JP5590394B2 - Noise masking system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a noise masking system for radiating masking noise to a non-speech generation region arranged around a speech generation region.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a noise masking system that uses an auditory masking phenomenon to generate broadband noise and make it difficult to hear unnecessary sound information audibly (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In Patent Document 1, a voice of a conversation person is detected by a microphone, and a masking sound control unit mixes the voice of the conversation person detected by the microphone, and a frequency analyzer that measures a frequency spectrum of the mixed voice, A frequency analyzer that measures the frequency spectrum of the masking sound and background noise around the talker, and a frequency filter of the masking noise sound generator so that the frequency spectrum of the masking sound and background noise is the same as the frequency spectrum of the voice. A configuration is disclosed in which a minimum other sound that is controlled by a control circuit to be controlled and matched to the frequency spectrum of the voice of a conversation person is emitted from a speaker as a masking sound.

JP 2006-267174 A

However, the conventional noise masking system is always configured to generate masking noise, and even when masking noise is unnecessary, there is a drawback that the noise level is maintained at a high level by the masking noise. As a result, there is a problem that the amount of electricity consumption increases.
In addition, as masking noise, in general, it generates simple broadband noise and general voice frequency band noise, so to increase the masking effect, it is radiated at a volume higher than necessary. There was room for improvement.
Further, since a speaker having a wide directivity is generally used for generating masking noise, there is a problem that the masking noise is radiated to a portion where the masking noise is unnecessary.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and a noise masking system capable of exhibiting an excellent masking effect at a low cost by generating a minimum necessary masking noise at a necessary place when necessary. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, the noise masking system according to the present invention is a noise masking system used in a space having a sound generation region and a non-sound generation region arranged around the sound generation region. A position where a personal information database in which personal information associated with an ID held by the personal information is stored and which includes position information of a person in the sound generation area and the sound generation area, a seated person, and a seating time is detected. An information detection unit, a sound control unit that detects sound pressure level information composed of sounds generated from a plurality of persons in the sound generation region, calculates a masking noise generation level based on the sound pressure level information, position information, Frequency characteristics and non-sounds obtained by associating personal information databases and averaging the frequency characteristics corresponding to each person in the sound generation area An acoustic control unit that identifies a region that generates masking noise in the generation region and extracts it as a noise generation signal, and a noise generation control unit that generates masking noise based on the noise generation signal. A feature of the present invention is that a noise generation signal is extracted when a seating position and a seating time in the information satisfy a set criterion.

  In the present invention, in the position information detection unit, it is confirmed whether or not there is a person in the sound generation area and the non-voice generation area, and when a person is detected, the presence position, the seated person, and the seating time are detected. As a result, position information is accumulated. And only when the seating position and the seating time in the position information in the position information are set in the acoustic control unit, the frequency characteristics corresponding to each person in the sound generation region are obtained by averaging. Of the frequency characteristics and non-speech generation areas, an area that generates masking noise is identified and a noise generation signal is extracted, and the noise generation control unit targets masking noise having a suitable frequency characteristic according to the noise generation signal. It can radiate toward a non-sound generation region. Thereby, the person who is in the non-speech generation area can suppress the degree of hearing the sound generated in the sound generation area.

In this way, when there is no person in the non-sound generation area around the sound generation area, unnecessary masking noise is not radiated. The cost can be reduced.
Further, since the masking noise has a frequency characteristic corresponding to a plurality of persons in the voice generation area, it becomes a suitable level of masking noise, and can prevent unnecessary noise as in the conventional case.

  In the noise masking system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the acoustic control unit is provided with frequency characteristic data in which the frequency characteristics of each person are accumulated, and the magnitude of the masking noise is determined based on the frequency characteristic data. .

  In this case, by storing each person's voice data as frequency characteristic data in the acoustic control unit in advance, when the frequency characteristic is calculated by the acoustic control unit, a plurality of people who are in the voice generation region from the frequency characteristic data More preferable frequency characteristics can be calculated by extracting the frequency characteristics of the voice generators.

  According to the noise masking system of the present invention, the position information including the seated person, the seating position, and the seating time in the sound generation area and the non-sound generation area, and the sound pressure level information including the sound of the person in the sound generation area, By extracting the noise generation signal based on the above, it is possible to generate the minimum necessary masking noise at the necessary place when necessary. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the amount of electricity consumed due to the generation of masking noise, and the effect of obtaining an excellent masking effect at a low cost is achieved.

1 is a plan view of an office to which a noise masking system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is a schematic diagram which shows the outline | summary of a noise masking system. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement flow of a noise masking system.

Hereinafter, a noise masking system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the noise masking system 1 according to the present embodiment includes two meeting spaces L (L1, L2) forming a sound generation region and a plurality of non-sound generation regions adjacent to the meeting space L. It is applied to the office where the personal space S where the seats Pn (P1, P2,...) Are provided is arranged so that the person who is in the personal space S can hear the sound generated in the meeting space L. is there.
Here, an ID (personal number) for identifying each person is given to the person in the office, and this ID is always carried in the office.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the noise masking system 1 has a personal information database D1 in which personal information such as names associated with IDs of each person is stored, and the person in the meeting space L and the personal space S. A position information detection unit 2 that detects position information D2 including a seating position, a seated person, and a seating time; and sound pressure level information D3 that includes sounds generated from a plurality of people in the meeting space L. The voice control unit 3 for calculating the level of occurrence of masking noise based on the sound pressure level information D3, the positional information D2 and the personal information database D1 are associated, and the frequency characteristics corresponding to each person in the meeting space L are added and averaged The region that generates masking noise in the frequency characteristics and personal space S obtained in this way is specified and extracted as a noise generation signal N The sound control unit 4 and the noise generation control unit 5 that generates masking noise based on the noise generation signal N are provided. In the sound control unit 4, the seating position and the seating time in the position information D2 are set. The noise generation signal N is extracted when the standard is satisfied.

The acoustic control unit 4 is connected to each of the position information detection unit 2, the voice control unit 3, and the noise generation control unit 5 by wire or wirelessly so that signals and data can be transmitted and received.
The position information detection unit 2 and the acoustic control unit 4 are provided at appropriate positions, and the audio control unit 3 and the noise generation control unit 5 are provided in each of the meeting spaces L1 and L2.

  Reference numerals 6 and 7 shown in FIG. 2 indicate concentrators (hubs), respectively. The first hub 6 is connected to the sound control unit 4 while being connected to a plurality of sound control units 3, 3. The second hub 7 is connected to the acoustic control unit 4 via the first hub 6 and is connected to the plurality of noise generation control units 5, 5,. In FIG. 2, only one system of voice control unit 3 and one system of noise generation control unit 5 are shown.

  The position information detection unit 2 includes position information D2 necessary for control in the acoustic control unit 4, that is, a person (ID) present in the personal space S, identification of the seat Pn, and a person (ID) in the meeting space L It is a part for detecting and creating the identification of the position and the presence time based on the personal information database D1. The personal information database D1 stores information such as name, affiliation, and seat position corresponding to the ID in advance.

  More specifically, the position information detection unit 2 is provided with a reader 8 capable of reading the ID of a person who is present for each seat Pn and each meeting space L of the personal space S. The reader 8 is arranged so that the ID can always be detected. When the ID is detected and read, the position of the ID (seat Pn, meeting space L) is identified, and the time when the reading is started. And the time (attended time) are measured and accumulated as position information D2.

  The voice control unit 3 includes an amplifier 31, an AD converter 32, a display 33, a CPU 34, and the like, and further includes a sound environment monitoring microphone 9 that monitors the A characteristic sound pressure level in each meeting space L, and speaks there. A value obtained by detecting the voices of a plurality of persons (two or more) is set as sound pressure level information D3, and the sound pressure level information D3 is transmitted to the acoustic control unit 4 via the first hub 6. The voice control unit 3 is provided with a third determination unit F3. The third determination unit F3 is controlled to be turned on when a predetermined reference sound pressure level exceeds a predetermined time.

The acoustic control unit 4 includes a first determination unit F1 and a second determination unit F2, and can periodically access the position information detection unit 2 to check the position information D2.
In the first determination unit F1, the time transition of the position information D2 is constantly observed, and is turned on when it is detected that two or more people are staying in the meeting space L for a predetermined time. Be controlled.

Moreover, in the 2nd determination part F2, whether there is a person in the personal space S (seat Pn) arrange | positioned around the meeting space L in which the 1st determination part F1 is ON based on the said positional information D2. It is controlled so that it is turned on when it is present.
Note that a masking noise radiation target range (a personal space S to which masking noise should be emitted) corresponding to each meeting space L is set in advance.

The acoustic control unit 4 also includes a plurality of persons (IDs) who are present in the meeting space L when all of the first determination unit F1, the second determination unit F2, and the third determination unit F3 described above are turned on. A signal (noise generation signal N) that generates masking noise corresponding to the voice (sound pressure level) is transmitted to the noise generation control unit 5 via the hubs 6 and 7.
Here, the acoustic control unit 4 stores frequency characteristic data D4 in which a personal frequency characteristic obtained by reading a predetermined sentence or the like and a person (ID) are associated with each other.
The noise generation signal N described above is a calculated value obtained by extracting frequency characteristics corresponding to two or more persons (IDs) present in the meeting space L from the frequency characteristic data D4 and averaging the selected frequency characteristics. This is a signal for generating masking noise having frequency characteristics based on the calculated value.

  The noise generation control unit 5 controls a plurality of noise generation speakers 10, and a specific speaker 10 is selected according to the noise generation signal N received from the acoustic control unit 4 and masked by the speaker 10. Generate noise. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the speaker 10 is installed, for example, on the back side of the seat for each seat Pn of the personal space S. In the noise generation control unit 5, the selected speaker 10 is a person in the personal space S based on the position of the target meeting space L and the position of the seat Pn of the person who is present in the surrounding area. The speaker 10 is controlled to be selected so that masking noise is radiated only to (seat Pn).

Next, the operation of the noise masking system 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, first, in the position information detection unit 2, whether or not there is a person in the meeting space L and the personal space S is always confirmed by the reader 8, and when a person is detected, A seating position, a seated person, and a seating time are detected, and position information D2 is accumulated (step S1).

  That is, in the position information detection unit 2, when there is a person in the seat Pn of the personal space S, the ID carried by the person is within the detection range of the reader 8, so the ID is detected and associated with the ID. Is identified based on the personal information database D1, and the position of the seat is confirmed by the detected reader 8. Further, when there is a person in the meeting space L, the ID carried is within the detection range of the reader 8, so the ID is detected, and the name associated with the ID is identified based on the personal information database D1. Further, the position of the seat is confirmed by the detected reader 8. The detection start time at this time and the time transition from the start of detection are also recorded at the same time.

  The acoustic control unit 4 periodically accesses the position information detection unit 2, checks the position information D2 created in step S1 (step S2), and proceeds to the operation of step S3 based on the position information D2.

  In step S3, time transition in which two or more people are staying in the meeting space L in the position information D2 is constantly observed, and when the preset time is reached, the first determination unit F1 is turned on, The operation proceeds to S4 (step S3: YES).

  In step S4, it is determined by the position information D2 whether or not there is a person in the personal space S arranged around the meeting space L where the first determination unit F1 is ON. Is turned on (step S4: YES). In this step S4, the masking noise radiation target range (seat Pn to which masking noise is to be emitted) corresponding to the predetermined meeting space L is set in advance. For example, in FIG. 1, when sound is generated in the meeting space L1, it is determined whether or not there is a person in a preset masking noise emission target (here, seats P1 to P3, P5 to P7). Will be.

  In the voice control unit 3, the A characteristic sound pressure level generated in the meeting space L is constantly monitored by the sound environment monitoring microphone 9 installed therein (step S5). When the A characteristic sound pressure level exceeds a preset sound pressure level (for example, a sound pressure level of only air-conditioning noise) for a certain time (reference time), the third determination unit F3 is turned on. (Step S6: YES).

  Subsequently, when all of the first determination unit F1, the second determination unit F2, and the third determination unit F3 described above are turned on, the acoustic control unit 4 has a plurality of people ( A signal (noise generation signal N) for generating masking noise corresponding to the voice (sound pressure level) of ID) is transmitted to the noise generation control unit 5 (step S7). The noise generation signal N at this time is obtained by extracting the frequency characteristics corresponding to two or more persons present in the meeting space L from the frequency characteristic data D4 in the acoustic control unit 4, and adding and averaging these frequency characteristics. The noise of the frequency characteristic obtained by the above.

Next, in step S8, when the noise generation control unit 5 receives the noise generation signal N from the acoustic control unit 4, the masking noise target range extracted in step S4 based on the instruction content of the noise generation signal N is received. Masking noise is generated from a predetermined speaker 10 installed in the.
As a method for generating masking noise, for example, approximately +50 dB / 30 s can be adjusted as an initial setting for fading-in control when generated.

  Further, the generation level of the masking noise is determined in relation to the sound pressure level at the sound environment monitoring microphone 9. For example, a masking noise corresponding to the loudness of a person's voice is generated, such as when a person who speaks loudly makes a meeting, a large masking noise is produced, and a person with a small voice produces a small sound. It is controlled to let you.

  In addition, the acoustic control unit 4 stops the masking noise that is generated when any of the first determination unit F1, the second determination unit F2, and the third determination unit F3 described above is turned off. Control to send an instruction to the noise generation control unit 5 is performed. Then, the noise generation control unit 5 performs control to stop the masking noise in response to an instruction from the acoustic control unit 4. At the time of stopping, for example, about −50 dB / 30 s can be adjusted as an initial setting for fade-out control.

  As described above, in the noise masking system 1, the frequency corresponding to each person in the meeting space L only when the seating position and the seating time in the position information in the acoustic control unit 4 satisfy the set criteria. A region where masking noise is generated is identified from the frequency characteristics obtained by averaging the characteristics and the personal space S, and the noise generation signal N is extracted, and the noise generation control unit 5 is suitable for the noise generation signal N. Masking noise having frequency characteristics can be radiated toward a target non-sound generation region. As a result, the person in the personal space S can be suppressed from hearing the voice generated in the meeting space L.

And when there is no person in the personal space S around the meeting space L, unnecessary masking noise is not radiated, so that the electricity consumption can be suppressed compared with the case where masking noise is always radiated. Cost can be reduced.
Further, since the frequency characteristics corresponding to a plurality of persons in the meeting space L are calculated, the masking noise becomes a suitable masking noise and can be prevented from being a conventional unnecessary noise.

  Furthermore, by storing each person's voice data in the acoustic control unit 4 as frequency characteristic data D4 in advance, when the frequency characteristic is calculated by the acoustic control unit 4, a plurality of persons in the meeting space L from the frequency characteristic data D4. It is possible to calculate a more suitable frequency characteristic by extracting the frequency characteristic of a human voice generator.

As described above, in the noise masking system according to the present embodiment, the sound composed of the position information D2 including the seated person, the seating position, and the seating time in the meeting space L and the personal space S and the voice of the person in the meeting space L. By extracting a noise generation signal based on the pressure level information D3, it is possible to generate a minimum necessary masking noise at a necessary place when necessary.
Therefore, it is possible to suppress the amount of electricity consumed due to the generation of masking noise, and the effect of obtaining an excellent masking effect at a low cost is achieved.

As mentioned above, although the embodiment of the noise masking system by this invention was described, this invention is not limited to said embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the meaning, it can change suitably.
For example, in the present embodiment, the office in which the voice generation area is the meeting space L and the non-voice generation area is the personal space S is applied, but the present invention is not limited to this, and each of the spaces L1 and L2 There is no limitation on the arrangement, the width, and the like. Further, the present invention can be applied not only indoors but also to outdoor spaces.

  In the present embodiment, each person's voice data (frequency characteristics) is stored in advance as the frequency characteristic data D4 of the acoustic control unit 4. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in addition to the sound pressure level obtained by the sound environment monitoring microphone 9 in the meeting space L, the frequency characteristics of each of the plurality of persons may be collected on the spot.

Further, in the present embodiment, the voice control unit 3 and the noise generation control unit 5 are separated from each other, and are connected to the first hub 6 and the second hub 7, respectively. For example, the voice control unit 3 and the noise generation control unit 5 may be integrated.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the first hub 6 and the second hub 7 are provided separately from each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a hub integrally provided may be adopted. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Noise masking system 2 Position information detection part 3 Audio | voice control part 4 Sound control part 5 Noise generation control part 6 1st hub 7 2nd hub 8 Reader 9 Sound environment monitoring microphone 10 Speaker D1 Personal information database D2 Position information D3 Sound pressure level Information D4 Frequency characteristic data F1 First determination unit F2 Second determination unit F3 Third determination unit N Noise generation signal L Meeting space (voice generation region)
S Personal space (non-voice generation area)
Pn seat

Claims (2)

A noise masking system used in a space having a sound generation region and a non-sound generation region disposed around the sound generation region,
It has a personal information database in which personal information associated with each person's ID is stored, and also includes position information consisting of the voice generation area and the person's seating position, seated person, and seating time in the voice generation area. A position information detection unit to detect;
A sound control unit that detects sound pressure level information composed of sound generated from a plurality of persons in the sound generation region, and calculates a generation level of masking noise based on the sound pressure level information;
A region in which masking noise is generated among the frequency characteristics obtained by associating the position information with the personal information database and averaging the frequency characteristics corresponding to each person in the sound generation area and the non-sound generation area An acoustic control unit that identifies and extracts as a noise generation signal;
A noise generation control unit that generates masking noise based on the noise generation signal;
With
The noise masking system, wherein the acoustic control unit extracts the noise generation signal when the seating position and the seating time in the position information satisfy a set criterion. The acoustic control unit is provided with frequency characteristic data that accumulates frequency characteristics of each person,
The noise masking system according to claim 1, wherein the magnitude of masking noise is determined based on the frequency characteristic data.

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