JP2011018984A - Audio output device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an audio output device capable of preventing howling.SOLUTION: The device includes: audio output sections 4, 6 to output an audio in the vicinity of at least one of ears of a user; an audio changing section 20 to change either audio volume or audio quality of the audio output from the audio output sections, based on the state of ears to which the audio output sections are made to be closer.

Description

  The present invention relates to an audio output device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a technology for making a headphone an open-air type as a countermeasure against howling, with respect to a hearing aid device that enables a hearing-impaired person to listen to sound with a hi-fi stereo (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-5-130696

  However, since the headphones described above are of the open air type, sound leaks from the headphones, and there is a risk of inconvenience to the surroundings when used in a public environment. Further, due to the recent improvement in performance of hearing aids, howling can no longer be prevented simply by using open-air headphones.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an audio output device capable of preventing howling.

The audio output device of the present invention includes an audio output unit having an audio output unit that outputs audio in the vicinity of at least one ear of a user, and the audio output unit based on an ear state in which the audio output unit is brought close And a sound changing unit that changes at least one of the volume and the sound quality of the sound output from the sound.

  The audio output device of the present invention includes an audio output unit having an audio output unit that outputs audio in the vicinity of at least one ear of the user, and an input unit that inputs audio from an external device via wired or wireless The external device is wired or wirelessly changed so as to change at least one of the volume and the sound quality of the sound output from the sound output unit based on the state of the ear with the sound output unit approached. And a control signal transmission unit that transmits the control signal.

  According to the audio output device of the present invention, howling can be prevented.

It is a front view which shows the external appearance of the headphones which concern on embodiment. It is an A arrow directional view in FIG. 1 of the headphones which concern on embodiment. 1 is a system block diagram of headphones according to an embodiment.

  Hereinafter, headphones according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Although headphones are shown in this embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to an application in which a speaker is disposed near the ear, for example, a telephone or a head mounted display. FIG. 1 is a front view of a headphone according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a view of the headphone according to the embodiment as viewed in the direction of arrow A in FIG. The headphones 2 have an audio output unit 4 and an audio output unit 6, which are connected by a connecting unit 8. The audio output unit 4 and the audio output unit 6 accommodate a speaker (SR) and a microphone (R) 24, and a speaker (SL) and a microphone (L) 26 (see FIG. 3), respectively. Here, when the headphones 2 are worn on the head of the user 10, the headphone 2 is fixed to the head so that both ears of the user 10 are sandwiched between the sound output unit 4 and the sound output unit 6. In addition, in order to detect whether or not the hearing aid 12 is attached to the ear of the user 10, a hearing aid detection SW (detecting contact with the hearing aid 12, respectively, in the inner central part of the sound output unit 4 and the sound output unit 6. R) 14 and a hearing aid detection SW (L) 16 are provided.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the headphones according to the embodiment. The headphone 2 includes a controller 20, and a microphone (R) 24 and a microphone (L) 26 for inputting sound are connected to the controller 20 via an A / D conversion unit 22 that performs A / D conversion of the sound. . In addition, a speaker SR and a speaker SL that output sound are connected via a D / A conversion unit 28 that performs D / A conversion on the sound signal output from the controller 20. Further, a hearing aid detection SW (R) 14, a hearing aid detection SW (L) 16, a memory 30 for storing sound, and an operation switch 31 for changing settings of the headphones 2 are connected. An external AV device 32 that outputs audio is connected via an input / output control unit 34. The headphones 2 are equipped with a battery 36 that supplies electric power to the components constituting the headphones 2.

  Next, the operation of the headphones 2 according to the embodiment will be described. When the user wears the headphones 2 and turns on the power supply (not shown) of the headphones 2, the controller 20 is activated, and the hearing aid 12 is placed in the ear of the user 10 by the hearing aid detection SW (R) 14 and the hearing aid detection SW (L) 16. It is detected whether or not is mounted. In addition, the controller 20 acquires an audio signal output from the external AV device 32 via the input / output control unit 34 and outputs audio from the speaker SR and the speaker SL via the D / A conversion unit 28.

  Here, when the hearing aid 12 is attached to one ear of the user 10, for example, the left ear, the sound leaked from the hearing aid 12 and the speaker SL are output from the microphone (L) 26 on the side where the hearing aid 12 is detected. Get audio. The acquired voice is A / D converted by the A / D converter 22 and input to the controller 20 as a voice signal. In the controller 20, sound is output from the speaker SL based on the difference between the audio signal output from the external AV device 32 and the audio signal acquired by the microphone (L) 26 and A / D converted by the A / D converter 22. In order to perform output, the phase and amplitude of the audio signal output to the D / A converter 28 are adjusted. That is, the audio signal is adjusted so that the leaking sound from the hearing aid 12 can be canceled. As a result, the volume and sound quality of the sound output from the speaker SL are changed, and the leakage sound from the hearing aid 12 can be canceled, and howling in the hearing aid 12 can be prevented.

  Also, the audio signal adjustment for canceling the leakage sound from the hearing aid 12 may be performed in the external AV device 32. In this case, the controller 20 is based on the difference between the audio signal output from the external AV device 32 and the audio signal acquired by the microphone (L) 26 and A / D converted by the A / D converter 22. In order to cancel the leakage sound from the hearing aid 12, a control signal that instructs the external AV device 32 to change the audio signal is output. Based on the control signal from the headphones 2, the external AV device 32 adjusts the phase and amplitude of the audio signal for outputting audio from the speaker SL among the audio signals output to the headphones 2. As a result, the volume and sound quality of the sound output from the speaker SL are changed, and the leakage sound from the hearing aid 12 can be canceled, and howling in the hearing aid 12 can be prevented.

  When the external AV device 32 is not connected to the headphones 2 or when the power of the external AV device 32 is turned off, the sound leaking from the hearing aid 12 is acquired by the microphone (L) 26. The acquired voice is A / D converted by the A / D converter 22 and input to the controller 20 as a voice signal. The controller 20 generates an audio signal for canceling the leakage sound from the hearing aid 12 and outputs the audio from the speaker SL. Thereby, the leakage sound from the hearing aid 12 can be canceled and howling in the hearing aid 12 can be prevented.

  Further, when it is detected that the hearing aid 12 is worn on the left and right ears of the user 10, the sound leaking from the hearing aid 12 is input by the microphone (R) 24 and the microphone (L) 26, and the same as described above. Processing is performed. And the sound for preventing generation | occurrence | production of the howling in the hearing aid 12 is output from the speaker SR and the speaker SL.

  According to the headphones according to this embodiment, the volume and quality of the sound output from the sound output unit are changed in order to cancel the sound leaking from the hearing aid. Accordingly, sound leakage can be prevented while preventing howling in the hearing aid.

  In the above-described embodiment, when it is detected that the hearing aid 12 is attached, the sound volume and sound quality of the sound output from the speaker SR and the speaker SL are changed, but howling can be prevented. If possible, the volume or sound quality of the output sound may be changed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the external AV device 32 and the input / output control unit 34 are connected by a cable, but may be connected by wireless communication.

  In the above-described embodiment, the sound output from the speaker SR and the speaker SL is determined by the characteristics of the hearing aid 12 that are the relationship between the sound input to the hearing aid 12 and the sound output from the hearing aid 12 to the eardrum. May be. In this case, the characteristic of the hearing aid 12 is input by operating the operation switch 31, and the sound output from the speaker SR and the speaker SL is determined based on the input characteristic of the hearing aid 12.

  In the above-described embodiment, the headphones 2 have been described, but the present invention can also be used for telephones, head mounted displays, and the like.

  In the above-described embodiment, the speaker, the microphone, and the hearing aid detection switch are provided on the left and right sides of the headphones 2, respectively, but may be provided on either the left or right.

  In the above-described embodiment, in order to detect the hearing aid 12, the hearing aid detection SW (R) 14 and the hearing aid detection SW (L) 16 that detect contact with the hearing aid 12 are used. A displacement sensor of the type may be used. As a result, it is possible to prevent the generation of frictional noise when the headphones move.

  In the above-described embodiment, when the headphones 2 and the hearing aid 12 are compatible with each other and no howling occurs, the sound output from the speaker SR and the speaker SL is controlled so as to correct the sound quality characteristic of the hearing aid 12. May be. As a result, it is possible to hear a good sound with a minimum deterioration in sound quality.

  In the above-described embodiment, when the user 10 does not wear the hearing aid 12, it may be used as normal noise cancellation headphones. That is, an operation member for exposing the microphone (R) 24 and the microphone (L) 26 to the outside of the headphone 2 is provided, and the microphone (R) 24 and the microphone (L) 26 are moved to the outside of the headphone 2 by the operation of the operation member. Noise cancellation may be performed based on the sound outside the headphone 2 that is exposed and input.

  In the above-described embodiment, the sound output based on the sound signal output from the external AV device 32 is performed by the headphones 2, but the sound is output based on the sound signal stored in the memory 30. It may be.

  Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, it is preferable that the microphone provided in the headphones 2 has high directivity and can acquire only the leakage sound from the hearing aid. By using such a microphone, it is possible to more reliably output a sound that cancels the leakage sound from the hearing aid.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Headphone, 4, 6 ... Audio | voice output part, 8 ... Connection part, 10 ... User, 12 ... Hearing aid, 14 ... Hearing aid detection SW (R), 16 ... Hearing aid detection SW (L), 20 ... Controller, 24 ... Microphone (R), 26 ... Microphone (L), 31 ... Operation switch, 32 ... External AV device, 34 ... Input / output control unit, SR, SL ... Speaker.

Claims (5)

An audio output unit that outputs audio in the vicinity of at least one ear of the user;
An audio output device comprising: an audio change unit that changes at least one of a volume and a sound quality of an audio output from the audio output unit based on a state of an ear with the audio output unit approached. An audio output unit that outputs audio in the vicinity of at least one ear of the user;
An input unit for inputting audio from an external device via wired or wireless;
Control over the external device via wire or wireless so as to change at least one of the volume and quality of the sound output from the sound output unit based on the state of the ear with the sound output unit approached An audio output device comprising: a control signal transmission unit that transmits a signal. A detection unit that detects whether or not a hearing aid is attached to the user's ear;
When the hearing aid is detected by the detection unit, the control signal is sent to the external device so that the sound output from the sound output unit is changed or the sound output from the sound output unit is changed. The audio output device according to claim 1, wherein the audio output device transmits the audio. A characteristic input unit for inputting the characteristic of the hearing aid,
The audio output device according to claim 3, wherein the audio output from the audio output unit is determined based on the characteristic input by the characteristic input unit. A voice acquisition unit having directivity for acquiring voice emitted from the vicinity of the user's ear;
The voice output device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the voice output from the voice output unit is changed based on the voice acquired from the voice acquisition unit.

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