INFORMATION-PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION-PROCESSING METHODS, RECORDING MEDIUMS, AND PROGRAMS

• US 20110216155A1
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: SAKAI, Yusuke, Saito, Naoki, Kamada, Mikio
• Granted Patent: US 8,291,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN

Abstract

An information-processing apparatus including a reproducer for synchronously reproducing content data common to another information-processing apparatus, a user information input for inputting first user condition information including a voice and image of a user, a user information receiver for receiving second user condition information including a voice and image of an other user from the other information-processing apparatus, a synthesizer for synthesizing a voice and image of the content data synchronously reproduced by the reproducer with the voice and image of the second user condition information received by the user-information receiver; an information analysis unit for analyzing at least either the first user condition information input or the second user condition information; and a parameter-setting unit for setting a control parameter used for controlling a process on the basis of an analysis result produced by the information analysis unit.

Claims

1. An information-processing apparatus for communicating with an other information-processing apparatus, which is connected to said information-processing apparatus by a network, said information-processing apparatus comprising:

a reproducer configured to reproduce moving video content data common to said information-processing apparatus and said other information-processing apparatus synchronously with said other information-processing apparatus;

an input unit configured to input first user condition information including a voice and image of a user operating said information-processing apparatus;

a receiver configured to receive second user condition information including a voice and image of an other user from said other information-processing apparatus operated by said other user;

a synthesizer configured to synthesize a voice and image of said moving video content data synchronously reproduced by said reproducer with said voice and image of said other user received by said receiver by superimposing the voice and image onto the moving video content data, the synthesizer creating a single moving image including both the voice and image of the moving video content data and the voice and image of the other user such that the image of the moving video content data extends within an area and at least part of the image of the other user is included within the area of the image of the moving video content data;

a display configured to simultaneously display said voice and image of said content data synthesized with said voice and image of said other user;

an analyzer configured to analyze at least either said first user condition information input by said input unit or said second user condition information received by said receiver; and

a parameter setting unit configured to set a control parameter used for controlling a process, which is carried out by said synthesizer to synthesize voices and images on the basis of an analysis result produced by said analyzer.

2. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first user condition information also includes information on the environment of said user whereas said second user condition information also includes information on the environment of said other user.

3. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a generator configured to generate a determination result as to whether or not said second user condition information received by said receiver is to be analyzed by said analyzer and, if said determination result produced by said generator indicates that said second user condition information is not to be analyzed by said analyzer, said analyzer analyzes only said first user condition information.

4. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an output unit configured to output a voice and an image, which are obtained as a synthesis result carried out by said synthesizer, wherein said parameter setting unit sets a control parameter of said output unit on the basis of an analysis result carried out by said analyzer.

5. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said parameter setting unit sets a control parameter of an electronic apparatus, which is connected to said information-processing apparatus, on the basis of an analysis result carried out by said analyzer.

6. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parameter setting unit sets a control parameter of said other information-processing apparatus on the basis of an analysis result carried out by said analyzer, and said information-processing apparatus further comprises a transmitter configured to transmit said control parameter set by said parameter setting unit to said other information-processing apparatus.

7. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit configured to generate a determination result as to whether or not a control parameter transmitted by said other information-processing apparatus is to be accepted.

8. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second user condition information includes information describing movement of the other user.

9. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said synthesizer increases a size of said image of said other user when said other user leans forward.

10. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said synthesizer increases a concentration of said image of said other user when said other user leans forward.

11. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said synthesizer increases a volume of said voice of said other user when said other user leans forward.

12. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second user condition information includes information describing movement of the other user generated from real-time video of the other user.

13. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second user condition information includes information describing sound volume of said voice of the other user.

14. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said synthesizer increases a size of said image of said other user when said sound volume of said voice of said other user exceeds a threshold.

15. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said second user condition information includes information describing sound volume of said voice of the other user generated from real-time video of the other user.

16. An information-processing method adopted by an information-processing apparatus as a method for communicating with an other information-processing apparatus, which is connected to said information-processing apparatus by a network, said information-processing method comprising:

reproducing moving video content data common to said information-processing apparatus and said other information-processing apparatus synchronously with said other information-processing apparatus;

inputting first user condition information including a voice and image of a user operating said information-processing apparatus;

receiving second user condition information including a voice and image of an other user from said other information-processing apparatus operated by said other user;

synthesizing a voice and image of said moving video content data synchronously reproduced at said reproducing with said voice and image of said other user received at said receiving by superimposing the voice and image onto the moving video content data, the synthesizing including creating a single image including both the voice and image of the moving video content data and the voice and image of the other user such that the image of the content data extends within an area and at least part of the image of the other user is included within the area of the image of the moving video content data;

simultaneously displaying said voice and image of said moving video content data synthesized with said voice and image of said other user;

analyzing at least either said first user condition information input at said inputting or said second user condition information received at said receiving; and

setting a control parameter used for controlling said synthesizing on the basis of an analysis result produced at said analyzing.

17. A recording medium for recording a program to be executed by a computer to perform a method for communicating with an information-processing apparatus, which is connected to said computer by a network, said method comprising:

reproducing content data common to said information-processing apparatus and said other information-processing apparatus synchronously with said other information-processing apparatus;

inputting first user condition information including a voice and image of a user operating said information-processing apparatus;

receiving second user condition information including a voice and image of an other user from said other information-processing apparatus operated by said other user;

synthesizing a voice and image of said moving video content data synchronously reproduced at said reproducing with said voice and image of said other user received at said receiving by superimposing the voice and image onto the moving video content data, the synthesizing including creating a single image including both the voice and image of the moving video content data and the voice and image of the other user such that the image of the content data extends within an area and at least part of the image of the other user is included within the area of the image of the moving video content data;

simultaneously displaying said voice and image of said moving video content data synthesized with said voice and image of said other user;

analyzing at least either said first user condition information input at said inputting or said second user condition information received at said receiving; and

setting a control parameter used for controlling said synthesizing on the basis of an analysis result produced at said analyzing.