TERMINAL APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND MICROPHONE VOICE TRANSMISSION METHOD

• US 20190321720A1
• Filed: 01/04/2018
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: NOMURA, Masanori, KUDO, Shigetaka, YAMADA, Rui, FUJITA, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 10,918,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

A transmission processing section 206 transmits information regarding an operation performed by a user to an information processing apparatus 10. An image acquisition section 208 acquires image data of a game that reflects the operation information from the information processing apparatus 10. A voice acquisition section 210 acquires voice data of the game. A reproduction processing section 212 reproduces the acquired game image data and game voice data. A microphone voice control section 202 controls whether or not to transmit a voice signal of a microphone 204 to the information processing apparatus 10. A display processing section 214 displays a microphone icon indicating status of the microphone 204.

Claims

1. A terminal apparatus to be operated by a user, the terminal apparatus comprising:

a transmission processing section configured to transmit information regarding an operation performed by the user to an information processing apparatus;

an acquisition section configured to acquire image data and voice data of a game that reflects the operation information from the information processing apparatus;

a reproduction processing section configured to reproduce the acquired game image data and game voice data; and

a microphone voice control section configured to control whether or not to transmit a voice signal of a microphone to the information processing apparatus.

2. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the microphone voice control section causes the transmission processing section to transmit notification information indicating that the microphone voice signal is to be transmitted to the information processing apparatus.

3. The terminal apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display processing section configured to display a microphone icon indicating status of the microphone;

wherein

when the microphone icon indicating a mute state of the microphone is operated, the microphone voice control section causes the transmission processing section to transmit the notification information to the information processing apparatus.

4. The terminal apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

when the microphone icon indicating the mute state of the microphone is operated, the display processing section displays the microphone icon indicating a mute release state of the microphone, and

when the microphone icon indicating the mute release state of the microphone is operated, the display processing section displays the microphone icon indicating the mute state of the microphone.

5. The terminal apparatus according to claim 4, wherein,

when the microphone icon indicating the mute state of the microphone is operated, the microphone voice control section causes the transmission processing section to transmit the microphone voice signal to the information processing apparatus, and

when the microphone icon indicating the mute release state of the microphone is operated, the microphone voice control section causes the transmission processing section to stop transmitting the microphone voice signal.

6. The terminal apparatus according to, wherein

the microphone voice control section causes the transmission processing section to transmit the notification information once to the information processing apparatus when the microphone icon indicating the mute state of the microphone is operated, the microphone voice control section thereafter preventing the information processing apparatus from transmitting the notification information again even if the microphone icon indicating the mute state of the microphone is again operated.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an execution section configured to generate image data and voice data of a game that reflects information regarding an operation performed by a user, the operation information being transmitted from a terminal apparatus;

a transmission processing section configured to transmit the game image data and the game voice data to the terminal apparatus;

a microphone voice acquisition section; and

a microphone resource allocation section configured to allocate the microphone voice acquisition section to a microphone of the terminal apparatus.

8. A microphone voice transmission method comprising:

transmitting information regarding an operation performed by a user to an information processing apparatus that executes a game;

acquiring image data and voice data of the game that reflects the operation information from the information processing apparatus;

reproducing the acquired game image data and game voice data; and

controlling whether or not to transmit a voice signal of a microphone to the information processing apparatus.

9. A program for a computer, comprising:

by a transmission processing section, transmitting information regarding an operation performed by a user to an information processing apparatus that executes a game;

by an acquisition section, acquiring image data and voice data of the game that reflects the operation information from the information processing apparatus;

by a reproduction processing section, reproducing the acquired game image data and game voice data; and

by a microphone voice control section, controlling whether or not to transmit a voice signal of a microphone to the information processing apparatus.