WO2018030404A1

WO2018030404A1 - Guiding sound generation device

Info

Publication number: WO2018030404A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/028772
Authority: WO
Inventors: 健太福岡
Original assignee: シャープ株式会社
Priority date: 2016-08-09
Filing date: 2017-08-08
Publication date: 2018-02-15
Also published as: JPWO2018030404A1

Abstract

The present invention makes it easy to identify an operating mode if a guiding sound generation device has a plurality of operation modes. A guiding sound generation device has a plurality of operation modes for causing a guiding sound to be heard by a user, over a background sound. The guiding sound generation device is provided with a guiding sound generation unit 13 for generating a modulated sound signal according to the operation mode; an output unit 16 for outputting at least the guiding sound; a mode setting unit 11 for setting one of the plurality of operation modes automatically or in accordance with a user operation; and a control unit 12 for controlling the operation of the guiding sound generation device according to the set operation mode. The control unit 12 makes it possible to auditorily distinguish the plurality of operation mode by differentiating, in each of the plurality of operation modes, at least one of i) the nature of at least one of the guiding sound and the background sound, and ii) the relationship between the guiding sound and the background sound from the other operation modes.

Description

Guide sound generator

The following disclosure relates to an apparatus for generating a guidance sound for inducing a human psychosomatic state.

In recent years, research for improving sleep and providing relaxation effects has been conducted. There is a relationship between a person's brain wave and his / her state of mind, and the frequency of his / her brain wave generally decreases as he / she becomes restless. Therefore, when the sleep is induced in a deeper direction (sleep induction), the frequency of the electroencephalogram is lower, and when the sleep is induced in a shallower direction (wakefulness induction), the control is performed such that the frequency of the electroencephalogram is increased. It is being considered.

Thus, as an example of a conventional technique for inducing a human mind-body state via an electroencephalogram, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses two low-frequency electrical signals of speech itself to be learned or appreciated. An apparatus is disclosed in which a frequency difference between two low-frequency electrical signals is set to a desired brain wave frequency fa and output to each of the left and right ears to induce the brain wave frequency to the frequency fa. .

Japanese Patent No. 2750502

In this way, it is thought that control of the electroencephalogram can be realized by the induced sound. However, if the guided sound alone is heard, there are many cases where it is rather annoying. Therefore, in order to avoid the guide sound as much as possible, it can be considered that the guide sound is superimposed on the background sound such as BGM and reproduced.

However, when the background sound and the guidance sound are superimposed and played back, the guidance sound does not matter, but there is a demerit that it is difficult to understand what kind of psychosomatic state the flowing guidance sound is trying to guide. If the control opposite to the control desired by the user is set due to an erroneous operation or the like, the user may not be aware of this and may lead to an adverse effect. For example, if the user is erroneously set to the wake-up guidance mode at bedtime, a guidance sound for guiding the user to the wake-up state is reproduced, and on the contrary, the situation is such that sleep is prevented.

Therefore, in the following disclosure, it is an object of the present invention to make it possible for a user to easily discriminate an operation mode in a guided sound generation device that generates a sound that induces a human mind and body state when the user has a plurality of operation modes. .

A guide sound generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention is prepared in advance in a guide sound generation device having a plurality of operation modes for letting a user superimpose a guide sound that induces a user's mind and body state on a background sound. A modulated sound signal obtained by modulating the sound signal with a control frequency corresponding to the operation mode as the induced sound, an output unit for outputting at least the induced sound, and any of the plurality of operation modes A mode setting unit that sets the operation mode automatically or in accordance with a user operation, and a control unit that controls the operation of the guidance sound generating device according to the operation mode set by the mode setting unit. ing. The control unit, in each of the plurality of operation modes,
i) at least one property of the induced sound and the background sound, and
ii) the relationship between the induced sound and the background sound;
By making at least one of these different from other operation modes, the plurality of operation modes can be audibly distinguished.

According to the disclosure of the present embodiment, a guidance sound generating device having a plurality of operation modes for generating a sound that induces a human mind and body state, and the user can easily determine the operation mode. A guidance sound generating device can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the guidance sound generating device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the types, frequencies, and characteristics of electroencephalograms. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generation device according to Example 1-1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device according to the embodiment 1-2. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device according to the embodiment 1-3. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device according to the embodiment 1-4. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device according to the first to fifth embodiments. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device according to the first to sixth embodiments. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the time change of the sleep stage and the control timing in the lucid dream mode. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the guidance sound generating device in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between the guidance sound and the background sound in Example 3-1. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device according to Example 3-1 of the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device according to Example 3-2. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between the guide sound and the background sound in Example 3-2. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of the timing for timing the mode detectable operation in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the timing for making the mode detectable operation timed in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of timing for timing the mode detectable operation in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of the timing for making the mode detectable operation timed in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the operation of the guidance sound generating device in the fifth embodiment. FIG. 20 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the guidance sound generation device according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 21 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the guidance sound generating device according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 22 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the guidance sound generation device according to the eighth embodiment.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a guide sound generating device having a plurality of operation modes for causing a user to superimpose a guide sound that induces a user's psychosomatic state on a background sound. A modulated sound signal obtained by modulating a prepared sound signal with a control frequency according to an operation mode, as a guide sound, a guide sound generation unit, an output unit for outputting at least the guide sound, and the plurality of operation modes. A mode setting unit that sets one of the operation modes automatically or according to a user operation, and a control unit that controls the operation of the guidance sound generating device according to the operation mode set by the mode setting unit. It has. The control unit, in each of the plurality of operation modes,
i) at least one property of the induced sound and the background sound, and
ii) the relationship between the induced sound and the background sound;
By making at least one of these different from other operation modes, the plurality of operation modes can be audibly distinguished.

According to the first configuration, in the induced sound generating device having a plurality of operation modes for letting the user hear the guidance sound for guiding the user's mind and body state over the background sound, the plurality of operation modes are distinguished by hearing. Make it possible. That is, in the first configuration, in each of the plurality of operation modes, the control unit i) the property of at least one of the induced sound and the background sound, and ii) the relationship between the induced sound and the background sound. By making at least one of these different from other operation modes, the plurality of operation modes can be audibly distinguished. In the first configuration, the background sound may be generated by a guidance sound generation device or may be an environmental sound. With this configuration, when the operation mode is set by mistake, the user can notice that the operation mode is inappropriate only by listening to the sound.

In the first configuration, the control frequency may be an electroencephalogram induction frequency (second configuration). According to this 2nd structure, a user's brain wave can be induced | guided | derived by setting a control frequency appropriately, and a psychosomatic state can be controlled.

In the first or second configuration, the plurality of operation modes include at least two operation modes selected from a sleep induction mode, an awakening induction mode, a lucid dream mode, a sleep prevention mode, a relaxation mode, and a concentration mode. It is preferable (third configuration).

In any one of the first to third configurations, the control unit may make the pitch of the guidance sound different from other operation modes in each of the plurality of operation modes (fourth configuration). . In this way, by changing the pitch of the guidance sound depending on the operation mode, the user can detect by hearing which of the plurality of operation modes is being operated.

In any one of the first to third configurations, the control unit may change the tone color of the guide tone from other operation modes in each of the plurality of operation modes (fifth configuration). In this way, by changing the timbre of the guide sound depending on the operation mode, the user can detect by hearing which of the plurality of operation modes is being operated.

In any one of the first to third configurations, the control unit may vary the volume of the guide sound from the other operation modes in each of the plurality of operation modes (sixth configuration). In this way, by varying the volume of the guide sound depending on the operation mode, the user can detect by hearing which of the plurality of operation modes is being operated.

In any one of the first to third configurations, the control unit may change the modulation method of the guide sound from the other operation modes in each of the plurality of operation modes (seventh configuration). . In this way, by changing the modulation method of the guide sound depending on the operation mode, the user can detect by hearing which of the plurality of operation modes is being operated.

In the seventh configuration, the modulated sound signal generation unit generates a guide sound amplitude-modulated based on the control frequency in one of the plurality of operation modes, and in another one of the plurality of operation modes. In addition, a guide sound that is frequency-modulated based on the control frequency may be generated (eighth configuration).

Alternatively, in the seventh configuration, in one of the plurality of operation modes, the modulated sound signal generation unit generates two sound signals whose frequency difference is a control frequency determined by the control frequency determination unit, The output unit may include two speakers, and the two sound signals may be output from the two speakers, respectively (ninth configuration).

In any one of the first to third configurations, the control unit may change the sound image localization of the guide sound from the other operation modes in each of the plurality of operation modes (tenth configuration). . In this manner, by making the sound image localization of the guide sound different depending on the operation mode, it becomes possible for the user to detect by hearing which of the plurality of operation modes is being operated.

In any one of the first to third configurations, a background sound generation unit that generates the background sound from a sound signal prepared in advance is further provided, and the control unit is configured to output the background sound in each of the plurality of operation modes. The playback volume setting may be different from those in other operation modes (eleventh configuration). As described above, by changing the reproduction volume of the background sound depending on the operation mode, the user can detect by hearing which of the plurality of operation modes is being operated.

In any one of the first to third configurations, a background sound generation unit that generates the background sound from a sound signal prepared in advance is further provided, and the control unit is configured to output the background sound in each of the plurality of operation modes. The acoustic effect when the background sound is generated by the generation unit may be different from other operation modes (a twelfth configuration). In this manner, by making the acoustic effect of the background sound different depending on the operation mode, it becomes possible for the user to detect by hearing which of the plurality of operation modes is being operated.

In any one of the first to third configurations, the image processing apparatus further includes a background sound generation unit that generates the background sound by selecting any one of a plurality of types of sound signals prepared in advance, and the control unit includes: In each of the plurality of operation modes, a sound signal selected when the background sound generation unit generates a background sound may be different from other operation modes (a thirteenth configuration). Thus, by using different background sounds depending on the operation mode, it becomes possible for the user to detect by hearing which of the plurality of operation modes is being operated.

In any one of the first to third configurations, the control unit varies a relationship between a frequency region dominant in the background sound and a frequency band of the guide sound in each of the plurality of operation modes. (14th configuration). For example, in one operation mode, a guide sound is added to a region where the frequency distribution of the background sound is large, and in another operation mode, a guide sound is added to a region where the frequency distribution of the background sound is sparse. As a result, in the latter case compared to the former case, the guidance sound is audible with respect to the background sound. Thereby, it becomes possible for the user to detect by hearing which one of the plurality of operation modes is being operated.

In any one of the first to third configurations, the control unit may vary the volume balance between the guide sound and the background sound in each of the plurality of operation modes (fifteenth configuration). In this way, by changing the volume balance between the guide sound and the background sound depending on the operation mode, the user can detect by hearing which of the plurality of operation modes is being operated.

In any one of the first to fifteenth configurations, the control unit may perform control to make the plurality of operation modes distinguishable by hearing (time of the sixteenth configuration). In this way, control is performed to make it possible to distinguish between a plurality of operation modes by hearing, and otherwise, by performing a normal guidance sound generation operation, a plurality of operations can be performed without impairing the original guidance effect. It becomes possible for the user to detect by hearing which of the modes is being operated.

In any one of the first to third configurations, the control unit may output a warning sound indicating the operation mode to be started before the operation is started in each of the plurality of operation modes (first operation). 17 configuration). Thus, by outputting the warning sound of the operation mode to be started, it becomes possible for the user to detect by hearing which of the plurality of operation modes is started.

In any one of the first to seventeenth configurations, the operation sound of a machine that generates an operation sound by an operation is used as the background sound, and the control unit controls the machine, whereby the nature of the background sound is determined. Alternatively, the relationship between the background sound and the guidance sound may be different (eighteenth configuration). As described above, the operation sound of the machine can be used as a background sound for masking the induction sound. In addition, the control unit controls the operation of the machine, whereby the sound quality of the operation sound can be varied. In this way, the user can detect which of the multiple operation modes is audible by making the relationship between the sound quality of the machine operation sound as the background sound and the relationship with the induction sound different depending on the operation mode. It becomes possible to do.

In an eighteenth configuration, the machine includes a blower fan and a fan motor that drives the blower fan, and the control unit controls the fan motor, thereby controlling the nature of the background sound or the background sound. The relationship with the guide sound may be different (19th configuration). Thus, the blowing sound of the blowing fan can also be used as a background sound that masks the induced sound. Further, by controlling the fan motor, the rotational speed of the blower fan can be changed to vary the sound quality of the blown sound. In this way, the user can detect by auditory which one of the plurality of operation modes is operating by changing the relationship between the sound quality of the blowing sound as the background sound and the guidance sound depending on the operation mode. Is possible.

In any one of the first to third configurations, a sound source detection unit that detects environmental sound is further provided,
The environmental sound detected by the sound source detection unit may be used as the background sound (19th configuration). As described above, the environment sound is used as the background sound, and further, the property of the guide sound or the relationship between the background sound and the guide sound is made different depending on the operation mode, so that it can operate in any of the plurality of operation modes. It is possible for the user to detect whether the user is present.

[Embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will not be repeated. In addition, in order to make the explanation easy to understand, in the drawings referred to below, the configuration is shown in a simplified or schematic manner, or some components are omitted. Further, the dimensional ratio between the constituent members shown in each drawing does not necessarily indicate an actual dimensional ratio.

In the following embodiments, an example in which a user's sleep is controlled using a guidance sound generation device will be described. However, the use of the guidance sound generation device is not limited to sleep control, and the guidance sound generation device can be applied to various controls of the human mind and body state.

[First Embodiment]
The guidance sound generation device according to the first embodiment has a plurality of operation modes, and the function of making the nature of the guidance sound different for each operation mode so that the user can detect the difference of the operation modes only by hearing. have.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a guidance sound generating device according to the first embodiment. The guidance sound generation device 1 according to the first embodiment includes a mode setting unit 11, a control unit 12, a guidance sound generation unit 13, a background sound generation unit 14, a synthesis unit 15, and an output unit 16.

The mode setting unit 11 allows the user to set the operation mode of the guidance sound generating device 1. For example, in the present embodiment, the operation mode includes a sleep induction mode and a wake induction mode. The guide sound generation device 1 outputs a guide sound that invites sleep in the sleep guide mode, and outputs a guide sound that wakes up from sleep in the wake-up guide mode. The user selects a desired operation mode by the mode setting unit 11. In addition, the time for starting the operation in the selected operation mode can be set by a timer. Furthermore, it is also possible to select a plurality of operation modes and set the order of switching the operation modes and the time for starting the operation in each operation mode.

The control unit 12 controls the operation of the guide sound generation unit 13 and the background sound generation unit 14 according to the operation mode set by the mode setting unit 11.

The guide sound generation 13 generates different guide sound signals according to a plurality of operation modes based on a single sound signal prepared in advance.

The background sound generation unit 14 stores a sound source of a background sound signal, and generates a background sound signal corresponding to the operation mode from the sound source. An arbitrary sound signal can be used as the sound source of the background sound signal, but an appropriate sound signal is preferably used according to the operation mode. The sound source of the background sound generation unit 14 is not limited to one type, and may be a plurality of types. As a sound source, music recorded on a CD, music downloaded via the Internet, or the like can be used. The sound source of the background sound may not be music.

The synthesizing unit 15 adds the guide sound generated by the guide sound generating unit 13 and the background sound generated by the background sound generating unit 14.

The output unit 16 is a speaker, for example, and outputs the sound signal added by the synthesis unit 15. Two speakers as the output unit 16 are provided corresponding to the left and right ears. However, there may be only one speaker or three or more speakers. The speaker as the output unit 16 may be a headphone or an earphone.

The brain wave can be induced to the control frequency fa by outputting the modulated sound signal modulated based on the control frequency fa by the guide sound generation unit 13 as a guide sound. However, only a modulated sound obtained by modulating a single sound signal based on the control frequency fa may be annoying sound. Therefore, in this embodiment, the modulated sound signal generated by the background sound generation unit 3 is added to the background sound signal generated by the background sound generation unit 14 and then output. For this reason, the background sound signal to be added to the modulated sound signal can be said to be a sound signal for hiding the modulated sound signal. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the sound signal including the modulated sound signal from being heard as an annoying sound.

In this embodiment, as described above, the operation mode includes a sleep induction mode and a wake-up induction. The sleep induction mode is a mode for leading to deep sleep at bedtime. The awakening induction mode is a mode for smoothly leading to awakening when waking up. Note that the operation mode is not limited to these two modes. Examples of other operation modes will be described later.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the types, frequencies, and characteristics of electroencephalograms. When the type of electroencephalogram is a γ wave, the frequency is 26 to 70 Hz, and the user is in an excited state. When the type of electroencephalogram is β-wave, the frequency is 14 to 38 Hz, and the user is in a normal daily life state. When the type of electroencephalogram is an α wave, the frequency is 8 to 14 Hz, and the user is in a relaxed state. When the type of electroencephalogram is a θ wave, the frequency is 4 to 8 Hz, and the user is in a sleep state. When the type of electroencephalogram is a δ wave, the frequency is 0.5 to 4 Hz, and the user is in a deep sleep state.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lower the electroencephalogram frequency, the quieter the body is. In particular, when the electroencephalogram is a θ wave or δ wave having a frequency of 8 Hz or less, it is in a sleep state, and in the case of a δ wave having a frequency of 4 Hz or less, it is a deep sleep state. For this reason, in order to control the user's sleep state, roughly speaking, if the brain wave is guided to a low frequency, it can lead to a deeper sleep state, and if the brain wave is guided to a high frequency, shallower sleep Can lead to a state or wakefulness.

The guide sound generator 13 performs a different process on each of the plurality of operation modes on a single sound signal prepared in advance to generate a guide sound signal. A single tone includes not only a fundamental tone but also a fundamental tone and a harmonic overtone. A simple sound signal is preferable as the guide sound in order to make the sound uncomfortable when the user hears it. Here, a description will be given on the assumption that a guide sound signal is generated from a single sound signal, but the signal that is the basis of the guide sound is not limited to a single sound, and may be a sound signal such as a melody.

For example, in the sleep guidance mode, the guidance sound generator 13 generates a sound signal having a frequency fx−fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal prepared in advance by a preset control frequency fa, and the frequency fx. A modulated sound signal obtained by adding to the single sound signal is generated as a guide sound. The control frequency fa is set to a target frequency for inducing brain waves. Inducing a brain wave to a predetermined frequency fa to lead the user to a sleeping state or to lead to a wakeful state from a sleeping state or out of state depending on the magnitude of the predetermined frequency fa Can do.

In this embodiment, in the sleep induction mode, the control frequency fa is set to a frequency of 8 Hz or less in order to guide the user to deep sleep. At this time, the user's biological information (user's body movement, heart rate, respiratory rate, etc.) may be acquired to estimate the brain wave, and the control frequency fa may be set to a frequency lower than the estimated brain wave. That is, as the sleep state becomes deeper, the frequency of the electroencephalogram estimated from the biological information is gradually lowered, so that the control frequency fa is set to be gradually lowered.

Contrary to this, the awakening induction mode is an operation mode for smoothly leading to awakening when waking up. As mentioned above, since the brain wave frequency is higher in sleep state than during sleep, a sound signal having a high frequency should be used as the guide sound in the wake-up guidance mode to guide the brain wave to a higher frequency. Is desirable.

As described above, the preferred induction sound frequency is different between the sleep induction mode and the awakening induction mode. However, the slight difference in the frequency of the guide sound is not easily recognized by the user, and it is difficult for the user to notice it when the operation mode is set incorrectly. In such a case, an effect opposite to the desired effect may be brought about on the mind and body condition. For example, there is a problem that the user is unable to sleep due to the guidance sound in the awakening guidance mode being played although he wants to sleep.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the guide sound generation unit 13 generates a guide sound having a property that allows the user to detect the difference in the operation mode in accordance with the operation mode. As such properties, some specific examples (Example 1-1 to Example 1-6) are shown below.

[Example 1-1]
In Example 1-1, the guide sound generation unit 13 varies the height of the guide sound between the sleep guide mode and the wake-up guide mode. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device 1 according to Example 1-1.

When the control unit 12 determines that the operation mode is set to the sleep induction mode (or the time set by the timer to operate in the sleep induction mode has arrived) (YES in S1), the control unit 12 proceeds to the guidance sound generation unit 13. Then, a signal indicating that the operation mode is the sleep induction mode is output (S2). And the guidance sound production | generation part 13 produces | generates a guidance sound by setting the control frequency fa to a frequency below 8 Hz (S3). That is, a modulated sound signal obtained by generating a sound signal of frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by a preset control frequency fa, and adding the generated sound signal with a single sound signal of frequency fx. Is generated as a guide sound.

On the other hand, when determining that the operation mode is set to the awakening induction mode in S1, the control unit 12 outputs a signal instructing that the operation mode is the awakening induction mode to the guidance sound generation unit 13 (S4). And the induced sound production | generation part 13 produces | generates the induced sound with a frequency higher than the induced sound produced | generated by S3 in the case of sleep induction mode (S5). For example, a guide sound having a modulation frequency of 8 Hz or more and a frequency one octave or more higher than the guide sound generated in S3 is generated. Here, it is necessary that the frequency of the guidance sound in the sleep guidance mode and the frequency of the guidance sound in the awakening guidance mode have a difference that allows the user to detect the difference. For example, if there is a difference of about one octave, the user can detect the difference in operation mode by hearing alone.

Then, the synthesis unit 15 adds the guidance sound signal generated in S3 or S5 to the background sound signal generated in the background sound generation unit 14 (S6), and outputs the synthesized sound obtained by the addition to the output unit 16 (S7).

In Example 1-1, when the operation mode is erroneously set by setting the induction sound in the awakening induction mode to a sound signal having a frequency that is higher than the induction sound in the sleep induction mode by the user, etc. In addition, the user can notice it. Inversely, the frequency of the guidance sound in the sleep guidance mode may be higher than the frequency of the guidance sound in the awakening guidance mode.

[Example 1-2]
In Example 1-2, the guide sound generation unit 13 changes the tone color of the guide sound between the sleep guide mode and the wake-up guide mode. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device 1 according to the embodiment 1-2.

Hereinafter, only differences from the embodiment 1-1 will be described.

When it is determined that the operation mode is the sleep induction mode, the induction sound generation unit 13 generates an induction sound with the control frequency fa as a frequency of 8 Hz or less (S3a). That is, a modulated sound signal obtained by generating a sound signal of frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by a preset control frequency fa, and adding the generated sound signal with a single sound signal of frequency fx. Is generated as a guide sound. In S3a, the guide sound generator 13 generates the guide sound signal as a sine wave signal.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the operation mode is set to the awakening guidance mode, the guidance sound generation unit 13 generates a guidance sound with the control frequency fa set to a frequency higher than 8 Hz (for example, 16 Hz or more is more preferable) (S5a). That is, a sound signal having a frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by the control frequency fa is generated, and a modulated sound signal obtained by adding the single sound signal having the frequency fx is generated as a guide sound. To do. In S5a, the guide sound generator 13 generates the guide sound signal as a triangular wave signal.

In Example 1-2, the wake-up guidance mode guide sound is set to a tone different from that of the sleep guide mode guide sound, so that the user can notice it when the operation mode is set incorrectly.

In addition, as an example of a method for differentiating the timbre of the guide sound, an example of distinguishing between a sine wave and a triangular wave is shown here, but the method is not limited to this method. For example, any method can be adopted as long as the difference in timbre can be detected only by hearing, such as different instrument sounds (eg violin and flute), live instrument sounds and synthesizer sounds, or male and female voices. Can do.

[Example 1-3]
In Example 1-3, the guide sound generation unit 13 varies the volume of the guide sound between the sleep guide mode and the wake-up guide mode. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device 1 according to Example 1-3.

Hereinafter, only differences from the embodiment 1-1 will be described.

When it is determined that the operation mode is the sleep induction mode, the induction sound generation unit 13 generates an induction sound with the control frequency fa as a frequency of 8 Hz or less (S3b). That is, a modulated sound signal obtained by generating a sound signal of frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by a preset control frequency fa, and adding the generated sound signal with a single sound signal of frequency fx. Is generated as a guide sound. In S3b, the guidance sound generator 13 sets the volume of the guidance sound to a low volume.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the operation mode is set to the awakening guidance mode, the guidance sound generator 13 generates a guidance sound with the control frequency fa set to a frequency higher than 8 Hz (for example, 16 Hz or more is more preferable) (S5b). That is, a sound signal having a frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by the control frequency fa is generated, and a modulated sound signal obtained by adding the single sound signal having the frequency fx is generated as a guide sound. To do. In S5b, the guide sound generation unit 13 sets the volume of the guide sound to be larger than that of the guide sound in the sleep guide mode.

In Example 1-3, the volume of the guidance sound in the awakening guidance mode is made larger than the volume of the guidance sound in the sleep guidance mode, so that the user may notice it when the operation mode is set incorrectly. it can. On the contrary, the volume of the guidance sound in the sleep guidance mode may be larger than the volume of the guidance sound in the awakening guidance mode.

[Example 1-4]
In Example 1-4, the guide sound generation unit 13 changes the modulation method of the guide sound between AM modulation and FM modulation in the sleep induction mode and the awakening induction mode. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device 1 according to the embodiment 1-4.

Hereinafter, only differences from the embodiment 1-1 will be described.

When it is determined that the operation mode is the sleep guidance mode, the guidance sound generator 13 generates a guidance sound with the control frequency fa as a frequency of 8 Hz or less (S3c). In S3c, the guide sound generator 13 generates the guide sound signal as an AM modulation signal. According to AM modulation, the amplitude of sound changes periodically. AM modulation is equivalent to amplitude modulation or volume vibrato. A guidance sound is generated by amplitude modulation. For example, a modulated sound signal obtained by generating a sound signal having a frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by a preset control frequency fa and adding it to the single sound signal having the frequency fx. Is generated as a guide sound. The amplitude-modulated sound can be generated by a method of modulating the amplitude in addition to the method of overlapping sounds having different frequencies as described above. For example, the amplitude-modulated sound a (t) f (t) can be generated by multiplying the original sound signal f (t) by a (t) as amplitude modulation.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the operation mode is set to the awakening guidance mode, the guidance sound generation unit 13 generates a guidance sound with the control frequency fa set to a frequency higher than 8 Hz (for example, 16 Hz or more is more preferable) (S5c). In S5c, the guide sound generator 13 generates the guide sound signal as an FM modulation signal. According to FM modulation, the frequency of sound changes periodically. FM modulation is equivalent to frequency modulation or pitch vibrato. For example, when the original sound signal is a single sound having the frequency fx, the frequency-modulated sound can be generated as a guide sound by periodically changing the fx. For example, if the control frequency fa is periodically fluctuated, a frequency-modulated sound can be generated by temporally changing the frequency of the original sound signal as fx + Δfsin (2π fat).

In Example 1-4, by changing the modulation method of the wake-up induction mode and the sleep induction mode, the user can notice it when the operation mode is set incorrectly. In the above specific example, the sleep induction mode is the AM modulation method and the awakening induction mode is the FM modulation method, but the opposite may be possible.

[Example 1-5]
In Example 1-5, the induced sound generation unit 13 changes the modulation method of the induced sound between the monaural beat and the binaural beat in the sleep induction mode and the awakening induction mode. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device 1 in the embodiment 1-5.

Hereinafter, only differences from the embodiment 1-1 will be described.

When it is determined that the operation mode is the sleep guidance mode, the guidance sound generator 13 generates a guidance sound with the control frequency fa as a frequency of 8 Hz or less (S3d). That is, a modulated sound signal obtained by generating a sound signal of frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by a preset control frequency fa, and adding the generated sound signal with a single sound signal of frequency fx. Is generated as a guide sound. In S7, the same sound is output from the two speakers of the output unit 16. This guidance sound is a so-called monaural beat guidance sound.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the operation mode is set to the awakening guidance mode, the guidance sound generation unit 13 generates a guidance sound with the control frequency fa set to a frequency higher than 8 Hz (for example, 16 Hz or more is more preferable) (S5d). At this time, the guide sound generation unit 13 generates two types of guide sounds. That is, a sound signal having a frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of the single sound signal by the control frequency fa is generated and generated as the first induced sound. Further, a single sound signal having the frequency fx is generated as the second induced sound. The synthesizer 15 adds the first guide sound and the second guide sound to the background sound. The output unit 16 outputs a sound signal obtained by adding the first induced sound and the background sound from one of the two speakers, and outputs a sound signal obtained by adding the second induced sound and the background sound from the other speaker. Output. As a result, in the awakening guidance mode, the user hears two types of signals having a frequency difference of fa from two speakers at the same time. This induction sound is a so-called binaural beat induction sound.

As described above, in Example 1-5, since the monaural beat sound is heard in the sleep induction mode and the binaural beat sound is heard in the awakening induction mode, the user notices that when the operation mode is set incorrectly. Can do.

In this embodiment, the monophonic beat sound is output in the sleep induction mode, and the binaural beat sound is output in the awakening induction mode. You may make it output.

In addition, when generating a binaural beat sound, in the above description, a sound signal having a frequency fx-fa and a sound signal having a frequency fx are generated. However, the frequency difference between the two signals may be fa. For example, the guide sound generation unit 13 may generate a sound signal having a frequency fx−fa / 2 and a sound signal having a frequency fx + fa / 2.

[Example 1-6]
In Example 1-6, the sound image localization of the induced sound is made different between the sleep induction mode and the awakening induction mode. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device 1 according to the first to sixth embodiments.

Hereinafter, only differences from the embodiment 1-1 will be described.

When it is determined that the operation mode is the sleep induction mode, the induction sound generation unit 13 generates an induction sound with the control frequency fa as a frequency of 8 Hz or less (S3e). That is, a modulated sound signal obtained by generating a sound signal of frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by a preset control frequency fa, and adding the generated sound signal with a single sound signal of frequency fx. Is generated as a guide sound. At this time, the guide sound generator 13 sets the sound image localization of the guide sound to the right. That is, if the output unit 16 supports stereo reproduction, the sound image localization can be adjusted by controlling the volume balance of the left and right channels.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the operation mode is set to the awakening guidance mode, the guidance sound generator 13 generates a guidance sound with the control frequency fa set to a frequency higher than 8 Hz (for example, 16 Hz or more is more preferable) (S5e). That is, a sound signal having a frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by the control frequency fa is generated, and a modulated sound signal obtained by adding the single sound signal having the frequency fx is generated as a guide sound. To do. At this time, the guide sound generator 13 sets the sound image localization of the guide sound to the left.

As described above, in Example 1-6, the sound image localization is set to the right in the sleep induction mode, and the sound image localization is set to the left in the awakening induction mode. Thereby, when the operation mode is set by mistake, the user can notice it.

Note that the specific setting of the sound image localization is not limited to the above specific example, as long as the user can detect the difference in sound image localization between the sleep induction mode and the awakening induction mode. For example, the sound image localization can be arbitrarily set such that the sound image localization is set to the center in the sleep induction mode and leftward or rightward in the awakening induction mode.

[Other examples of operation modes]
As described above, the specific example for changing the property of the guide sound for each operation mode has been described in the first embodiment. In the above description, the case of having two types of operation modes, the sleep induction mode and the awakening induction mode, has been illustrated. However, the operation modes are not limited to these two types, and the following operation modes can be employed. When there are a plurality of operation modes including the sleep induction mode and the awakening induction mode described above and the operation modes disclosed below, the nature of the induced sound in each operation mode is made different from each other in a manner that the user can detect by hearing. Thus, when an incorrect operation mode is set, it can be detected.

<Lucid dream mode>
The lucid dream mode is a mode for guiding the lucid dream to be seen. A lucid dream is a dream that you see as you realize it. For example, you can freely control the situation of the dream, such as a dream that flies in the sky.

In a paper (Nature Neuroscience, June 2014, Volume 17, P810-812), a German research team announced that a clear dream can be seen with high probability by inducing brain waves to about 40 Hz. While dreaming lucidly, the human brain is in a light excitement. That is, during sleep, it may be possible to see lucid dreams by guiding the brain to a light excitement state.

Therefore, in the lucid dream mode, the guide sound generation unit 13 sets a frequency of 30 Hz or more as the frequency of the brain wave to be guided (control frequency fa). By setting the frequency of the electroencephalogram to be guided to 30 Hz or more, the brain can be led to a light excitement state and can be guided so that a clear dream can be seen. As announced by a German research team, it is preferable to set a frequency of 40 Hz out of a frequency of 30 Hz or more as a frequency of the induced electroencephalogram.

The lucid dream mode is preferably activated only when the user wishes to see the lucid dream. Accordingly, when the user turns on the lucid dream mode and no other control mode is activated during the user's sleep, the lucid dream mode is activated. For example, if another control mode is not active after a lapse of a certain time (for example, 30 minutes) after the sleep induction mode ends, the control in the lucid dream mode is started at that time. The control time in the lucid dream mode may be limited to a predetermined time, for example, or may be set by the user.

When outputting the sound signal from the output unit 16 during the operation of the lucid dream mode, it is preferable to gradually increase the volume. Further, it is preferable that a sound for letting the user notice that he / she is dreaming is played from the speaker when the lucid dream mode is activated. This speaker may be a speaker constituting the output unit 16 or may be a speaker different from the speaker constituting the output unit 16. The voice for notifying the user that he / she is dreaming is, for example, a voice such as “You are in a dream now”. By playing such a sound simultaneously, the possibility of more lucid dreaming is increased.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the time change of the sleep stage and the control timing in the lucid dream mode. In FIG. 9, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the sleep stage. However, the vertical axis indicates a shallower sleep stage toward the upper side of FIG.

In FIG. 9, the control by the sleep induction mode is performed between time T10 and T11. The lucid dream mode is started at time T12 after a lapse of a certain time (for example, 30 minutes) after the sleep induction mode is finished. During control in the lucid dream mode, since the control frequency fa is set to a frequency of 30 Hz or higher, the electroencephalogram is controlled in the “wakefulness” stage. In the lucid dream mode, the body is in a sleep state, but the brain wave is in a light “excitement” state that is one step higher than “wakefulness”.

According to the lucid dreaming mode, the user can be guided to the lucid dreaming. When the lucid dream mode is included in the operation mode, for example, by the wakefulness induction mode at the time when the control in the lucid dream mode should start, by making the characteristics of the other operation modes and the lucid dream mode different from each other When the control starts, the user can detect it.

<Sleep prevention mode>
The sleep prevention mode is used in a situation where the user should not sleep, for example, while driving a car. In the sleep prevention mode, a guidance sound that induces the brain wave of β wave or γ wave (brain wave of 14 Hz or more) shown in FIG. 2 is generated.

<Relax mode>
It is known that when a person relaxes, an α-wave brain wave appears. Therefore, it is considered that the relaxation effect can be obtained by inducing the α wave. In the relax mode, a guidance sound that induces the α-wave brain wave (brain wave of 8 Hz to 14 Hz) shown in FIG. 2 is generated.

<Concentrated mode>
It is known that alpha waves are generated even when humans are concentrated. Therefore, it is considered that the concentration effect can be obtained by inducing the α wave. In the concentrated mode, a guidance sound is generated that induces the α-wave brain wave (brain wave of 8 Hz to 14 Hz) shown in FIG. Even if the frequency ranges of the guide sound in the relax mode and the concentrated mode overlap, the user distinguishes the relax mode and the concentrate mode as different modes by making the properties of the guide sound different as described above. be able to. There is also a report that a θ wave called Fmθ may be generated when concentrated. Therefore, in the case of the concentrated mode, the θ wave range of 4 Hz to 8 Hz may be included in the target brain wave frequency. In this case, a guidance sound that induces a brain wave of 4 Hz to 14 Hz is generated.

[Second Embodiment]
The guidance sound generating device according to the second embodiment has a plurality of operation modes, and the function of making the nature of the background sound different for each operation mode so that the user can detect the difference of the operation modes only by hearing. have. That is, in the first embodiment, the nature of the guidance sound is made different for each operation mode, whereas in the second embodiment, the nature of the background sound is made different.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the background sound generation unit 14 generates a background sound having a property that allows the user to detect a difference in the operation mode according to the operation mode. In the following specific examples, two types of operation modes, ie, a sleep induction mode and an awakening induction mode are illustrated as operation modes. However, the types of operation modes are not limited to these, and are described in the first embodiment. Various operation modes can be provided.

In the second embodiment, the background sound generation unit 14 changes the nature of the sound source of the background sound in the sleep induction mode and the awakening induction mode. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the guidance sound generating device 1 according to the second embodiment.

When the control unit 12 determines that the operation mode is set to the sleep induction mode (or the time set for the timer to operate in the sleep induction mode has arrived) (YES in S11), the control sound generation unit 13 and A signal instructing that the operation mode is the sleep induction mode is output to the background sound generation unit 14 (S12). The guide sound generator 13 generates a guide sound with the control frequency fa as a frequency of 8 Hz or less (S13). That is, a modulated sound signal obtained by generating a sound signal of frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by a preset control frequency fa, and adding the generated sound signal with a single sound signal of frequency fx. Is generated as a guide sound. Moreover, the background sound production | generation part 14 produces | generates the background sound for sleep induction modes (S14).

On the other hand, when determining that the operation mode is set to the awakening induction mode in S11, the control unit 12 outputs a signal instructing that the operation mode is the awakening induction mode to the guidance sound generation unit 13 and the background sound generation unit 14. (S15). The guide sound generating unit 13 generates a guide sound with the control frequency fa set to a frequency higher than 8 Hz (for example, 16 Hz or more is more preferable) (S16). That is, a sound signal having a frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by the control frequency fa is generated, and a modulated sound signal obtained by adding the single sound signal having the frequency fx is generated as a guide sound. To do. Further, the background sound generation unit 14 generates a background sound for the awakening guidance mode (S17).

At this time, the background sound for the sleep induction mode generated by the background sound generation unit 14 and the background sound for the awakening induction mode have different properties so that the user can identify them only by hearing. When the same sound source is used in the sleep induction mode and the awakening induction mode as the background sound source, the background sound generation unit 14 varies the volume and the sound effect depending on the operation mode. For example, the playback volume of the background sound for the awakening guidance mode is set larger than the playback volume of the background sound for the sleep guidance mode. In the case where the acoustic effect is made different depending on the operation mode, for example, it is conceivable to emphasize low sounds using a low-pass filter in the sleep induction mode and emphasize high sounds using a high-pass filter in the awakening induction mode. In addition, when the lucid dream mode described in the first embodiment is adopted, reverb may be applied.

Alternatively, the nature of the background sound may be made different by using different sound sources for the sleep induction mode and the awakening induction mode as the background sound source. In this case, the user (or automatic setting or presetting may be used) creates a playlist corresponding to each operation mode, and the background sound generation unit 14 randomly selects a song from the playlist corresponding to the operation mode. And used as background sound.

The synthesizing unit 15 adds the guide sound signal generated by the guide sound generating unit 13 and the background sound signal generated by the background sound generating unit 14 (S18), and outputs the result from the output unit 16 (S19).

As described above, in the second embodiment, when the operation mode is set incorrectly by changing the nature of the background sound in the awakening induction mode and the sleep induction mode, the user may notice it. it can.

[Third Embodiment]
The guidance sound generation device according to the third embodiment has a plurality of operation modes, and the relationship between the guidance sound and the background sound is determined in the operation mode so that the user can detect the difference in the operation mode only by hearing. Each has a different function.

In other words, in the present embodiment, the background sound generation unit 14 makes the guidance sound stand out depending on the operation mode so that the user can hear the guidance sound from the background sound in a certain mode. The user is prevented from distinguishing the guidance sound from the background sound. Specific examples will be described below. In the following examples, two types of operation modes of sleep induction mode and awakening induction mode are illustrated as operation modes. However, the types of operation modes are not limited to these, and have been described in the first embodiment. Various operation modes can be provided.

[Example 3-1]
In Example 3-1, the frequency distribution of the background sound is detected, and in the sleep induction mode, the induction sound is added to the frequency region where the induction sound is conspicuous in the background sound, and in the awakening induction mode, the frequency at which the induction sound does not stand out in the background sound Add a guidance sound to the area. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, in the frequency distribution obtained by frequency analysis of the background sound, in the sleep guidance mode, the guidance sound is added to a region where the frequency distribution is small in the background sound. In the awakening guidance mode, a guidance sound is added to a frequency region dominant in the background sound. Thereby, in the sleep guidance mode, the user can easily distinguish the guidance sound from the background sound, whereas in the awakening guidance mode, the guidance sound does not stand out from the background sound, so the user may detect a difference in the operation mode. it can.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the guidance sound generating device 1 in the embodiment 3-1.

When the control unit 12 determines that the operation mode is set to the sleep induction mode (or the time set for the timer to operate in the sleep induction mode has arrived) (YES in S21), the control sound generation unit 13 and A signal instructing that the operation mode is the sleep induction mode is output to the background sound generation unit 14 (S22). The background sound generation unit 14 performs frequency analysis on the background sound to be used and detects a dominant frequency region (S23). The guide sound generation unit 13 determines a frequency in a region different from the dominant frequency region in the background sound detected in S23 as the frequency of the guide sound. That is, using a single sound signal having a frequency fx that does not belong to the dominant frequency region in the background sound, a control sound fa is set to a frequency of 8 Hz or less to generate a guide sound (S24). That is, a modulated sound signal obtained by generating a sound signal of frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by a preset control frequency fa, and adding the generated sound signal with a single sound signal of frequency fx. Is generated as a guide sound. The synthesizer 15 synthesizes the guide sound generated by the guide sound generator 13 and the background sound obtained from the background sound generator 14 (S28), and outputs the synthesized sound from the output unit 16 (S29). ).

On the other hand, when determining that the operation mode is set to the awakening induction mode in S21, the control unit 12 outputs a signal instructing that the operation mode is the awakening induction mode to the guidance sound generation unit 13 and the background sound generation unit 14. (S25). The background sound generation unit 14 performs frequency analysis on the background sound to be used and detects a dominant frequency region (S26). The guide sound generator 13 determines the frequency in the dominant frequency region of the background sound detected in S26 as the frequency of the guide sound. That is, using a single sound signal having a frequency fx belonging to a dominant frequency region in the background sound, the control frequency fa is set to a frequency higher than 8 Hz (for example, 16 Hz or more is more preferable), and a guide sound is generated (S27). . That is, a sound signal having a frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by the control frequency fa is generated, and a modulated sound signal obtained by adding the single sound signal having the frequency fx is generated as a guide sound. To do. The synthesizer 15 synthesizes the guide sound generated by the guide sound generator 13 and the background sound obtained from the background sound generator 14 (S28), and outputs the synthesized sound from the output unit 16 (S29). ).

As described above, in the present embodiment, in a plurality of operation modes, the user notices when the operation mode is erroneously set by changing the degree to which the guidance sound is prominently heard from the background sound. Can do.

In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the induced sound is in a state where it is easy to distinguish in the sleep induction mode, and the induced sound is in a state where it is difficult to distinguish in the awakening induction mode. However, conversely, it may be in a state where it is easy to distinguish the guidance sound in the awakening guidance mode and in a state where it is difficult to distinguish the guidance sound in the sleep guidance mode.

[Example 3-2]
FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the guidance sound generating device 1 according to Example 3-2.

When the control unit 12 determines that the operation mode is set to the sleep induction mode (or the time set for the timer to operate in the sleep induction mode has arrived) (YES in S21), the control sound generation unit 13 and A signal instructing that the operation mode is the sleep induction mode is output to the background sound generation unit 14 (S22). The guide sound generator 13 generates a guide sound with the control frequency fa as a frequency of 8 Hz or less (S23). That is, a modulated sound signal obtained by generating a sound signal of frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by a preset control frequency fa, and adding the generated sound signal with a single sound signal of frequency fx. Is generated as a guide sound. The synthesizer 15 synthesizes the guide sound generated by the guide sound generator 13 and the background sound obtained from the background sound generator 14 (S24a), and outputs the synthesized sound from the output unit 16 (S28). ). In S24a, the synthesis unit 15 sets the volume of the guidance sound and the volume of the background sound as shown on the left side of FIG. 14 so that the guidance sound in the sleep guidance mode stands out (the guidance sound is easy to distinguish from the background sound). Increase the difference.

On the other hand, when determining that the operation mode is set to the awakening induction mode in S21, the control unit 12 outputs a signal instructing that the operation mode is the awakening induction mode to the guidance sound generation unit 13 and the background sound generation unit 14. (S25). The guide sound generation unit 13 generates a guide sound with the control frequency fa as a frequency higher than 8 Hz (for example, 16 Hz or more is more preferable) (S26). That is, a sound signal having a frequency fx-fa obtained by shifting the frequency fx of a single sound signal by the control frequency fa is generated, and a modulated sound signal obtained by adding the single sound signal having the frequency fx is generated as a guide sound. To do. The synthesizer 15 synthesizes the guide sound generated by the guide sound generator 13 and the background sound obtained from the background sound generator 14 (S27a). At this time, the synthesizing unit 15 makes the volume of the guidance sound and the background sound as shown on the right side of FIG. Reduce the difference from the volume.

As described above, in this embodiment, the balance of the volume of the guide sound and the background sound is made different between the awakening induction mode and the sleep induction mode. Thereby, when the operation mode is set by mistake, the user can notice it.

In the above description, an example is shown in which the volume of both the guide sound and the background sound is changed. However, by changing only the volume of either the guide sound or the background sound, the guide sound and the background sound are changed. The volume balance may be different for each operation mode. That is, by adjusting only the volume of the background sound, the guide sound may be made prominent in a certain mode, and the guide sound may not be made prominent in another mode. An example in which the volume of the guide sound is varied for each operation mode is as described in the first embodiment (Example 1-3).

[Fourth Embodiment]
As illustrated in the first to third embodiments, the guidance sound generating device according to the fourth embodiment is configured so that the user can detect the difference in operation mode by hearing alone, and the guidance sound and the background sound. The relationship between at least one of the above or the relationship between the guide sound and the background sound is provided for each operation mode.

However, by making it possible to detect the difference in operation mode by hearing, the original induction effect may be hindered. For example, as described in the third embodiment, it is desirable to make it easier to distinguish the background sound from the background sound for mode discrimination, but from the viewpoint of the induction effect, the sound is more difficult to stand out from the background sound. This is the case.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the operation (mode detectable operation) according to the mode in which the user can detect the difference in the operation mode by hearing, as exemplified in the first to third embodiments, is limited to the time limit. carry out.

For example, as shown in FIG. 15, a mode detectable operation is performed from a time t0 when an operation in the set operation mode is started to a time t1 when a predetermined time elapses among a plurality of operation modes. Then, after time t1, an operation using the optimum guide sound and background sound (hereinafter referred to as “normal operation”) is performed in order to achieve a desired effect in the operation mode. However, instead of completely switching from the mode detectable operation to the normal operation at the time t1, the output sound by the mode detectable operation and the output sound by the normal operation overlap, or fade out or fade in. Also good. In this way, for example, the user can detect that the operation mode has been set in error by enabling the operation mode to be detected by hearing for a predetermined time from the start of one operation mode. Can do. Further, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the desired guidance effect can be maximized by outputting the optimum guidance sound and synthesized sound for obtaining the guidance effect of the operation mode.

Or, as shown in FIG. 16, the normal operation is performed from the time t0 when the operation in a certain operation mode is started to the time t1 when a predetermined time elapses among the plurality of operation modes. After time t1, an operation based on a mode detectable operation (any operation described in the first to third embodiments) is performed. However, at time t1, the operation is not completely switched from the normal operation to the mode detectable operation, but the output sound by the mode detectable operation and the output sound by the normal operation overlap, or fade out or fade in. Also good.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 17, the mode detectable operation and the normal operation may be alternately repeated at an appropriate interval. In this case, similarly to the above, the output sound by the mode detection operation and the output sound by the normal operation may overlap, or may be faded out or faded in.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 18, when the user performs a mode confirmation operation on the guidance sound generating device 1 during operation in a certain operation mode, only a predetermined time from the operation (time t2 to t3 in FIG. 18). The operation may be performed in a mode detectable operation. The mode confirmation operation includes pressing of a mechanical button in the guide sound generation device 1 and its controller, a touch operation on the touch panel screen, and the like. When the guidance sound generating device 1 is realized as application software of a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, the display of application software on the mobile terminal and operations such as shaking the terminal are mode confirmation operations. obtain. The end point of the mode detectable operation may be set when a user operation is performed or when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start. For example, when the mode confirmation operation is performed by a mechanical button, the mode detection enabling operation may be performed only while the button is kept pressed. Alternatively, the mode detectable operation may be performed only for 10 seconds from the time when the button is pressed.

[Fifth Embodiment]
The guidance sound generation device according to the fifth embodiment has a plurality of operation modes as described in the first to third embodiments, and the user senses the difference between the operation modes by hearing. As can be done, the property of at least one of the guide sound and the background sound or the relationship between the guide sound and the background sound is different for each operation mode. Also, before the start of each operation mode, a different warning sound is output depending on the type of operation mode.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the operation of the guidance sound generating device 1 in the fifth embodiment. Here, the fifth embodiment will be described as a modification of the example 1-1 in the first embodiment.

On the other hand, when determining that the operation mode is set to the awakening induction mode in S1, the control unit 12 outputs a signal instructing that the operation mode is the awakening induction mode to the guidance sound generation unit 13 (S4). And the induced sound production | generation part 13 produces | generates the induced sound with a frequency higher than the induced sound produced | generated by S3 in the case of sleep induction mode (S5). Here, it is necessary that the frequency of the guidance sound in the sleep guidance mode and the frequency of the guidance sound in the awakening guidance mode have a difference that allows the user to detect the difference. For example, if there is a difference of about one octave, the user can detect the difference in operation mode by hearing.

Then, the synthesis unit 15 adds the guidance sound signal generated in S3 or S5 to the background sound signal generated in the background sound generation unit 14 (S6), and outputs the result from the output unit 16 (S7a). At this time, the output unit 16 causes the user to detect a sound without a beat (dummy induction sound) having the same frequency as the induction sound of each operation mode before starting the sleep induction mode or the awakening induction mode. Output as a warning sound.

Note that, here, an example has been described in which the nature of the induced sound is made different between the sleep induction mode and the awakening induction mode, and a dummy induced sound having the same frequency as the induced sound is used as the warning sound. However, the example of the warning sound is not limited to such a dummy guide sound, and any sound can be used as long as the user can determine the operation mode. For example, a background sound source may be used as a warning sound. In this case, the user can detect the operation mode by using a different sound source for each operation mode as the warning sound. Alternatively, a sound irrelevant to the background sound and the guide sound (for example, a voice announcement that tells the operation mode) may be used as the warning sound.

As described above, in the fifth embodiment, by outputting a warning sound that can discriminate the operation mode before the operation mode is started, the user may notice it when the operation mode is erroneously set. it can.

[Sixth Embodiment]
The guidance sound generating device according to the sixth embodiment is a modification of the first to fifth embodiments. In the first to fifth embodiments, the output from the guidance sound generation unit 13 and the output from the background sound generation unit 14 are added by the synthesis unit 15 and then output. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 20, the guidance sound generating device 2 according to the sixth embodiment does not include the synthesis unit 15 but includes an output unit 16a and an output unit 16b. The guide sound output from the guide sound generation unit 13 is output to the output unit 16a, and the background sound output from the background sound generation unit 14 is output to the output unit 16b. Each of the

output units

16a and 16b has a speaker and outputs a guide sound and a background sound separately.

Also with this configuration, the same effects as those of the first to fifth embodiments can be obtained.

[Seventh Embodiment]
The guidance sound generating device according to the seventh embodiment is a modification of the first to fifth embodiments. In the first to fifth embodiments, a background sound is generated in the background sound generation unit 14, and the output from the guide sound generation unit 13 and the output from the background sound generation unit 14 are added in the synthesis unit 15. Output. On the other hand, the guidance sound generating device 3 according to the seventh embodiment does not have the background sound generating unit 14 and the synthesizing unit 15 as shown in FIG. Instead, the fan motor 17 and the blower fan 18 are provided, and the blower sound (including the fan motor operation sound) of the blower fan 18 is used as the background sound. Further, the control unit 12 includes a fan control unit 12a that outputs a control signal to the fan motor 17 in accordance with the operation mode.

The blower fan 18 is rotationally driven by a fan motor 17 to generate an air flow. The fan motor 17 adjusts the rotational speed of the blower fan 18 according to a control signal from the fan control unit 12a. Note that the volume and tone color of the blowing sound can be changed according to the number of rotations of the blower fan 18. Therefore, changing the volume and tone color of the background sound in the second embodiment can also be realized by this configuration.

In this configuration, the guidance sound output from the guidance sound generation unit 13 is output from the output unit 16, and the blowing sound of the blower fan 18 reaches the user's ear as the background sound together with the guidance sound. To induce. That is, this configuration can also provide the same effects as those of the first to fifth embodiments.

As the blower fan 18, for example, fans of various devices such as a fan, an air conditioner, a fan heater, a humidifier, a dehumidifier, an ion generator, an air purifier, or a fragrance diffuser are used. Can be used.

In addition to the blowing sound from the blower fan, various machine operating sounds (noise) can be changed on the condition that the sound properties (volume, timbre, frequency, amplitude, etc.) can be changed by operation control of the machine. It can be used as background sound. For example, compressor sound, engine sound, combustion sound, etc. can be used.

[Eighth Embodiment]
The guidance sound generating device according to the eighth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, the third embodiment (only Example 3-1), the fourth embodiment, and the fifth embodiment. . In these embodiments, the background sound generation unit 14 generates a background sound, the output from the guidance sound generation unit 13 and the output from the background sound generation unit 14 are added by the synthesis unit 15 and then output. On the other hand, the guidance sound generation device 4 according to the eighth embodiment does not have the background sound generation unit 14 and the synthesis unit 15 as illustrated in FIG. Instead, a sound source detection unit 19 that detects the sound of the environment where the user is (environmental sound) as background sound is provided. For this reason, the sound source detection unit 19 includes a microphone or the like.

The sound source detection unit 19 detects the environmental sound and outputs the information to the control unit 12. The control unit 12 passes information related to the environmental sound to the guidance sound generation unit 13. The guide sound generation unit 13 generates the guide sound by appropriately setting the volume of the guide sound according to the magnitude of the environment sound, for example, based on the information regarding the environment sound. Further, for example, in the case of Example 3-1 of the above-described third embodiment, the environmental sound is subjected to frequency analysis to differentiate the way in which the induced sound is distinguished in a plurality of operation modes.

In this configuration, the guide sound output from the guide sound generation unit 13 is output from the output unit 16 and reaches the user's ear together with the environmental sound, thereby inducing the user's mind and body state. That is, this configuration can also provide the same effects as those of the first to fifth embodiments. Further, since the background sound generation unit 14 and the synthesis unit 15 are not provided, the configuration of the apparatus can be simplified.

Here, the configuration in which the sound source detection unit 19 is provided without the background sound generation unit 14 described in the first to fifth embodiments is illustrated, but in addition to the configuration of the first to fifth embodiments. Thus, the sound source detection unit 19 may be further provided. When the sound source detection unit 19 cannot detect an appropriate environmental sound as the background sound, the background sound generation unit 14 may generate the background sound.

[Other Embodiments]
The above-described embodiment is merely an example. Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the specific examples described above, and can be implemented by appropriately modifying the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit thereof.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the user selects and sets a desired operation mode using the mode setting unit. However, a mechanism for automatically determining a suitable operation mode may be provided. For example, the user's psychosomatic state may be measured using a non-invasive sensor, and the operation mode may be automatically set to improve the measured psychosomatic state.

For example, it can be used to control the user's mental and physical state when driving, studying, working, or relaxing. For example, when it is determined that the user is likely to sleep based on biological information (for example, respiratory rate, heart rate, etc.) detected by a non-invasive sensor during driving, studying, working, etc., the control frequency fa Is set to a frequency higher than the frequency (estimated frequency) of the electroencephalogram at that time, and the electroencephalogram frequency is guided to a higher frequency, whereby the user can be guided to the awake state. When the user wants to relax, the control frequency fa can be relaxed by setting the control frequency fa to 8 to 14 Hz corresponding to the state of the α wave. Alternatively, if it is determined that the user is in an excited state based on the biological information detected by the noninvasive sensor, the control frequency fa is set to a frequency lower than the frequency of the electroencephalogram (estimated frequency) at that time, and the electroencephalogram is estimated. By gradually decreasing the control frequency fa based on the frequency, the brain wave can be smoothly guided to the α wave state.

In the guidance sound generating device described in the above embodiment (including the modified example), each block may be individually made into one chip by a semiconductor device such as an LSI, or made into one chip so as to include a part or all of the blocks. May be.

In addition, although it was set as LSI here, it may be called IC, system LSI, super LSI, and ultra LSI depending on the degree of integration.

Also, the method of circuit integration is not limited to LSI, and may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after manufacturing the LSI, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connection and setting of circuit cells inside the LSI may be used.

Furthermore, if integrated circuit technology that replaces LSI emerges as a result of advances in semiconductor technology or other derived technology, it is naturally also possible to integrate functional blocks using this technology. Biotechnology can be applied as a possibility.

Further, part or all of the processing of each functional block in each of the above embodiments may be realized by a program. A part or all of the processing of each functional block in each of the above embodiments is performed by a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a processor, or the like in the computer. A program for performing each processing is stored in a storage device such as a hard disk or a ROM, and is read out and executed in the ROM or the RAM. The storage device (storage medium) is a tangible material that is not temporary, and for example, a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like can be used.

Further, each process of the above embodiment may be realized by hardware, or may be realized by software (including a case where it is realized together with an OS (operating system), middleware, or a predetermined library). Further, it may be realized by mixed processing of software and hardware. Needless to say, when the guidance sound generating apparatus according to the above-described embodiment is realized by hardware, it is necessary to perform timing adjustment for performing each process. In the above embodiment, for convenience of explanation, details of timing adjustment of various signals generated in actual hardware design are omitted.

(Cross-reference of related applications)
This application claims the benefit of priority to the Japanese patent application filed on August 9, 2016: Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-156640. Is included in this document.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Mode setting part, 12 ... Control part, 12a ... Fan control part, 13 ... Induction sound generation part, 14 ... Background sound generation part, 15 ... Synthesis part, 16 ... Output part, 17 ... Fan motor, 18 ... Blower fan , 19 ... Sound source detection unit

Claims

In a guidance sound generating device having a plurality of operation modes for letting a user superimpose a guidance sound that induces a user's mind and body state on a background sound,
A guide sound generation unit that generates a modulated sound signal obtained by modulating a sound signal prepared in advance with a control frequency according to an operation mode as the guide sound;
An output unit for outputting at least the guide sound;
A mode setting unit for setting any one of the plurality of operation modes automatically or according to a user operation;
A control unit for controlling the operation of the guidance sound generating device according to the operation mode set by the mode setting unit,
The control unit, in each of the plurality of operation modes,
i) at least one property of the induced sound and the background sound, and
ii) the relationship between the induced sound and the background sound;
A guidance sound generating device that makes it possible to distinguish the plurality of operation modes by hearing by making at least one of the operation modes different from other operation modes.
The induction sound generating device according to claim 1, wherein the control frequency is an induction frequency of an electroencephalogram.
The plurality of operation modes include at least two operation modes selected from a sleep induction mode, an awakening induction mode, a lucid dream mode, a sleep prevention mode, a relaxation mode, and a concentration mode. Guide sound generator.
The guidance sound generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit makes the pitch of the guidance sound different from other operation modes in each of the plurality of operation modes.
The guidance sound generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit makes a timbre of the guidance sound different from other operation modes in each of the plurality of operation modes.
The guidance sound generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit makes the volume of the guidance sound different from other operation modes in each of the plurality of operation modes.
The induction sound generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit changes the modulation method of the induction sound different from other operation modes in each of the plurality of operation modes.
The modulated sound signal generator is
In one of the plurality of operation modes, an induction sound that is amplitude-modulated based on the control frequency is generated,
The guide sound generating device according to claim 7, wherein in another one of the plurality of operation modes, a guide sound that is frequency-modulated based on the control frequency is generated.
In one of the plurality of operation modes,
The modulated sound signal generation unit generates two sound signals whose frequency difference is the control frequency determined by the control frequency determination unit,
The induced sound generation device according to claim 7, wherein the output unit includes two speakers, and the two sound signals are output from the two speakers, respectively.
The guidance sound generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit makes the sound image localization of the guidance sound different from other operation modes in each of the plurality of operation modes.
A background sound generating unit that generates the background sound from a sound signal prepared in advance;
The guide sound generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit makes the setting of the playback volume of the background sound different from other operation modes in each of the plurality of operation modes.
A background sound generating unit that generates the background sound from a sound signal prepared in advance;
The control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in each of the plurality of operation modes, an acoustic effect when the background sound generation unit generates a background sound is different from other operation modes. The induction sound generator described.
A background sound generation unit that generates the background sound by selecting any one of a plurality of types of sound signals prepared in advance;
The control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in each of the plurality of operation modes, a sound signal selected when the background sound generation unit generates a background sound is different from other operation modes. The guidance sound generator according to one item.
The control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in each of the plurality of operation modes, the relationship between a frequency region dominant in a background sound and a frequency band of a guide sound is different. Guide sound generator.
The guidance sound generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit varies a volume balance between the guidance sound and the background sound in each of the plurality of operation modes.
The guidance sound generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the control unit performs control so that the plurality of operation modes can be distinguished by hearing in a timely manner.
The guide sound generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit outputs a warning sound indicating an operation mode to be started before starting the operation in each of the plurality of operation modes. .
The operation sound of the machine that generates the operation sound by the operation is used as the background sound,
The induced sound generation according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the control unit controls the machine to vary the nature of the background sound or the relationship between the background sound and the induced sound. apparatus.
The machine includes a blower fan and a fan motor that drives the blower fan,
The induced sound generation device according to claim 18, wherein the control unit controls the fan motor to change the nature of the background sound or the relationship between the background sound and the induced sound.
A sound source detection unit that detects environmental sound is further provided.
The induced sound generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an environmental sound detected by the sound source detection unit is used as the background sound.