation unit 11 to select either “live” or “dead”. Good.

  When the room acoustic type information is inputted and the execution of the sound beam setting mode is instructed by the user, the control unit 6 sweeps the test sound beam, and sets an initial radiation angle at the time of performing this sweep (step). S2). Here, the sweep of the test sound beam will be described. FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the listening room 20 in which the speaker array device 1 is installed, and is a diagram for explaining the test sound beam sweep operation of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6A, the speaker array 10 is arranged so that the baffle plate of the speaker array 10 is parallel to the front wall 21 and faces the rear wall 23 at the center of the front wall 21 of the listening room 20. Install. Further, the microphone 2 is installed at the listening position of the user. At this time, the height of the microphone 2 is preferably adjusted to the position of the user's ear.

  The controller 6 of the speaker array device 1 causes the measurement signal generator 7 to output a measurement signal to the beam controller 8 and causes the speaker array 10 to output a test sound beam 30 corresponding to the measurement signal. At this time, in response to an instruction from the control unit 6, the beam control unit 8 changes the baffle plate from one direction (hereinafter referred to as 0 degree direction) parallel to the baffle plate of the speaker array 10 as shown in FIG. A sweep is performed to gradually change the radiation angle of the test sound beam 30 to the other parallel direction (hereinafter referred to as a 180-degree direction). This sweep can be realized by setting the delay time of the delay unit of the beam control unit 8 to which the measurement signal is input from the control unit 6 and gradually changing the focal position of the test audio beam 30. Here, since only the measurement signal of one channel is input to the beam control unit 8, measurement is performed on any one of the delay units 80-L, 80-R, 80-C, 80-SL, and 80-SR. What is necessary is just to input a signal.

  As described above, when the test audio beam is swept, the test audio beam is applied to the left wall 22, the rear wall 23, and the right wall 24 of the listening room 20 according to the radiation angle θ of the test audio beam output from the speaker array 10. Is reflected. At this time, the microphone 2 collects the direct sound of the test sound beam and the indirect sound reflected by each wall. The A / D converter 3 converts the analog audio signal collected by the microphone 2 into a digital audio signal, and the level measuring unit 4 stores this digital audio signal as measurement data together with the radiation angle θ.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the radiation angle θ = θ1, the test sound beam 30a is reflected by the left wall 22 and the right wall 24 and then reaches the microphone 2, so that θ1 is an Lch sound beam. Is not suitable as an angle to output. When the radiation angle θ = θ2, the test sound beam 30b is reflected by the left wall 22 and then reaches the microphone 2. Therefore, θ2 is an appropriate angle for outputting the Lch sound beam. When the radiation angle θ = θ3, the test sound beam 30c is reflected by the left wall 22 and the rear wall 23 and then reaches the microphone 2. Therefore, θ3 is an appropriate angle for outputting the SLch sound beam. is there. Further, when the radiation angle θ = θ4, the test sound beam 30d directly reaches the microphone 2, so θ4 is an appropriate angle for outputting the Cch sound beam.

Thus, the optimum radiation angle for outputting the sound of each channel can be obtained by sweeping the test sound beam and analyzing the measurement data obtained by the sweep.
The process of step S2 is a process of setting an initial radiation angle θ0 (for example, 0 degree) at the time of sweeping of the test sound beam, and the control unit 6 performs the delay unit of the beam control unit 8 to which the measurement signal is input. Thus, the delay time corresponding to the initial radiation angle θ0 is set. As a result, a test sound beam is output from the speaker array 10 in the direction of the initial radiation angle θ0 (step S3).

  As described above, the level measurement unit 4 performs level measurement by storing the digital audio signal collected by the microphone 2 and A / D converted by the A / D converter 3 as measurement data. Has the following problems. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the problem of level measurement, and shows a level near a certain peak angle, which is a part of measurement data stored in the level measurement unit 4 by the sweep operation of the test sound beam. It is. In FIG. 7, the horizontal axis represents the radiation angle θ of the test sound beam, and the vertical width represents the gain of sound data collected by the microphone 2. In FIG. 7, Da1 is measurement data obtained as a result of repeating the level measurement for each radiation angle immediately after updating the radiation angle θ of the test sound beam, and Da2 updates the radiation angle θ of the test sound beam. Then, measurement data obtained as a result of repeating the level measurement after a certain time for each radiation angle.

  When level measurement is performed immediately after the radiation angle θ of the test sound beam is updated, the test sound output immediately before is not sufficiently attenuated. Alternatively, not only the reflected sound but also the direct sound or reflected sound of the test sound beam immediately before the update is collected. Due to such signal covering, the measurement data has a gentle waveform with a low peak level and low slope, as indicated by Da1 in FIG. As will be described later, the beam angle detection unit 5 detects the peak of the measurement data and detects the radiation angle at which the sound of each channel is output. However, it is difficult to detect the peak in the waveform like the measurement data Da1, and the peak Even if detection is possible, the detection accuracy may be reduced.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the level measurement is performed after a waiting time of about 50 msec (hereinafter referred to as weight) has elapsed since the start of the update of the radiation angle θ of the test sound beam. As a result, signal coverage by the test sound beam immediately before the update is reduced, and the peak of the measurement data is sharpened as shown by Da2 in FIG. Therefore, the angular resolution of the peak is improved, the peak can be easily detected, and the peak detection accuracy is improved.

  The weight may be set to a value at which the test sound immediately before the update is sufficiently attenuated and spread, or a value at which the influence of the test sound just before the update can be ignored in terms of propagation distance. In the present embodiment, it is also possible to set the weight based on the room acoustic type information input in step S1. For example, when the room acoustic type information indicates “live”, the control unit 6 sets the weight to be longer than the initial value so that the influence of the test sound immediately before the update is reduced, and the room acoustic type information is “ When “dead” is indicated, the measurement time is shortened by setting the weight shorter than the initial value. In this way, level measurement suitable for the acoustic state of the listening room can be performed.

  FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing the timing of the update of the radiation angle θ of the test sound beam and the level measurement. As shown in FIG. 8, it takes time to update the radiation angle of the test sound beam from θn−1 to θn, and it takes time from the end of the update of the radiation angle to the start of level measurement. . The total value of these times is the weight. The control unit 6 causes the level measurement unit 4 to start level measurement (step S5) after the weight has elapsed since the start of the update of the radiation angle θ of the test sound beam (step S4), and performs level measurement after a predetermined time. End (step S6). The level measurement unit 4 stores the average sound level value during the period from the start of measurement to the end of measurement as measurement data of the corresponding radiation angle.

  Next, the control unit 6 calculates the next radiation angle θ by adding a certain angle to the current radiation angle θ (step S7), and the calculated radiation angle θ has the maximum radiation angle (for example, 180 degrees). It is determined whether it exceeds (step S8). When the calculated next radiation angle θ is equal to or less than the maximum radiation angle, the control unit 6 sets a delay time corresponding to the radiation angle θ to the delay unit of the beam control unit 8 to which the measurement signal is input. As a result, the radiation angle θ of the test sound beam is updated to the following value (step S9). Thus, the processes of steps S4 to S9 are repeated until the radiation angle θ of the test sound beam reaches the maximum radiation angle.

  When the value of the radiation angle θ calculated in step S7 exceeds the maximum radiation angle (YES in step S8), the control unit 6 ends the test sound beam sweep. After the sweep is completed, the control unit 6 causes the beam angle detection unit 5 to perform a radiation angle detection process (step S10). 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining the radiation angle detection process. FIG. 9A is a top perspective view illustrating the sweep operation of the test sound beam, and FIG. 9B is a level measurement by the sweep operation of the test sound beam. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing measurement data stored in a unit 4. In FIG. 9B, the horizontal axis represents the radiation angle of the test sound beam, and the vertical width represents the gain of sound data collected by the microphone 2.

  In order to easily detect a plurality of peaks from the measurement data shown in FIG. 9B, the threshold value Tha is set in advance to a level at which only the sound beam reflected up to the wall can be detected up to two times. In step S10, the beam angle detection unit 5 analyzes the measurement data of the level measurement unit 4, and the radiation angle θa3 (of FIG. 9A) when the peak Pa3 having the highest level equal to or higher than the threshold Tha is obtained. The angle of the test sound beam 47) is defined as a radiation angle at which Cch sound is output. The reason why the angle θa3 is set as the radiation angle of the Cch sound is that the Cch sound is directly radiated to the listening position of the user. The beam angle detection unit 5 regards a peak having a pulse width equal to or less than a predetermined value as noise and excludes it even if the level is maximum.

  Subsequently, the beam angle detection unit 5 assigns peaks equal to or higher than the threshold value Tha on both sides of the peak Pa3 on the horizontal axis in FIG. 9B in order from the side closer to Pa3, such as a surround channel and a front channel. Determine the radiation angle. That is, the beam angle detection unit 5 uses the angle θa1 (the angle of the test audio beam 45 in FIG. 9A) when the peak Pa1 is obtained as the radiation angle for outputting the Lch audio beam, and the peak Pa2 is obtained. The angle θa2 (angle of the test audio beam 46) at the time of measurement is the radiation angle at which the SLch audio beam is output, and the angle θa4 (angle of the test audio beam 48) when the peak Pa4 is obtained is output as the SRch audio beam The angle θa5 (the angle of the test audio beam 49) when the peak Pa5 is obtained is the emission angle at which the Rch audio beam is output. Thus, the optimum radiation angle for outputting the sound of each channel can be obtained, and the beam angle detection unit 5 notifies the control unit 6 of the obtained radiation angle.

  After the end of the radiation angle detection process, the control unit 6 performs directivity setting for the beam control unit 8 (step S11). First, the control unit 6 sets a focal point in the direction of the Cch audio radiation angle θa3, and the delay time of the delay unit 80-C so that the Cch audio radiated from each speaker unit 101 simultaneously reaches the focal point. Is calculated for each speaker unit, and the calculated delay time is set in the delay unit 80-C. The delay time for each speaker unit can be uniquely calculated based on the spatial coordinates of the speaker units 101-1 to 101-n and the spatial coordinates of the focal point.

  Similarly, the control unit 6 sets a focal point in the direction of the radiation angle θa1 of the Lch sound, and the delay of the delay unit 80-L so that the Lch sound radiated from each speaker unit 101 simultaneously reaches this focus. The time is calculated and the delay time is set in the delay unit 80-L. Further, the control unit 6 sets a focal point in the direction of the Rch sound radiation angle θa5, and the delay time of the delay unit 80-R so that the Rch sound radiated from each speaker unit 101 simultaneously reaches the focal point. And the delay time is set in the delay unit 80-R. Further, the control unit 6 sets the focal point in the direction of the SLch audio radiation angle θa2, and the delay time of the delay unit 80-SL so that the SLch audio radiated from each speaker unit 101 simultaneously reaches the focal point. And the delay time is set in the delay unit 80-SL. Further, the control unit 6 sets a focus in the direction of the SRch sound emission angle θa4, and the delay time of the delay unit 80-SR so that the SRch sound radiated from each speaker unit 101 simultaneously reaches this focus. And the delay time is set in the delay unit 80-SR. This completes the directivity setting in step S11.

  With the above settings, when the Lch, Rch, Cch, SLch, and SRch audio signals are input to the speaker array device 1 during normal listening, the Cch audio is received by the user U as shown in FIG. Directly reaches the position, the Lch sound reaches the listening position after being reflected by the left wall 22 of the listening room 20, the Rch sound reaches the listening position after being reflected by the right wall 24, and the SLch sound is reflected from the left wall. The sound is reflected at 22 and further reflected at the rear wall 23 and then reaches the listening position. The SRch sound is reflected at the right wall 24 and further reflected at the rear wall 23 and then reaches the listening position. Thus, the user U can enjoy the 5.1 channel surround sound field at the listening position.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to easily and quickly set the directivity that has been difficult in the conventional speaker array apparatus. In addition, since the test sound beam is swept and the radiation angle of each sound is determined from the measurement result, it is easy for the user regardless of the shape of the listening room where the speaker array device is installed or the arrangement of furniture. Appropriate settings can be made. In addition, in this embodiment, the level measurement is performed after the elapse of the weight of the test sound beam from the update of the radiation angle of the test sound beam, thereby eliminating the influence of the test sound beam immediately before the update and the noise during the angle update. Therefore, the angular resolution of the peak of the measurement data can be improved, the peak detection can be facilitated, and the peak detection accuracy can be improved. As a result, in the present embodiment, it is possible to easily and accurately obtain the optimum radiation angle for outputting the sound of each channel.

  The measurement signal used for sweeping the test audio beam is preferably an audio signal that has no correlation and is limited to a frequency band in which directivity can be controlled by the speaker array device 1.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Also in this embodiment, the configuration of the speaker array apparatus is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore, description will be made using the reference numerals of the first embodiment. The control unit 6 and the amplifier 9 of the present embodiment constitute level control means for controlling the signal level of the test sound beam to the optimum value based on room acoustic type information input by the user.

  That is, when the room acoustic type information indicates “live”, for example, the control unit 6 reduces the test sound beam level from the initial value to avoid the influence of the multiple reflections of the test sound on the measurement data. To do. Further, when the room acoustic type information indicates “dead”, the control unit 6 raises the level of the test sound beam from the initial value, so that even in the case of a listening room in which reverberant sound is poor and reflected sound is difficult to obtain, Measurement data with sharp signal peaks is obtained. Such level control of the test sound beam can be realized by controlling the gain of the amplifier 9 (9-1 to 9-n) from the control unit 6. Other operations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the environment dependency of the accuracy of level measurement can be reduced by optimizing the level of the test sound beam according to the acoustic state of the listening room.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Also in this embodiment, the configuration of the speaker array apparatus is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore, description will be made using the reference numerals of the first embodiment. The control unit 6 and the level measurement unit 4 of the present embodiment constitute band control means for controlling the frequency band of voice collected as measurement data to an optimum value based on obstacle information input by the user. . The obstacle information indicates an arrangement state of obstacles (the number of obstacles) that affects listening to sounds in the listening room, and is input by the user before starting the sweep of the test sound beam.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the effect of the present embodiment. FIG. 11A is a top perspective view showing a state when the test sound beam 30 is output at the radiation angle θb with respect to a certain frequency band, and FIG. 11B is a view when the test sound beam 30 is output. 11 (a) is a top perspective view showing a lower frequency band than in the case of FIG. 11 (a), FIG. 11 (c) is a diagram showing measurement data collected in the frequency band in FIG. 11 (a), and FIG. It is a figure which shows the measurement data collected in the frequency band in the case of FIG.11 (b). Note that θb is a radiation angle at which Lch sound is to be output.

  As shown in FIG. 11 (a), when an obstacle 50 such as furniture is placed on the path of the test sound beam 30, the measurement data collected by the level measuring unit 4 as shown in FIG. 11 (c). Then, the level decreases at the radiation angle θb where a peak should originally occur. For this reason, the beam angle detection unit 5 detects an angle different from θb as the radiation angle at which the Lch sound is to be output, and an error occurs in the detection of the radiation angle.

  Therefore, when the obstacle information input by the user indicates that there are many obstacles such as furniture, the control unit 6 of the present embodiment controls the level measurement unit 4 to collect the level measurement unit 4. The frequency band of measurement data to be measured is set lower than the initial value. The measurement signal that is the source of the test sound beam is a signal that includes various frequency components. Which frequency band is collected as measurement data from such various components is determined by a band-pass filter (not shown) in the level measurement unit 4. Therefore, the frequency band of the measurement data collected by the level measuring unit 4 can be lowered by changing the pass band of the band pass filter.

  As described above, since the test sound beam is a signal including various frequency components, the directivity thereof is not uniform, and the directivity becomes stronger as the pitch becomes higher, and the directivity becomes weaker as the tone becomes lower. is there. Therefore, the angular resolution can be reduced by lowering the pass band of the band pass filter of the level measuring unit 4 and lowering the frequency band of the measurement data within the frequency band in which the directivity can be controlled by the speaker array device 1. Can reduce the effect of obstacles. As a result, measurement data as shown in FIG. 11D is obtained, and the beam angle detection unit 5 detects θb as the radiation angle at which the Lch sound should be output. it can.

  As described above, in this embodiment, by optimizing the frequency band of measurement data according to the arrangement state of the obstacle in the listening room, the influence of the arrangement state of the obstacle on the measurement accuracy can be reduced. it can.

  The present invention can be applied to a speaker array device.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the speaker array apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of the speaker unit of the speaker array of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the principle of directivity control by a speaker array apparatus. It is a figure which represents typically the process of the beam control part in the speaker array apparatus of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement at the time of the sound beam setting mode of the speaker array apparatus of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the sweep operation | movement of the test sound beam in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the problem of the level measurement in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a timing chart which shows the timing of the update of the radiation angle of a test sound beam, and the level measurement in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the radiation angle detection process in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. 1 is a top perspective view showing a surround system realized by a speaker array in a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect of the speaker array apparatus which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is an upper surface perspective view which shows the example which implement | achieves a surround system with a speaker array apparatus single-piece | unit.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Speaker array apparatus, 2 ... Microphone, 3 ... A / D converter, 4 ... Level measurement part, 5 ... Beam angle detection part, 6 ... Control part, 7 ... Measurement signal generation part, 8 ... Beam control part, 9 ... Amplifier 10, speaker array 11, operation unit 12, display unit

Claims (4)

A speaker array comprising a plurality of speaker units arranged in a matrix or a line;
During normal listening, a delay time is added to each of multi-channel audio signals input from the outside, and the speaker array is radiated with different directivities according to the multi-channel audio signals. Directivity control means for driving
A sound beam sweeping means for radiating a test sound beam corresponding to the measurement signal from the speaker array and performing a sweep for gradually changing the radiation angle of the test sound beam when setting the directivity control means;
A microphone that is installed at a listening position of a room in which the speaker array is installed and collects a direct sound and a reflected sound of the test sound beam;
Storage means for storing, as measurement data, the relationship between the signal level of the sound collected by the microphone during the sweep and the radiation angle of the test sound beam;
Angle detection means for obtaining, for each channel, a radiation angle at which the multi-channel sound should be output from a signal peak of measurement data stored in the storage means and a radiation angle of a test sound beam when the signal peak is obtained; ,
Setting means for determining the directivity of the multi-channel sound for each channel from the radiation angle obtained by the angle detection means, and setting the delay time corresponding to the directivity for each channel in the directivity control means; Have
The storage means collects and stores the measurement data after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed since the radiation angle of the test sound beam is updated, each time the radiation angle of the test sound beam is updated. A speaker array device, wherein: The speaker array device according to claim 1, wherein
Furthermore, the speaker array device further includes a waiting time setting unit that sets the waiting time according to an acoustic state of a room in which the speaker array is installed. A speaker array comprising a plurality of speaker units arranged in a matrix or a line;
During normal listening, a delay time is added to each of multi-channel audio signals input from the outside, and the speaker array is radiated with different directivities according to the multi-channel audio signals. Directivity control means for driving
A sound beam sweeping means for radiating a test sound beam corresponding to the measurement signal from the speaker array and performing a sweep for gradually changing the radiation angle of the test sound beam when setting the directivity control means;
Level control means for controlling the signal level of the test sound beam according to the acoustic state of the room in which the speaker array is installed during the sweep;
A microphone that is installed at a listening position of a room in which the speaker array is installed and collects a direct sound and a reflected sound of the test sound beam;
Storage means for storing, as measurement data, the relationship between the signal level of the sound collected by the microphone during the sweep and the radiation angle of the test sound beam;
Angle detection means for obtaining, for each channel, a radiation angle at which the multi-channel sound should be output from a signal peak of measurement data stored in the storage means and a radiation angle of a test sound beam when the signal peak is obtained; ,
Setting means for determining the directivity of the multi-channel sound for each channel from the radiation angle obtained by the angle detection means, and setting the delay time corresponding to this directivity for each channel in the directivity control means; A speaker array device comprising: A speaker array comprising a plurality of speaker units arranged in a matrix or a line;
During normal listening, a delay time is added to each of multi-channel audio signals input from the outside, and the speaker array is radiated with different directivities according to the multi-channel audio signals. Directivity control means for driving
A sound beam sweeping means for radiating a test sound beam corresponding to the measurement signal from the speaker array and performing a sweep for gradually changing the radiation angle of the test sound beam when setting the directivity control means;
A microphone that is installed at a listening position of a room in which the speaker array is installed and collects a direct sound and a reflected sound of the test sound beam;
Storage means for storing, as measurement data, the relationship between the signal level of the sound collected by the microphone during the sweep and the radiation angle of the test sound beam;
Band control means for determining a frequency band of sound stored as the measurement data according to an arrangement state of an obstacle in a room where the speaker array is installed,
Angle detection means for obtaining, for each channel, a radiation angle at which the multi-channel sound should be output from a signal peak of measurement data stored in the storage means and a radiation angle of a test sound beam when the signal peak is obtained; ,
Setting means for determining the directivity of the multi-channel sound for each channel from the radiation angle obtained by the angle detection means, and setting the delay time corresponding to the directivity for each channel in the directivity control means; A speaker array device comprising:

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