JP2013034057A - Electronic apparatus, audio reproduction method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic apparatus, an audio reproduction method, and a program, for outputting sounds whose audio property is optimal for user's audible frequency band.SOLUTION: When a user's sound is input through a microphone 9, a control part (CPU) 11 analyzes the sound and identifies segments (language, sex, and age) that represent user's feature on the basis of the analysis result. Then the control part (CPU) 11 selects an output sound parameter corresponding to the segment from a parameter database 41 on the basis of the segment representing the user's feature, and configures the parameter in a sound processing part 8. The sound processing part 8 compensates the audio property of the sound output from a speaker 10 on the basis of the output sound parameter.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device, a sound reproduction method, and a program for identifying a user's acoustic characteristics using sound input from a microphone mounted on a mobile phone and performing sound reproduction comfortable for the user.

  In recent years, with the expansion of demand for mobile phones, device manufacturers are working on the development of thin and stylish mobile phones equipped with video phone, video playback, and hands-free phone functions. Among these, there is a great demand for acoustic functions, and in particular, a demand for high-quality voice calls is high.

  By the way, when a high sound quality is defined for a user, it cannot be defined only by an intensity such as a flat sound pressure level frequency characteristic, but a sensory characteristic such as an algorithm needs to be considered. Since sound is a sensory quantity, it is necessary to consider environmental aspects such as the user's age, sex, and language.

  However, in the acoustic design of mobile phones, the acoustic characteristics are determined based on opinion evaluation for a specific user, and there is a problem that high-quality sound cannot be reproduced for all users.

  Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses that each band corresponding to an age group is received from a memory based on an age manually input by a user in order to deal with a change in hearing (change in minimum audible limit) associated with aging. A technique is disclosed in which parameters are determined, weighted for each band based on the received parameters, and frequency characteristics and levels of sound output from the receiver are corrected.

JP 2000-209698 A

  In Patent Document 1 described above, there is a problem that the user's own age must be manually input, and the operation is complicated. As described above, environmental aspects such as gender and language need to be considered. However, in Patent Document 1 described above, the frequency characteristics and level of the output sound are corrected only by age information. There is a problem that it is not possible to reproduce high-quality sound that can be satisfactorily satisfied.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device, an acoustic reproduction method, and a program that can output sound with an acoustic characteristic that is optimal for a user's audible frequency band.

  The electronic apparatus according to the present invention is an electronic apparatus that outputs a sound through a speaker, an input unit that inputs a user's voice, an analysis unit that analyzes the voice input by the input unit, and an analysis result by the analysis unit Segment identifying means for identifying a segment representing the user's characteristic based on the parameter, parameter selecting means for selecting an output speech parameter based on the segment representing the user's characteristic identified by the segment identifying means, and the parameter An electronic apparatus comprising: correction means for correcting acoustic characteristics of output sound output from the speaker in accordance with an output sound parameter selected by the selection means.

  The acoustic reproduction method of the present invention is an acoustic reproduction method for an electronic device that outputs sound through a speaker, the step of inputting a user's voice from a microphone, the step of analyzing the voice input from the microphone, and the analysis Based on the results, identifying a segment representing a user characteristic; selecting an output speech parameter based on the identified segment representing the user characteristic; and according to the selected output speech parameter, And correcting the acoustic characteristics of the output sound output from the speaker.

The program of the present invention is stored in a computer of an electronic device that outputs sound through a speaker.
An input function for inputting the user's voice, an analysis function for analyzing the voice input by the input function, a segment identification function for identifying a segment representing the user's characteristics based on an analysis result by the analysis function, and the segment identification function A parameter selection function for selecting an output audio parameter based on a segment representing a user characteristic identified by the above, and correcting an acoustic characteristic of the output audio output from the speaker according to the output audio parameter selected by the parameter selection function It is a program characterized by causing a correction function to be executed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to output sound with acoustic characteristics that are optimal for the user's audible frequency band.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the mobile telephone 1 by embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of the optimal frequency characteristic according to age collected from the opinion test. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the data structural example of the parameter database 41 by this embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement (output audio | voice setting) of the mobile telephone by this embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation | movement (audio | voice output) of the mobile telephone by this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of Supplementary Note 1.

  The present invention identifies a user's segment using voice input from a microphone mounted on a mobile phone, and reproduces it using an electroacoustic transducer in accordance with optimal acoustic characteristics accumulated in advance for each segment. Thus, sound reproduction that is comfortable for the user is performed. Segments include gender, language, age, and so on.

  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 mobile phone 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the mobile phone 1 includes a communication unit 2, a photographing unit 3, a ROM 4, a RAM 5, a touch panel 6, a display unit 7, an audio processing unit 8, a microphone 9, a speaker 10, and a control unit (CPU) 11.

  The communication unit 2 performs voice communication and data communication via a telephone line network. The photographing unit 3 includes a lens group such as a focus lens and a zoom lens, and an image sensor (CCD or the like), and adjusts auto-focusing, aperture, zooming, etc. according to a control signal from a control unit (CPU) 11 to Then, a moving image is taken and output as an imaging signal.

  The ROM 4 stores a program necessary for controlling each part of the mobile phone 1 by the control unit (CPU) 11 and data necessary for controlling each part. The RAM 5 is used as a buffer memory for temporarily storing image data and moving image data captured by the photographing unit 3, and is also used as a working memory for the control unit (CPU) 11.

  In addition, the ROM 4 or RAM 5 holds a parameter database for selecting an output voice parameter that is optimal for the user's auditory characteristics based on the voice band by age, language, gender, etc., collected in advance from the opinion test. ing. In the following description, it is assumed that the ROM 4 holds the parameter database 41.

  The touch panel 6 is provided on the display unit 7 and is used for touch operation of operation instructions, data input, and the like according to the display displayed on the display unit 7. The display unit 7 includes a color LCD and a driving circuit thereof, and displays images captured by the imaging unit 3, moving images, and various information related to communication / calls.

  The voice processing unit 8 supplies the voice from the microphone 9 to the control unit (CPU) 11 during a call, and at the same time outputs the frequency characteristics and level of the output voice according to the output voice parameters set by the control unit (CPU) 11. Is output from the speaker 10. The microphone 9 and the speaker 10 are existing ones that are installed in advance.

  When the control unit (CPU) 11 detects the user's voice using the microphone 9, the control unit (CPU) 11 identifies the user's segment (age, language, gender) by identifying the voice, and outputs matching the identified user's segment. A voice parameter is selected from the parameter database 41 and set in the voice processing unit 8. Thereby, at the time of voice output such as during a call, the voice processing unit 8 corrects the frequency characteristics and level of the voice output from the speaker 10 in accordance with the set output voice parameter. Since the output voice is corrected by the output voice parameter corresponding to the segment obtained from the user's voice, it can be heard as a sound having an optimal frequency characteristic for the user, that is, a sound that is easy to hear.

  FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of optimum frequency characteristics for each age collected from the opinion test. As people age, changes in hearing (changes in the minimum audible limit) occur. FIG. 2 shows audible frequency bands by age. It can be seen that the audible frequency band and the sound pressure level change depending on the age, 20 years old or younger, 20-50 years old, 50 years old or older. In addition, although the change of the audible frequency band in the age was shown in FIG. 2, it is known that the audible frequency band changes depending on language and sex.

  In the present embodiment, the user's voice input from the microphone 9 is analyzed, and the output voice parameter corresponding to the user's segment (age, language, gender) is set, so that the optimum acoustic characteristics for the user's audible frequency band It is designed to output sound.

  FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a data configuration example of the parameter database 41 according to the present embodiment. The parameter database 41 holds optimal acoustic characteristics (output speech parameters) accumulated for each segment (age, language, and sex) collected in advance from an opinion test. When the input voice is analyzed and the user's segment is identified, the control unit (CPU) 11 refers to the parameter database 41 and selects a corresponding output voice parameter according to the segment.

  For example, if the user is a man in his 30s who speaks Japanese, the output speech parameter A2 is selected. Alternatively, if the user is an 18-year-old woman who speaks English, the output speech parameter b1 is selected. By setting the output audio parameter selected in this way in the audio processing unit 8, the acoustic characteristics in the audio output are automatically set to characteristics more suitable for the user.

Next, the operation of the above-described embodiment will be described.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation (output voice setting) of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment. First, the control unit (CPU) 11 determines whether or not output audio setting has been started (step S10). If the output sound setting is not started (NO in step S10), the process waits until the output sound setting is started. More specifically, it may be determined that the output sound setting is started when the output sound setting mode is selected by a touch operation or the like on a standby screen or the like.

  On the other hand, when the output sound setting is started, sound is input from the microphone 9 (step S12). More specifically, when the output voice setting is started, a voice input button is displayed. When the voice input button is touched, a message prompting voice input is displayed, and it is only necessary to wait for voice input. . When speech is input, feature quantities such as distribution of sound pressure frequency characteristics, speech spectrum, formant, etc. are extracted and analyzed (step S14), and the user's segment (language, gender, age) is identified (step). S16).

  Next, referring to the parameter database 41 according to the identified user segment, the corresponding output voice parameter is selected (step S18), and the selected output voice parameter is set in the voice processing unit 8 (step S20). More specifically, an acoustic characteristic such as an equalizer in the sound processing unit 8 is tuned with an output sound parameter.

  Then, it is determined whether or not the setting is completed (step S22). If there is no setting ending operation (NO in step S22), the process returns to step S12 and the setting is continued. On the other hand, if there is a setting end operation (YES in step S22), the process ends.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation (audio output) of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment. The voice processing unit 8 operates according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 when the user makes a call using a mobile phone. The voice processing unit 8 outputs voice to be output (voice of the other party of the call, part of the voice input from the user's microphone 9) based on the set output voice parameter when outputting voice accompanying a call or the like. The band characteristic is corrected (step S30), and the corrected sound is output from the speaker 10.

  Although this embodiment is an example applied to a mobile phone as a terminal device, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be widely applied to portable or stationary terminal devices capable of making calls, such as portable information terminals having a call function, personal computers, communication devices, and other electronic devices. Alternatively, the present invention may be applied to a music playback device that plays back a music file without providing a call function.

  According to the above-described embodiment, it is collected from the opinion test in advance, statistically analyzed, and the optimal output speech parameters according to age, language, sex, etc. are created as a database database 41, and the input speech is analyzed. Since the user segment is identified, the parameter database 41 is referenced according to the segment, the corresponding output voice parameter is selected, and the voice band characteristic of the voice to be output is corrected according to the output voice parameter. It is possible to output sound with acoustic characteristics optimal for the user's audible frequency band.

The features of the present invention will be described below.
A part or all of the above-described embodiment can be described as in the following supplementary notes, but is not limited thereto.
(Appendix 1)
FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of Supplementary Note 1. As shown in this figure, the invention described in Appendix 1 is
An electronic device 20 that outputs sound through a speaker,
Input means 21 for inputting user's voice;
Analyzing means 22 for analyzing the voice input by the input means 21;
Segment identification means 23 for identifying a segment representing the characteristics of the user based on the analysis result by the analysis means 22;
Parameter selecting means 24 for selecting an output audio parameter based on the segment representing the user's characteristics identified by the segment identifying means 23;
An electronic apparatus comprising: correction means 25 for correcting the acoustic characteristics of the output sound output from the speaker 26 in accordance with the output sound parameter selected by the parameter selection means 24.

(Appendix 2)
It further comprises parameter holding means for collecting and statistically analyzing in advance from an opinion test and holding output speech parameters corresponding to combinations of a plurality of segments representing the characteristics of the user,
The electronic device according to appendix 1, wherein the parameter selection unit selects a corresponding output audio parameter from the parameter holding unit according to a segment representing the user's characteristics identified by the segment identification unit. .

(Appendix 3)
The electronic device according to appendix 1 or 2, wherein the segment representing the user's characteristics is a user's age, a user's spoken language, and a user's gender.

(Appendix 4)
A method of reproducing sound of an electronic device that outputs sound through a speaker,
Inputting a user's voice from a microphone;
Analyzing voice input from the microphone;
Identifying a segment representing user characteristics based on the analysis results;
Selecting an output speech parameter based on the identified segment representing the user's characteristics;
Correcting the acoustic characteristics of the output sound output from the speaker in accordance with the selected output sound parameter.

(Appendix 5)
The sound reproduction method according to appendix 4, wherein the output sound parameter is collected and statistically analyzed in advance from an opinion test, and stored for each combination of a plurality of segments representing the characteristics of the user.

(Appendix 6)
6. The sound reproduction method according to appendix 4 or 5, wherein the segment representing the user's characteristics is the user's age, the user's spoken language, and the user's gender.

(Appendix 7)
To the computer of the electronic device that outputs the sound through the speaker,
Input function to input user's voice,
An analysis function for analyzing the voice input by the input function;
A segment identification function for identifying a segment representing the characteristics of the user based on the analysis result of the analysis function;
A parameter selection function for selecting an output audio parameter based on the segment representing the user's characteristics identified by the segment identification function;
In accordance with the output sound parameter selected by the parameter selection function, a program for executing a correction function for correcting the acoustic characteristics of the output sound output from the speaker.

1 Mobile phone 2 Communication unit 3 Shooting unit 4 ROM
41 Parameter database 5 RAM
6 Touch Panel 7 Display Unit 8 Audio Processing Unit 9 Microphone 10 Speaker 11 Control Unit (CPU)

Claims (7)

An electronic device that outputs sound through a speaker,
An input means for inputting a user's voice;
Analyzing means for analyzing the voice input by the input means;
Segment identification means for identifying a segment representing the characteristics of the user based on the analysis result by the analysis means;
Parameter selection means for selecting an output speech parameter based on the segment representing the user's characteristics identified by the segment identification means;
An electronic device comprising: correction means for correcting acoustic characteristics of output sound output from the speaker according to the output sound parameter selected by the parameter selection means. It further comprises parameter holding means for collecting and statistically analyzing in advance from an opinion test and holding output speech parameters corresponding to combinations of a plurality of segments representing the characteristics of the user,
The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parameter selection unit selects a corresponding output voice parameter from the parameter holding unit according to the segment representing the user's characteristic identified by the segment identification unit.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the segment representing the user's characteristics is a user's age, a user's spoken language, and a user's gender. A method of reproducing sound of an electronic device that outputs sound through a speaker,
Inputting a user's voice from a microphone;
Analyzing voice input from the microphone;
Identifying a segment representing user characteristics based on the analysis results;
Selecting an output speech parameter based on the identified segment representing the user's characteristics;
Correcting the acoustic characteristics of the output sound output from the speaker in accordance with the selected output sound parameter.   5. The sound reproduction method according to claim 4, wherein the output audio parameters are collected and statistically analyzed from an opinion test in advance and are stored for each combination of a plurality of segments representing the characteristics of the user.   The sound reproduction method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the segment representing the user's characteristics is a user's age, a user's spoken language, and a user's gender. To the computer of the electronic device that outputs the sound through the speaker,
Input function to input user's voice,
An analysis function for analyzing the voice input by the input function;
A segment identification function for identifying a segment representing the characteristics of the user based on the analysis result of the analysis function;
A parameter selection function for selecting an output audio parameter based on the segment representing the user's characteristics identified by the segment identification function;
A program for executing a correction function for correcting acoustic characteristics of output sound output from the speaker in accordance with an output sound parameter selected by the parameter selection function.

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