Abstract: There is provided a copying system for copying information recorded on a first recording medium onto a second recording medium. The first recording medium is recorded with copying control information for representing conditions for permitting copying of the information recorded on the first recording medium, the copying control information being multiplexed within the information recorded on the first recording medium.

Abstract: An audio signal compression apparatus for compressively coding an input audio signal comprises a time-to-frequency transformation unit for transforming the input audio signal to a frequency domain signal; a spectrum envelope calculation unit for calculating a spectrum envelope having different resolutions for different frequencies, from the input audio signal, using a weighting function on frequency based on human auditory characteristics; a normalization unit for normalizing the frequency domain signal using the spectrum envelope to obtain a residual signal; a power normalization unit for normalizing the residual signal by the power; an auditory weighting calculation unit for calculating weighting coefficients on frequency, based on the spectrum of the input audio signal and human auditory characteristics; and a multi-stage quantization device having plural stages of vector quantizers connected in series, to which the normalized residual signal is input, and at least one of the vector quantizers quantizing t

Abstract: A distortion removal apparatus connected between a signal source and a signal input section of a distortion-generating system, for processing a signal output from the signal source so as to compensate for a distortion component generated in the system is provided. The distortion removal apparatus includes a frame division section for dividing a signal output from the signal source into data streams having a length of N while causing the data streams to partially overlap with one another; a Fourier transform section for performing Fourier transform of the data streams obtained by the frame division section in a time domain into a signal in a frequency domain; a memory section for storing N samples of first coefficients and N×N samples of second coefficients in the frequency domain.

Abstract: An audio signal processor, audio player, audio distribution system and the method thereof which permit sample playback and are applicable to uncompressed audio contents, and wherein the sound quality is possible to control per frequency band.

Abstract: An audio signal compression apparatus for compressively coding an input audio signal comprises a time-to-frequency transformation unit for transforming the input audio signal to a frequency domain signal; a spectrum envelope calculation unit for calculating a spectrum envelope having different resolutions for different frequencies, from the input audio signal, using a weighting function on frequency based on human auditory characteristics; a normalization unit for normalizing the frequency domain signal using the spectrum envelope to obtain a residual signal; a power normalization unit for normalizing the residual signal by the power; an auditory weighting calculation unit for calculating weighting coefficients on frequency, based on the spectrum of the input audio signal and human auditory characteristics; and a multi-stage quantization means having plural stages of vector quantizers connected in series, to which the normalized residual signal is input, and at least one of the vector quantizers quantizing th

Abstract: An audio signal compression apparatus for compressively coding an input audio signal comprises a time-to-frequency transformation unit for transforming the input audio signal to a frequency domain signal; a spectrum envelope calculation unit for calculating a spectrum envelope having different resolutions for different frequencies, from the input audio signal, using a weighting function on frequency based on human auditory characteristics; a normalization unit for normalizing the frequency domain signal using the spectrum envelope to obtain a residual signal; a power normalization unit for normalizing the residual signal by the power; an auditory weighting calculation unit for calculating weighting coefficients on frequency, based on the spectrum of the input audio signal and human auditory characteristics; and a multi-stage quantization device having plural stages of vector quantizers connected in series, to which the normalized residual signal is input, and at least one of the vector quantizers quantizing t

Abstract: The apparatus of the invention calculates filter coefficients for controlling sound field and sound image, based on a plurality of first impulse response signals and a pair of second impulse response signals. The plurality of first impulse response signals indicate impulse responses from loudspeakers reproducing audio signals to both ears of a listener. The pair of second impulse response signals indicate impulse responses from a reference loudspeaker at a position at which a sound image is localized to both ears of the listener.

Abstract: A sound quality control system according to the present invention precisely and swiftly realizes a sound quality that is desired by a listener, by controlling sound quality based on quantitative counter model between the psychological characteristic and the physical characteristic of a sound reproduction apparatus. A quantitative counter model between the physical characteristic of a sound reproduction apparatus and a plurality of the psychological quantities upon hearing a sound therefrom is constituted for each respective psychological quantity. Based on the quantitative counter model, a desired sound quality is input to a compensation characteristics extractor, and a compensation characteristic that realizes the desired sound quality is extracted. The compensation characteristic is sent to a signal processor; and an audio signal input is processed according to the compensation characteristic, and amplified to be reproduced by a loudspeaker.

Abstract: The apparatus of the invention calculates filter coefficients for controlling sound field and sound image, based on a plurality of first impulse response signals and a pair of second impulse response signals. The plurality of first impulse response signals indicate impulse responses from loudspeakers reproducing audio signals to both ears of a listener. The pair of second impulse response signals indicate impulse responses from a reference loudspeaker at a position at which a sound image is localized to both ears of the listener.

Abstract: A sound reproduction system for automatically conducting a tone control for an audio signal according to the present invention includes: an input terminal for inputting an audio signal; a judgment circuit for determining a ratio between a stereophonic signal component and a monophonic signal component of the input audio signal and for outputting a judgment signal; a signal processing section for receiving the input audio signal and processing the input audio signal so as to generate an output signal having uniform transmission characteristics irrespective of the listening position; an adder for receiving the input audio signal and the output signal and for adding the input audio signal with the output signal at a certain addition ratio based on the judgment signal so as to generate an added signal; and a loudspeaker for receiving the added signal and for reproducing the added signal in a plurality of positions.

Abstract: A sound signal picked-up by a microphone is processed in a howl suppresser including a digital filter. A frequency analyzer performs frequency analysis of the picked-up sound signal. A howl detector detects a howl contained in the sound signal from a result of frequency analysis by the frequency analyzer. A coefficient calculator calculates coefficients to be input to the digital filter to suppress the howl according to a detection result by the howl detector, and a controller inputs the calculated coefficients to the digital filter. The howl detector judges that a maximum peak power level among power levels of the sound signal in a frequency region analyzed by the frequency analyzer is a howl component when a ratio of the maximum peak power level to a mean power level of the sound signal is larger than a predetermined threshold level, preferably for a predetermined threshold time.

Abstract: A sound field controller for generating apparent sound sources by adjusting the amplitude and delay time of a sound signal so that the sound will be perceived by plural listeners as sound coming from a location separated from the specific location of the front speakers, and for additionally controlling the effect of the apparent sound sources by evaluating the attributes of the source sound signal.

Abstract: A music/voice discriminating apparatus is composed of a signal processing portion for effecting the signal processing upon input acoustic signals, a music/voice deciding portion for discriminating whether the input acoustic signals are music or voice, a first signal processing portion for optimally setting acoustic parameters for the signal processing respectively for music or voice, and a second signal processing portion for controlling the acoustic parameters of the first signal processing portion in accordance with the decision results of the music/voice deciding portion so that it may become a desirable value set in the second parameter setting portion.

Abstract: A sound field is generated responsive to direct sound picked up by a direct-sound collecting microphone and indirect-sound picked up by an indirect-sound collecting microphone. Respective processing circuits are provided for signal processing the sound signals of the direct-sound collecting microphone and the indirect-sound collecting microphone. An adaptive filter is provided having a transfer function equal to a transfer function from a reproducing speaker to the indirect-sound collecting microphone. The output of the signal processing circuit associated with the indirect-sound collecting microphone is filtered by the adaptive filter, and the output of the adaptive filter is subtracted from the output of the indirect-sound collecting microphone. The output of the subtractor is then applied to the signal processing circuit associated with the indirect-sound collecting microphone for signal processing.

Abstract: Control codes for controlling processing of an audio signal by a sound field variation circuit to produce desired sound fields are recorded on a monaural track of a video tape concurrent with recording of video and audio signals, and can thereby be subsequently played back for producing sound fields which are respectively synchronized with video images.

Abstract: A reflection sound compression apparatus extracts and compresses, most appropriately with a physical evaluation value, an impulse response of a hall, etc. which is obtained by calculation and actual experiments to reflection sounds in a number required by a sound field controller by using a learning identification method.

Abstract: In the process of forming the effect sound for reproducing a sound field, a down-sampling part for reducing the sampling frequency of the digital signal is disposed before the step of the digital operation which becomes the central part of the forming process, by which a large amount of operation processing is carried out at a low sampling rate. With respect to the direct sound, processing such as gain adjustment is carried out without decreasing the sampling frequency. This results in a sound field control system which permits one to realize a higher quality and natural sound field control effect without significantly increasing the amount of hardware needed.

Abstract: A sound field switcher inputs an output sound field signal from a sound field producer. The inputted sound field signal is delayed sequentially by plural delayers, after which they are multiplied by coefficients by plural multipliers, and the multiplied results are all added by an adder. Coefficients stored in an area of a memory indicated by a coefficient counter are read out and set to the plural multipliers. The sound field switcher carries out control of the timing for switching the sound field signal produced by the sound field producer and the timing for the coefficient counter to commence counting. Assuming the time required for switching the sound field to be N sampling periods, in case of carrying out a sound field switching from a sound field A to a sound field B, a sound field switching controller issues an order to the coefficient counter so as to count up one by one from 0 to N, and on each count the coefficients stored in an area of the coefficient memory is set to the multipliers.

Abstract: A speaker which is thin but which is capable of providing high-fidelity reproduction and ensuring a suitable level of sound pressure even when it is brought close to a wall. A closed chamber is formed behind one part of a disphragm mounted in an enclosure, and an open chamber is formed behind another part of the diaphragm. At least one voice coil driver unit is connected to the diaphragm. The phase difference between sounds radiated from the front and rear surfaces of the diaphragm is increased as large as possible by using an acoustic duct for the sound radiated through the open chamber, thereby minimizing cancellation of sounds and improving the sound pressure level.

Abstract: An apparatus for changing a sound field, comprising at least two signal processing means, which can smoothly and continuously switch a sound field into an arbitrary sound field without a break of signals by alternately switching one of the signal processing means into the other.