Patents by Inventor Toru AIKAWA

Toru AIKAWA 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: 11303755
    Abstract: A conference system, capable of reliably managing a connection state of a discussion unit and a control unit and continuously acquiring information from the discussion unit when a connection abnormality occurs, is provided. A conference system S includes a control unit 1 and a discussion unit 2, a running packet is repeatedly transmitted and received between both units, the running packet includes a counter flag, the control unit includes a CU communication portion 11, a CU storage portion 13, and a CU control portion 16, the discussion unit includes a DU control portion 26, the DU control portion increments the count value of the counter flag, and each time the running packet is received from the discussion unit, the CU control portion compares a count value stored in the CU storage portion and the count value of the counter flag included in the running packet received from the discussion unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: AUDIO-TECHNICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Onizuka, Toru Aikawa
  • Patent number: 11227618
    Abstract: A sound signal processing device, a sound signal processing method, and a sound signal processing program can remove echo signals included in input signals from a plurality of microphones with a simple circuit configuration are provided. The present device 1 includes an output part 20 that outputs a reception signal s2, an input part 30 that combines signals input from each of a plurality of microphones 3 and generates a transmission signal s4, wherein the microphones 3 collect an echo component of the reception signal and voice of a speaker and generate an echo signal es corresponding to the echo component and a sound signal s1 corresponding to the voice of the speaker, a removal signal generator 70 that generates a removal signal s5 removing the echo signal included in the transmission signal based on a filter coefficient F, a controller 50 that calculates the filter coefficient, and a removal part 80 that generates an echo removal signal s6 based on the transmission signal and the removal signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: AUDIO-TECHNICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Onizuka, Toru Aikawa, Yasuhito Kikuhara, Yuri Jitsukata
  • Patent number: 10971169
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sound signal processing device that precisely detects various kinds of noises and that does not block output of voice signals even when detecting noise during the output of the voice signals. The sound signal processing device according to the present invention comprises: an input part 10; an input signal determination part 20 that determines whether an input signal from the input part is present; a noise detection part 30 that detects noise included in the input signal from the input part; an output part 80 that outputs the input signal as an output signal; an output switching part 52 that performs switching between an output state in which the output part outputs the output signal and a non-output state in which the output part does not output the output signal; and a control part 60 that controls the switching performed by the output switching part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Audio-Technica Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhito Kikuhara, Toru Aikawa, Yuri Jitsukata
  • Publication number: 20200396338
    Abstract: A conference system, capable of reliably managing a connection state of a discussion unit and a control unit and continuously acquiring information from the discussion unit when a connection abnormality occurs, is provided. A conference system S includes a control unit 1 and a discussion unit 2, a running packet is repeatedly transmitted and received between both units, the running packet includes a counter flag, the control unit includes a CU communication portion 11, a CU storage portion 13, and a CU control portion 16, the discussion unit includes a DU control portion 26, the DU control portion increments the count value of the counter flag, and each time the running packet is received from the discussion unit, the CU control portion compares a count value stored in the CU storage portion and the count value of the counter flag included in the running packet received from the discussion unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Onizuka, Toru Aikawa
  • Patent number: 10791156
    Abstract: A stable conference system, which is reduced in the processing load placed on the system and receives a speech request from a discussion unit reliably, is be provided. A conference system S includes a control unit 1 and a discussion unit 2, a running packet is repeatedly transmitted and received between both units, the discussion unit includes a DU control portion 26, and a DU communication portion 21, the control unit includes a CU communication portion 11, and an audio slot, the DU control portion adds a request flag to the running packet, the audio slot receives audio information from the discussion unit, and when the running packet, with the request flag added, is received from the discussion unit, the CU communication portion transmits a content acquisition packet, carrying an acquisition command to acquire a content, to the discussion unit, which added the request flag, if the audio slot is vacant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Audio-Technica Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Onizuka, Yasuhito Kikuhara, Toru Aikawa
  • Patent number: 10666809
    Abstract: A conference system, capable of reliably managing a connection state of a discussion unit and a control unit and continuously acquiring information from the discussion unit when a connection abnormality occurs, is provided. A conference system S includes a control unit 1 and a discussion unit 2, a running packet is repeatedly transmitted and received between both units, the running packet includes a counter flag, the control unit includes a CU communication portion 11, a CU storage portion 13, and a CU control portion 16, the discussion unit includes a DU control portion 26, the DU control portion increments the count value of the counter flag, and each time the running packet is received from the discussion unit, the CU control portion compares a count value stored in the CU storage portion and the count value of the counter flag included in the running packet received from the discussion unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Audio-Technica Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Onizuka, Toru Aikawa
  • Publication number: 20200152218
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sound signal processing device that precisely detects various kinds of noises and that does not block output of voice signals even when detecting noise during the output of the voice signals. The sound signal processing device according to the present invention comprises: an input part 10; an input signal determination part 20 that determines whether an input signal from the input part is present; a noise detection part 30 that detects noise included in the input signal from the input part; an output part 80 that outputs the input signal as an output signal; an output switching part 52 that performs switching between an output state in which the output part outputs the output signal and a non-output state in which the output part does not output the output signal; and a control part 60 that controls the switching performed by the output switching part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Yasuhito KIKUHARA, Toru AIKAWA, Yuri JITSUKATA
  • Publication number: 20200105289
    Abstract: A sound signal processing device, a sound signal processing method, and a sound signal processing program can remove echo signals included in input signals from a plurality of microphones with a simple circuit configuration are provided. The present device 1 includes an output part 20 that outputs a reception signal s2, an input part 30 that combines signals input from each of a plurality of microphones 3 and generates a transmission signal s4, wherein the microphones 3 collect an echo component of the reception signal and voice of a speaker and generate an echo signal es corresponding to the echo component and a sound signal s1 corresponding to the voice of the speaker, a removal signal generator 70 that generates a removal signal s5 removing the echo signal included in the transmission signal based on a filter coefficient F, a controller 50 that calculates the filter coefficient, and a removal part 80 that generates an echo removal signal s6 based on the transmission signal and the removal signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Kazuhiro ONIZUKA, Toru AIKAWA, Yasuhito KIKUHARA, Yuri JITSUKATA
  • Patent number: 10157603
    Abstract: A noise detector and a sound signal output device are provided that can detect high accuracy various types of noise including composite noise. The noise detector (30) for detecting noise contained in an input signal (s1) includes a noise discrimination portion having a plurality of discrimination portions to which an input signal is input and a noise determination portion (35) determining noise based on individual discrimination results of the plurality of discrimination portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: AUDIO-TECHNICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhito Kikuhara, Kazuhiro Onizuka, Toru Aikawa
  • Publication number: 20180220004
    Abstract: A conference system, capable of reliably managing a connection state of a discussion unit and a control unit and continuously acquiring information from the discussion unit when a connection abnormality occurs, is provided. A conference system S includes a control unit 1 and a discussion unit 2, a running packet is repeatedly transmitted and received between both units, the running packet includes a counter flag, the control unit includes a CU communication portion 11, a CU storage portion 13, and a CU control portion 16, the discussion unit includes a DU control portion 26, the DU control portion increments the count value of the counter flag, and each time the running packet is received from the discussion unit, the CU control portion compares a count value stored in the CU storage portion and the count value of the counter flag included in the running packet received from the discussion unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: Audio-Technica Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro ONIZUKA, Toru AIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20180197525
    Abstract: A noise detector and a sound signal output device are provided that can detect high accuracy various types of noise including composite noise. The noise detector (30) for detecting noise contained in an input signal (s1) includes a noise discrimination portion having a plurality of discrimination portions to which an input signal is input and a noise determination portion (35) determining noise based on individual discrimination results of the plurality of discrimination portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: Yasuhito KIKUHARA, Kazuhiro ONIZUKA, Toru AIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20180183842
    Abstract: A stable conference system, which is reduced in the processing load placed on the system and receives a speech request from a discussion unit reliably, is be provided. A conference system S includes a control unit 1 and a discussion unit 2, a running packet is repeatedly transmitted and received between both units, the discussion unit includes a DU control portion 26, and a DU communication portion 21, the control unit includes a CU communication portion 11, and an audio slot, the DU control portion adds a request flag to the running packet, the audio slot receives audio information from the discussion unit, and when the running packet, with the request flag added, is received from the discussion unit, the CU communication portion transmits a content acquisition packet, carrying an acquisition command to acquire a content, to the discussion unit, which added the request flag, if the audio slot is vacant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Kazuhiro ONIZUKA, Yasuhito KIKUHARA, Toru AIKAWA