AUDIO CONTROL DEVICE AND IMAGING DEVICE

• US 20130311174A1
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshimatsu, Eiji
• Application Number:
  US13/996,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311174A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/225
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3005 in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3089 Control of digital or coded signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/15 Aspects of sound capture and related signal processing for recording or reproduction

Abstract

An audio control device includes: a situation determination unit that determines a situation of environment when a sound is obtained; and a control unit that applies any one of automatic level control and a gain fixation control to a sound obtained by a sound obtaining unit, the control unit controlling gain automatically based on a result of determination by the situation determination unit such that a sound level is at a constant level in the automatic level control and fixing gain to a predetermined value in the gain fixation control.

Claims

1. An audio control device comprising:

a situation determination unit that determines a situation of environment when a sound is obtained; and

a control unit that applies any one of automatic level control and a gain fixation control to a sound obtained by a sound obtaining unit, the control unit controlling gain automatically based on a result of determination by the situation determination unit such that a sound level is at a constant level in the automatic level control and fixing gain to a predetermined value in the gain fixation control.

2. An audio control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the sound obtaining unit includes a first obtaining unit that has a directivity in a direction toward a user and a second obtaining unit that has a directivity in a direction other than the direction toward the user, and

the control unit applies the automatic level control to a sound obtained by the first obtaining unit regardless of the result of determination by the situation determination unit and applies to a sound obtained by the second obtaining unit any one of the automatic level control in which gain is automatically controlled such that the sound level is at the constant level and the gain fixation control in which gain is fixed to the predetermined value based on the result of determination by the situation determination unit.

3. An audio control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a voice determination unit that determines whether or not the sound obtained by the sound obtaining unit is a voice of a prescribed person, wherein

when the voice determination unit determines that the sound obtained by the sound obtaining unit is not a voice of the prescribed person, the control unit applies to the sound obtained by the obtaining unit any one of the automatic level control in which gain is automatically controlled such that the sound level is at a constant level and the gain fixation control in which gain is fixed to the predetermined value based on the result of determination by the situation determination unit, or when the voice determination unit determines that the sound obtained by the sound obtaining unit is the voice of the prescribed person, the control unit applies the automatic level control to the sound obtained by the obtaining unit regardless of the result of determination by the situation determination unit.

4. An audio control device according to claim 1, wherein

the situation determination unit detects a difference in situation between a situation at previous audio recording and a situation at present audio recording, and

when the situation determination unit determines that there is no change in situation between the situation at the previous audio recording and the situation at the present audio recording, the control unit applies the control at the previous audio recording as a control for the present audio recording.

5. An audio control device according to claim 1, wherein

when the situation determination unit determines that the situation is a situation in which the content of speech is important, the control unit applies the automatic level control.

6. An audio control device according to claim 1, wherein

when the situation determination unit determines that the situation is a situation in which importance is to be attached to ambience, the control unit applies the gain fixation control.

7. An audio control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an indication unit that indicates any one the automatic level control and the gain fixation control depending on an operation by a user, wherein

when any one of the automatic level control and the gain fixation control is indicated by the indication unit, the control unit applies any one of the automatic level control and the gain fixation control, putting priority to the indication by the indication unit.

8. An audio control device according to claim 1, wherein

when the control unit applies the gain fixation control, the control unit uses a gain corresponding to the sound level.

9. An audio control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recording control unit that records the sound obtained by the sound obtaining unit in a recording medium.

10. An imaging device comprising:

an audio control device according to claim 1; and

an image capturing unit that performs image capturing of a photographic subject, wherein

the situation determination unit determines a situation based on a result of the image capturing by the image capturing unit.

11. An imaging device according to claim 10, wherein

the situation determination unit detects a face of a person on an image captured by the image capturing unit, and

when the situation determination unit has detected the face of the person, the control unit applies the automatic level control or when the situation determination unit has not detected the face of the person, the control unit applies the gain fixation control.

12. An imaging device according to claim 11, wherein

when the situation determination unit detects a plurality of faces of the persons, the situation determination unit determines whether or not the persons are moving objects, and

when the situation determination unit has determined that the persons are moving objects, the control unit applies the automatic level control or when the situation determination unit has determined that the persons are not moving objects, the control unit applies the gain fixation control.