JP4760524B2 - Control device, routing verification method, and routing verification program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention verifies the routing state (connection state) with, for example, a control device such as an AV (Audio / Visual) amplifier device to which a speaker built-in device or a speaker connection device is connected, and an external device used in the control device. The present invention relates to a method and a program.

  In content such as a movie recorded on a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or digital television broadcasting, so-called multi-channel audio data such as 5.1 channel and 7.1 channel is handled, and the user can Opportunities to set up multi-channel listening systems such as 5.1 channels and 7.1 channels are also increasing.

  For example, a 5.1 channel listening system is composed of six audio channels including a front left channel, a front center channel, a front right channel, a rear left channel, a rear right channel, and a subwoofer channel. It is possible to reproduce sound using the corresponding six speakers. In addition, [. The expression 1] means a subwoofer channel that compensates for low frequency components.

  Since the multi-channel listening system uses a plurality of speakers, the distance between each speaker and the user, the output characteristics of each speaker, and the speaker at the listening position where the user listens to the sound emitted from each speaker. The reproduction sound field formed by the multi-channel listening system may not be appropriate due to the influence of obstacles existing between users. For example, a sound image to be localized at the front center may be shifted to the right side or the left side.

  For this reason, the multi-channel listening system has a so-called time alignment function that appropriately cuts the sound emitted from each speaker so as to cut an appropriate reproduction sound field. There is something.

  The time alignment function is provided in an AV control device such as an AV amplifier that supplies an audio signal to each speaker. A microphone is installed at a position (listening position) where a listener who is a user listens to reproduced sound from a plurality of speakers, and the sound emitted from each speaker is collected and input to the AV control device. To be able to.

  Then, in the AV control device, for example, a test signal such as a TSP (Time-Stretched Pulse) signal is generated and supplied to each of a plurality of speakers connected to the own device in order, The reproduced sound of the test signal is emitted in order from each speaker.

  The reproduced sound of the test signal thus emitted is collected by a microphone installed at the listening position and returned to the AV control device. Thereby, in the AV control device, it is possible to know the timing when the test signal is supplied to each speaker and the timing when the test signal is emitted from the speaker and collected by the microphone at the listening position and returned. it can.

  That is, in the AV control device, for each speaker connected to the own device, the time taken for the emitted sound to be collected by the microphone at the listening position (the sound from each speaker to the microphone at the listening position). Time). Accordingly, the so-called time alignment of the speakers is adjusted by adjusting the delay amount of the audio signal supplied to each speaker so that the sound emitted from each speaker is simultaneously collected by the microphone at the listening position. As a result, it is possible to prepare a sound listening environment.

  In addition, as a technique related to the time alignment of the speaker in the above-described listening system, Patent Document 1 (Technology enabling time alignment in consideration of temperature change), Patent Document 2 (Listening Point for Time Alignment) (A technique for facilitating the setting operation of (listening position) and making time alignment available effectively), and Patent Document 3 (a technique for making the sound pressure level at the measurement position constant).

In addition, the patent document mentioned above is as showing below.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-248097 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-248098 JP 2000-261900 A

  By the way, AV (Audio / Video) contents such as movies and audio contents such as music composed of audio data and video data to be reproduced in synchronization are expressed in various formats, such as DVD, CD (Compact Disc), Various types of recording media have been provided via various recording media such as MD (Mini Disc (registered trademark)) and memory cards, or via a network such as the Internet.

  Accordingly, a plurality of input terminals are provided for the AV control device such as the AV amplifier described above in order to receive content data from various devices. In order to be able to provide content data, a plurality of output terminals have been provided. Here, the input terminal and the output terminal may be input / output terminals.

  However, when AV control equipment has many input terminals and output terminals, the user is confused about the connection, and it is assumed that the equipment is connected to the AV control equipment as expected. There is a possibility that it may not be connected to the street. For this reason, it is necessary for the user to confirm with his / her own eyes and ears that AV content and audio content are actually played back through the AV control device to confirm whether the connection to the AV control device is as expected. It may take time and effort.

  In view of the above, the present invention enables quick connection check and routing verification analysis when an external device is connected to both the output end and input end of an AV control device to which various devices may be connected. The purpose is to be able to do it accurately.

In order to solve the above problem, the control device of the invention according to claim 1 is:
The measurement signal having an output end of the audio signal and an input end of the audio signal, at least one of which is provided, and outputting the measurement signal through the output end and feeding back through the external device Is a control device capable of receiving the response signal through the input terminal,
Measurement signal generating means for generating the measurement signal;
When there are a plurality of output terminals, the measurement signal generated by the measurement signal generator is controlled so that each of the output terminals is sequentially switched and output from each of the output terminals. Output control means for
An input for controlling the input of the response signal for the measurement signal by sequentially switching each of the input terminals for each of the output terminals when a plurality of the input terminals are provided. Control means;
Analyzing a response signal for the measurement signal received through each of the input terminals, and specifying means for specifying an input terminal that has received the input of the response signal;
Determining means for determining that a route is connected to an external device through the input terminal specified by the specifying means and the output terminal that output the measurement signal at the time of specifying the input terminal; It is characterized by providing.

  According to the control device of the first aspect of the present invention, when there are a plurality of output terminals, the measurement signal generated by the measurement signal generating unit is sequentially transmitted from each of the output terminals under the control of the output control unit. It is made to output. In addition, when there are a plurality of input terminals, the input control means controls the input terminals sequentially for each output terminal to accept input of a response signal for the output measurement signal. .

  Then, the signal received through the switched input terminal is analyzed by the specifying unit, and the input terminal that has received the input of the response signal for the output measurement signal is specified. Further, when the specified input terminal is specified, the determination unit determines that the route is connected to the external device through the output terminal that has output the measurement signal.

  As a result, even if one or both of the output end and the input end are provided in multiple numbers, connection is possible so that signals can be transmitted and received bidirectionally between any output end and which input end. In other words, the verification of the routing between the devices can be performed quickly and accurately.

Moreover, the control device of the invention according to claim 4 is:
The measurement signal having an output end of the audio signal and an input end of the audio signal, at least one of which is provided, and outputting the measurement signal through the output end and feeding back through the external device Is a control device capable of receiving the response signal through the input terminal,
Measurement signal generating means for generating the measurement signal;
Output control means for controlling the measurement signal generated in the measurement signal generation means to output simultaneously from each of the output ends; and
Input control means for controlling the input of the response signal for the measurement signal so as to be simultaneously received through each of the input terminals;
Analyzing the response signal for the measurement signal received through each of the input terminals, and outputting the measurement signal for the response signal received through the input terminal and the input terminal receiving the response signal And a specifying means for specifying the output terminal.

  According to the control device of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the measurement signal generated by the measurement signal generation unit is simultaneously output from each of the output terminals under the control of the output control unit. Further, the control of the input control means allows the input of response signals for the measurement signals output simultaneously from the respective output terminals to be simultaneously received through the respective input terminals.

  Then, by analyzing the response signal received through each of the input terminals by the specifying means, it is determined which output terminal and which input terminal are connected to the external device, that is, between the control device and the external device. The verification of the routing can be performed in one operation for a plurality of output ends and a plurality of input ends.

  As a result, even if one or both of the output end and the input end are provided in multiple numbers, connection is possible so that signals can be transmitted and received bidirectionally between any output end and which input end. In other words, verification of routing between devices can be performed more quickly.

  According to the present invention, when there is an external device that is connected to both the output end and the input end of an AV control device to which various devices may be connected, the AV control device side It is possible to detect and grasp which output terminal and input terminal are connected to the external device quickly and accurately and without bothering the user.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an apparatus, a method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments described below, a case where the present invention is applied to a multi-channel listening system (hereinafter referred to as a sound reproduction system) will be described as an example.

[Outline of the embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining an outline of a sound reproduction system to which an embodiment of the apparatus, method, and program according to the present invention is applied. The sound reproduction system of this embodiment includes an AV control device (hereinafter referred to as a control device) 1 such as an AV amplifier and an external device 2.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 1 includes an analog output terminal group OA1, a digital output terminal OD1, and a multi-channel analog output terminal group OA-M as output ends of audio signals. The analog output terminal group OA1 has two channels, an L (left) channel and an R (right) channel. The multi-channel analog output terminal group OA-M has five channels of L (left) channel, R (right) channel, SL (left rear) channel, SR (right rear) channel, and C (center) channel. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 1 includes analog input terminal groups IA1 and IA2, digital input terminals ID1 and ID2, and a multi-channel analog input terminal group IA-M as audio signal input ends. Yes. Each of the analog input terminal groups IA1 and IA2 has two channels of an L (left) channel and an R (right) channel. The multi-channel analog input terminal group IA-M has five channels of L (left) channel, R (right) channel, SL (left rear) channel, SR (right rear) channel, and C (center) channel. It is.

  The control device 1 according to this embodiment includes a signal processing unit 11 including a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and the like. In this embodiment, the signal processor 11 realizes the functions of the measurement signal generator 11A and the response signal analyzer 11B. Further, an output switching unit 12, DACs (Digital Analog Converters) 13 and 14, and a switch circuit SW1 are provided following the measurement signal generation unit 11A. In addition, switch circuits SW2 and SW3, ADCs (Analog Digital Converters) 15 and 16, and an input switching unit 17 are provided in the previous stage of the response signal analysis unit 11B.

  Then, the measurement signal generation unit 11A generates a measurement signal according to a predetermined logic, or reads out the measurement signal stored in a predetermined memory and supplies it to the output switching unit 12. In this embodiment, the measurement signal is not particularly specified as long as it is a broadband noise or signal having a known frequency characteristic, for example. For example, it may be a TSP (Time Stretched Pulse) signal, broadband noise such as white noise, pink noise, M-sequence noise, or a general voice / music signal.

  The output switching unit 12 switches between supplying the measurement signal to the DAC 13, the digital output terminal OD1, the switch circuit SW1, or the like according to the control from the signal processing unit 11, for example. Each of them can be supplied at the same time.

  The DAC 13 is capable of converting the digital audio signal supplied thereto into an analog audio signal and supplying the analog audio signal to the analog output terminal group OA1. Further, the switch circuit SW1 outputs, for example, a digital audio signal from the output switching unit 12 to be output to one or more audio channels among the multichannels of 5 channels under the control of the signal processing unit 11. Switching can be performed. The DAC 15 can convert the digital audio signal supplied from the switch circuit SW1 into an analog audio signal, and can supply the analog audio signal to the corresponding output terminal in the multi-channel analog output terminal group OA-M at the subsequent stage. is there.

  Thereby, the control apparatus 1 of this embodiment supplies the measurement signal produced | generated in 11 A of measurement signal to each output terminal sequentially or simultaneously, and outputs a measurement signal from each output terminal By doing so, the measurement signal can be supplied to the external device 2 or the like.

  As described above, the measurement signal output from the control device 1 passes through the external device 2, and as a response signal, the analog input terminal groups IA1 and IA2, the digital input terminals ID1 and ID2, and the multichannel of the control device 1 Are supplied to any one of the analog input terminal groups IA-M.

  Response signals (analog signals) supplied to the analog input terminal groups IA1 and IA2 are supplied to the switch circuit SW2. The switch circuit SW2 switches, for example, whether to output the signal supplied through the analog input terminal group IA1 or to output the signal supplied through the analog input terminal group IA2 under the control of the signal processing unit 11. . The response signal output from the switch circuit SW2 is converted into a digital signal by the ADC 15 and then supplied to the input switching unit 17.

  The response signals (digital signals) supplied to the digital input terminals ID1 and ID2 are supplied to the input switching unit 17 as they are.

  The response signals (analog signals) supplied to the input terminals of the multi-channel analog input terminal group IA-M are converted into digital signals by the ADC 16 and supplied to the switch circuit SW3. The switch circuit SW3 is controlled by, for example, the signal processing unit 11 and can be switched so as to output an audio signal of one or more channels among five audio channels. The response signal output from the switch circuit SW3 is supplied to the input switching unit 17.

  For example, under the control of the signal processing unit 17, the input switching unit 17 switches which input terminal the response signal supplied with is supplied to the response signal analysis unit 11 </ b> B.

  In the control device 1 of this embodiment having such a configuration, the output switching unit 12 is controlled so that each of the analog output terminal group OA1, the digital output terminal OD1, and the multichannel output terminal group OA-M is sequentially applied. The measurement signal is output to any one of the output terminals, and the input switching unit 17 is controlled for each output terminal to switch the input terminal that receives the response signal. It is possible to automatically and reliably determine which input terminal is connected to be supplied as a response signal via the device 2.

  As described above, in the sound reproduction system of this embodiment, the measurement signal output from the control device 1 is fed back to the control device 1 via the external device 2. In order to realize this, the external device 2 itself of this embodiment also has both an input end and an output end, and there is a mode in which at least an input signal can be output. Is.

  However, the input / output in the external device 2 does not necessarily output the input signal as it is, and there may be an independent process of the external device 2 between the input and the output. This is shown as operation X. That is, the measurement signal may be output after being processed by a process called operation X in the external device 2.

[Specific example of external device 2]
Here, a specific example of the external device 2 will be described. As the device used as the external device 2, for example, various devices such as a television receiver and an audio recording device are conceivable. Here, a specific configuration example of a television receiver used as the external device 2 will be described. 2 and 3 are block diagrams for explaining a configuration example of a television receiver used as the external device 2.

  A television receiver 2A shown in FIG. 2 includes an analog input terminal group 21 having an input terminal V for analog video signals and input terminals L and R for two left and right channels of analog audio signals, an output terminal L for analog audio signals, And an analog output terminal group 26 including R, an image decoder 22 and an image display unit 23 as a video signal processing system, and delay units 24L and 24R, an AMP (Amplifier) as an audio signal processing system. 25L, 25R, built-in speakers TVL, TVR.

  The analog video signal supplied through the analog video signal input terminal V of the analog input terminal group 21 is supplied to the image decoder 22. Also, the L (left) channel audio signal supplied through the analog audio signal input terminal L of the analog input terminal group 21 is supplied to the delay unit 24L and through the analog audio signal input terminal R of the analog input terminal group 21. The supplied R (left) channel audio signal is supplied to the delay unit 24R.

  The image decoder 22 forms an analog video signal to be supplied to the image display unit 23 from the video signal supplied thereto, and supplies this to the image display unit 23. The image display unit 23 includes, for example, a display element such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), and a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), and a control circuit thereof. Is supplied with an analog video signal, and an image corresponding to the analog video signal is displayed on the display screen of the display element.

  The television receiver 2A in the example shown in FIG. 2 has several image quality modes such as a high image quality mode, a medium image quality mode, and a normal image quality mode, and the image decoder 22 formats the supplied video signal. In accordance with the selected image quality mode, a video signal having an appropriately designated image quality can be formed.

  For this reason, in order to form a video signal of the instructed image quality, it may take some time for processing in the image decoder, and an image displayed on the display element of the image display unit 23 and a built-in as will be described later There may be a deviation (so-called lip sync deviation) between the sound emitted from the speakers TVL and TVR.

  Therefore, the image decoder 22 can control the delay units 24L and 24R in order to delay the audio signal in accordance with the time required for processing the video signal in itself. The audio signals supplied to the delay units 24L and 24R are processed so as to be delayed in accordance with the control from the image decoder 22, and then supplied to the AMPs 25L and 25R. Supplied to each of R.

  As a result, the delay-processed L (left) channel audio signal is amplified by the AMP 25L and then supplied to the L (left) channel built-in speaker TVL. The delay-processed R (right) channel audio signal is After being amplified by the AMP 25R, it is supplied to the built-in speaker TVR of the R (left) channel, and sounds corresponding to the sound signals of the left and right channels are emitted from the built-in speakers TVL and TVR. At the same time, the audio signals of the left and right channels after the delay processing are output from the output terminals L and R of the output terminal group 26 and returned to the control device 1.

  As described above, when the television receiver 2 </ b> A having the configuration shown in FIG. 2 is used as the external device 2, the delayed audio signal is output through the output terminal group 26 and returned to the control device 1. To be done.

  The television receiver 2B shown in FIG. 3 includes a digital audio signal input terminal 21A as an audio signal input terminal, except that a digital audio signal decoder 27 and a downmix unit 28 are provided. The configuration is the same as that of the television receiver 2A shown in FIG.

  For this reason, the television receiver 2B shown in FIG. 3 is the same as the television receiver 2A shown in FIG. 2 except for the digital audio signal input terminal 21A, the decoder 27, and the downmix unit 28. The same reference numerals as those of the television receiver 2A shown in FIG. 2 are attached to the portions, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  Here, a multi-channel digital audio signal consisting of five channels of L (left) channel, R (right) channel, SL (left rear) channel, SR (right rear) channel, and C (center) channel is received. Will be described. The digital audio signal supplied through the digital audio signal input terminal 21 </ b> A is supplied to the decoder 27. The decoder 27 decodes the digital audio signal supplied thereto, extracts the audio signal of each channel, and supplies these to the downmix unit 28.

  The downmix unit 28 forms audio signals for the left and right channels from the audio signals of each of the five channels supplied thereto, supplies the L (left) channel audio signal to the delay unit 24L, and outputs the R channel. Are supplied to the delay unit 24R.

  Various patterns can be considered for the downmix processing in the downmix unit 28. For example, a sum of an L (left) channel audio signal, an SL (left rear) channel audio signal, and a C (center) channel audio signal is defined as an L (left) channel audio signal, and an R (right) channel. That is, the sum of the audio signal of SR, the audio signal of the SR (right rear) channel, and the audio signal of the C (center) channel is used as the R (right) channel audio signal.

  Each of the delay units 24L and 24R is controlled by the image decoder 22 as in the case of the television receiver 2A shown in FIG. 2, and delays the audio signal according to the time required for image processing. .

  Thus, the L (left) channel audio signal formed by down-conversion is delayed in the delay unit 24L, amplified in the AMP 25L, and supplied to the built-in speaker TVL in the L (left) channel. Similarly, the R (right) channel audio signal formed by down-conversion is delayed in the delay unit 24R, amplified in the AMP 25R, and supplied to the built-in speaker TVR in the R (right) channel.

  Then, sounds corresponding to the audio signals of the left and right channels are emitted from the built-in speakers TVL and TVR. At the same time, the left and right audio signals of the left and right channels formed by down-conversion and output from the output terminals L and R of the output terminal group 26 are output and returned to the control device 1.

  As described above, when the television receiver 2B having the configuration shown in FIG. 3 is used as the external device 2, the left and right two-channel audio signals formed by the down-conversion process are processed in the image decoder 22. After being subjected to delay processing according to the time required for the output, it is output through the output terminal group 26 and returned to the control device 1.

  Here, the configuration example of the television receiver used as the external device 2 has been described. However, devices used as external devices are not limited to television receivers. As described above, for example, various recording media such as MD (Mini Disc (registered trademark)), recordable CD (Compact Disc), recordable DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), DAT (Digital Audio Disc) are used. It is also possible to use an audio recording device as the external device 2.

  In such an audio recording device, after performing a writing process, an audio signal (audio data) is usually read out and monitored by a head portion different from the writing. When the audio data supplied from the control device 1 is recorded on the recording medium, the audio data recorded on the recording medium is read out by the head portion different from the writing and returned to the control device 1. However, the audio data subjected to the delay processing is returned to the control device.

  As described above, in the sound reproduction system of this embodiment, the audio signal output from the control device 1 is fed back to the control device 1 via the external device 2. In the sound reproduction system having such a connection relationship, a main object of the present invention is to confirm the connection relationship and grasp the routing state of the device.

And if the routing state of an apparatus can be grasped | ascertained, a new function will be implement | achieved and a user's convenience can be improved and functionality can be increased. In particular,
Function (1) Preliminary measurement before detailed measurement of operation X on external devices Function (2) Pointing out user connection mistakes Function (3) Realizing new functions such as changing internal routing according to user connections Can do.

[Need to understand routing status between devices to realize new functions]
[Function (1) Preparatory measurement before detailed measurement of operation X]
As described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, when the television receivers 2A and 2B are used as the external device 2, the video signals generated in the television receivers 2A and 2B are used to match the lip sync. It is necessary to accurately measure the deviation (delay time of the video signal with respect to the audio signal) that occurs between the audio signal and the audio signal.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining the preparation measurement before the detailed measurement of the function (1) operation X, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram for explaining the delay measurement module of the control device 1 shown in FIG. FIG. In FIG. 4, a control device 1 basically has the same configuration as the control device 1 of the sound reproduction system shown in FIG. However, the control device 1 of the sound reproduction system shown in FIG. 4 has a multi-channel analog speaker output terminal group OAS in addition to the multi-channel analog output terminal group OA-M as a pre-out terminal group of audio signals. -M provided.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the speaker output terminal group OAS-M of the control device 1 includes an L (left) channel, an R (right) channel, an SL (left rear) channel, an SR (right rear) channel, and a C (center). This is provided with output terminals of 5 channels. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, corresponding external speakers oL, oR, oSL, oSR, oC are connected to the output terminals of the speaker output terminal group OAS-M.

  Further, a DAC / AMP 18 is provided in the front stage of the speaker output terminal group OAS-M of the control device 1. The DAC / AMP 18 receives a digital audio signal such as a measurement signal for each channel from the signal processing unit 11 configured by a DSP or the like, converts the analog audio signal into an analog audio signal, amplifies the analog audio signal, and outputs a speaker output terminal The output can be supplied to the corresponding output terminal of the group OAS-M.

  The control device 1 shown in FIG. 4 includes a left / right two-channel analog input terminal group IA1, receives a left / right two-channel audio signal from an external device, and converts it into a digital audio signal by the ADC 15. This can be supplied to the signal processing unit 11.

  In FIG. 4, the external device connected to the control device 1 is the television receiver 2A having the configuration shown in FIG. As described above, in the television receiver 2 </ b> A, the video signal supplied through the analog video signal input terminal V of the analog input terminal group 21 is processed by the image decoder 22 and supplied to the image display unit 23. A video signal of a format is formed and supplied to the image display unit 23.

  In this case, the image decoder 22 controls the delay units 24L and 24R according to the time required to process the video signal, and delays the L (left) channel audio signal and the R (right) channel audio signal. I am doing so. For this reason, the image displayed on the display screen of the image display unit 23 is synchronized with the sound emitted from the built-in speakers TVL and TVR.

  However, since the control device 1 does not grasp the delay amount of the audio signal in the television receiver 2A, if the image processing in the image decoder 22 of the television receiver 2A takes a long time, the control device 1 controls the image decoder 22. It is a sound corresponding to the sound signal subjected to the delay process, and is emitted from the external speakers oL, oR, oSL, oSR, oC rather than the sound emitted from the built-in speakers TVL and TVR of the television receiver 2A. Will be emitted sooner.

  Therefore, by measuring the output signal from the control device 1 back to the control device 1 via the television receiver 2A, the control device 1 can measure the delay time for the audio signal in the television receiver 2A. It becomes possible. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the signal processing unit 11 constituted by a DSP, a CPU, etc. can realize the functions as the measurement signal generation unit 11A and the response signal analysis unit 11B as described above. The functions of the sequence controller 11C and the switch circuit 11D for controlling the processing of each unit can also be realized.

  In the case of the example shown in FIG. 4, the output terminal L of the L (left) channel and the output terminal of the R (right) channel of the analog output terminal group OA-M of the control device 1 are input to the television receiver 2A. The L (left) channel input terminal of the terminal group 21 is connected to the R (right) channel input terminal and the L (left) channel output terminal of the audio signal output terminal group 26 of the television receiver 2A. The output terminal of the R (right) channel is connected to the input terminal of the L (left) channel and the input terminal of the R (right) channel of the audio signal input terminal group IA1 of the control device 1.

  For this reason, the system controller 11C of the control device 1 configured as shown in FIG. 5 controls the measurement signal generator 11A and the switch circuit 11D to generate a measurement signal, which is converted into an analog output terminal group OA−. Output from the output terminal L of the L (left) channel and the output terminal of the R (right) channel of M and supply of a response signal, which is a delayed measurement signal, from the television receiver 2A through the analog input terminal group IA. Try to receive.

  Then, the response signal analyzer 11B measures the delay time for the audio signal in the television receiver 2A by measuring the time taken from sending the measurement signal from the measurement signal generator 11A to receiving the response signal. This can be recorded in the set value storage memory.

  In this way, by feeding back the measurement signal output from the control device 1 via the television receiver 2A, the time required for the control device 1 to output the measurement signal until receiving the response signal, that is, The delay time applied to the audio signal in the television receiver 2A can be measured.

  However, for example, depending on the usage method of the user, the signal line connected to the television receiver 2 is the L (left) channel of the speaker output terminal group OA-M of the control device 1 as shown by the solid line in FIG. And the R (right) channel output terminal are not always connected to the L (left) channel input terminal and the R (right) channel input terminal of the input terminal group 21 of the television receiver 2A. Absent.

  For example, as indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 4, the output terminal of the C (center) channel of the speaker output terminal group OA-M of the control device 1 is the L (left) channel of the input terminal group 21 of the television receiver 2A. It may be connected to the input terminal and the input terminal of the R (right) channel, or may be via another channel or another interface.

  Similarly, with respect to the input to the control device 1, in the example shown in FIG. 4, a response is connected to the input terminal group IA1, but in reality (regardless of whether the user intended) or not May be connected, or the response input may be connected to another location such as the input terminal group IA2.

  In such a case, it is inefficient in time to perform the main measurement for measuring the delay time for all the channels. In other words, if the routing relationship is grasped in the control device before the main measurement, the measurement signal may be reproduced and measured only for the channel whose connection is confirmed.

  In this sense, even if the purpose of this measurement is to measure Operation X itself, as a preparatory measurement, accurately grasping the routing status between devices is effective for the entire measurement process. It will have an important meaning to do. That is, this measurement can be performed efficiently if the control device 1 accurately knows what routing the external device is connected to.

[Function (2) Pointing out user connection errors]
Also, when the routing status between devices is verified and the relationship between the output terminal and the input terminal that should be connected is set, and the connection relationship is incorrect, the user is wired. It is also possible to prompt the user to review the connection by displaying an error message.

[Function (3) Changing internal routing according to user connection]
Further, it becomes possible to change the internal connection of the control device 1 in accordance with the verified routing state. This may be the function of correcting the routing internally by the user, or it can be used as a function that allows you to use unused terminals even when the number of input / output terminals is small. Can improve user convenience.

[Specific examples of processing to understand the routing status between devices]
The measurement signal output from the control device 1 and fed back to the control device 1 via the external device 2 is not special and may be a general signal having a wide band. In that case, a correlation coefficient is obtained between the output and input of the measurement signal, and if the maximum value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, it can be determined that the route is good. Further, if it is smaller than the threshold value (if it is less than the threshold value), it is possible to verify the connection relationship between each input and output by sequentially determining that the route is not open.

  In that sense, even if the measurement signal is generated in the signal processing unit 11 constituted by a DSP, CPU, or the like, or the measurement signal secured in the memory, an audio signal input from a specific input terminal is used as the measurement signal. It is also possible to use it. However, in this case, a signal having sufficient frequency characteristics with respect to the frequency characteristics of the transmission path and having a certain level needs to be maintained during the measurement period.

  Hereinafter, the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 and the channel sequence shown in FIG. 7 will be described with respect to the processing for grasping the routing state between the control device 1 and the external device 2 executed in the sound reproduction system of this embodiment. A description will be given with reference to the drawings. Here, the case where the control device 1 grasps the routing state in the sound reproduction system shown in FIG. 1 will be described as an example.

  FIG. 6 shows processing executed mainly in the signal processing unit 11 of the control device 1 shown in FIG. The control device 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a key operation unit that receives an instruction input from a user. When an instruction to execute a process for grasping a routing state is received through the key operation unit, the control device 1 The signal processing unit 11 configured by a DSP, a CPU, or the like executes the process shown in FIG.

  First, the signal processing unit 11 uses the functions of the output switching unit 12 and the switch circuit SW1 to select a verification target output I / F from one or more output interface channels (hereinafter abbreviated as output I / F channels). One F channel is specified (step S101). This step S101 is a process of specifying one output I / F channel to be verified according to the output I / F channel sequence shown in FIG. 7A. Therefore, in the process of step S101 immediately after the start, the L (left) channel of the analog output terminal group OA1 is selected.

  Then, the signal processing unit 11 generates a measurement signal by the function of the measurement signal generation unit 11A, and outputs the measurement signal through the output I / F channel specified in step S101 (step S102). In step S102, the measurement signal generation unit 11A may output a measurement signal generated according to a predetermined logic, or is stored in advance in a memory (not shown) in the signal processing unit 11. A measurement signal may be used, or a signal supplied through one of the input terminals may be selected and used as the measurement signal.

  Next, the signal processing unit 11 uses the function of the input switching unit 17 to select an input I / F channel to be verified from one or more input interface channels (hereinafter abbreviated as input I / F channels). One is specified (step S103). This step S103 is processing for identifying one input I / F channel to be verified according to the input I / F channel sequence shown in FIG. 7B. Therefore, in the process of step S101 immediately after the start, the L (left) channel of the analog input terminal group IA1 is selected.

  Then, the function of the response signal analysis unit 11B of the signal processing unit 11 calculates the correlation coefficient between the target output, that is, the output measurement signal, and the input signal, that is, the input response signal, and calculates the maximum threshold value. The comparison result is stored in a set value storage memory in the signal processing unit 11 (step S104).

  In the process of step S104, if the calculated correlation value is greater than or equal to the threshold value, it can be determined that the route from the output specified this time to the input passes (the route passes), and the calculated correlation If the value is less than the threshold, it can be determined that the route from the output specified this time to the input does not pass (the route does not pass).

  Then, the signal processing unit 11 determines whether or not the input I / F channel has reached the end (step S105). In the determination process of step S105, the input I / F channel is not reached to the end. That is, in the input I / F channel sequence shown in FIG. 7B, the C (center) channel of the multi-channel analog input terminal group IA-M. If it is determined that the process has not reached, the process from step S103 is repeated, and the process for the next input I / F channel is performed.

  If it is determined in step S105 that the input I / F channel has been verified to the end, the signal processing unit 11 determines whether or not the output I / F channel has reached the end (step S106). In the determination process of step S106, the output I / F channel is not reached to the end. That is, in the output I / F channel sequence shown in FIG. 7A, the C (center) channel of the multi-channel analog output terminal group OA-M is set. If it is determined that the process has not reached, the process from step S101 is repeated, and the process for the next output I / F channel is performed.

  If it is determined in step S106 that verification has been made up to the last output I / F channel, the signal processing unit 11 determines that the routing state grasping process has ended, and the process illustrated in FIG. 6 ends. As described above, the control device 1 performs, for each output I / F channel shown in FIG. 7A, from the first input I / F channel to the last input I / F channel of the input I / F channel sequence shown in FIG. 7B. I am trying to verify. That is, this is a method of verifying the input and output one by one.

  In this way, the control device 1 can grasp which output terminal and input terminal of the own device are connected to the external device 2 without bothering the user. Then, based on the grasped routing state, a measurement signal is output from the output terminal connected to the external device 2 and supplied to the external device 2, and from the external device 2 through the input terminal connected to the external device 2. By receiving an input of a response signal corresponding to the measurement signal and obtaining a time taken from the output to the input, the delay time for the audio signal can be grasped in the external device.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the measurement signal generation unit 11A realizes a function as the measurement signal generation unit, and the signal processing unit 11 itself configured by the DSP and the CPU controls the output control unit and the input. As a control means, the response signal analyzer 11B mainly serves as a specifying means for specifying an input end, a function as a determining means for determining a connection route, and a delay time measuring means for measuring a delay time. It is trying to realize the function.

[Delay processing of audio signal supplied to external speaker]
And it becomes possible to perform a delay process also about the audio | voice signal supplied to an external speaker using the grasped delay time. Here, a brief description will be given of a delay correction module of the control device 1 that can perform delay processing on an audio signal supplied to an external speaker based on the grasped delay time.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram for explaining the delay correction module of the control device 1 of the sound reproduction system described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. In the setting value storage memory 19 of the control device 1 shown in FIG. 8, the external signal detected by sending and receiving the measurement signal through the connection route grasped by the grasping processing of the routing state between the devices described with reference to FIG. A delay time for an audio signal generated in the television receiver 2A as a device is stored and held.

  A delay unit 11F that performs a delay process on the audio signal based on the delay time recorded in the set value storage memory 19 is provided in the preceding stage of the DAC / AMP 18. As shown in FIG. 8, the control device 1 includes a video signal input terminal Vin and an audio signal input terminal Ain, through which, for example, a video signal and an audio signal of a digital signal from a playback device such as a DVD player are transmitted. Be able to accept supply. The audio signal in this case is multi-channel.

  The I / F circuit 1in receives the video signal and the audio signal supplied through the video signal input terminal Vin and the audio signal input terminal Ain, and outputs the video signal through the video signal output terminal Vout. The audio signal is supplied to the audio decoder 11E.

  The audio decoder 11E is realized by the function of the signal processing unit 11. The audio decoder 11E decodes the multi-channel audio signal from the I / F circuit 1in, and performs L (left) channel, R (right) channel, SL ( The audio signals of the left rear channel, the SR (right rear) channel, and the C (center) channel are separated and supplied to the delay unit 11F.

  The delay unit 11F is a part realized by the signal processing unit 11, and performs a delay process on the audio signal of each channel supplied from the audio decoder 11E based on the delay time stored in the setting value storage memory 19. The audio signal of each channel that has been applied and delayed is supplied to the DAC / AMP 18.

  As a result, the audio signal of each channel subjected to delay processing in the delay unit 11F is converted into an analog signal in the DAC / AMP 18 and amplified, and output from the corresponding channel of the multi-channel speaker output terminal OAS-M. The signal is supplied to the corresponding speaker through the terminal.

  That is, from each output terminal of the multi-channel speaker output terminal OAS-M, an audio signal delayed according to the delay of the audio signal in the external device 2 can be output, so that the external speakers oL, oR, The sound emitted from the oSL, oSR, and oC can be emitted at the same timing as the sound signal emitted from the built-in speakers TVL and TVR of the television receiver 2A.

  Therefore, the audio signals emitted from the external speakers oL, oR, oSL, oSR, and oC are also displayed on the image (video) displayed on the display screen of the image display unit 23 of the television receiver 2A that is an external device. Thus, reproduction can be performed without causing a so-called lip sync shift.

  As described above, first, the routing between the control device 1 and the external device 2 is verified by the processing according to FIG. 6, and after the connection route (route) is accurately grasped, it is generated in the external device 2. The television receiver 2A measures the delay time according to the difference between the video signal to be played and the audio signal quickly and accurately, and appropriately delays the audio signal supplied to each external speaker according to the measurement result. The sound from the external speaker can be emitted so as to synchronize with the video and sound reproduced in FIG.

[Modification]
In the above-described embodiment, the operation X has been described as corresponding to one having a delay. However, in practice, as the operation X, not only delay processing but also a measurement signal input to the external device may be mixed down in the external device and returned to the control device 1 side. For example, as described with reference to FIG. 3, the multi-channel digital audio signal is decoded in the television receiver 2B, which is an external device, and a downmixed audio signal is output to reduce the number of output channels. In some cases.

  Further, when performing routing verification, as shown in FIG. 9, there are cases where each source device is already connected to the control device 1, and depending on the situation, these devices are activated, May continue to send. Therefore, when a general music signal or voice signal is used as one of the conditions of the measurement signal, there is a case where there is a correlation with the measurement signal, so that the reliability is reduced in the result of the routing verification.

  That is, in the case of the sound reproduction system shown in FIG. 9, the analog output terminal group OA1 that is the output end of the audio signal of the control device 1 and the input terminals L and R of the analog input terminal group 21 of the television receiver 2A. And the analog output terminal group 26 of the television receiver 2A and the analog input terminal group IA1 of the control device 1 are connected, and the audio signal output from the control device 1 is transmitted via the television receiver 2A. The control device 1 is fed back.

  Furthermore, in the case of the sound reproduction system shown in FIG. 9, the external device 3 is connected to the analog input terminal group IA2 of the control device 1, and the external device 4 is connected to the digital input terminal ID1 of the control device 1. Further, the external device 5 is connected through the input terminal of the L (left) channel and the input terminal of the R (right) channel of the multi-channel analog input terminal group IA-M of the control device 1.

  In this way, when a plurality of external devices that supply audio signals are connected to the control device 1, depending on the situation, as described above, during the measurement period for routing verification, the television receiver Since there are cases where an external device other than the machine 2A is operating and continuously sending signals to the control device 1, depending on the measurement signal used, the audio signal supplied from the external devices 3, 4, and 5 As a result, the audio signal fed back from the television receiver 2A may be erroneously recognized.

  When the routing is verified as described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the input end of the control device 1 is switched for each output end of the control device 1. In order to verify the routing, the routing verification takes time when the control device 1 has a large number of output ends and input ends.

  As described above, there are a wide variety of external devices connected to the control device 1, and various processes are performed in the external device. There are also various ways of connecting external devices to the control device 1. Therefore, in the example described below, it is possible to cope with various situations as described above by providing features to the measurement signal, and also to increase the measurement time, further increase the reliability, A lot of information can be obtained.

[Measurement signal for routing verification with features and its use]
As will be described in detail below, the measurement signal used in this modification is “a signal composed of a sine wave in which an integer number of cycles is applied to a predetermined number of samples N expressed by a power of 2 and the sum of the sine waves. Is.

  By preparing a plurality of types of measurement signals consisting of (sum) of such sine waves, as described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6, the control device 1 is provided for each output end of the control device 1. Routing verification can be performed at a time without performing so-called sequential verification, such as switching the input end of the input and verifying routing.

  That is, the control device 1 simultaneously outputs the measurement signal with the maximum number of channels that can be output, and similarly receives the response signal for the measurement signal with the maximum number of channels that can be input, and performs routing verification. To be able to.

  FIG. 10 is a block diagram for explaining the outline of this modification. In FIG. 10, the control device 1 is configured in the same manner as the control device 1 described with reference to FIG. In this modification, each output terminal of the output terminal group OA1 of the analog audio signal included in the control device 1, each output terminal OD1 of the digital audio signal, and each output terminal group OA-M of the multi-channel analog audio signal is provided. Different measurement signals are output from each of the terminals as indicated by measurement signal M1 to measurement signal M9 in FIG.

  In this example, the digital audio signal output terminal OD1 outputs, for example, a digital audio signal in which audio signals of two left and right channels are multiplexed. As shown in FIG. Through this, different measurement signals M3 and M4 are output.

  As for the input, as shown in FIG. 9, the input terminal group IA1 and IA2 of the analog audio signal provided in the control device 1 is the input terminal of one of the input terminal groups, and the input terminals ID1 and ID2 of the digital audio signal. Through the input terminals of the multi-channel analog audio signal input terminal group IA-M, it is possible to receive and analyze the supply of response signals for the measurement signals M1 to M9 fed back.

  In other words, a different measurement signal is output from each of the system through the maximum number of output channels, and a response signal for the measurement signal is received and analyzed through the maximum number of input channels on the system. 10 can be quickly and accurately verified, and in FIG. 10, it is possible to grasp details of the contents of the processing (operation X) on the audio signal performed in the external device 2.

  For example, even when the external device 2 is such that the multi-channel audio signal is down-converted and subjected to delay processing as in the television receiver 2B described with reference to FIG. By using a different measurement signal for each channel that makes up the signal, the response signal is analyzed, and the type of the measurement signal included in the response signal is detected to understand what down-conversion processing has been performed. As for the delay processing, it is possible to accurately grasp the delay amount (delay time) of the audio signal as in the case where the television receiver 2A shown in FIG. 2 is used as the external device. .

  As described above, the control device 1 of the sound reproduction system according to this modification accepts a response signal for the measurement signal through the maximum number of input channels in the system, but the analog audio signal input terminal groups IA1 and IA2 Since both cannot be used at the same time, the response signal for the measurement signal is received through one of the input terminal groups of the input terminal groups IA1 and IA2, and the route cannot be specified this time. In this measurement, the routing verification may be performed using the input terminal group of analog audio signals that did not accept the input of the response signal for the measurement signal.

  Of course, even if the route can be specified, in order to confirm that the route is not connected through the input terminal group of analog audio signals that were not used, be sure to respond to the measurement signal in this measurement. The routing verification may be performed using an input terminal group of analog audio signals that have not been accepted.

  A response signal for the measurement signal received through each input terminal is supplied to the response signal analysis unit 17 through the input switching unit 17. Then, based on the comparison result between the difference between the frequency analysis value of the measurement signal formed in the measurement signal generation unit 11A and the frequency analysis value of the received response signal and the threshold value, the measurement signal is output through which output end. Is output so that it is possible to identify through which input end the input of the response signal for the measurement signal is accepted.

  The frequency analysis of the measurement signal and the response signal performed in the signal processing unit 11 such as the response signal analysis unit 11B is a so-called FFT analysis, and each FFT analysis of the measurement signal output through each output terminal is performed. If the difference between the result and the result of the FFT analysis of the response signal received through each input end is smaller than the threshold value, it can be seen that there is a strong correlation between the measurement signal and the response signal. It is possible to specify which end portion is connected to which input end portion.

  As described above, in the modification, the measurement signal generation unit 11A realizes a function as the measurement signal generation unit, and the signal processing unit 11 itself configured by the DSP and the CPU controls the output control unit and the input control unit. The response signal analyzing unit 11B mainly realizes a function as a specifying means for specifying a connection route and a function as a processing content specifying means means.

  As the measurement signals M1 to M9, as described above, “a sine wave in which an integer number of cycles is applied to a predetermined number of samples N expressed by a power of 2 and a signal composed of the sum of the sine waves”. Will be used. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining other examples of the measurement signal used in this modification, and is a diagram showing the actual measurement values of the frequency characteristics of the measurement signals M1 to M9. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the measurement signal of FIG. Each of M1 to M9 is shown more clearly. 11 and 12, the horizontal axis represents frequency (Hz) and the vertical axis represents amplitude value.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, in this example, each of the measurement signals M1 to M9 is a sine wave 6 in which an integer number of periods is applied to a power of 2 (here, 4096 samples, Fs = 48 kHz). It consists of the sum of waves. Such measurement signals M1 to M9 can ensure independence at the time of observation in frequency analysis, particularly FFT analysis based on the power of 2 (analysis window function is rectangular).

  The sum of the six waves is to enable measurement even when the transmission line is attenuated in a specific frequency band. In order to know this frequency characteristic, after securing routing information in this preliminary measurement, the main measurement for measuring the frequency characteristic for the corresponding input / output channel may be performed.

  More specifically, first, a basic sine wave is defined. This basic sine wave is “a variable N indicating the number of samples is set to a predetermined value represented by a power of 2 (2n: n is a natural number), and exactly one cycle is applied to this number of samples N. It is a specific sine wave on condition that

  The number of samples N is not particularly limited as long as it is a number that is a power of 2, but in the case of this modification, as described above, it is 2 12 (n = 12). N = 4096. The sampling frequency Fs is 48 kHz as described above.

  Thereby, in this modification, the frequency of the defined basic sine wave is 48000 / 4096≈11.72 Hz. Although 11.72 Hz is an approximate value, it is assumed that 48000/4096 = 11.72 Hz for convenience of explanation.

  In this modification, another sine wave is obtained as follows based on the basic sine wave defined as described above. Here, it is assumed that 4096 sample points corresponding to the sample number N (= 4096) of the basic sine wave are t0 to t4095 according to the time series. Then, based on the sample points t0 to t4095 of the basic sine wave, 4096 samples are collected as sample points [t0, tm, t2m, t3m,... A sine wave that circulates).

  In this case, if m = 1, sample points [t0, t1, t2, t3,. Then, if m = 2, sample points [t0, t2, t4, t6,...] Are collected, and as a result, a sine wave having a period twice that of the basic sine wave is obtained. . That is, a sine wave in which exactly two cycles are applied to the number of samples 4096 is obtained.

  Similarly, if m = 3 and sample points [t0, t3, t6, t9,...] Are collected, the period is three times the basic sine wave, and the number of samples is 4096. A sine wave with exactly three periods is obtained. If m = 4 and sample points [t0, t4, t8, t12,...] Are collected, the period is four times the basic sine wave, and four periods for the number of samples 4096. A sine wave that applies.

  Similarly, if m = 5 and sample points [t5, t10, t15, t20,...] Are collected, the period is five times that of the basic sine wave, and the number of samples is 4096. A sine wave with exactly 5 cycles is obtained. Further, if m = 6 and sample points [t6, t12, t18, t24,...] Are collected, the period is 6 times the basic sine wave, and 6 periods for the number of samples 4096. A sine wave that applies.

  In this way, by changing the value of the variable m (m is an integer) and collecting sample points as sample points [t0, tm, t2m, t3m,...], The number of samples is based on the basic sine wave. It is possible to create a sine wave in which m cycles apply to N (= 4096).

  In this way, a measurement signal is formed and used, which is a “signal consisting of a sine wave having an integer number of cycles with respect to a predetermined number of samples N expressed by a power of 2 and the sum of the sine waves”. Is possible. The generation of the measurement signal is formed in the measurement signal generation unit 11A realized by the signal processing unit 11 of the control device 1 shown in FIG. 10 and the target measurement signal M1 is output via the output switching unit 12. -M9 are simultaneously output through the target output terminals.

  Then, in the sound reproduction system having the configuration shown in FIG. 10, the routing verification can be performed in a short time by using the measurement signals M1 to M9 formed as shown in FIGS. Specifically, by comparing the frequency characteristics before and during reproduction of the measurement signal at each input, and if a level increase exceeding the set threshold value can be observed at the frequency of each signal in FIGS. It can be determined that they are connected, and a database describing the routing can be created by writing this in memory.

  As a result of this routing verification, the measurement signal is transmitted / received through the path in which the connection is confirmed, so that down-conversion is performed on the audio signal as described with reference to FIG. 3 as well as grasping the delay time. Even when an external device such as the television receiver 2B is connected, it is possible to observe the state of mixing of audio signals.

  In addition, it is confirmed whether or not the polarities of the L (left) channel and the R (right) channel are unified, and if they are not unified, it is notified that the polarity of the audio channel is different. You can also In this case, the determination of whether or not the polarities are different is simply made when the rising edge of the response signal of the L (left) channel and the response signal of the R (right) channel are in reverse phase. It can be determined that the polarities are different.

  In this way, it is possible to verify the routing by receiving the input of the response signal for the measurement signal output through the output channel through the input channel and measuring the level of the response signal. Then, by sending and receiving the measurement signal through the path where the connection has been confirmed, the delay amount of the audio signal in the external device, the state of mixing of the audio signal for each audio channel, the state of the polarity of the connection path, etc. It is possible to accurately grasp various states.

  Further, as described above, if a predetermined route is not connected as a result of the routing verification, this can be notified. In addition, when the route known by the control device 1 is different from the actually connected route, the route known by the control device 1 is changed to the actually connected route. It is also possible to change the routing in the control device 1 such as changing to match or changing the connection terminal that is open.

[Summary]
An audio signal can be input to various AV control devices such as an AV amplifier through various interfaces and terminals, and on the other hand, a signal arbitrarily selected by a user can be output to the outside. In this sense, while advanced routing is possible, the wiring location itself tends to be complicated, and the user's wiring itself is often wrong.

  However, by using the present invention, among the external devices connected to the control device, the wiring check, routing, and mixing are performed on the device whose input and output are both (bidirectional) connected to the control device. The state and the like can be performed quickly and accurately.

  In other words, in a control device such as an AV amplifier, the user often becomes confused about connection as the number of input / output terminals increases due to an increase in format and media, and there has been no automated verification method in this regard.

  However, according to the present invention, it is possible to perform a connection check and a routing verification analysis on a control device and a device having a relation to be connected to input / output. In addition to the routing verification, as described in the above-described embodiments, a user merit can be achieved as a means for solving the lip sync problem.

  In the above-described embodiment, the control device 1 is described as being a device such as an AV amplifier, but the control device 1 is not limited to the AV amplifier. For example, the present invention can be applied to various electronic devices that can output measurement signals and accept input of response signals, such as personal computers and audio amplifiers.

  Further, the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is an application of the method according to the present invention. Then, if a program consisting of the processing shown in FIG. 6 is created and installed in a control device such as an AV amplifier and executed by a computer such as a DSP or CPU, routing verification can be performed on various control devices. Function can be installed.

  Further, as described in the above-described [Modification], (1) As a measurement signal, “a sine wave in which an integer number of periods is applied to a predetermined number of samples N expressed by a power of 2 and its sine wave (2) The measurement signal is output simultaneously with the maximum number of channels that can be output, and (3) The response for the measurement signal is also simultaneously input with the maximum number of channels that can be input. (4) Routing all together by comparing the difference between the result of frequency analysis of the output measurement signal and the result of frequency analysis of the received response signal with a predetermined threshold value. Verification can be performed.

  If a program for sequentially executing each of the processes (1) to (4) is formed and installed in a control device and executed by a computer such as a DSP or a CPU, various controls are performed. The device can be equipped with the routing verification function described in the above-described modification.

  In the modification, the description has been made on the assumption that the routing is verified by comparing the difference between the frequency analysis result of the measurement signal and the frequency analysis result of the response signal and the threshold value, but the present invention is not limited to this. . As executed in step S104 of FIG. 6, various methods for calculating the correlation coefficient and verifying the routing based on the comparison between the maximum value and the threshold value can be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, the controller device includes a plurality of output end portions and a plurality of input end portions, but is not limited thereto. The present invention can be applied to a case where there is only one output end but a plurality of input ends, and also when there are a plurality of output ends but only one input end.

It is a block diagram for demonstrating the outline | summary of the sound reproduction system with which one Embodiment of the apparatus, method, and program by this invention is applied. FIG. 10 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of a television receiver used as the external device 2. FIG. 10 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration example of a television receiver used as the external device 2. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the preparatory measurement before measuring in detail operation X about the audio | voice signal performed in an external apparatus. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the delay measurement module of the control apparatus 1 shown in FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the process for grasping | ascertaining the routing state between the control apparatus 1 and the external apparatus 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the sequence of the output channel and the sequence of an input channel which are switched sequentially in the process shown in FIG. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the delay correction module of the control apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the connection state of the control apparatus 1 and an external apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the other example (modification) of the verification method of routing. It is a figure for demonstrating the specific example of the measurement signal used in a modification. It is a figure for demonstrating the specific example of the measurement signal used in a modification.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... AV control apparatus, OA1 ... Analog output terminal group, OD1 ... Digital output terminal, OA-M ... Multi-channel analog output terminal group, IA1, IA2 ... Analog input terminal group, ID1, ID2 ... Digital input terminal, IA- M ... multi-channel analog input terminal group, 11 ... signal processing unit, 11A ... measurement signal generation unit, 11B ... response signal analysis unit, 12 ... output switching unit, 13, 14 ... DAC, SW1, SW2, SW3 ... switch circuit 15, 16 ... ADC, 17 ... input switching unit, 18 ... DAC / AMP, 19 ... set value storage memory, 11C ... sequence controller, 11E ... audio decoder, 11F ... delay unit, 1in ... I / F (interface)

Claims (11)

The measurement signal having an output end of the audio signal and an input end of the audio signal, at least one of which is provided, and outputting the measurement signal through the output end and feeding back through the external device Is a control device capable of receiving the response signal through the input terminal,
Measurement signal generating means for generating the measurement signal;
When there are a plurality of output terminals, the measurement signal generated by the measurement signal generator is controlled so that each of the output terminals is sequentially switched and output from each of the output terminals. Output control means for
An input for controlling the input of the response signal for the measurement signal by sequentially switching each of the input terminals for each of the output terminals when a plurality of the input terminals are provided. Control means;
Analyzing a response signal for the measurement signal received through each of the input terminals, and specifying means for specifying an input terminal that has received the input of the response signal;
Determining means for determining that a route is connected to an external device through the input terminal specified by the specifying means and the output terminal that output the measurement signal at the time of specifying the input terminal; A control device characterized by comprising. The control device according to claim 1,
The measurement signal generating means can output wideband noise as a measurement signal or a predetermined voice / music signal,
The specifying unit obtains a correlation coefficient of the response signal for the measurement signal output through the output terminal and the measurement signal received through the input terminal, and determines a maximum value of the correlation coefficient and a predetermined threshold value. A control device that identifies an input terminal that has received an input of the response signal based on a comparison result with. The control device according to claim 1,
Output timing of the measurement signal output through the output terminal determined to be connected to the route by the determining means, and input through the input terminal determined to be connected to the route by the determining means A control device comprising delay amount measuring means for measuring a delay amount with respect to the measurement signal in an external device through which the measurement signal passes based on an input timing of the response signal. The measurement signal having an output end of the audio signal and an input end of the audio signal, at least one of which is provided, and outputting the measurement signal through the output end and feeding back through the external device Is a control device capable of receiving the response signal through the input terminal,
Measurement signal generating means for generating the measurement signal;
Output control means for controlling the measurement signal generated in the measurement signal generation means to output simultaneously from each of the output ends; and
Input control means for controlling the input of the response signal for the measurement signal so as to be simultaneously received through each of the input terminals;
Analyzing the response signal for the measurement signal received through each of the input terminals, and outputting the measurement signal for the response signal received through the input terminal and the input terminal receiving the response signal A control device comprising: a specifying means for specifying the output end. The control device according to claim 4,
The measurement signal generating means can output wideband noise as a measurement signal or a predetermined voice / music signal,
The specifying unit obtains a correlation coefficient of the response signal for the measurement signal output through the output terminal and the measurement signal received through the input terminal, and determines a maximum value of the correlation coefficient and a predetermined threshold value. And a control device that identifies an input terminal that has received an input of the response signal and an output terminal that has output a measurement signal corresponding to the response signal. The control device according to claim 4,
The measurement signal generation means is a signal composed of a sine wave in which an integer number of cycles is applied to a predetermined number of samples N expressed by a power of 2, and a sum of the sine waves, as the measurement signal, and the output It produces something different for each of the edges,
The specifying means is determined as a difference between a frequency analysis value of the measurement signal output through each of the output terminals and a frequency analysis value of a response signal for the measurement signal input through each of the input terminals. A control device that identifies an input terminal that receives an input of the response signal and an output terminal that outputs a measurement signal corresponding to the response signal based on a comparison result with the threshold value. The control device according to claim 4,
The identifying means is an external device through which the measurement signal passes based on information about the measurement signal output through each of the output terminals and information about the response signal input through each of the input terminals. A control device comprising processing content specifying means for specifying the processing content for the measurement signal. The measurement signal having an output end of the audio signal and an input end of the audio signal, at least one of which is provided, and outputting the measurement signal through the output end and feeding back through the external device Is a routing verification method used in a control device capable of receiving the response signal through the input terminal,
A measurement signal generating step for generating the measurement signal;
When there are a plurality of output terminals, the measurement signal generated in the measurement signal generation step is controlled so that each of the output terminals is sequentially switched and output from each of the output terminals. An output control process to perform,
In the case where a plurality of the input terminals are provided, each input terminal is successively switched for each of the output terminals, and control is performed so as to accept the input of the response signal for the measurement signal. An input control process;
Analyzing the response signal for the measurement signal received through each of the input ends, and identifying the input end receiving the input of the response signal;
A determination step of determining that a route is connected to an external device through the input end specified in the specifying step and the output end outputting the measurement signal at the time of specifying the input end. A routing verification method characterized by the above. The measurement signal having an output end of the audio signal and an input end of the audio signal, at least one of which is provided, and outputting the measurement signal through the output end and feeding back through the external device Is a routing verification method used in a control device capable of receiving the response signal through the input terminal,
A measurement signal generating step for generating the measurement signal;
An output control step for controlling the measurement signal generated in the measurement signal generation step to output simultaneously from each of the output ends; and
An input control step of controlling the input of the response signal for the measurement signal so as to be received simultaneously through each of the input ends;
Analyzing the response signal for the measurement signal received through each of the input terminals, and outputting the measurement signal for the response signal received through the input terminal and the input terminal receiving the response signal A routing verification method comprising: a specifying step of specifying an output terminal. The measurement signal having an output end of the audio signal and an input end of the audio signal, at least one of which is provided, and outputting the measurement signal through the output end and feeding back through the external device Is a routing verification program for causing a computer mounted on a control device capable of receiving the response signal through the input terminal to execute the response signal,
A measurement signal generating step for generating the measurement signal;
When a plurality of output terminals are provided, the measurement signal generated in the measurement signal generation step is controlled so that each of the output terminals is sequentially switched and output from each of the output terminals. An output control step;
An input for controlling the input of the response signal for the measurement signal by sequentially switching each of the input terminals for each of the output terminals when a plurality of the input terminals are provided. Control steps;
Analyzing a response signal for the measurement signal received through each of the input terminals, and specifying the input terminal receiving the input of the response signal;
A determination step of determining that a route is connected to an external device through the input terminal specified in the specifying step and the output terminal outputting the measurement signal when the input terminal was specified A routing verification program characterized by: The measurement signal having an output end of the audio signal and an input end of the audio signal, at least one of which is provided, and outputting the measurement signal through the output end and feeding back through the external device Is a routing verification program for causing a computer mounted on a control device capable of receiving the response signal through the input terminal to execute the response signal,
A measurement signal generating step for generating the measurement signal;
An output control step for controlling the measurement signal generated in the measurement signal generation step to output simultaneously from each of the output ends;
An input control step for controlling the input of the response signal for the measurement signal so as to be simultaneously received through each of the input terminals;
Analyzing the response signal for the measurement signal received through each of the input terminals, and outputting the measurement signal for the response signal received through the input terminal and the input terminal receiving the response signal A routing verification program characterized by executing a specific step of specifying an output terminal.

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