Sonic Wave Output Device, Voice Communication Device, Sonic Wave Output Method and Program

• US 20100157738A1
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Izumi, Seiichi, Fukada, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,817,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/125
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/48 the waves arriving at the antennas being continuous or intermittent and the phase difference of signals derived therefrom being measured
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/808 using transducers spaced apart and measuring phase or time difference between signals therefrom, i.e. path-difference systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/8083 determining direction of source
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/22 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/28 takes precedence

Abstract

There is provided a sonic wave output device comprising, a receiving unit to receive wireless signals transmitted from a certain signal source, a determination unit to determine a parameter value depending on a location of the signal source using the wireless signals received by the receiving unit and a sonic wave output unit to output sonic waves with directionality toward a direction of the signal source based on the parameter value.

Claims

1. A sonic wave output device comprising:

a receiving unit to receive wireless signals transmitted from a certain signal source;

a determination unit to determine a parameter value depending on a location of the signal source using the wireless signals received by the receiving unit; and

a sonic wave output unit to output sonic waves with directionality toward a direction of the signal source based on the parameter value.

2. The sonic wave output device according to claim 1, wherein

the receiving unit includes a plurality of receiving antennas to receive the wireless signals,

the sonic wave output unit includes a plurality of speakers, each capable of outputting a sonic wave with a certain amount of delay, and

the determination unit determines the amount of delay for each of the speakers according to an arrival time difference or a phase difference of the wireless signals between the receiving antennas.

3. The sonic wave output device according to claim 1, wherein

the receiving unit includes a plurality of receiving antennas to receive the wireless signals, and

the determination unit determines arrival directions of the wireless signals according to an arrival time difference or a phase difference of the wireless signals between the receiving antennas.

4. The sonic wave output device according to claim 1, wherein

the receiving unit includes three or more receiving antennas to receive the wireless signals, and

the determination unit determines a location of the signal source according to two or more arrival time differences or phase differences of the wireless signals between the receiving antennas.

5. The sonic wave output device according to claim 2, wherein

the speakers of the sonic wave output unit are respectively mounted in close proximity to the receiving antennas of the receiving unit, and

the determination unit determines the amount of delay for each of the speakers with inverting an order of arrival time or phase of the wireless signals of the receiving antennas.

6. The sonic wave output device according to claim 5, wherein

the wireless signals are beacons containing an identifier for identifying an individual piece of the signal source or a user holding the signal source, and

the sonic wave output device further includes a control unit to control whether to output sonic waves from the sonic wave output unit according to the identifier contained in the beacons.

7. The sonic wave output device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sound analysis unit to specify a user being a speaker of sound from known users based on the sound collected from a direction of the signal source.

8. The sonic wave output device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit to control output of sonic waves from the sonic wave output unit according to whether a specific voice command is contained in sound collected from a direction of the signal source.

9. The sonic wave output device according to claim 1, wherein

the receiving unit includes a plurality of photoreceptors to receive infrared rays as the wireless signals, and

the determination unit determines a location of the signal source according to a position of a photoreceptor having received the infrared ray.

10. A voice communication device comprising:

a receiving unit to receive wireless signals transmitted from a certain signal source;

a determination unit to determine a parameter value depending on a location of the signal source using the wireless signals received by the receiving unit;

a sonic wave output unit to output sonic waves with directionality toward a direction of the signal source based on the parameter value; and

a sound input unit to collect sound from a direction of the signal source based on the parameter value.

11. A sonic wave output method comprising the steps of:

receiving wireless signals transmitted from a certain signal source;

determining a parameter value depending on a location of the signal source using the received wireless signals; and

outputting sonic waves with directionality toward a direction of the signal source based on the parameter value.

12. A program causing a computer for controlling a sonic wave output device including a receiving unit capable of receiving wireless signals transmitted from a certain signal source and speakers capable of outputting sonic waves to implement functions comprising:

a determination unit to determine a parameter value depending on a location of the signal source using the wireless signals received by the receiving unit; and

a sonic wave output unit to set directionality of sonic waves output from the speakers toward a direction of the signal source based on the parameter value.