Audio processing apparatus and audio processing method

• US 20100271560A1
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fujita, Hiromichi, Niitsuma, Takayuki, Matsumoto, Junichiro, Higuchi, Satoshi, Satou, Keisuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,451,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/738
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/06 Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6402 Address allocation for clients address allocation in data networks H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone

Abstract

An audio processing apparatus includes: a transmission signal input/output unit that inputs or outputs a video signal, an audio signal, and a control signal; a reproduction processing unit that reproduces the audio signal inputted to the transmission signal input/output unit or an audio signal inputted to any other audio signal input unit; an output unit that outputs the audio signal, which is processed by the reproduction processing unit, through a loudspeaker; and a control unit that when detecting that a control signal signifying that a predetermined mode concerning the display image quality represented by the video signal should be designated is inputted to the transmission signal input/output unit, instructs the reproduction processing unit to perform predetermined sound-field processing or sound-quality processing during the reproduction.

Claims

1. An audio processing apparatus comprising:

a transmission signal input/output unit that inputs or outputs a video signal, an audio signal, and a control signal;

a reproduction processing unit that reproduces the audio signal inputted to the transmission signal input/output unit or an audio signal inputted to any other audio signal input unit;

an output unit that outputs the audio signal, which is processed by the reproduction processing unit, through a loudspeaker; and

a control unit that when detecting that a control signal signifying that a predetermined mode concerning the display image quality represented by the video signal should be designated is inputted to the transmission signal input/output unit, instructs the reproduction processing unit to perform predetermined sound-field processing or sound-quality processing during the reproduction.

2. The audio processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined mode concerning the display image quality represented by the video signal is a theater mode in which display image quality suitable for viewing of a movie is designated;

and

when the control unit detects designation of the theater mode, the control unit controls the reproduction processing unit so that the reproduction processing unit will designate a specific audio reproduction mode suitable for viewing of a movie.

3. The audio processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

when a genre represented by an inputted video signal or audio signal is indicated with a control signal inputted to the transmission signal input/output unit, the control unit instructs the reproduction processing unit to designate an audio reproduction mode suitable for the indicated genre;

and

when the control unit detects the designation of the theater mode, the control unit instructs the reproduction processing unit to preferentially designate the specific audio reproduction mode rather than the reproduction mode designated with the indication of the genre.

4. The audio processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the control unit detects the designation of the theater mode with a control signal inputted to the transmission signal input/output unit, the control unit transmits a control signal, with which sounds represented by an audio signal and outputted through the loudspeaker of other apparatus are muted, to the other apparatus so that the sounds will be outputted from the output unit.

5. The audio processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when cancelation of the theater mode is detected, muting the sounds represented by the audio signal and outputted through the loudspeaker of the other apparatus is canceled, and outputting the sounds from the output unit is ceased.

6. An audio processing method comprising the steps of:

inputting or outputting a video signal, an audio signal, and a control signal, and performing input processing and output processing on the video signal and audio signal;

reproducing the audio signal obtained at the input/output processing step;

outputting sounds represented by the audio signal, which is processed at the reproduction processing step, through a loudspeaker; and

when the fact that a control signal, which signifies that a predetermined mode concerning the display image quality represented by the video signal should be designated, is inputted at the input/output processing step is detected, performing predetermined sound-field processing or sound-quality processing during reproduction at the reproduction processing step.