JP3274168B2 - Automatic sound level fitting device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention makes it possible for each listener to adjust the volume and sound quality of equipment using sound as an information transmission medium, such as televisions, radios, tape recorders, hearing aids, and medical measurement equipment. As described above.

[Summary of the Invention] [0002] The present invention is directed to a predetermined direction such as a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, and a front-rear direction directly on a head (mainly the position of an ear) of a listener or a part of a hearing device such as a headphone or a hearing aid. Attaching a position sensor that detects displacement of the listener, the listener learns the optimal volume and / or sound quality for each listener's hearing characteristics, and automatically responds to the listener's hearing characteristics even if the input sound level changes This is a hearing sound level automatic fitting device that enables the user to listen at the optimum sound volume and / or sound quality.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a technique for fitting a sound level to an optimum level in accordance with a hearing characteristic of a listener, a remote switch for adjusting a volume or / and a sound quality is provided in a receiver portion, and the sound level is manually changed. Such is known.

[0004]

However, in such a conventional automatic sound level fitting apparatus, the listener manually adjusts the optimum listening level manually in each case according to the sound pressure level of the input sound. There has been a problem that unless the optimum level is set in advance by a hearing test or the like, the user cannot be heard at the optimum level.

[0005] The level adjusted in this way is:
When the input sound changes, it cannot be automatically adjusted to the optimum level, and there is a problem that the readjustment is required every time the input sound changes.

The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional problem, and does not use a special test sound, but responds to the volume and / or sound quality based on a program currently being listened to. By moving the head up and down, left and right, back and forth, etc., the listener learns the optimal volume or / and sound quality and balance for each listener in a short time, and the input sound changes after that. Even automatically according to the hearing characteristics of the listener optimal volume and / or sound quality,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hearing sound level automatic fitting device that allows a user to listen in a balanced manner.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, according to the present invention, the present invention is directly attached to a head of a listener or to a hearing device such as a headphone or a hearing aid.
A position sensor that senses displacement of the listener's head and the like, and changes the presentation level such as volume and / or sound quality by a predetermined amount corresponding to the displacement amount of the listener's head and the like sensed by the position sensor And a presentation level calculator for learning and storing a presentation level such as an optimum volume and / or sound quality adjusted by the presentation level adjuster. The presentation level learned and stored in the presentation level calculator. , The sound is automatically adjusted to an optimal sound volume and / or sound quality or the like corresponding to the hearing characteristics of the listener, and the listener listens.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the hearing sound level fitting apparatus according to the first aspect, when the hearing aid amplifies an input signal and obtains an output signal, an average input signal for calculating an average input signal level in a predetermined time interval. Signal level calculation means, amplification means for amplifying the input signal of the hearing device,
Amplification level control means for controlling the amplification degree of the amplifier based on a ratio between the presentation level learned and stored in the presentation level calculation section and the calculated value calculated by the average input signal level calculation means. Features.

[0009]

[0010]

[0011]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the displacement of the head of the listener is detected by a position sensor attached to the head of the listener or a headphone or a hearing aid. Then, the presentation level adjusting means changes the presentation level such as volume and / or sound quality by a predetermined amount in accordance with the change of the listener's head or the like detected by the position sensor. The presentation level calculation unit learns and stores the obtained presentation level such as the optimum volume and / or sound quality.

In this way, it is possible to always automatically listen to the optimum volume and / or sound quality according to the listening level corresponding to the hearing ability of the listener.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the receiver amplifies the input signal and obtains the output signal, the average input signal level calculating means calculates the average input signal level at a predetermined time interval. The amplification degree control means, based on the ratio between the presentation level learned and stored in the presentation level calculation section and the calculated value calculated by the average input signal level calculation means, adjusts the amplification degree of the amplifier that amplifies the input signal of the listener. Control.

[0014]

[0015] In this way, it is possible to always automatically listen to the optimum volume and / or sound quality according to the listening level corresponding to the hearing characteristics of the listener.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.
Amplifying unit 1 for amplifying an input sound signal, A for A / D converting the input sound signal by 16-bit quantization and 48 kHz sampling
/ D converter 2, average level calculator 3 for averaging the input sound signal at an interval of one second and calculating an average input level, amplifier 1
And a presentation sound pressure level calculation unit 4 for calculating the amplification degree based on the output of the average level calculation unit 3 and setting the presentation sound pressure level so that the output becomes an appropriate set value.

Also, when the listener 5 feels that the presented sound pressure level is high or low with respect to his / her hearing characteristics, the head is lowered or raised when attached to the headphones 6 worn by the listener 5. An operation transformer type position sensor 7 for detecting the amount of displacement as angle information by performing an operation. The output of the operation transformer type position sensor 7 is 8-bit quantized, sampled at 1 Hz, and presented sound pressure level calculation as digital angle information. An A / D converter 8 provided to the unit 4 is provided.

Next, the operation of one embodiment of the automatic sound level fitting apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

(1) The A / D converter 2 quantizes the input sound signal by 16 bits and samples it at 48 kHz.
D-convert. The average level calculator 3 averages the square of the signal from the A / D converter 2 at one second intervals to calculate an average input level.

(2) In the presentation sound pressure level calculation unit 4,
The amplification degree is calculated based on the output of the average level calculation unit 3 and the presented sound pressure level is set so that the output of the amplification unit 1 has an appropriate set value.

(3) The listener 5 lowers or raises his / her head when he / she feels that the presented sound pressure level is high or low with respect to his / her hearing characteristics.

(4) In response to this, the working transformer type position sensor 7 built in the headphone 6 detects and outputs the amount of displacement as angle information, and the A / D converter 8 converts this signal into 8 Bit quantization, sampling at 1 Hz, and supply to the presented sound pressure level calculation unit 4 as digital angle information.

(5) In the presentation sound pressure level calculation unit 4, A /
A relational expression between the digital angular displacement amount information from the D converter 8 and the presented sound pressure level (for example, a relational expression such that the logarithmic value of the sensor displacement amount and the sound pressure level has a fixed relation as shown in FIG. 2) , The amplification degree to be corrected is calculated and given to the amplification unit 1.

(6) This operation is repeated several times. Thus, the sound pressure level optimal for the hearing characteristics of the listener is set within a short time.

(7) The optimum presentation sound pressure level for the listener obtained by the above operations (1) to (6) is stored in the presentation sound pressure level calculation unit 4.

Thereafter, when the input program is changed and the average input level is changed, fine adjustment is made based on the presented sound pressure level stored in (7) to obtain a sound pressure level more optimal for the listener. Automatically adjusted to

Then, the automatic adjustment is repeated and learned, so that the presented sound pressure level is set to be optimal for the listener, and the presented sound pressure level is automatically changed for any input. This makes it possible to fit the hearing characteristics of the listener. In addition, the optimal presentation sound pressure level can sufficiently change depending on the environment surrounding the listener, but always fine-tune it,
You will be able to perform flexible functions that you can learn.

FIG. 3 shows a time chart until the optimum sound pressure level is set in the step (6). In this time chart, section I: the listener listens to the sound signal sent from the amplifier 1 of FIG. 1 and feels that the presented sound pressure level is high with respect to his / her hearing characteristics, and performs an operation of lowering the head. It is the section where it was done.

With this operation, the operating transformer type position sensor 7 detects the inclination angle, and the presented sound pressure level calculator 4 calculates the presented sound pressure level-head vertical displacement correspondence characteristic shown in FIG. Decrease the suggested sound pressure level.

Section II: The section in which the listener raised his or her head to raise the sound pressure level because the presented sound pressure level became too low due to the operation in section I.

This operation increases the presented sound pressure level.

Section III: A section in which the listener shakes his or her head slightly up and down to fine-tune the presentation sound pressure level.

Section IV: A section in which a sound pressure level optimal for a listener is fitted.

That is, the hearing ability of a person varies greatly in terms of the listening level, the frequency characteristics, the linearity of the volume listening sensation and the like, and may vary depending on the type of input sound. By simply moving the head, the sound pressure level can be automatically adjusted, and the fitting of the optimum listening level, frequency characteristic, and sound volume listening sensation to the hearing ability of the listener can be performed.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be used for a wide range of sound volume, sound quality, left / right balance, etc. and automatic fitting. Further, in the above embodiment, the sound pressure level is not a level at which the actual sound pressure is measured, but an index corresponding to the audibility of the listener. The adjustment of the sound pressure level or the like may be performed not only by detecting the movement of the head up, down, left and right, but also by detecting the movement by attaching to the limb, shoulder, or the like.

Further, in the above embodiment, the sound pressure level is automatically fitted by detecting the amount of angular position displacement by the position sensor incorporated in the headphone worn by the listener. In order to enable the automatic fitting, a position sensor may be attached to the limb, shoulder, or the like of the listener, and the amplification degree of the audio amplifier may be automatically adjusted according to the displacement amount of the position sensor.

Further, as the position sensor, a sensor capable of detecting a displacement in front and back movement in addition to a sensor for detecting a vertical displacement and a left and right displacement by a listener is used, so that surround sound can be obtained. Can be automatically adjusted.

[0039]

As described above, according to the automatic hearing sound level fitting apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to perform automatic fitting so that a listener can listen at a sound pressure level that is optimal for his or her hearing characteristics.

[0040]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a hearing sound level automatic fitting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a characteristic diagram showing characteristics of the position sensor in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a time chart of an optimum sound pressure level setting operation in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Amplification part 2 A / D converter 3 Average level calculation part 4 Presentation sound pressure level calculation part 5 Listener 6 Headphones 7 Position sensor 8 A / D converter

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-61-212197 (JP, A) JP-A-1-189215 (JP, A) JP-A-2-16610 (JP, U) JP-A-63-152395 (JP) , U) Hikaru Hira 1-137697 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H03G 1/00-3/18 H03G 5/00-11/08 H04R 1/10

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A position sensor that is attached directly to the head of a listener or the like or to a hearing device such as headphones or a hearing aid, and detects displacement of the head or the like of the listener. A presentation level adjusting means for changing a presentation level such as volume and / or sound quality by a predetermined amount corresponding to a displacement amount of the head, etc .;
And a presentation level calculation unit that learns and stores presentation levels such as sound quality. Based on the presentation levels learned and stored in the presentation level calculation unit, an optimal sound volume or / and / or corresponding to the hearing characteristics of the listener.
An automatic listening sound level fitting device characterized in that the sound is automatically adjusted to the sound quality and the like for listening. 2. The hearing sound level fitting device according to claim 1, wherein the hearing aid amplifies an input signal to obtain an output signal.
Average input signal level calculating means for calculating an average input signal level in a predetermined time interval; amplifying means for amplifying the input signal of the hearing device; presentation level and the average input signal level learned and stored in the presentation level calculation unit. Amplification degree control means for controlling the amplification degree of the amplifier based on a ratio with the calculated value calculated by the calculation means.