Patents by Inventor Michie Sato

Michie Sato 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).

  • Patent number: 7519175
    Abstract: A two-way communication apparatus used for two-way speech. In the two-way communication apparatus, a plurality of microphones radially arranged in a horizontal direction are located at equal distances from a receiving and reproduction speaker. The plurality of microphones are located in pairs from the center of the receiving and reproduction speaker. Surface of a sound reflection plate facing the side surfaces of a speaker housing are curved to a flared shape and diffuse the sound output from an upper sound output opening in all orientations in the horizontal direction by cooperating with the sound reflection surface. A DSP receives as input sound pickup signals of one pair of the microphones, selects the microphone for which the highest sound is detected, and transmits the sound pickup signal to the two-way communication apparatus of the other party via a telephone line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuji Suzuki, Michie Sato, Ryuichi Tanaka, Tsutomu Shoji, Noboru Shuhama
  • Patent number: 7386109
    Abstract: A communication apparatus used for two-way speech wherein the acoustic couplings between a speaker and microphones can be made equal by a simple method, wherein radially arranged microphones are located at equal distances from a speaker, a test signal generation unit outputs a pink noise signal to the speaker, the signal is input to a microphone detecting the sound of the speaker through variable gain amplifiers, attenuated in variable attenuation units, the peak value of absolute values of differences between the signals of an opposing pair of microphones is detected at level detection units, and a level judgment and gain control unit adjusts the gains of the variable gain amplifiers or attenuation amounts of the variable attenuation units so that the value becomes within a sensitivity difference adjustment error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuji Suzuki, Michie Sato, Ryuichi Tanaka, Tsutomu Shoji, Noboru Shuhama
  • Publication number: 20070064925
    Abstract: A two-way communication apparatus used for two-way speech and improved from the viewpoint of the performance, the viewpoint of the price, the viewpoint of the dimensions, and the viewpoints of suitability with the usage environment, user-friendliness, etc. is provided. In the two-way communication apparatus, a plurality of microphones (MC1 to MC6) radially arranged in a horizontal direction are located at equal distances from a receiving and reproduction speaker (16). The plurality of microphones (MC1 to MC6) are located in pairs from the center of the receiving and reproduction speaker (16). Surface of a sound reflection plate (12) facing the side surfaces of a speaker housing (14a) are curved to a flared shape and diffuse the sound output from an upper sound output opening (14c) in all orientations in the horizontal direction by cooperating with the sound reflection surface (14a).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventors: Ryuji Suzuki, Michie Sato, Ryuichi Tanaka, Tsutomu Shoji, Noboru Shuhama
  • Publication number: 20050207591
    Abstract: A videoconferencing system uses an audio input unit including: two directional microphones disposed in directions with directivity being opposite to each other, the microphones forming a pair and a plurality of the pairs being located with directivity shifted from each other, cancellation elements for canceling sound components of the same phase from sounds inputted to the microphones of the pair, extraction elements for extracting sound components of voice band from sounds inputted to the microphones of the pair, a calculation element for calculating a difference between levels of the sound components of voice band extracted by the extraction elements to decide the microphone which has the larger level in the pair having the largest level difference, and selection elements for selecting sounds as input sound, in which the sound components with the same phase are canceled by the cancellation elements from sound inputted to the microphone decided by the calculation element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Publication date: September 22, 2005
    Inventors: Jungo Tsuji, Ryuji Suzuki, Takashi Iwasa, Michie Sato
  • Publication number: 20050058300
    Abstract: A communication apparatus used for two-way speech wherein the acoustic couplings between a speaker and microphones can be made equal by a simple method, wherein radially arranged microphones are located at equal distances from a speaker, a test signal generation unit outputs a pink noise signal to the speaker, the signal is input to a microphone detecting the sound of the speaker through variable gain amplifiers, attenuated in variable attenuation units, the peak value of absolute values of differences between the signals of an opposing pair of microphones is detected at level detection units, and a level judgment and gain control unit adjusts the gains of the variable gain amplifiers or attenuation amounts of the variable attenuation units so that the value becomes within a sensitivity difference adjustment error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Inventors: Ryuji Suzuki, Michie Sato, Ryuichi Tanaka, Tsutomu Shoji, Noboru Shuhama
  • Publication number: 20050008173
    Abstract: A speaker system enabling efficient dispersion of intelligible sound far in all directions from a specific point along a certain planar direction, provided with a single speaker, a first reflective (directing) surface arranged facing a sound output direction of the speaker and reflecting the sound to directions different from the output direction, and a second reflective (directing) surface arranged facing the first reflective surface, wherein the distance between the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface increases continuously in proportion to the distance from the center of the speaker and wherein the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface diffuse sound radially from the speaker to directions different to the sound output direction of the speaker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Ryuji Suzuki, Michie Sato, Ryuichi Tanaka, Tsutomu Shoji, Noboru Shuhama
  • Publication number: 20030059061
    Abstract: A videoconferencing system uses an audio input unit including: two directional microphones disposed in directions with directivity being opposite to each other, the microphones forming a pair and a plurality of the pairs being located with directivity shifted from each other, cancellation elements for canceling sound components of the same phase from sounds inputted to the microphones of the pair, extraction elements for extracting sound components of voice band from sounds inputted to the microphones of the pair, a calculation element for calculating a difference between levels of the sound components of voice band extracted by the extraction elements to decide the microphone which has the larger level in the pair having the largest level difference, and selection elements for selecting sounds as input sound, in which the sound components with the same phase are canceled by the cancellation elements from sound inputted to the microphone decided by the calculation element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Jungo Tsuji, Ryuji Suzuki, Takashi Iwasa, Michie Sato