US 11,758,337 B2
Audio processing apparatus
Shuji Miyasaka, Yokohama (JP)
Assigned to SOCIONEXT INC., Kanagawa (JP)
Filed by SOCIONEXT INC., Kanagawa (JP)
Filed on Oct. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/501,566.
Application 17/501,566 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2020/001552, filed on Jan. 17, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-081394 (JP), filed on Apr. 23, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0038831 A1, Feb. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. H04R 25/00 (2006.01); G10L 19/02 (2013.01); G10L 25/93 (2013.01)
CPC H04R 25/502 (2013.01) [G10L 19/02 (2013.01); G10L 25/93 (2013.01); H04R 25/353 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An audio processing apparatus, comprising:
a first microphone which converts a first sound to a first electric signal;
a preprocessor which extracts a voice-band signal from the first electric signal, and outputs a first output signal containing the voice-band signal;
a first controller which generates a first amplification coefficient to be multiplied with the first output signal to compress a dynamic range of an intensity of the first output signal, and generates a first modified amplification coefficient by smoothing the first amplification coefficient with a first time constant; and
a first multiplier which multiplies the first modified amplification coefficient and the first output signal, wherein:
the first time constant is a first rise time constant when the intensity of the first output signal increases, and is a first decay time constant when the intensity of the first output signal decreases,
the first rise time constant is greater than or equal to a temporal resolution of a sense of hearing of a hearing-impaired person, and is less than a duration time of a sound which induces recruitment in the hearing-impaired person, and
the first rise time constant is greater than the first decay time constant.