Audio reproduction method and apparatus supporting audio thumbnail function

• US 20070021961A1
• Filed: 07/19/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Oh, Yoon-Hark
• Application Number:
  US11/488,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20070021961A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/00 Two-channel systems H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/01 Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD]

Abstract

An audio reproduction method and apparatus are provided. The method includes sound-localizing audio thumbnails that respectively represent a predetermined number of audio files into a predetermined number of directions, simultaneously outputting the sound-localized audio thumbnails, and outputting at least one of the audio files based on a selection of a user who has heard the simultaneously-output audio thumbnails. The user can search several audio files at a time and more quickly select and listen to desired audio files.

Claims

1. An audio reproduction method comprising:

sound-localizing audio thumbnails that respectively represent a predetermined number of audio files into the same number as predetermined number of audio files of directions;

substantially simultaneously outputting the sound-localized audio thumbnails; and

outputting at least one of the audio files based on a selection of a user who has heard the outputted audio thumbnails.

2. The audio reproduction method of claim 1, wherein the audio thumbnails comprise partial sections of the respective audio files.

3. The audio reproduction method of claim 1, wherein the sound-localizing of the audio thumbnails comprises sound-localizing the audio thumbnails in the predetermined number of directions using a head related transfer function (HRTF).

4. The audio reproduction method of claim 1, wherein the outputting of the sound-localized audio thumbnails comprises synthesizing the sound-localized audio thumbnails to generate a left-channel output signal and a right-channel output signal and to substantially simultaneously output the left-channel output signal and the right-channel output signal.

5. The audio reproduction method of claim 1, further comprising extracting the predetermined number of audio thumbnails from a plurality of audio thumbnails based on the user'"'"'s selection, wherein the outputting of the sound-localized audio thumbnails comprises outputting the extracted audio thumbnails.

6. The audio reproduction method of claim 1, further comprising receiving selection information on one of the audio thumbnails from the user who has heard the outputted audio thumbnails, wherein the outputting of one of the audio files based on the user'"'"'s selection comprises outputting the audio file based on the received selection information.

8. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the audio reproduction method of claim 1, wherein the program controls the audio reproduction apparatus according to a process comprising:

sound-localizing audio thumbnails that respectively represent a predetermined number of audio files into a predetermined number of directions;

substantially simultaneously outputting the sound-localized audio thumbnails; and

outputting at least one of the audio files based on a selection of a user who has heard the outputted audio thumbnails.

7. An audio reproduction apparatus comprising:

a sound controller for sound-localizing audio thumbnails that respectively represent a predetermined number of audio files into a predetermined number of directions;

a first output controller for substantially simultaneously outputting the audio thumbnails sound-localized by the sound controller; and

a second output controller for outputting at least one of the audio files based on a selection of a user who has heard the audio thumbnails outputted by the first output controller.

19. The audio reproduction apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sound controller comprises at least one head related transfer function (HRTF) coefficient database and a convolution unit.

9. An audio reproduction method comprising:

allocating channels in a predetermined number of directions to audio thumbnails that respectively represent the predetermined number of audio files;

separating the audio thumbnails having the allocated channels into the channels and substantially simultaneously outputting them; and

outputting at least one of the audio files based on a selection of a user who has heard the outputted audio thumbnails.

10. The audio reproduction method of claim 9, wherein the audio thumbnails comprise partial sections of the respective audio files.

11. The audio reproduction method of claim 9, wherein the outputting of at least one of the audio files based on the user'"'"'s selection comprises separating at least one of the audio files into the channels and outputting them.

12. The audio reproduction method of claim 9, further comprising extracting the predetermined number of audio thumbnails from a plurality of audio thumbnails based on the user'"'"'s selection, wherein the separating of the audio thumbnails into the channels and the outputting of them comprises outputting the extracted audio thumbnails.

13. The audio reproduction method of claim 9, further comprising receiving selection information on one of the audio thumbnails from the user who has heard the outputted audio thumbnails, wherein the outputting of at least one of the audio files based on the user'"'"'s selection comprises outputting one of the audio files based on the received selection information.

15. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the audio reproduction method of claim 9, wherein the program controls the audio reproduction apparatus according to a process comprising:

allocating channels in a predetermined number of directions to audio thumbnails that respectively represent the predetermined number of audio files;

separating the audio thumbnails having the allocated channels into the channels and substantially simultaneously outputting them; and

outputting at least one of the audio files based on a selection of a user who has heard the outputted audio thumbnails.

14. An audio reproduction apparatus comprising:

a channel allocating unit for allocating channels in a predetermined number of directions to audio thumbnails that respectively represent the predetermined number of audio files;

a first output controller for separating the audio thumbnails having the channels allocated by the channel allocating unit into the channels and substantially simultaneously outputting them; and

a second output controller for outputting at least one of the audio files based on a selection of a user who has heard the outputted audio thumbnails output by the first output controller.

16. An audio reproduction method comprising:

substantially simultaneously outputting audio thumbnails that respectively represent a predetermined number of audio files; and

outputting at least one of the audio files based on a selection of a user who has heard the outputted audio thumbnails.

17. The audio reproduction method of claim 16, wherein the audio thumbnails comprise partial sections of the respective audio files.

18. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the audio reproduction method of claim 16, wherein the program controls the audio reproduction apparatus according to a process comprising:

substantially simultaneously outputting audio thumbnails that respectively represent a predetermined number of audio files; and

outputting at least one of the audio files based on a selection of a user who has heard the outputted audio thumbnails.