Oki 2015 Annual Report Download - page 21

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OKI has developed structural monitoring system technol-
ogy for use in remote monitoring of bridges, tunnels, and
other social infrastructure for which aging is becoming a
concern. Systems using sensor technology are in much
demand as an inspection method for existing social infra-
structure for their inspection accuracy and as manpower
shortage solutions to replace the visual inspections or
hammering tests usually carried out manually.
OKI has combined its energy effi cient wireless multi-
hop technology and MEMS sensor technology and created
a system for collecting and analyzing structural vibration
data to evaluate the structure’s degree of deterioration. The
system also reduces connection costs and enables real-
time surveillance of multiple sites by applying a transmis-
sion method with lightweight and excellence immediacy
between the data aggregators (gateways) and the serv-
ers used for data analysis (M2M-PF: Machine to Machine
platform). Sensors have a wide range of application poten-
tial, including in the disaster prevention fi eld for monitoring
river, landslide, and other conditions.
Structural Monitoring System Technology for Aging Social Infrastructure
The “Area Sound Enhancement System” for Sound Pick-up in a Target Area
The Area Sound Enhancement System enables hands-free teleconferencing because it does not pro-
duce echo or howling. The system also conducts successive correction of the sound levels in the target
area, so the speaker is free to turn and move around as long as he/she remains within the area covered
by the microphone arrays, while talking without needing to be concerned about where the microphones
are located. This is an example of the research and development we are doing in technologies that en-
able stress-free and comfortable speech communication.
Comment from
the Technical
Engineer
One feature of structural monitoring systems is that the multiple sensors remain in fi xed positions for
a long time. We are working to develop power saving and energy harvesting technology to support the
long-term use, sensor time synchronization technology to enable high-precision data analysis, and secu-
rity technology to protect against incorrect connections and data leaks.
Comment from
the Technical
Engineer
TOPICS
1
TOPICS
2
Structural monitoring technology
Vibration data
Acceleration
sensors 3G/LTE
Head end
฀
฀
฀
฀฀ ฀฀
functions
฀฀
Network
administration tool
฀

฀
฀฀฀฀฀
Gateway M2M-PF
฀
detection
Sleep router

f
u

N
ad
Example of data analysis
Standard microphones
Background voices and
noise make it diffi cult
to hear the speaker’s
voice
OKI Area Sound
Enhancement System
The speaker’s voice is
clearly heard even with
background noise
Standard
microphone
Can you
hear my
voice?
NoiseNoise
Noise
Noise
NoiseNoise
Noise
Noise
NoiseNoise
Can you
hear my
voice?
Microphone
arrays
OKI developed the Area Sound Enhancement System with
multiple directional microphones positioned surrounding the
targeted sound pickup area to capture sound exclusively from
that area. Microphones used in teleconferences between a
group at one site and a remote site usually pick up the speak-
er’s voice as well as all of the background noise, creating a
constant concern that the discussion could be interrupted by
an inability to hear the speaker. Even directional microphones
including shotgun microphones and microphone arrays pick
up noises in a direction of the target area. The Area Sound
Enhancement System positions two microphone arrays with
separate directionalities to intersect in the target area. The
common sounds components that are picked up are iden-
tifi ed as target sound and the other sound components are
eliminated as noise. This confi guration allows the speaker’s
voice to be heard clearly even in a noisy environment and
enables smooth communications for teleconferencing and
other remote communication systems.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
19
Annual Report 2015