Patents by Inventor Kensaku Obata

Kensaku Obata has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20180070175
    Abstract: When musical piece is reproduced and outputted, an attribute information acquisition unit acquires attribute information for the musical piece. An attribute information acquisition unit transmits, to a management device, the attribute information as attribute specification information. In the management device, when the attribute specification information has been received, a derivation unit acquires, from adjustment information in a storage unit, octave band information for setting, musical instrument frequency of appearance for setting, and L/R phase difference information for setting that correspond to the attribute specification information. On this basis, the derivation unit generates sound quality adjustment setting value updating information, speaker setting updating information, and signal processing setting updating information, and transmits, to a sound device, these pieces of information as setting updating information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: Kensaku OBATA, Makoto MATSUMARU, Tsutomu TAKAHASHI, Hiroshi IWAMURA
  • Publication number: 20170245070
    Abstract: A derivation unit (240) determines, as a specified rhythm component of a musical piece, a rhythm component detected within a predetermined time range including a time of reception of tap timing information TAP and derives a first frequency band the spectrum intensity of which is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The derivation unit (240) also determines, as an unspecified rhythm component, a rhythm component detected outside the predetermined time range including the time of reception of the tap timing information TAP and derives a second frequency band the spectrum intensity of which is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. Thereafter, a calculation unit (250) calculates a third frequency band, which is included in the first frequency band and which does not include the second frequency band, and then transmits, to a filter unit (260), a passed-frequency designation BPC that designates the third frequency band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Inventors: Katsutoshi INAGAKI, Makoto MATSUMARU, Tsutomu TAKAHASHI, Hiroshi IWAMURA, Kensaku OBATA, Hiroya NISHIMURA
  • Patent number: 9484010
    Abstract: An active vibration noise control device obtains error signals corresponding to a cancellation error between vibration noise and control sounds generated by multiple speakers, from microphone(s), and actively controls the vibration noise. A basic signal generating unit generates a basic signal based on a vibration noise frequency. An adaptive notch filter unit generates control signals provided to each of the multiple speakers by applying a filter coefficient to the basic signal. A reference signal generating unit generates a reference signal from the basic signal based on multiple transfer characteristics from the multiple speakers to the one or more microphones. A filter coefficient updating unit updates the filter coefficient used by the adaptive notch filter unit so as to minimize the error signals. A controlling unit changes amplitude of the control signals of the speakers based on a similarity between the transfer characteristics and characteristics of the vibration noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Manabu Nohara, Yoshiki Ohta, Kensaku Obata, Yusuke Soga
  • Patent number: 9318095
    Abstract: The disclosed active vibration noise control device is suitable for use in cancelling out vibration noise by outputting control noise from a plurality of speakers. When a vibration noise frequency is in a dip bandwidth, the active vibration noise control device alters the step size parameters used to update the filter coefficient at at least one filter coefficient update means from among a plurality of filter coefficient update means. Thus, the filter coefficient update speed can be retarded in unstable dip bandwidths, enabling loss in silencing effect which occurs during dip characteristics to be appropriately reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kensaku Obata, Yoshiki Ohta, Yoshitomo Imanishi, Akihiro Iseki
  • Patent number: 9123325
    Abstract: An active vibration noise control device cancels vibration noise by making plural speakers generate control sounds. The active vibration noise control device selects one or more speakers which output the control sounds, from plural speakers, based on a relationship between (1) a first phase difference which corresponds to a difference between phase characteristics of the vibration noise from a vibration noise source to an evaluation point and phase characteristics of the vibration noise from the vibration noise source to a pseudo evaluation point and (2) a second phase difference for each of the plural speakers corresponding to a difference between phase characteristics of the control sound from the speaker to the evaluation point and phase characteristics of the control sound from the speaker to the pseudo evaluation point. Therefore, it stably decreases the vibration noise at the pseudo evaluation point independently of a frequency band of the vibration noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Iseki, Yoshiki Ohta, Yoshitomo Imanishi, Kensaku Obata
  • Publication number: 20130279712
    Abstract: An active vibration noise control device obtains error signals corresponding to a cancellation error between vibration noise and control sounds generated by multiple speakers, from microphone(s), and actively controls the vibration noise. A basic signal generating unit generates a basic signal based on a vibration noise frequency. An adaptive notch filter unit generates control signals provided to each of the multiple speakers by applying a filter coefficient to the basic signal. A reference signal generating unit generates a reference signal from the basic signal based on multiple transfer characteristics from the multiple speakers to the one or more microphones. A filter coefficient updating unit updates the filter coefficient used by the adaptive notch filter unit so as to minimize the error signals. A controlling unit changes amplitude of the control signals of the speakers based on a similarity between the transfer characteristics and characteristics of the vibration noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Manabu Nohara, Yoshiki Ohta, Kensaku Obata, Yusuke Soga
  • Publication number: 20130044891
    Abstract: The disclosed active vibration noise control device is suitable for use in cancelling out vibration noise by outputting control noise from a plurality of speakers. When a vibration noise frequency is in a dip bandwidth, the active vibration noise control device alters the step size parameters used to update the filter coefficient at at least one filter coefficient update means from among a plurality of filter coefficient update means. Thus, the filter coefficient update speed can be retarded in unstable dip bandwidths, enabling loss in silencing effect which occurs during dip characteristics to be appropriately reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Kensaku Obata, Yoshiki Ohta, Yoshitomo Imanishi, Akihiro Iseki
  • Publication number: 20120300955
    Abstract: An active vibration noise control device cancels vibration noise by making plural speakers generate control sounds. The active vibration noise control device selects one or more speakers which output the control sounds, from plural speakers, based on a relationship between (1) a first phase difference which corresponds to a difference between phase characteristics of the vibration noise from a vibration noise source to an evaluation point and phase characteristics of the vibration noise from the vibration noise source to a pseudo evaluation point and (2) a second phase difference for each of the plural speakers corresponding to a difference between phase characteristics of the control sound from the speaker to the evaluation point and phase characteristics of the control sound from the speaker to the pseudo evaluation point. Therefore, it stably decreases the vibration noise at the pseudo evaluation point independently of a frequency band of the vibration noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2010
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Iseki, Yoshiki Ohta, Yoshitomo Imanishi, Kensaku Obata
  • Patent number: 8300835
    Abstract: An audio signal processing apparatus includes a cutout unit, a correlation calculating unit, a spectrum calculating unit, a coefficient calculating unit, and an assigning unit. The cutout unit cuts out audio signals of plural channels by a time frame. The correlation calculating unit calculates a correlation value between respective signals of the plural channels included in a predetermined time frame cut out by the cutout unit. The spectrum calculating unit calculates spectrum information indicative of spectral characteristics concerning a signal of a given channel cut out by the cutout unit. The coefficient calculating unit calculates a coefficient to be multiplied by the signal of the given channel, based on the correlation value and the spectrum information. The assigning unit multiplies the coefficient by the signal of the given channel and assigns the multiplied signal to channels other than the given channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiki Ohta, Kensaku Obata
  • Publication number: 20120195439
    Abstract: An active vibration noise control device is preferably used for cancelling a vibration noise by making a speaker generate a control sound. The active vibration noise control device includes a step-size parameter changing unit which changes a step-size parameter used for updating a filter coefficient. The step-size parameter changing unit calculates a parameter-for-change based on the filter coefficient updated by using a basic step-size parameter, and changes the basic step-size parameter by a minimum value in the previously calculated parameter-for-change. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately change the step-size parameter by using the minimum value of the parameter-for-change. Hence, it becomes possible to effectively suppress a divergence of an adaptive notch filter due to a secular change of the speaker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiki Ohta, Manabu Nohara, Yusuke Soga, Kensaku Obata, Akihiro Iseki
  • Publication number: 20120155651
    Abstract: A sound field adjusting device reproduces signals from plural speaker pairs arranged in an acoustic space. The device supplies signals to the plural speakers, gives different delays for the respective frequency bands to the signals supplied to at least to a proximity speaker pair which is a speaker pair closest to a listening position among the plural speakers, and gives a delay of a constant delay amount regardless of the frequency band to the speaker pairs other than the speaker pair to which the delays of different delay amounts for the respective frequency bands are given. In this case, the sound field adjusting device does not perform level adjustment, and the sound field adjustment is performed by only adjusting the delay amounts. Therefore, deterioration of sound pressure balance at the position other than the listening position can be avoided, and sound pressure balance at the listening position improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kensaku Obata, Akihiro Iseki, Yoshiki Ohta
  • Publication number: 20110268285
    Abstract: Sound pressure acquisition element integrate by time and convert into logarithms a plurality of inputted sound signals to acquire each sound pressure corresponding to the plurality of sound signals. Normalizing element normalizes each sound pressure acquired by the sound pressure acquisition element. Linear sum calculating element calculates a linear sum of each sound pressure normalized by the normalizing element using a plurality of parameters which differ for each frequency range of the sound signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiki Ohta, Kensaku Obata
  • Publication number: 20110268298
    Abstract: At least two speakers are arranged in the left-right direction, and the measurement signal generating unit generates the measurement signal from the two speakers. The measurement signal outputting unit outputs the measurement signal. The measurement signal collecting unit collects the measurement signal for the left-right direction from at least two positions along the left-right direction axis in the acoustic space. The delay correcting unit performs the delay adjustment for any one of the speakers in the acoustic space, based on information that the measurement signal collecting unit obtains by collecting the measurement signal for the left-right direction, until the level difference in the left-right direction becomes equal to or smaller than the predetermined value. The sound field correcting device collects the measurement signal from two positions along the left-right direction axis, and reduces the level difference in the left-right direction based on the information obtained by collecting the sound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2008
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitomo Imanishi, Yoshiki Ohta, Kensaku Obata, Akihiro Iseki
  • Publication number: 20110142244
    Abstract: A delay amount determination device, sound image localization device, delay amount determination method, and delay amount determination processing program capable of efficiently determining a parameter using fewer test sounds are provided. If the localization direction of the sound image when the test sound is outputted from left and right speakers is specified by the user through an input unit, an operation unit finds the localization angle corresponding to the localization direction. The operation unit, if finding localization angles with two different delay values, compares the difference of the two localization angles with a threshold value. The operation unit, if judging that the difference is larger than the threshold value, changes one of the delay values, finds the localization angle corresponding to the changed delay value, and further compares the difference of the two localization angles with the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kensaku Obata, Yoshiki Ohta
  • Publication number: 20110058684
    Abstract: An audio reproduction device reproduces a one-channel signal from two speakers arranged in a sound field. The one-channel input signal is delayed by a delay element. The delay element performs a delay with different delay amount for a plurality of frequency bands. The signal delayed by the delay element is outputted to one of the two speakers and the input signal is directly outputted to the other one of the two speakers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiki Ohta, Kensaku Obata
  • Publication number: 20110033070
    Abstract: A sound image localization processing apparatus is provided, in which a surround system is realized by a front speaker with a simple signal process, and the same side localization effect can be given to a plurality of listeners. A sound image localization processing apparatus 100 causes two speakers FR, FL disposed at the right and the left in front of a listener to output sound in accordance with a plurality of supplied sound signals, and gives a sound space with a sense of realism to the listeners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kensaku Obata, Yoshiki Ohta
  • Publication number: 20090252339
    Abstract: In this signal processing apparatus, a first-audio-parameter calculating unit calculates a first audio parameter based on two audio signals. A second-audio-parameter calculating unit calculates a second audio parameter based on the two audio signals. A surround-signal generating unit generates surround components to be respectively allocated to surround signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Inventors: Kensaku Obata, Yoshiki Ohta
  • Publication number: 20090232321
    Abstract: An audio signal processing apparatus includes a cutout unit, a correlation calculating unit, a spectrum calculating unit, a coefficient calculating unit, and an assigning unit. The cutout unit cuts out audio signals of plural channels by a time frame. The correlation calculating unit calculates a correlation value between respective signals of the plural channels included in a predetermined time frame cut out by the cutout unit. The spectrum calculating unit calculates spectrum information indicative of spectral characteristics concerning a signal of a given channel cut out by the cutout unit. The coefficient calculating unit calculates a coefficient to be multiplied by the signal of the given channel, based on the correlation value and the spectrum information. The assigning unit multiplies the coefficient by the signal of the given channel and assigns the multiplied signal to channels other than the given channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2006
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Inventors: Yoshiki Ohta, Kensaku Obata
  • Publication number: 20090122994
    Abstract: A localization control apparatus outputs an input audio signal to one channel among plural channels, and based on the input audio signal, outputs a control signal for controlling an audio signal for another channel among the plural channels. In the localization control apparatus, an attenuating unit attenuates the input audio signal. A delaying unit, according to band, separates and delays the audio signal attenuated by the attenuating unit. A generating unit generates the control signal by combining each component of the audio signal separated and delayed by the delaying unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventors: Yoshiki Ohta, Kensaku Obata
  • Publication number: 20080262834
    Abstract: A sound separating apparatus includes a converting unit that respectively converts signals of two channels into frequency domains by a time unit, the signals representing sounds from sound sources. The apparatus also includes a localization-information calculating unit that calculates localization information regarding the frequency domains and a cluster analyzing unit that classifies the localization information into clusters and respectively calculates central values of the clusters. Finally, the apparatus further includes a separating unit that inversely converts, into a time domain, a value that is based on the central value and the localization information, and separates a sound from a given sound source included in the sound sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventors: Kensaku Obata, Yoshiki Ohta