Patents by Inventor NAOKI SHINMEN

NAOKI SHINMEN 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: 11985492
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a speaker including a strong magnetic circuit and a method of manufacturing a speaker. To achieve the object, a speaker according to the present technology includes an outer magnet and an inner magnet. The outer magnet has a ring shape and is magnetized along an axial direction of the ring shape. The inner magnet has a circular outer shape when viewed from the axial direction of the outer magnet, is magnetized in a direction opposite to a direction of the outer magnet along the axial direction, and is disposed inside the outer magnet through a gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Shinmen, Koya Nomoto, Go Igarashi, Takanari Okita
  • Patent number: 11895461
    Abstract: Provided is an acoustic reproduction system capable of setting a sound image localization service area at an arbitrary position even in a case where a sound production direction of a directional sound cannot be changed. An acoustic reproduction system according to the present technology includes a sound producing device that emits a directional sound and a sound reflector positioned between a viewer and a viewing target by the viewer and having a sound reflecting surface that reflects the directional sound emitted by the sound producing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Asada, Go Igarashi, Kazunobu Ookuri, Yoshiyuki Kuroda, Naoki Shinmen, Chisato Numaoka
  • Publication number: 20240022860
    Abstract: To provide an edge and the like that improve sound quality. The edge includes an edge-shaped portion that is formed from an inner peripheral portion to an outer peripheral portion, and a groove portion that is formed in the edge-shaped portion and has a peak portion and a valley portion, wherein a ridge line of the valley portion of the groove portion extends from a start point on the inner peripheral portion side to an end point on the outer peripheral portion side so as to draw a continuously changing curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: NAOKI SHINMEN, SHUNSUKE SHIOMI, GO IGARASHI, YUTA SATO
  • Publication number: 20230412955
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an audiovisual presentation device and a signal processing device that enable a sound image to be localized on a video displayed on a higher-image-quality screen. A plurality of fine holes provided in a substrate of a display unit in which light-emitting elements for displaying a video are arranged in an array on the substrate, and an air chamber of a speaker unit from which sound is output according to an audio signal are connected by a plurality of sound conduits. Further, the audiovisual presentation device includes a plurality of opening/closing mechanisms for individually opening/closing the plurality of sound conduits, and a plurality of micro speakers arranged in an array on the substrate of the display unit to output a higher-frequency sound than speakers of the speaker unit. The present technology can be applied, for example, to high-image-quality LED displays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: YOSHIYUKI KURODA, GO IGARASHI, NAOKI SHINMEN, MASAKI KAMATA, KOHEI ASADA
  • Publication number: 20230367531
    Abstract: An output apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes: one or more display panels; a support member; and an actuator section. The one or more display panels are capable of displaying an image. The support member includes a support portion for supporting the respective one or more display panels. The actuator section is disposed between the one or more display panels and the support portion and vibrates the respective one or more display panels. In this output apparatus, an image is output by the one or more display panels. Further, the actuator section is disposed between the display panels and the support portion of the support member, and the display panels are vibrated. As a result, it is possible to output an image and sound with high quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: NAOKI SHINMEN, GO IGARASHI, KOHEI ASADA, YOSHIYUKI KURODA, MASAKI KAMATA
  • Publication number: 20230336934
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus (30) includes a sound source extraction unit (341) and a mapping processing unit (343). The sound source extraction unit (341) extracts one or more audio data (AD) corresponding to different sound sources from audio content (AC). The mapping processing unit (343) selects, for each audio data (AD), one or more display units (12) to serve as mapping destinations of the audio data (AD) from one or more combinable display units (12) including a sound producing mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Applicant: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Go Igarashi, Naoki Shinmen, Kohei Asada, Yoshiyuki Kuroda, Masaki Kamata
  • Patent number: 11741938
    Abstract: There is provided a mechanism that enables cooperation of a plurality of audio processing devices. An earphone device includes a sensor unit that detects an overlapping state of the earphone device and a headphone device and a wireless communication unit that wirelessly communicates with the headphone device which is worn to overlap an outer side of the earphone device worn by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Asada, Go Igarashi, Naoki Shinmen, Shigetoshi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11743626
    Abstract: There is provided a sound device used while being worn on the listener's ears. The sound device includes a main body installed on a medial surface of an auricle, a holding portion having an annular hollow structure arranged to be coupled to an intertragic notch of an ear near an entrance of an ear canal, a sound guide portion formed as a pipe structure having one end communicating with the main body and another end communicating with the holding portion, an open/close operation unit configured to open or close an earhole, and a control unit configured to control driving of the open/close operation unit. The earhole open/close state is set for each user. The earhole open/close state can be switched depending on the type of application or content to be played, ambient noise level, user behavior, position information, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Go Igarashi, Naoki Shinmen, Kohei Asada
  • Patent number: 11664006
    Abstract: A sound output device according to an embodiment includes: an acoustic path (70) and a microphone (100b). The acoustic path connects a first space (54b) formed on a front surface of a driver unit (106) and the outside of a housing (50b) including the driver unit separately from a second space (55b) formed on a back surface of the driver unit. The microphone is disposed in the vicinity of an opening where the acoustic path is connected to the outside of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yushi Yamabe, Naoki Shinmen, Kenichi Oide
  • Patent number: 11659347
    Abstract: Provided is an information processing apparatus that carries out a process of deriving a head related transfer function. The information processing apparatus includes a detection unit that detects a position of a head of a user, a storage unit that stores a head related transfer function of the user, a determination unit that determines a position of a sound source for measuring the head related transfer function of the user based on the position of the head detected by the detection unit and information stored in the storage unit, a control unit that controls the sound source to output measurement signal sound from the position determined by the determination unit, and a calculation unit that calculates the head related transfer function of the user based on collected sound data obtained by collecting, at the position of the head, the measurement signal sound output from the sound source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Go Igarashi, Naoki Shinmen, Kohei Asada, Chisata Numaoka, Yoshiyuki Kuroda
  • Publication number: 20230009189
    Abstract: Provided is an acoustic reproduction system capable of setting a sound image localization service area at an arbitrary position even in a case where a sound production direction of a directional sound cannot be changed. An acoustic reproduction system according to the present technology includes: a sound producing device that emits a directional sound; and a sound reflector positioned between a viewer and a viewing target by the viewer and having a sound reflecting surface that reflects the directional sound emitted by the sound producing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: KOHEI ASADA, GO IGARASHI, KAZUNOBU OOKURI, YOSHIYUKI KURODA, NAOKI SHINMEN, CHISATO NUMAOKA
  • Patent number: 11477572
    Abstract: A speaker drive unit includes a control signal generation unit and a signal processing unit. The control signal generation unit generates a control signal on the basis of detection signals generated by a plurality of detection units that is disposed in one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of actuators that vibrates a diaphragm, and detects vibration conditions. The signal processing unit includes a plurality of signal systems corresponding one-to-one to the plurality of actuators. The signal systems provide a drive signal to the corresponding actuators on the basis of the same audio signal. The drive signal generated by at least one signal system of the signal systems is controlled by the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Kamata, Naoki Shinmen, Michiaki Yoneda, Yoshiyuki Kuroda
  • Patent number: 11445289
    Abstract: [Problem] To propose a mechanism capable of performing a noise cancellation process in an ear hole opening type audio processing device. [Solution] An audio processing device including: an audio information acquisition unit that acquires audio information; a holding unit that abuts on a cavum concha or an inner wall of an ear canal and holds the audio information acquisition unit in a space closer to an eardrum side than a tragus, in a state of being worn by a user; an opening portion that opens an ear hole to an outside; and a signal processing unit that generates a noise cancellation signal based on the audio information acquired by the audio information acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Go Igarashi, Shigetoshi Hayashi, Naoki Shinmen, Kohei Asada
  • Patent number: 11405712
    Abstract: Provided is a sound output apparatus that is used by being worn in the vicinity of the ear of a listener and is capable of outputting sound over a wide frequency band. The sound output apparatus includes: a first sound generation unit configured to generate a low frequency band; a sound guiding unit with a hollow structure, having one end coupled to the first sound generation unit, and the other end as a sound emission unit including an open end; and a second sound generation unit that is disposed at a place closer to the sound emission unit than the first sound generation unit and generates a high frequency band. It is preferable that the sound guiding unit have a joint unit that takes in the sound from the second sound generation unit and a section from the joint unit to the sound emission unit have a low impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Shinmen, Go Igarashi, Kohei Asada
  • Patent number: 11350203
    Abstract: Provided is a headphone device including a housing, an audio input unit that is arranged to be separated from the housing and collects audio to generate an audio signal, a holding unit that abuts on a cavum concha or an inner wall of an ear canal of a user and holds the audio input unit in a space closer to an eardrum side than a tragus, in a state of being worn by the user, a wired connection unit that connects the housing and the audio input unit in a wired manner, a signal processing unit that generates a noise cancellation signal for an external sound based on the audio signal generated by the audio input unit, and generates an output signal based on the generated noise cancellation signal, and an audio output unit that outputs audio based on the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Shinmen, Kohei Asada, Shigetoshi Hayashi, Go Igarashi
  • Publication number: 20220167090
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a speaker including a strong magnetic circuit and a method of manufacturing a speaker. To achieve the object, a speaker according to the present technology includes an outer magnet and an inner magnet. The outer magnet has a ring shape and is magnetized along an axial direction of the ring shape. The inner magnet has a circular outer shape when viewed from the axial direction of the outer magnet, is magnetized in a direction opposite to a direction of the outer magnet along the axial direction, and is disposed inside the outer magnet through a gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Shinmen, Koya Nomoto, Go Igarahi, Takanari Okita
  • Publication number: 20220139366
    Abstract: There is provided a mechanism that enables cooperation of a plurality of audio processing devices. An earphone device includes a sensor unit that detects an overlapping state of the earphone device and a headphone device and a wireless communication unit that wirelessly communicates with the headphone device which is worn to overlap an outer side of the earphone device worn by a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: KOHEI ASADA, GO IGARASHI, NAOKI SHINMEN, SHIGETOSHI HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20220095033
    Abstract: Provided is an acoustic device worn on a listener's ear to be used that performs noise cancellation. An acoustic device is provided with a sound insulation unit that engages with the ear canal and insulates ambient sound, a sound production unit that is arranged closer to the eardrum than the sound insulation unit and outputs an acoustic signal, a sound collection unit that is arranged in the vicinity of a sound insulation position in which the sound insulation unit insulates the ambient sound and collects the ambient sound, a processing unit that processes the acoustic signal according to the ambient sound collected by the sound collection unit, and a housing that accommodates the sound production unit, the sound collection unit, and the processing unit. The sound insulation unit includes an earpiece that supports the housing in the vicinity of an entrance of the ear canal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Shinmen, Yushi Yamabe, Kohei Asada
  • Patent number: 11197082
    Abstract: To provide an excellent sound output device which is worn on an ear of a user and used. The sound output device includes a sound generation part and a holding part that has an opening portion and holds the sound generation part in the vicinity of an entrance of an ear canal of a user. The holding part includes a ring body having the opening portion, and a housing of the sound generation part is integrated with a part of the ring body. The sound generation part includes a sound generation element having a dynamic type driver, and has a hollow exhaust part joining with a rear surface of the housing of the sound generation part. The exhaust part extends from a rear surface side of the housing across an intertragic notch and has an exhaust hole outside an auricle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Go Igarashi, Satoshi Suzuki, Naoki Shinmen
  • Publication number: 20210377643
    Abstract: There is provided a sound device used while being worn on the listener's ears. The sound device includes a main body installed on a medial surface of an auricle, a holding portion having an annular hollow structure arranged to be coupled to an intertragic notch of an ear near an entrance of an ear canal, a sound guide portion formed as a pipe structure having one end communicating with the main body and another end communicating with the holding portion, an open/close operation unit configured to open or close an earhole, and a control unit configured to control driving of the open/close operation unit. The earhole open/close state is set for each user. The earhole open/close state can be switched depending on the type of application or content to be played, ambient noise level, user behavior, position information, or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: GO IGARASHI, NAOKI SHINMEN, KOHEI ASADA