Patents by Inventor Makoto Akune

Makoto Akune 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: 20230386490
    Abstract: The present technique relates to a signal processing device, a signal processing method, a learning device, a learning method, and a program enabling acquisition of a target sound having high quality. A learning device including a learning unit configured to perform learning on the basis of one or a plurality of sensor signals acquired by one or a plurality of sensors mounted on an object and a target signal relating to the object and corresponding to a predetermined sensor and generate coefficient data configuring a generator having the one or the plurality of sensor signals as its inputs and having the target signal as its output. The present technique can be applied to a learning device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuichi Namba, Makoto Akune
  • Publication number: 20220360931
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a signal processing device, signal processing method, and program capable of providing a higher realistic feeling. A signal processing device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires audio data of an audio object and metadata including position information indicating a position of the audio object and direction information indicating a direction of the audio object; and a signal generation unit that generates a reproduction signal for reproducing a sound of the audio object at a listening position on the basis of listening position information indicating the listening position, listener direction information indicating a direction of a listener at the listening position, the position information, the direction information, and the audio data. The present technology is applicable to a transmission reproduction system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuichi Namba, Makoto Akune, Keiichi Aoyama, Yoshiaki Oikawa
  • Publication number: 20220360930
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a signal processing device, a method, and a program that make it possible for a user to obtain a higher realistic feeling. The signal processing device includes: an audio generation unit that generates a sound source signal according to a type of a sound source on the basis of a recorded signal obtained by sound collection by a microphone attached to a moving object; a correction information generation unit that generates position correction information indicating a distance between the microphone and the sound source; and a position information generation unit that generates sound source position information indicating a position of the sound source in a target space on the basis of microphone position information indicating a position of the microphone in the target space and the position correction information. The present technology can be applied to a recording/transmission/reproduction system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: RYUICHI NAMBA, MAKOTO AKUNE, YOSHIAKI OIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20220335967
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a signal processing apparatus, a method, and a program that make it possible to obtain a high-quality target sound. The signal processing apparatus includes an interval detection unit configured to detect a time interval containing a sound that is emitted from a mobile body and that is included in a recording signal obtained by collecting sounds around the mobile body in a state where another mobile body is present around the mobile body, the time interval being detected on the basis of the recording signal and a sensor signal output from a sensor attached to the mobile body. The present technology is applicable to a recording system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: RYUICHI NAMBA, MAKOTO AKUNE, YOSHIAKI OIKAWA
  • Patent number: 11405715
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an information processing apparatus configured to obtain high comfortability. The information processing apparatus includes a plurality of board portions, an acquisition unit placed on one of the board portions and configured to acquire information associated with a wearer, and a connection portion being flexible and configured to connect the board portion to another of the board portions. The present technology is applicable to wearable devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryuichi Namba, Makoto Akune
  • Patent number: 11159905
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a signal processing apparatus and method that are capable of reproducing sound at an optional listening position with a high sense of reality. The signal processing apparatus includes a rendering unit that generates reproduction data of sound at an optional listening position in a target space on the basis of recording signals of microphones attached to a plurality of moving bodies in the target space. The present technology can be applied to a reproduction apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryuichi Namba, Masashi Fujihara, Makoto Akune, Koyuru Okimoto, Toru Chinen, Kohei Asada, Kazunobu Ookuri, Masayoshi Noguchi, Minoru Tsuji
  • Publication number: 20210204052
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an information processing apparatus configured to obtain high comfortability. The information processing apparatus includes a plurality of board portions, an acquisition unit placed on one of the board portions and configured to acquire information associated with a wearer, and a connection portion being flexible and configured to connect the board portion to another of the board portions. The present technology is applicable to wearable devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: RYUICHI NAMBA, MAKOTO AKUNE
  • Publication number: 20210029485
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a signal processing apparatus and method, and a program that are capable of reproducing sound at an optional listening position with a high sense of reality. The signal processing apparatus includes a rendering unit that generates reproduction data of sound at an optional listening position in a target space on the basis of recording signals of microphones attached to a plurality of moving bodies in the target space. The present technology can be applied to a reproduction apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: RYUICHI NAMBA, MASASHI FUJIHARA, MAKOTO AKUNE, KOYURU OKIMOTO, TORU CHINEN, KOHEI ASADA, KAZUNOBU OOKURI, MASAYOSHI NOGUCHI, MINORU TSUJI
  • Patent number: 6941333
    Abstract: A normalizer normalizes the power of a dither signal calculated by a power calculator based on the average power of a PCM signal in the range of 18 kHz to 20 kHz, wherein the average power is calculated by the power calculator. An oversampling processor oversamples the PCM signal with a quantization frequency of 44.1 kHz and a quantization word length of 16 bits, wherein the PCM signal is inputted from an input terminal at a sampling frequency of 2×44.1 kHz, and then supplies an output of the oversampling process to an adder. The adder adds the normalized output from the normalizer to the oversampling output from the oversampling processor, and then supplies the addition output to an oversampling processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Akune, Yasuhiro Ogura
  • Publication number: 20040093396
    Abstract: In a data distribution method, information for downloading content, transmitted from a user is classified. When the information for downloading content is classified as indicating downloading of new content data, one of a plurality of pieces of content data having predetermined formats is selected based on the information for downloading content, and the selected content data is sent to the user. When the information for downloading content is classified as indicating downloading of upgrading data associated with content data owned by the user, upgrading data is sent to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventor: Makoto Akune
  • Publication number: 20020121999
    Abstract: A normalizer normalizes power of a dither signal calculated by a power calculator on the basis of average power of a PCM signal in a range of 18 kHz to 20 kHz, which average power is calculated by a power calculator. An oversampling processor oversamples the PCM signal with a quantization frequency of 44.1 kHz and a quantization word length of 16 bits, which signal is inputted from an input terminal, at a sampling frequency of 2×44.1 kHz, and then supplies an output of the oversampling processing to an adder. The adder adds the normalized output from the normalizer to the oversampling output from the oversampling processor, and then supplies the addition output to an oversampling processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Publication date: September 5, 2002
    Inventors: Makoto Akune, Yasuhiro Ogura
  • Patent number: 6044338
    Abstract: A signal processing method is provided which detects a signal dropout portion in the input signal and which modifies the detected signal dropout portion with a signal derived from the portion in the input signal other than the signal dropout portion by predictive synthesis based upon the signal portion other than the dropout portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Akune
  • Patent number: 5856796
    Abstract: A sampling rate converting method and apparatus for converting the sampling frequency of a 1-bit digital data obtained a .SIGMA..DELTA. modulator to 32 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz or 192 kHz without producing jitter. A decimation filter 3 decimates the sampling frequency of 1-bit digital data of 2.8224 MHz supplied from an input terminal 2 by 1/2-tuple decimation. An interpolation filter 4 oversamples the frequency of the output of the decimation filter 3 by quintuple oversampling with an integer ratio of 1:5. A decimation filter 5 decimates the frequency of the output of the interpolation filter 4 by 1/21-tuple decimation with an integer ratio of 21:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Akune, Tadao Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5831565
    Abstract: A signal processing apparatus is arranged to convert a multi-bit audio signal having the conventional sampling frequency fs KHz and m quantizing bits (m is an integer) into a one-bit audio signal having the sampling frequency 64.times.fs KHz and one quantizing bit. Hence, the apparatus can offer an audio signal in a highly dynamic range. Further, the signal processing apparatus is arranged to separate sub-data added to the multi-bit audio signal in transmission from the multi-bit audio signal, sigma-delta modulate the multi-bit audio signal through the effect of a sigma-delta modulator. This suppresses the adverse effect on the audio signal. The apparatus is also arranged to control the supply of a timing signal and a clock signal to the sigma-delta modulator and a D/A converter based on the sub-data. This makes it possible to positively control a switching timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Akune
  • Patent number: 5757938
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing an input digital signal in which an input digital audio signal at an input terminal 11 is supplied via a one-block delay unit 17 to a difference unit 20, an output of which is processed by a noise-shaping circuit 21 and restored by a near-instantaneous compressor 26, a near-instantaneous expander 27 and an accumulator 28 so as to be fed back to the difference unit 20 to find a difference between a signal of a directly preceding sample and a signal of the current sample. The noise shaping circuit 21 modifies the spectrum of the quantization noise by taking aural characteristics, such as equal-loudness characteristics or masking characteristics, into account for diminishing the level of the quantization noise as perceived by the ear. The noise level as perceived may be reduced in a manner desirable for the sound quality without changing the existing format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenzo Akagiri, Makoto Akune
  • Patent number: 5754973
    Abstract: A signal processing method is provided which detects a signal dropout portion in the input signal and which modifies the detected signal dropout portion with a signal derived from the portion in the input signal other than the signal dropout portion by predictive synthesis based upon the signal portion other than the dropout portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Akune
  • Patent number: 5737717
    Abstract: A signal transforming method and apparatus which improves the quality of a signal, and a recording medium therefore. This method and apparatus alters the frequency components of an acoustic time signal. By altering the frequency components the characteristics of the acoustic time signal is transformed such that its quality is improved. The alteration is such that the difference in magnitude of attributes of frequency components within a substantially critical band are adjusted based on characteristics of auditory sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenzo Akagiri, Makoto Akune
  • Patent number: 5719574
    Abstract: An audio signal recording device having an input terminal, a modulator for modulating an input signal, a detecting circuit for detecting whether an input signal maintains a fixed value for a predetermined period of time, a signal generator for generating an idling signal, a delay circuit for delaying a modulated input signal and a switch for alternately inputting either the idling signal or modulated input signal to a recording circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ayataka Nishio, Yasuhiro Ogura, Gen Ichimura, Makoto Akune
  • Patent number: RE37864
    Abstract: There is provided a quantizing error reducer for an audio signal, which is constructed to feed a quantizing error back to the input side of a quantizer through a noise filter, wherein the coefficient of the noise filter is set on the basis of information relating to the equiloudness curve, thereby making it possible to reduce the noise in the hearing sense.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenzo Akagiri, Makoto Akune
  • Patent number: RE36559
    Abstract: This invention relates to a digital signal encoding apparatus in which the .[.width of the range in.]. .Iadd.digital signal is divided into frequency components in plural frequency bands and the bandwidth of the frequency bands is .Iaddend.selected to be wider for .[.the.]. higher .[.frequency range.]. .Iadd.frequencies .Iaddend.of the digital .[.signals divided into a plurality of regions.]. .Iadd.signal .Iaddend.and in which the encoded signals are synthesized for the respective .[.ranges.]. .Iadd.frequency bands .Iaddend.wherein encoding is controlled as a function of the output detecting the characteristics of the .Iadd.frequency .Iaddend.components .[.of.]. .Iadd.in .Iaddend.the .[.divided.]. frequency .Iadd.bands .Iaddend.and the detection time interval is selected to be longer for the lower frequency .Iadd.bands .Iaddend.to enable more efficient encoding to be performed as a function of the properties of input digital signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihito Fujiwara, Tomoko Umezawa, Masayuki Nishiguchi, Makoto Akune, Naoto Iwahashi, Kenzo Akagiri