KR100970724B1 - Sound reproducing apparatus based on auditory characteristic and television system thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a sound reproducing apparatus for reproducing a sound in accordance with characteristics of hearing functions for each age group, and a television system employing the same. A microcontroller unit for selecting a plurality of equalizer curves having different amplification degrees for specific frequency bands according to auditory characteristics; An equalizer signal processor for setting an amplification degree for each specific frequency band corresponding to each of a plurality of equalizer curves and amplifying the input audio with corresponding frequency band amplification whenever the equalizer curve is selected by the microcontroller. The equalizer signal processor processes the equalizer signal. And a volume control unit for adjusting the level of the audio signal according to preset volume control data.

Description

Sound reproducing apparatus based on auditory characteristic and television system

1 is a block diagram showing a conventional television system.

Fig. 2 is a uniformity curve diagram in which the relationship between the frequency of pure sound and the sound pressure level is obtained.

3 is a sense curve measured by age group.

4 is a filter characteristic diagram used in the sound system considering the auditory characteristics of the elderly according to the present invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sound reproduction system of a television, and more particularly, to a sound reproduction apparatus for reproducing sound in accordance with characteristics of hearing functions for each age group, and a television system employing the same.

As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional television device includes a remote controller 110, a tuner 120, a signal separator 140, a microcontroller 130, a volume controller 150, and a speaker 160. .                         

Referring to FIG. 1, the tuner 120 tunes a broadcast signal received through the antenna 122.

The signal separator 140 separates the audio signal and the video signal from the broadcast signal tuned from the tuner 120.

The microcontroller 130 generates volume control data corresponding to the volume control signal received from the remote controller 110.

The volume controller 150 adjusts the volume of the audio signal separated from the signal separator 140 according to the volume control data input from the microcontroller 130.

The speaker 160 reproduces the audio signal adjusted by the volume controller 150.

In the conventional television apparatus as shown in FIG. 1, the audio signal output through the tuner 120 is used as the volume adjusting unit 150 without improving the special signal according to who the viewer is, and the volume adjusting unit 150 desired by the user. Only the volume is adjustable. The audio signal from the volume controller 150 is directly connected to the speaker 160.

Therefore, conventional television devices always provide a constant sound system regardless of who the viewer is (the general public, the elderly). However, in the elderly, the hearing function is aging and the high frequency part is not heard well, and the bass sound is fluctuated, and when watching a news or talk show, it is difficult to recognize the contents delivered from the TV, and the volume is increased. However, if you turn up the volume, the sound of high frequency components may not sound better, but the sound of the middle frequency band becomes too loud and the low range sounds still loud, so it's not very clean for the elderly. In addition, if the sound volume of the TV in the home is too loud, there is a problem that may cause a lot of damage to other people who do not watch television.

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to compensate for the hearing loss effect by using a filter having a function to amplify the sound in the high frequency range for the elderly whose sound pressure of the frequency is significantly reduced, and also different for each age group according to the hearing aging state of the viewer Disclosed is a sound reproducing apparatus for reproducing an audio signal according to a viewer mode selection using a filter having an amplification characteristic, and a television system employing the same.

In order to solve the above technical problem, in the sound reproducing apparatus of the present invention,

A microcontroller unit for selecting a plurality of equalizer curves having different amplification degrees for specific frequency bands according to auditory characteristics;

An equalizer signal processor configured to set an amplification degree for each specific frequency band corresponding to each of a plurality of equalizer curves and to amplify the input audio with corresponding frequency band amplification whenever the equalizer curve is selected by the microcontroller;

And a volume controller for adjusting the level of the audio signal processed by the equalizer signal processor according to preset volume control data.

In order to solve said another technical subject, in the television system of this invention,                         

A tuner unit for tuning the received broadcast signal;

A signal separator for separating an audio signal and a video signal from the broadcast signal tuned from the tuner;

A microcontroller for selecting a plurality of equalizer curves having different amplification degrees for specific frequency bands;

Amplification degree for each frequency band corresponding to each of a plurality of equalizer curves is set, and the sound is amplified by the frequency band amplification corresponding to the selected equalizer curve to the audio signal separated by the signal separator according to the equalizer curve input from the microcontroller. Control unit;

And a volume control unit for adjusting the volume of the audio signal output from the sound control unit according to the volume control data.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 will be described the difference between the hearing function of the elderly and the general public.

Equal Loudness Curve is a curve obtained from the relationship between the frequency of pure sound and the sound pressure level. FIG. 2 is an equal curve measured for the public as disclosed in the reference (Room acuostics, Heinrich Kuttruff, Spon press, 2000). Referring to FIG. 2, the sound pressure level that is heard at the same magnitude as the reference sound is obtained by using 1 kHz pure sound as the reference sound, while allowing the pure sound of the frequency to be compared to be alternately listened to both ears for 1 second in the free sound field. As shown in FIG. 2, in the case of a sound having a sound level of about 100 dB-SPL, the general public may determine that the sensitivity difference of the sound is not large in the low and mid frequency bands of 100 Hz and below, and the high frequencies of 4 kHz and above.

Figure 3 is shown in a table measuring each of the equal curves separately for each age group. As shown in FIG. 3, the low-frequency sound and the high-frequency sound are recognized as sound pressure levels that are somewhat similar to 0-50 years old, but from 50-60 years, the sounding level recognized for sounds above 4 kHz is gradually smaller. You can start to feel it, and you can see that the difference in sound pressure level is noticeable from the 60's and up. The sound pressure level of the high frequency drops from 80 to 90 years, but the sound of the middle band frequency (0.5 to 4 kHz) has a similar sound pressure level. Can be.

4 is a filter characteristic diagram used in a sound system in consideration of the auditory characteristics of the elderly according to the present invention based on the equal curves of FIGS. 2 and 3.

Referring to FIG. 4, the audio amplification degree for each frequency band is set differently in consideration of hearing characteristics of the elderly, such as the equal curves of FIGS. 2 and 3. In particular, the amplification degree of the audio signal is set to different equalizer curves (EQ curve A, EQ curve B ...., EQ curve N) in the 4KHz -12KHz band. And in order to remove the tinnitus phenomenon of the elderly is to remove the signal below 100Hz and more than 12KHz, because it is known that the high frequency signal of more than 12KHz in reality due to the hearing characteristics of the elderly. The elderly user can select one of the equalizer curves A, B, C, .... N according to their hearing characteristics in consideration of their age and the aging state of other auditory organs.

5 is a block diagram of a television system for silver according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the tuner 620 tunes a broadcast signal received through the antenna 612 according to the tune control data.

The signal separator 640 separates the audio signal and the video signal from the broadcast signal tuned from the tuner 620.

The microcontroller 630 generates volume control data corresponding to the volume control signal received from the remote controller 610, and receives the old curve mode selection signal from the remote controller 610 in response to the EQ curve selection signal received accordingly. Generates corresponding equalizer curve selection (A, B, C, .... N) data. In this case, the equalizer curves A, B, C, .... N correspond to the amplification degrees differently according to the frequency bands according to the hearing characteristics of each age group as shown in FIG. The number N of EQ curves is flexibly set in consideration of the capacity and performance of the signal processor.

The sound controller 670 controls the selected equalizer curve for the audio signal separated by the signal separator 640 according to the equalizer curve selection data A, B, C, .... N input from the microcontroller 630. Apply the corresponding filter characteristics. That is, the sound controller 670 varies the amplification degree for each specific frequency band of the input audio signal as shown in FIG. 4 according to the equalizer curve selection data A, B, C, .... N.

The volume controller 650 adjusts the volume of the audio signal output from the sound controller 670 according to the volume control data input from the microcontroller 130.

The speaker 616 reproduces the audio signal adjusted by the volume controller 650.

The remote controller 510 includes a general / elder mode selection signal key, an EQ curve selection key, and a volume adjustment key to output a general / elder mode selection, EQ curve selection, and volume adjustment selection signal.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the sound controller of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 6, the mode selector 610 selects an audio signal path input from the microcontroller 530 according to the public / elder mode selection signal. At this time, the microcontroller 530 controls the switch SW to bypass the input audio signal to the volume control unit 550 in the general mode, and the volume control unit 550 controls the EQ signal-processed audio signal in the elderly mode. The switch SW is controlled to output the

The ADC unit 620 converts the input audio signal input from the mode selector 610 into a digital signal when it is an analog signal.

The EQ signal processor 630 includes a plurality of filters different in amplification degree for each frequency band corresponding to each of the plurality of equalizer curves A, B, .... N, and outputs a digital audio signal output from the ADC unit 620. Amplify by the frequency band amplification corresponding to the selected equalizer curve. For example, when the user selects the EQ curve A in the aged mode, the digital audio signal output from the ADC unit 620 is amplified according to the filter characteristics as shown in the EQ curve A of FIG. 4. Here, the EQ signal processor 630 sets the EQ curves illustrated in the filter characteristics of FIG. 4 using a digital filtering algorithm for the digital audio signal output from the ADC 620.

The DAC unit 640 outputs the digital audio signal output from the EQ signal processing unit 630 as an analog audio signal.

The switch unit SW selects an audio signal output from the mode selector 610 and an audio signal output from the DAC unit 640 according to the public / elder mode selection signal of the microcontroller 530.

In another embodiment, the sample voice data having a high frequency component in a separate area of the memory (Korean: 'k', 'ts', 't', 's', English: 't', 's', 'k', etc. The microcontroller unit 530 converts the EQ curves into A, B, ... N forms at appropriate time intervals and selects each of the EQ curves. While listening to the sample voice signal, the old man can select the best EQ curve.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and of course, modifications may be made by those skilled in the art within the spirit of the present invention.

As described above, according to the present invention, by reproducing sound suitable for the characteristics of the human hearing function, especially elderly people can listen to television programs with much cleaner sound, and the elderly also have excessive volume that television is hard to be heard. There is no need to increase it so that other people can avoid the inconvenience caused by excessively loud TV sound.

Claims (6)

In the sound reproducing apparatus, A microcontroller unit which selects a plurality of equalizer curves corresponding to different amplification degrees according to hearing bands according to age groups; An equalizer signal processor configured to set an amplification degree for each frequency band to each of a plurality of equalizer curves and to amplify the input audio with an amplification frequency for each frequency band corresponding to a selected equalizer curve each time the equalizer curve is selected by the microcontroller; And a volume controller for adjusting the level of the audio signal processed by the equalizer signal processor according to preset volume control data. The sound reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the microcontroller bypasses an input audio signal to the volume control unit in a normal mode and outputs an audio signal processed by an equalizer signal to the volume control unit in an elderly mode. Device. delete The sound reproducing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the equalizer signal processor comprises a plurality of filters for differently filtering the amplification degree according to frequency bands. The sound reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the equalizer signal processor blocks frequency components of 100 Hz or less and 12 KHz or more. In a television system, A tuner unit for tuning the received broadcast signal; A signal separator for separating an audio signal and a video signal from the broadcast signal tuned from the tuner; A microcontroller for selecting a plurality of equalizer curves in which amplification degrees are differently set according to hearing characteristics for each age group; A sound control unit configured to set amplification degree for each frequency band to each of the plurality of equalizer curves and to amplify the frequency signal corresponding to the selected equalizer curve to the audio signal separated by the signal separation unit according to the selection of the equalizer curve input from the microcontroller; And a volume control unit for adjusting a volume of an audio signal output from the sound control unit according to the volume control data.

Images