CONTROL DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20140313417A1
• Filed: 07/19/2012
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tateishi, Kazuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,398,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/683
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a processor that receives captured image data and captured sound data corresponding to an environment in which content is reproduced and detects a user based on the captured image data and analyzes a situation of the environment based on a result of the detection and the captured sound data and controls an audio volume corresponding to reproduced content based on a result of the analyzing.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor that;

receives captured image data and captured sound data corresponding to an environment in which content is reproduced;

detects a user based on the captured image data;

analyzes a situation of the environment based on a result of the detection and the captured sound data; and

controls an audio volume corresponding to reproduced content based on a result of the analyzing.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor receives the captured image data from a camera positioned in the environment in which content is reproduced and detects a face based on the captured image data.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor receives the sound data from a microphone positioned in the environment in which content is reproduced.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor detects a position corresponding to the detected face based on the captured image data.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor detects a plurality of faces based on the captured image data.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 2 wherein the processor determines face information corresponding to the detected face, the face information including at least one of an individual, age and gender.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor determines a sound level corresponding to the captured sound data.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor determines a direction corresponding to a source of the captured sound data.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor determines whether the captured sound data is a human'"'"'s voice or a sound other than a human'"'"'s voice.

10. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the analyzing includes determining whether a sound level corresponding to the captured sound data is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

11. The information processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor controls the audio volume corresponding to the reproduced content to remain unchanged when it is determined that the level is less than the predetermined threshold value.

12. The information processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor determines whether the captured sound data is a human'"'"'s voice or a sound other than a human'"'"'s voice when it is determined that the level is greater than the predetermined threshold value.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor controls the audio volume corresponding to the reproduced content to be lowered when it is determined that the captured sound data is a human'"'"'s voice and a face is not detected based on the captured image data.

14. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor determines a direction corresponding to a source of the captured sound data when it is determined that the captured sound data is a human'"'"'s voice and a face is detected based on the captured image data.

15. The information processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor controls the audio volume corresponding to the reproduced content to remain unchanged when it is determined that the direction corresponding to the source of the captured sound is coincident with a location of a face detected based on the captured image data.

16. The information processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor controls the audio volume corresponding to the reproduced content to increase when it is determined that the direction corresponding to the source of the captured sound is not coincident with a location of a face detected based on the captured image data.

17. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor determines whether the captured sound data corresponds to an environmental sound registered in advance when it is determined that the captured sound data is determined to be a sound other than a human'"'"'s voice.

18. The information processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor controls the audio volume corresponding to the reproduced content to increase when it is determined that the captured sound data corresponds to an environmental sound that is registered in advance.

19. The information processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor controls the audio volume corresponding to the reproduced content based on previously stored settings corresponding to the environmental sound when it is determined that the captured sound data corresponds to the environmental sound stored in advance.

20. A method performed by an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving captured image data and captured sound data corresponding to an environment in which content is reproduced;

detecting a user based on the captured image data;

analyzing a situation of the environment based on a result of the detection and the captured sound data; and

controlling an audio volume corresponding to reproduced content based on a result of the analyzing.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer-program instructions, which when executed by an information processing apparatus, cause the information processing apparatus to perform a method comprising:

receiving captured image data and captured sound data corresponding to an environment in which content is reproduced;

detecting a user based on the captured image data;

analyzing a situation of the environment based on a result of the detection and the captured sound data; and

controlling an audio volume corresponding to reproduced content based on a result of the analyzing.