Methods and apparatuses for adjusting a visual image based on an audio signal

• US 20070223732A1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mao, Xiao
• Application Number:
  US11/717,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20070223732A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/92
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02166 Microphone arrays; Beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/005 Microphone arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect a sound through a microphone device; determine a location of the sound through the microphone device; and automatically adjust a visual device based on the location of the sound wherein the visual device is configured to view an area corresponding with the location of the sound.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a sound through a microphone device;

determining a location of the sound through the microphone device; and

automatically adjusting a visual device based on the location of the sound wherein the visual device is configured to view an area corresponding with the location of the sound.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein automatically adjusting the visual device further comprises adjusting a field of view of the visual device.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein automatically adjusting the visual device further comprises adjusting a position of the visual device.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein automatically adjusting the position further comprises vertically rotating the visual device.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein automatically adjusting the position further comprises horizontally rotating the visual device.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the location of the sound represents a location associated with a source of the sound.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the location of the sound is represented by a two dimensional area.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the location of the sound is represented by a three dimensional volume.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising capturing an image through the visual device wherein the image is centered on the location of the sound.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the image covers a predetermined margin outside the location of the sound.

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising capturing an image through the visual device.

12. The method according to claim 1 further comprising storing the image.

13. The method according to claim 1 further comprising tracking the location of the sound wherein the location is dynamically changing.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the microphone device includes a microphone array.

15. A method comprising:

detecting a sound through a microphone array;

determining a location of the sound through the microphone array; and

automatically adjusting a visual device to capture an image wherein the image represents an area corresponding with the location of the sound.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein automatically adjusting the visual device further comprises adjusting a field of view of the visual device.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein automatically adjusting the visual device further comprises adjusting a position of the visual device.

18. The method according to claim 15 wherein the image is centered on the location of the sound.

19. The method according to claim 15 further comprising storing the image.

21. The method according to claim 15 further comprising tracking the location of the sound wherein the location is dynamically changing.

22. A system, comprising:

a sound detection module configured for detecting a sound emanating from a location;

a view detection module configured for adjusting an image monitored by a visual device based on the location of the sound; and

a storage module configured to store the image.

24. The system according to claim 22 wherein the sound detection module detects the sound captured by a microphone.

25. The system according to claim 22 wherein the view detection module is configured to adjust a field of view of the image.

26. The system according to claim 22 wherein the view detection module is configured to adjust a rotational view of the image.