Patent ID: 8165641

Claim:
A noise suppression system comprising: at least one sound acquisition apparatus for acquiring sounds; and at least one sound output apparatus for outputting sounds based on sound data being connected to the sound acquisition apparatus via a communication network, wherein the sound acquisition apparatus comprises: a sound data obtaining unit that obtains sound data representing sound output by the sound output apparatus, in response to start of a sound acquisition operation by the sound acquisition apparatus or in response to start of a sound output operation by the sound output apparatus; and a noise suppression unit that suppresses sound output by the sound output apparatus, using sound data obtained by the sound data obtaining unit, and wherein the sound output apparatus comprises: a request receiving unit that receives an “output notice request” requesting the sound output apparatus to notify the sound acquisition apparatus when the sound output apparatus starts a sound output operation and a “transfer stop request” requesting the sound output apparatus to stop sound data transfer operation, those broadcasted by the sound acquisition apparatus through the communication network; and a sound data transfer unit that transfers sound data representing sound being output by the sound output apparatus to the sound acquisition apparatus via the communication network, in a case where the sound output apparatus carries out a sound output operation within a term from a point where the request receiving unit receives the “output notice request” from the sound acquisition apparatus to a point where the request receiving unit receives the “transfer stop request” from the sound acquisition apparatus which is the sender of the received “output notice request”.