Moving audio from center speaker to peripheral speaker of display device for macular degeneration accessibility

• US 10,303,427 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shintani, Peter, Candelore, Brant, Nejat, Mahyar
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blair, Kile
• Application Number:
  US15/646,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20190018640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3005 in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

Audio is shifted from being played on a central speaker element to either the right or left side speaker to accommodate a viewer suffering from macular degeneration moving his head to better see the visual display with his peripheral vision. If the user moves his head to the left to use the peripheral vision on the right, the audio is moved to the left speaker. Likewise, if the viewer is moving his head to the right, to take advantage of the peripheral vision on the left, then the audio switches to the right speaker.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

executing face recognition on at least one image from at least one camera; and

identifying that a peripheral region of the display device is preferred over the central region of the display device at least in part based on image recognition of a camera image indicating a viewer known to have macular degeneration is viewing the display device, and

based on the identifying, shifting audio indicated for a central speaker to be played on a left or right speaker associated with the display device instead of on a central speaker.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

identifying that the peripheral region is on a left portion of the display; and

responsive to identifying that the peripheral region is on the left side of the display, executing at least one of;

shifting audio indicated for a central speaker to a left speaker associated with the display device; and

/or

increasing a volume of a left speaker associated with the display device.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

identifying that the peripheral region of the display device is preferred over the central region of the display device at least in part based on input received from a user interface (UI) presented on the display device.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

at least in part based on image recognition of a camera image indicating a viewer is looking at the peripheral region, increasing a volume of a left or right speaker associated with the display device.

5. A device comprising:

at least one computer memory that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to;

execute face recognition on at least one image from at least one camera; and

identify that a peripheral region of the display device is preferred over the central region of the display device at least in part based on image recognition of a camera image indicating a viewer known to have macular degeneration is viewing the display device, and

based on the identifying, shift audio indicated for a central speaker to be played on a left or right speaker associated with the display device instead of on a central speaker.

6. The device of claim 5, comprising the at least one processor.

7. The device of claim 6, comprising the at least one camera.

8. The device of claim 6, comprising the display device.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein the instructions are executable to:

at least in part based on face recognition implemented on a camera image indicating a viewer known to have macular degeneration is viewing a display device, execute at least one of;

shift audio indicated for the central speaker to an upper or lower speaker associated with the display device; and

/or

increase a volume of an upper or lower speaker associated with the display device.

10. The device of claim 5, wherein the instructions are executable to:

identify that a viewer is looking at a left portion of the display device; and

responsive to identifying that the viewer is looking at the left side of the display device, execute at least one of;

shift audio indicated for the central speaker to the left speaker associated with the display device; and

/or

increase a volume of the left speaker associated with the display device.

11. The device of claim 5, wherein the instructions are executable to:

identify that the peripheral region of the display device is preferred over the central region of the display device at least in part based on input received from a user interface (UI) presented on the display device.