Location recognition system using stereophonic sound, transmitter and receiver therein, and method thereof

• US 20070037583A1
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeong, Min-seop, Lee, Byoung-joon, Kim, Min-Q, Kim, Heung-soo
• Granted Patent: US 7,492,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems

Abstract

A location recognition system and method using stereophonic sound, the system having a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter uses the stereophonic sound and transmits location tracking information of an object. The transmitter includes a sound detector which detects a sound of the object and converts the detected sound to an electrical signal; a data converter which converts the electrical signal converted by the sound detector, to acoustic data; and a first communication interface which transmits the acoustic data converted by the data converter and the location tracking information to the receiver. A user can immediately recognize the location of the transmitter which transmits the location tracking information and is the target of the location tracking. Therefore, the mutual communications between the transmitter and the receiver which receives the location tracking information can be smoothly carried out.

Claims

1. A transmitter in a location recognition system using stereophonic sound, the transmitter comprising:

a sound detector operative to detect a sound of an object and operative to convert the detected sound to an electrical signal;

a data converter operative to convert the electrical signal converted by the sound detector, to acoustic data; and

a first communication interface operative to transmit the acoustic data converted by the data converter and location tracking information to a receiver.

2. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is attached to the object or is placed in a vicinity of the object.

3. The transmitter of claim 1, further comprising:

a first location tracker which detects a location of the transmitter and generates the location tracking information of the transmitter.

4. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein the sound detector detects a sound generated by the object and converts the detected sound to an electrical signal.

5. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein the sound detector creates a sound indicating the object and converts the created sound to an electrical signal.

6. The transmitter of claim 1, wherein the sound detector is a microphone.

7. A receiver in a location recognition system which uses a stereophonic sound and includes a transmitter transmitting location tracking information of an object and the receiver receiving the location tracking information, the receiver comprising:

a location and state tracker which generates location information of the receiver by detecting a location of the receiver;

a relative location calculator which computes a relative location and state value of the receiver with respect to the transmitter based on the location information generated by the location and state tracker;

a stereophonic sound converter which converts acoustic data to stereophonic sound digital data to inform a location of the transmitter based on the relative location and state value computed by the relative location calculator;

an analog converter which converts the stereophonic sound digital data converted by the stereophonic sound converter, to an analog signal; and

a sound output section which outputs the analog signal converted by the analog converter as a sound.

8. The receiver of claim 7, wherein the receiver is attached to a user or is placed in a vicinity of the user.

9. The receiver of claim 7, wherein the location and state tracker comprises:

a second location tracker which generates location information of the receiver by detecting a location of the receiver; and

a state tracker which generates angle information of the receiver with respect to the transmitter.

10. The receiver of claim 9, wherein the relative location calculator comprises;

a first calculator which computes a relative location value of the receiver with respect to the transmitter based on location tracking information of the transmitter and the location information of the receiver generated by the location tracker; and

a second calculator which corrects the relative location value based on the relative location value and the angle information.

11. The receiver of claim 10, wherein the first calculator computes coordinates (x, y, z) which is the relative location value of the receiver, in a three-dimensional coordinate system having an origin (0, 0, 0) as the transmitter.

12. The receiver of claim 10, wherein the second calculator corrects the relative location value when the transmitter and the receiver face each other and an angle between the transmitter and the receiver changes.

13. The receiver of claim 10, wherein the stereophonic sound converter converts the acoustic data received from a first communication interface of the transmitter by applying the relative location and state value.

14. The receiver of claim 7, wherein the stereophonic sound digital data converted by the stereophonic sound converter is surround stereophonic sound digital data.

15. The receiver of claim 7, further comprising:

a second communication interface which receives the acoustic data and location tracking information of an object from a first communication interface of the transmitter.

16. The receiver of claim 7, further comprising:

a selector which selects whether to convert the received acoustic data to the stereophonic sound digital data.

17. A location recognition system using stereophonic sound, comprising:

a transmitter which transmits location tracking information of an object; and

a receiver which receives the location tracking information, wherein the transmitter comprises;

a sound detector which detects a sound of the object and operative to convert the detected sound to an electrical signal;

a data converter operative to convert the electrical signal converted by the sound detector, to acoustic data; and

a first communication interface operative to transmit the acoustic data converted by the data converter and the location tracking information to the receiver.

18. The location recognition system of claim 17, wherein the receiver comprises:

a location and state tracker operative to generate location information of the receiver by detecting a location of the receiver;

a relative location calculator operative to compute a relative location and state value of the receiver with respect to the transmitter based on the location information generated by the location and state tracker;

a stereophonic sound converter operative to convert the acoustic data to stereophonic sound digital data to inform the location of the transmitter based on the relative location and state value computed by the relative location calculator;

an analog converter operative to convert the stereophonic sound digital data converted by the stereophonic sound converter, to an analog signal; and

a sound output section operative to output the analog signal converted by the analog converter as a sound.

19. A location recognition method using a stereophonic sound comprising:

transmitting location tracking information of an object; and

receiving the location tracking information, wherein the transmitting of the location tracking information comprises;

detecting a sound of the object and converting the detected sound to an electrical signal;

converting the converted electrical signal to acoustic data; and

transmitting the converted acoustic data and the location tracking information.

20. The location recognition method of claim 19, wherein the transmitting of the location tracking information further comprises:

generating the location tracking information by detecting a location of the object.

21. The location recognition method of claim 19, wherein the receiving of the location tracking information comprises:

receiving the acoustic data and the location tracking information of the object;

separating the acoustic data and the location tracking information into data relating to the sound and data relating to the location information;

computing a relative location value of a receiver with respect to the object based on the location tracking information of the object and information of the receiver which receives the location tracking information;

correcting the relative location value based on the relative location value and angle information of the receiver;

converting the acoustic data to stereophonic sound digital data based on the corrected relative location value;

converting the converted stereophonic sound digital data to an analog signal; and

outputting the converted analog signal as a sound.

22. The location recognition method of claim 21, wherein the receiving of the location tracking information further comprises:

selecting a function which converts the received acoustic data to the stereophonic sound digital data.