SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20140079212A1
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: SAKO, YOICHIRO, ONUMA, TOMOYA, SAKODA, KAZUYUKI, TANGE, AKIRA, ASADA, KOHEI
• Granted Patent: US 9,253,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/395
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/60 including speech amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

There is provided a signal processing apparatus including a recognition section configured to recognize at least one of a state of a first user, a state of a second user, and a relationship between the first user and the second user, a signal processing unit configured to perform signal processing on voice information corresponding to voice articulated by the first user, or voice information corresponding to voice that is transmitted from a remote location and articulated by the second user, and a control unit configured to control the signal processing unit to perform signal processing on at least one of the voice information corresponding to the voice articulated by the first user, and the voice information corresponding to the voice that is transmitted from the remote location and articulated by the second user, in accordance with a recognition result of the recognition section.

Claims

1. A signal processing apparatus comprising:

a recognition section configured to recognize at least one of a state of a first user, a state of a second user, and a relationship between the first user and the second user;

a signal processing unit configured to perform signal processing on voice information corresponding to voice articulated by the first user, or voice information corresponding to voice that is transmitted from a remote location and articulated by the second user; and

a control unit configured to control the signal processing unit to perform signal processing on at least one of the voice information corresponding to the voice articulated by the first user, and the voice information corresponding to the voice that is transmitted from the remote location and articulated by the second user, in accordance with a recognition result of the recognition section.

2. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recognition section recognizes the state of the first user or the state of the second user, by analyzing the voice information corresponding to the voice articulated by the first user, or the voice information corresponding to the voice articulated by the second user.

3. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recognition section recognizes the relationship between the first user and the second user, based on relationship information with respect to the second user, the relationship information being input by the first user.

4. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recognition section recognizes, based on a facial image obtained by capturing a face of the first user or the second user, a state of a captured user or a relationship between the captured user and a partner user.

5. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the signal processing unit to perform voice volume control on voice information, background noise reduction control on the voice information, or sound image localization control, in accordance with the recognition result of the recognition section.

6. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recognition section analyzes the voice information corresponding to the voice articulated by the first user or the second user, and, if a voice volume of the voice information is greater than a predetermined value, the recognition section recognizes that a user who has articulated the voice has low hearing ability.

7. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if an age of the first user or the second user is older than a predetermined value, the recognition section recognizes that a user who is older than the predetermined value has low hearing ability.

8. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recognition section analyzes the voice information corresponding to the voice articulated by the first user or the second user, and, if a repetition expression is included in the voice information, the recognition section recognizes that a user who has articulated the voice has low hearing ability.

9. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the signal processing unit to decrease, below a predetermined value, a voice volume of voice information corresponding to voice articulated by a user who has been recognized by the recognition section as having low hearing ability, and to increase, to the predetermined value or more, a voice volume of voice information corresponding to voice articulated by a partner user.

10. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the signal processing unit to reduce background noise of voice information corresponding to voice articulated by a partner user, the voice articulated by the partner user being transmitted to a user who has been recognized by the recognition section as having low hearing ability.

11. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the signal processing unit in a manner that a position for a sound image of the voice articulated by the second user is localized closer to the first user as the state of the first user or the relationship between the first user and the second user is more satisfactory, or more intimate.

12. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the signal processing unit to localize a sound image of the voice articulated by the second user at a localization position for a sound image set in advance in accordance with the relationship between the first user and the second user.

13. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the localization position for the sound image set in advance is set with a personal space of the first user taken into consideration.

14. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the signal processing apparatus to localize a sound image of the voice articulated by the second user farther than a predetermined distance at a time of starting a telephone conversation, and to thereafter localize the sound image of the voice articulated by the second user closer to the first user as the state of the first user or a content of the telephone conversation is more satisfactory.

15. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls signal processing performed by the signal processing unit on voice information, in accordance with an instruction of a user.

16. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing apparatus is a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PHS, or a landline telephone.

17. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs control in a manner that voice information corresponding to voice that is collected by a plurality of microphones disposed around the first user and articulated by the first user is transmitted to the remote location, and the voice information corresponding to the voice that is transmitted from the remote location and articulated by the second user is output from a plurality of speakers disposed around the first user.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program stored therein, the program causing a computer to function as:

a recognition section configured to recognize at least one of a state of a first user, a state of a second user, and a relationship between the first user and the second user;

a signal processing unit configured to perform signal processing on voice information corresponding to voice articulated by the first user, or voice information corresponding to voice that is transmitted from a remote location and articulated by the second user; and

a control unit configured to control the signal processing unit to perform signal processing on at least one of the voice information corresponding to the voice articulated by the first user, and the voice information corresponding to the voice that is transmitted from the remote location and articulated by the second user, in accordance with a recognition result of the recognition section.