Abstract: In a conventional dereverberation system, when there is a fluctuating reverberation component, it has been difficult to determine, with high accuracy, a linear dereverberation filter for removing a non-fluctuating reverberation component. An algorithm integrating a dereverberation system using a linear filter and a dereverberation system using a non-linear filter includes the function of measuring the amount of fluctuation in transfer function in a latter-stage non-linear filter over time, and controls the strength of the non-linear filter over time based on the function. In this configuration, a strong non-linear process is implemented only when the fluctuation in transfer function is large, whereby distortion in speech components can be minimized.

Abstract: A mass spectrometry system is mounted with (1) an action planning module for determining a measurement schedule provided by a combination of an MS analysis and an MSn analysis (where n?2) according to a measuring time provided previously; and (2) a mass spectrometry unit having a tandem mass spectrometry function for outputting a mass spectrum obtained by performing each measurement action constructing the measurement schedule.

Abstract: Monitoring accuracy degrades due to a noise where many sound sources exist other than those to be monitored. A sound monitoring system includes a microphone array having multiple microphones and a location-based abnormal sound monitoring section. The location-based abnormal sound monitoring section is supplied with an input signal from the microphone array via a waveform acquisition section and a network. Using the input signal, the location-based abnormal sound monitoring section detects a temporal change in a sound source direction histogram. Based on a detected change result, the location-based abnormal sound monitoring section checks for abnormality in a sound field and outputs a monitoring result. The processing section searches for a microphone array near the sound source to be monitored. The processing section selects a sound field monitoring function for the sound source to be monitored based on various data concerning a microphone belonging to the searched microphone array.

Abstract: There is a tendency of the intensity and the shape of a spectrum to be measured transitioning with the passage of measured time, depending on the volatility and the reactivity of a component. A mass spectrometric system includes: a mass spectrometric unit that measures a specimen and outputs a mass spectrum; and an estimator that has an estimation rule on content information, the estimation rule being assigned to each component and each measurement time. The estimator estimates, based on a mass spectrum output from the mass spectrometric unit, content information on each component of a plurality of components that may be contained in the specimen in accordance with the estimation rule.

Abstract: Provided is a voice communication device for carrying out voice communication among a plurality of locations, including: a sound source direction identification block for identifying a direction of a sound source; a voice sender block for sending the collected voice to a different location; a voice receiver block for receiving a voice from a different location; a player block for playing the received voice; a playing information setting block for setting playing information for the voice being played; a speaker volume storage block for acquiring the direction of the sound source for which the playing information is set from the sound source direction identification block and storing the direction of the sound source in association with the playing information; and a voice manipulating block for acquiring the playing information corresponding to the direction of the sound source of the voice and manipulating the voice based on the playing information.

Abstract: A mass spectrometry system is mounted with (1) an action planning module for determining a measurement schedule provided by a combination of an MS analysis and an MSn analysis (where n?2) according to a measuring time provided previously; and (2) a mass spectrometry unit having a tandem mass spectrometry function for outputting a mass spectrum obtained by performing each measurement action constructing the measurement schedule.

Abstract: The sound acquisition apparatus broadcasts a sound “output notice request” through a communication network. In response to the request by the sound acquisition apparatus, the sound output apparatus gives notification of starting a sound output operation, the sound acquisition apparatus requests the sound output apparatus to transfer “output sound data”. The sound output apparatus then transfers “output sound data” representing the sound outputted by its own speaker to the sound acquisition apparatus in response to this request. The sound acquisition apparatus then suppresses a noise component from sound data acquired through a microphone using the transferred “output sound data”.

Abstract: An acoustic echo canceller system having a filter with high suppression performance of acoustic echo, generated by using microphone array having a plurality of microphone elements, judging a band where only a speaker sound is present, based on phase difference among microphones, and carrying out adaptation of an adaptive filter for only such a band.

Abstract: Monitoring accuracy degrades due to a noise in an environment where there are many sound sources other than those to be monitored. Easy initialization is required for an environment where many apparatuses operate. A sound monitoring system includes a microphone array having multiple microphones and a location-based abnormal sound monitoring section as a processing section. The location-based abnormal sound monitoring section is supplied with an input signal from the microphone array via a waveform acquisition section and a network. Using the input signal, the location-based abnormal sound monitoring section detects a temporal change in a sound source direction histogram. Based on a detected change result, the location-based abnormal sound monitoring section checks for abnormality in a sound field and outputs a monitoring result. The processing section searches for a microphone array near the sound source to be monitored.

Abstract: A portable terminal device can extrapolate the position of a sound source in the thicknesswise direction regardless of the use style. A slide type portable terminal has an upper casing, a lower casing, and a coupling part that couples the casings in such a way that their positional relation is changeable. The upper casing has a plurality of first microphones, and the lower casing has a second microphone. In a handhold style, one of the first microphones and the second microphone are lined in the thicknesswise direction of the cellular phone. As the upper casing is slid, the other one of the first microphones and the second microphone are lined in the thicknesswise direction of the cellular phone. The position of a sound source in the thicknesswise direction can be extrapolated from output signals of a formed microphone array in the thicknesswise direction.

Abstract: Collecting the sound while rotating at least one or more microphone around a rotational axis, the filter processing is carried out in accordance with the positional information of the microphone at each point.

Abstract: There is disclosed an acoustic pointing device that is capable of performing pointing manipulation without putting any auxiliary equipment on a desk.

Abstract: A portable terminal device can extrapolate the position of a sound source in the thicknesswise direction regardless of the use style. A slide type portable terminal has an upper casing, a lower casing, and a coupling part that couples the casings in such a way that their positional relation is changeable. The upper casing has a plurality of first microphones, and the lower casing has a second microphone. In a handhold style, one of the first microphones and the second microphone are lined in the thicknesswise direction of the cellular phone, As the upper casing is slid, the other one of the first microphones and the second microphone are lined in the thicknesswise direction of the cellular phone. The position of a sound source in the thicknesswise direction can be extrapolated from output signals of a formed microphone array in the thicknesswise direction.

Abstract: The sound acquisition apparatus broadcasts a sound “output notice request” through a communication network. In response to the request by the sound acquisition apparatus, the sound output apparatus gives notification of starting a sound output operation, the sound acquisition apparatus requests the sound output apparatus to transfer “output sound data”. The sound output apparatus then transfers “output sound data” representing the sound outputted by its own speaker to the sound acquisition apparatus in response to this request. The sound acquisition apparatus then suppresses a noise component from sound data acquired through a microphone using the transferred “output sound data”.

Abstract: Provided is a voice communication device for carrying out voice communication among a plurality of locations, including: a sound source direction identification block for identifying a direction of a sound source; a voice sender block for sending the collected voice to a different location; a voice receiver block for receiving a voice from a different location; a player block for playing the received voice; a playing information setting block for setting playing information for the voice being played; a speaker volume storage block for acquiring the direction of the sound source for which the playing information is set from the sound source direction identification block and storing the direction of the sound source in association with the playing information; and a voice manipulating block for acquiring the playing information corresponding to the direction of the sound source of the voice and manipulating the voice based on the playing information.

Abstract: An acoustic echo canceller system having a filter with high suppression performance of acoustic echo, generated by using microphone array having a plurality of microphone elements, judging a band where only a speaker sound is present, based on phase difference among microphones, and carrying out adaptation of an adaptive filter for only such a band.

Abstract: In a device for sensing and informing danger which is held by a person to be protected without requiring any active actions from the person to be protected, the number of false reports and miss-detections is reduced. A function of comparing the audio signals acquired from the microphone with the audio signal model of the person to be protected that has been stored inside, and a function of calculating the degree of danger from the speech intervals from the person to be protected and the speech intervals from the person not to be protected are provided in the device.

Abstract: Conventional independent component analysis has had a problem that performance deteriorates when the number of sound sources exceeds the number of microphones. Conventional l1 norm minimization method assumes that noises other than sound sources do not exist, and is problematic in that performance deteriorates in environments in which noises other than voices such as echoes and reverberations exist. The present invention considers the power of a noise component as a cost function in addition to an l1 norm used as a cost function when the l1 norm minimization method separates sounds. In the l1 norm minimization method, a cost function is defined on the assumption that voice has no relation to a time direction. However, in the present invention, a cost function is defined on the assumption that voice has a relation to a time direction, and because of its construction, a solution having a relation to a time direction is easily selected.

Abstract: Collecting the sound while rotating at least one or more microphone around a rotational axis, the filter processing is carried out in accordance with the positional information of the microphone at each point.