JPH09130885A - Headphones with automatic volume control - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) An object of the present invention is to provide headphones with an automatic volume control function, which has a function of automatically adjusting the volume of a signal input to the headphones according to the noise level around the headphones. It is an issue. SOLUTION: The headphones of the present invention include noise detecting means for detecting noise around the headphones, delay means for delaying noise detected by the noise detecting means, and delay time setting means for setting a delay time of the delay means. A sound volume comparing means for comparing the noise sent from the noise detecting means with the noise delayed by the delay means, a sound volume adjusting means for controlling the sound volume of the input sound signal based on the comparison result of the sound volume comparing means 7, and a tone generating device. And a headphone input means for inputting the tone signal from the headphone input means, and the volume of the input sound signal input from the headphone input means is controlled based on the control signal from the volume comparison means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to headphones with an automatic volume control function that can automatically adjust the volume of an input sound signal according to the level of ambient noise.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Since the volume of conventional headphones has been manually adjusted, when the headphones are hard to hear due to noise around the headphones or the volume is too high, the user himself / herself each time. It was inconvenient to adjust the volume.

Particularly when a player of a musical instrument uses headphones, the performance must be temporarily interrupted in order to adjust the volume, and it is difficult to use and improvement is required.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an automatic volume control function that automatically adjusts the volume of a signal input to the headphones depending on the noise level around the headphones. An object is to provide headphones with an adjusting function.

[0005]

A headphone according to the present invention comprises a noise detecting means 1 for detecting noise around the headphone.
A delay means 5 for delaying the noise detected by the noise detecting means 1, a delay time setting means 6 for setting the delay time of the delay means 5, a noise sent from the noise detecting means 1, and the delay Volume comparison means 7 for comparing the noises delayed by the means 5, volume adjustment means 8 for controlling the volume of the input sound signal based on the comparison result of the volume comparison means 7, and headphones for inputting the musical sound from the musical sound generator. Input means 2,
And the volume of the input sound signal input from the headphone input means 2 is controlled based on the control signal from the volume comparison means 7.

Further, the headphone according to the present invention is provided with the phase inverting means 3 and the voice synthesizing means 4 between the headphone input means 2 and the delay means 5 so that a part of the signal input from the headphone input means 2 is The phase inverting means 3 inverts the phase, and the voice synthesizing means 4 adds the inverted signal to the signal detected by the noise detecting means 1 to remove the influence of the input sound signal leaked from the headphones. It is characterized by

[0007]

According to the present invention, the function of controlling the volume of the input sound signal according to the level of ambient noise is built in the pad portion of the headphone, and the user can simply set the delay time and the volume difference from the noise. With such an operation, it is possible to always maintain a volume that is easy to hear regardless of the surrounding noise level.

Therefore, the noise detected by the noise detecting means 1 is sent to the volume comparing means 7, and a part of the noise is taken in and stored by the delaying means 5. The volume comparison means 7 is
The noise sent from the noise detection means 1 and the noise sent from the delay means 5 with a predetermined delay time are compared, a sound volume control value is determined based on the sound volume difference, and this is sent to the sound volume adjustment means 8. .

As a result, the volume control means 8 controls the volume of the signal sent from the headphone input means 2 to produce a sound. Therefore, the signal sent from the headphone input means 2 is always controlled to the optimum volume according to the change in the ambient noise, and the user does not need to operate according to the change in the noise, and the volume is easy to hear. You can listen to it at.

Further, in the above invention, the voice synthesizing means 4 is provided between the noise detecting means 1 and the delaying means 5, and the phase inverting means 3 is provided between the voice synthesizing means 4 and the headphone input means 2 and the headphone. A part of the signal input to the input means 2 is taken into the phase inverting means 3 and the phase inverting means 3
The signal whose phase has been inverted by is sent to the voice synthesizing means 4.

The voice synthesizing means 4 synthesizes the noise detected by the noise detecting means 1 and the signal whose phase has been inverted by the phase inverting means 3 to remove the input sound signal leaked from the headphone speaker 9 to remove the sound. It is sent to the comparison means 7 and the delay means 5.

Thus, the headphone input sound signal leaked from the headphone speaker 9 and detected by the noise detecting means 1 is removed by the voice synthesizing means 4. Therefore, since the volume of the headphone input sound signal is large, the noise becomes large, and it is possible to prevent an adverse effect that the volume adjusting means 8 controls to a louder sound.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a headphone with an automatic sound volume adjusting function which is easier to listen because it is controlled based on the ambient noise without being influenced by the headphone input sound signal.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the configuration and operation of volume control which is configured on a substrate 20 of headphones with an automatic volume control function according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This control circuit is constructed in an extremely small size using an LSI or the like and is mounted on the substrate 20. This will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a noise detecting section including a sensor for detecting noise around the headphone speaker 9. The noise detected by the noise detecting unit 1 is sent to the volume comparing unit 7. At that time, a part of the noise signal is taken into the delay circuit 5.

The headphone input section 2 is a section for receiving voice signals from a musical tone generating device such as an electronic musical instrument into the headphones. The audio signal input to the headphone input section 2 is sent to the volume control section 8.

The delay circuit 5 is for generating reference data as a reference for comparison for detecting the amount of change in noise with time. Therefore, the delay circuit 5 is composed of, for example, a resistor and a capacitor, and delays a part of the noise detected by the noise detector 1 by a predetermined time and sends it to the volume comparator 7.

Therefore, the delay circuit 5 has a memory 11, and a part of the detected noise is temporarily stored in the memory 11. Then, the signal data stored in the memory 11 is read by the delay circuit 5 at a predetermined timing and sent to one terminal of the volume comparison unit 7.

The volume comparing unit 7 compares the noise sent from the noise detecting unit 1 with the noise sent by the delay circuit 5 with a predetermined delay, detects the amount of change in the noise, and detects the amount of change. The control value of the volume adjusting section 8 is determined based on the above and sent to the volume adjusting section 8.

The volume controller 8 receives the control value and controls the volume. As a result, the volume output from the volume controller 8 is controlled according to the change in noise and sent to the headphone speaker 9.

Therefore, since the sound output from the headphone speaker 9 is always output with a constant volume difference from the noise, it is possible to provide headphones that are easy to hear.

The delay time setting switch 6 is a switch for setting how long before it should be compared with the sound produced when detecting the amount of change in noise, the delay circuit 5
Are controlled at the timing set by the delay time setting switch 6.

The volume difference setting switch 12 is composed of, for example, a variable resistor and sets a difference between noise and an input sound signal. The volume difference setting switch 12 is operated before or during use of the headphones according to the present invention. By doing so, the volume difference is set to be easy to listen to, and then the volume difference is maintained and sound is produced.

The headphone speaker 9 converts an analog musical tone signal as an electric signal sent from the volume adjusting section 8 into an acoustic signal.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the second embodiment of the present invention. Only parts different from the first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a phase inverting section for generating a signal for removing an input sound signal contained in noise leaking from the headphones, and for inverting the phase of the input sound signal input to the headphones. . The signal inverted by the phase inversion unit 3 is sent to the voice synthesis unit 4.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a voice synthesizing unit for adding and synthesizing the noise signal sent from the noise detecting unit 1 and the input sound signal with the inverted phase sent from the phase inverting unit 3. That is, the input signal component is removed by adding the input signal whose phase is inverted to the input sound signal taken in by the leakage noise detector 1 from the headphone speaker 9.

As a result, the input sound signal component leaked from the headphone speaker 9 and detected by the noise detecting section 1 is removed. Therefore, when the volume of the input sound signal becomes high, the noise detecting section 1 outputs the increased sound. It is possible to avoid a vicious circle of detecting and further increasing the volume output from the headphone speaker 9.

By this processing, the signal taken out becomes a noise signal that does not include the sound leaked from the headphones. Therefore, the volume comparison unit 7 described above should compare noise signals around the headphones that do not include the input sound signal. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sound of the headphone speaker 9 from becoming infinitely loud as described above.

As described above, according to the present invention, the phase inversion unit 3
With the simple structure in which the voice synthesizing unit 4 is provided, the influence of the input sound signal can be avoided, the control can be performed only based on the noise around the headphone speaker 9, and it is possible to always secure a volume that is easy to listen to.

FIG. 3 is an external view showing an example of the configuration of headphones with an automatic volume control function of the present invention. 1 in the figure
Is a sensor that constitutes a noise detection unit, 6 is a delay time setting switch, 10 is a pad case, 12 is a volume difference setting switch, and 20 is a board in which the automatic volume controller according to the present invention is attached and is incorporated in the pad Is.

A sensor for taking in the noise of the noise detector 1, a delay time setting switch 6, and a volume difference setting switch 12 are provided on either the left or right pad case 10. The sensors may be attached to both the left and right sides.

The delay time setting switch 6 is for setting the timing for taking in the sound that serves as a reference for detecting the amount of change in noise, and the noise detected by the noise detecting section 1 is set by the delay time setting switch 6. The amount of change is determined in comparison with the noise captured only time ago.

The volume difference setting switch 12 is a switch for setting the volume difference between the noise easily heard by the user and the input sound. The volume difference setting switch 12 is operated before the start of use or during use.

The substrate 20 is a very small printed circuit board having the automatic volume control function according to the present invention. A recess is formed at the approximate center of the pad portion, and the substrate 20 having the automatic volume control function is installed in the recess. It is mounted as illustrated in the figure. A speaker (not shown) is also arranged on this pad.

In this embodiment, the description has been given of the case where the sensor, the volume comparison unit 7 and the like are provided in the pad portion of the headphone, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sensor, the volume comparison unit 7, various switches, or the like may be provided in another part that is easy to operate, such as a chest box, to control the headphones.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention, the volume of the headphone speaker is caught by the sensor and automatically controlled according to the change of the ambient noise, so that the user does not have to manually adjust the volume. It is possible to provide headphones that are easy to use.

Furthermore, by adding a signal obtained by inverting the phase of the input sound signal to the noise, the noise detected by the noise detecting section is not affected by the input sound and is controlled based on the noise around the headphones. The optimum volume can always be secured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment of headphones with an automatic volume control function according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of headphones with an automatic volume control function according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an external view of headphones with an automatic volume control function according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Noise Detector (Noise Detector) 2 Headphone Input (Headphone Input) 3 Phase Inverter (Phase Inverter) 4 Speech Synthesizer (Speech Synthesizer) 5 Delay Circuit (Delayer) 6 Delay Time Setting Switch (Delay) Time setting means) 7 Volume comparison section (volume comparison means) 8 Volume control section (volume control means) 9 Headphone speaker 10 Pad case 11 Memory 12 Volume difference setting switch 20 Board

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A noise detection means for detecting noise around headphones, a delay means for delaying noise detected by the noise detection means, a delay time setting means for setting a delay time of the delay means, and the noise detection. Volume comparison means for comparing the noise sent from the means with the noise delayed by the delay means, volume control means for controlling the volume of the input sound based on the comparison result of the volume comparison means, and the tone generation device. Headphone input means for inputting a musical sound, wherein the volume of the input sound input from the headphone input means is controlled based on a control signal from the volume comparison means. . 2. A phase inverting means and a voice synthesizing means are provided between the headphone input means and the delay means, and a part of the signal input from the headphone input means is inverted in phase by the phase inverting means and is inverted. The automatic volume control function according to claim 1, wherein the effect of the input sound signal leaked from the headphones is removed by adding the generated signal to the signal detected by the noise detection means by the voice synthesis means. With headphones.