Video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus

• US 5,796,843 A
• Filed: 09/08/1995
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Yuji, Inanaga, Kiyofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US08/513,806
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 381/17, 381/25
• US Class Current: 381/17
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/01 Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/01 Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/004 For headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/008 in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/304 For headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/306 For headphones

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus in which a sound image reproduced from an audio signal is localized so as to correspond to a picture and a listener can change a positional information thereon. According to the present invention, a real sound image is determined at a position, of objects 117, 118 and 119 on a screen 116 of a TV monitor 115, from which a beam of a position corresponding to a sound source position changed by a position information changer 93. It is possible to form the real sound image on the TV monitor 115 as if a sound was emanated from a position of an image which was displayed on the screen 116 of the TV monitor 115 and corresponded to a changed sound source position.

Claims

1. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus comprising:

a signal source for supplying a video signal and audio signals in a plurality of channels;

storage means for storing an impulse response from a virtual sound source reference position with respect to a reference direction of a listener'"'"'s head to both ears, the impulse response corresponding to a measured head movement of the listener, and for storing a control signal and a level signal corresponding respectively to a measured difference in time between audio signals from the virtual sound source reference position with respect to the reference direction of the listener'"'"'s head to both ears and a measured difference in level between the audio signals from the virtual sound source reference position with respect to the reference direction of the listener'"'"'s head to both ears;

an angle detecting means for detecting a head movement angle of the listener with respect to the reference direction at every predetermined angle and outputting a detected angle signal, the angle detecting means including a reset switch for selectively setting the reference direction;

address signal generating means for generating an address signal supplied to the storage means to read out the impulse response or the control signal stored in the storage means;

video signal reproducing means for reproducing the video signal supplied from the signal source;

movement detecting means for detecting a relative movement of the virtual sound source on the video signal reproducing means and the listener'"'"'s head;

control means for correcting the audio signals with respect to the relative movement of the listener'"'"'s head and the movement of the listener'"'"'s head with respect to the position of the virtual sound source on the video reproducing means in a real-time manner based on the impulse response or the control signal read out from the storage means, the control means correcting the audio signals after an address of the storage means is designated by the address signal generated by the address signal generating means based on the detected angle signal from the angle detecting means and an output signal from the movement detecting means to thereby read out the impulse response or the control signal stored in the storage means, the control means correcting the audio signals from the signal source so that a plurality of reproduced sound images are localized at a position corresponding to a picture reproduced by the video signal reproducing means;

audio signal reproducing means adapted for mounting on the listener'"'"'s head, the audio signal reproducing means receiving and reproducing the audio signals corrected by the control means so that the plurality of reproduced sound images are localized at the position corresponding to the picture reproduced by the video signal reproducing means.

2. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement detecting means includes an extracting means for extracting positional information output from the signal source together with the video signal and the audio signals and supplying an extracted signal to the control means.

3. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement detecting means includes position detecting means mounted on the listener'"'"'s head for detecting a relative movement of the listener with respect to the video signal reproducing means and outputting a detection signal to the control means.

4. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the position detecting means is provided on the audio signal reproducing means.

5. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the position detecting means changes angle coordinate information of the angle detecting means based on information on head gyration of the listener with respect to the reference direction and information indicative of movement of the listener'"'"'s head closer to or away from the position of the virtual sound source.

6. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the position detecting means adds information on head gyration of the listener with respect to the reference direction and information indicative of movement of the listener'"'"'s head closer to or away from the reference position to angle information from the angle detecting means to thereby change the angle information of the angle detecting means.

7. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the angle detecting means sets as the reference direction a direction in which the listener'"'"'s head turns when the reset switch is turned on.

8. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the angle detecting means sets as the reference direction a predetermined direction which the listener'"'"'s head turns to.

9. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reset switch causes the angle detecting means to set as the reference direction a direction toward a front of a screen of the video signal reproducing means when the listener wears the audio signal reproducing means.

10. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising input means for inputting a signal based on a size of a display unit of the video signal reproducing means as data and outputting a data signal to the address signal generating means, wherein the address signal generating means generates the address signal in accordance with the detected angle signal from the angle detecting means, the output signal from the movement detecting means, and the data signal from the input means.

11. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the angle detecting means detects upward and downward angles of gyration of the listener with respect to the reference direction, and the audio signal reproducing means reproduces the audio signals corrected by the control means based on the impulse response or the control signal read out from the storage means in accordance with the angles of gyration detected by the angle detecting means such that a plurality of optional reproduced sound images are localized at a position corresponding to a picture reproduced by the video signal reproducing means.

12. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the video signal reproducing means is adapted for mounting on the listener'"'"'s head so as to be opposite the listener'"'"'s eyes, and the video signal reproducing means projects a reproduced picture at a position separated from the listener'"'"'s eyes by a predetermined distance.

13. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the video signal reproducing means includes a head mount body for mounting on the listener'"'"'s head and a pair of display units respectively disposed at positions on the head mount body corresponding to the listener'"'"'s eyes.

14. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the video signal reproducing means further includes a pair of rectangular aspheric lenses respectively disposed between the listener'"'"'s eyes and the pair of display units.

15. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the video signal reproducing means includes a head mount body for mounting on the listener'"'"'s head and a pair of virtual image display units respectively disposed at positions on the head mount body corresponding to the listener'"'"'s eyes.

16. An audio signal reproducing apparatus comprising:

a signal source for supplying audio signals in a plurality of channels;

storage means for storing an impulse response from a reference position of a virtual sound source with respect to a reference direction of a listener'"'"'s head to both ears, the impulse response corresponding to a measured head movement of the listener, and for storing a control signal and a level signal corresponding respectively to a measured difference in time between audio signals from the reference position of the virtual sound source with respect to the reference direction of the listener'"'"'s head to both ears and a measured difference in level between the audio signals from the reference position of the virtual sound source with respect to the reference direction of the listener'"'"'s head to both ears;

an angle detecting means for detecting a head movement angle of the listener with respect to the reference direction at every predetermined angle and outputting a detected angle signal, the angle detecting means including a reset switch for selectively setting the reference direction;

address signal generating means for generating an address signal supplied to the storage means to read out the impulse response or the control signal stored in the storage means;

movement detecting means for detecting a relative movement of the virtual sound source and the listener'"'"'s head;

control means for correcting the audio signals with respect to the relative movement of the listener'"'"'s head with respect to the reference position of the virtual sound source in a real-time manner based on the impulse response or the control signal read out from the storage means, the control means correcting the audio signals after an address of the storage means is designated by the address signal generated by the address signal generating means based on the detected angle signal from the angle detecting means and an output signal from movement detecting means to thereby read out the impulse response or the control signal stored in the storage means, the control means correcting the audio signals from the signal source so that a plurality of reproduced sound images are localized at the reference position of the virtual sound source; and

audio signal reproducing means adapted for mounting on the listener'"'"'s head, the audio signal reproducing means receiving and reproducing the audio signals corrected by the control means so that the plurality of reproduced sound images are localized at the reference position of the virtual sound source.

17. An audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the movement detecting means includes an extracting means for extracting positional information output from the signal source together with the audio signals and outputting an extracted signal to the control means.

18. An audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the movement detecting means includes position detecting means mounted on the listener'"'"'s head for detecting a relative movement of the listener with respect to the reference position of the virtual sound source and outputting a detection signal to the control means.

19. An audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the position detecting means is provided on the audio signal reproducing means.

20. An audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the position detecting means changes angle coordinate information of the angle detecting means based on information on head gyration of the listener with respect to the reference direction and information indicative of movement of the listener'"'"'s head closer to or away from the reference position of the virtual sound source.

21. An audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the position detecting means adds information on head gyration of the listener with respect to the reference direction and information indicative of movement of the listener'"'"'s head closer to or away from the reference position of the virtual sound source to angle information from the angle detecting means to thereby change the angle detection signal from the angle detecting means.

22. An audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the angle detecting means sets as the reference direction a direction in which the listener'"'"'s head turns when the reset switch is turned on.

23. An audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the angle detecting means sets as the reference direction a predetermined direction which the listener'"'"'s head turns to.

24. An audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein audio signal reproducing means includes a reset switch which, when the listener wears the audio signal reproducing means, causes the angle detecting means to set as the reference direction a direction toward a front of the virtual sound source.

25. An audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the angle detecting means detects upward and downward angles of gyration of the listener with respect to the reference direction, and the audio signal reproducing means reproduces audio signals corrected by the control means based on the impulse response or the control signal read out from the storage means in accordance with the angles of gyration detected by the angle detecting means such that a plurality of optional reproduced sound images are localized at a position corresponding to the virtual sound source.

26. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus comprising:

a signal source for supplying a video signal and audio signals in a plurality of channels;

angle detecting means for detecting a head movement angle of a listener'"'"'s head with respect to a virtual sound source reference position at every predetermined angle and outputting a detected angle signal, the angle detecting means including a reset switch for selectively setting the reference direction;

video signal reproducing means for reproducing the video signal supplied from the signal source;

movement detecting means for detecting a relative movement of the virtual sound source on the video signal reproducing means and the listener'"'"'s head;

storage means for storing a plurality of correction data used to correct the audio signals from the signal source such that sound images reproduced from the audio signals from the signal source are localized at the position of the virtual sound source when the listener'"'"'s head turns with respect to a reference direction;

control means for correcting the audio signals from the signal source by selectively reading out the correction data from the storage means based information indicative of an angle of the listener supplied from the angle detecting means and changes the correction data read out from the storage means based on the information indicative of the angle of the listener supplied from the angle detecting means and a movement detection signal from the movement detecting means; and

audio signal reproducing means adapted for mounting on the listener'"'"'s head, the audio signal reproducing means receiving and reproducing the audio signals corrected by the control means so that a plurality of reproduced sound images are localized at a position corresponding to a picture reproduced by the video signal reproducing means.

27. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the storage means stores the impulse response after the impulse response from the position of the virtual sound source with respect to the reference direction of the listener'"'"'s head corresponding to movement of the listener'"'"'s head is determined or stores a control signal representing a measured difference in time between the audio signals from the signal source the virtual sound source and a measured difference in level between the audio signals from the signal source and the virtual sound source.

28. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising address signal generating means for generating an address signal supplied to the storage means to read out the impulse response or the control signal stored in the storage means.

29. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the movement detecting means includes extracting means for extracting positional information output from the signal source together with the video signal and the audio signals and supplying an extracted signal to the control means.

30. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the movement detecting means includes position detecting means mounted on the listener'"'"'s head for detecting a relative movement of the listener with respect to the video signal reproducing means and outputting a detection signal to the control means.

31. A video signal and audio signal reproducing apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the position detecting means is provided on the audio signal reproducing means.