Sound producing method and sound producing apparatus

• US 5,831,518 A
• Filed: 02/07/1997
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Minoshima, Toshikazu, Nagahara, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/776,875
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 340/384.1, 340/384.4, 395/2.79, 395/2.82, 395/2.84, 395/2.69, 381/17, 381/18, 381/26, 381/51, 381/52, 381/61
• US Class Current: 340/384.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/00 Acoustics not otherwise provided for

Abstract

In a sound producing apparatus and a sound producing method of this invention, at least underlying sound representing situations of the place within virtually actualized space and ornamental sound corresponding to object within the virtually actualized space which is not independent of presence or absence of display on a display unit are produced to set virtual sound space corresponding to the virtually actualized space displayed on the display unit. Thus, speech (sound) can be utilized as means for grasping spatial information as in the actual world within the virtually actualized space, and offer of information utilizing speech (sound) can be made. In addition, the advertisement effect can be also increased.

Claims

1. A sound producing apparatus adapted for setting a virtual sound space corresponding to a virtual space displayed on a display unit to produce a sound, the apparatus comprising:

underlying sound signal generating means for generating, on the basis of an underlying sound parameter, an underlying sound signal indicating situations of a place at a position of a virtual user within said virtual space;

ornamental sound signal generating means for generating, on the basis of an ornamental sound parameter, an ornamental sound signal set at an object disposed within the virtual space; and

sound producing means for producing a sound on the basis of at least the underlying sound signal and the ornamental sound signal that the underlying sound signal generating means and the ornamental sound signal generating means respectively generate.

2. A sound producing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including communication means for making a connection to a server computer through a communication line, wherein data of the number of users who are providing access to a server computer is caused to be at least the underlying sound parameter.

3. A sound producing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the underlying sound parameter includes at least a time parameter.

4. A sound producing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the underlying sound signal is generated by repeatedly reproducing an underlying phonemic data consisting of a predetermined time length.

5. A sound producing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the underlying sound is set at every area of predetermined units of the virtual space.

6. A sound producing apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein the area of the predetermined unit corresponds to one virtual space displayed within a display picture (on screen) of a display unit.

7. A sound producing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the ornamental sound parameter includes at least a distance parameter indicating the distance between the virtual user and the object within the virtual space.

8. A sound producing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the ornamental sound parameter includes at least a direction parameter indicating the direction in which the object is disposed with respect to a line of sight direction of the virtual user within the virtual space.

9. A sound producing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including signaling sound signal generating means for generating a signaling sound signal corresponding to an alarm or a response on the basis of a signaling sound parameter.

10. A sound producing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including announcement sound signal generating means for generating an announcement sound signal having meanings in a language on the basis of an announcement sound parameter.

11. A sound producing method for setting a virtual sound space corresponding to a virtual space displayed on a display unit to produce a sound, the method comprising the steps of:

generating, on the basis of an underlying sound parameter, an underlying sound signal indicating situations of a place at a position of a virtual user within said virtual space;

generating, on the basis of an ornamental sound parameter, an ornamental sound signal set at an object disposed within the virtual space; and

producing a sound on the basis of at least the underlying sound signal and the ornamental sound signal respectively generated at the underlying sound signal generating step and the ornamental sound signal generating step.

12. A sound producing method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of establishing a connection to a server computer through a communication line wherein data of the number of users who are providing access to the server computer is caused to be at least the underlying sound parameter.

13. A sound producing method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the underlying sound parameter includes at least a time parameter.

14. A sound producing method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the underlying sound signal is generated by repeatedly reproducing an underlying phonemic data consisting of a predetermined time length.

15. A sound producing method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the underlying sound is set at every area of predetermined units of the virtual space.

16. A sound producing method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the area of the predetermined unit corresponds to one virtual space displayed within a display picture (on screen) of a display unit.

17. A sound producing method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the ornamental sound parameter includes at least a distance parameter indicating the distance between the virtual user and the object within the virtual space.

18. A sound producing method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the ornamental sound parameter includes at least a direction parameter indicating the direction in which the object is disposed with respect to a line of sight direction of the virtual user within the virtual space.

19. A sound producing method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of generating a signaling sound signal corresponding to an alarm or a response on the basis of a signaling sound parameter.

20. A sound producing method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of generating an announcement sound signal having meanings in a language on the basis of an announcement sound parameter.

21. A sound producing apparatus adapted for setting a virtual sound space corresponding to a virtual space displayed on a display unit to produce a sound, the apparatus comprising:

underlying sound signal generating means for generating, on the basis of an underlying sound parameter, an underlying sound signal indicating situations of a place at a position of a virtual user within a virtual space;

ornamental sound signal generating means for generating, on the basis of an ornamental sound parameter, an ornamental sound signal set at an object disposed within the virtual space; and

sound producing means for producing a sound on the basis of at least the underlying sound signal and the ornamental sound signal that the underlying sound signal generating means and the ornamental sound signal generating means respectively generate;

wherein the underlying sound parameter includes at least a time parameter; and

further

wherein the ornamental sound parameter includes at least a distance parameter indicating the distance between the virtual user and the object within the virtual space.

22. The sound producing apparatus of claim 21 further including communication means for making a connection to a server computer through a communication line, wherein said underlying sound parameter further includes data related to the number of users who are providing access to said server computer.

23. The sound producing apparatus of claim 21 wherein the underlying sound signal is generated by repeatedly reproducing an underlying phonemic data consisting of a predetermined time length.

24. The sound producing apparatus of claim 23 wherein the underlying sound is set at every area of predetermined units of the virtual space, and further, wherein the area of the predetermined unit corresponds to one virtual space displayed within a display picture (on screen) of a display unit.

25. The sound producing apparatus of claim 21 further including signaling sound signal generating means for generating a signaling sound signal corresponding to an alarm or a response on the basis of a signaling sound parameter.

26. The sound producing apparatus of claim 21 further including announcement sound signal generating means for generating an announcement sound signal having meanings in a language on the basis of an announcement sound parameter.

27. A sound producing apparatus adapted for setting a virtual sound space corresponding to a virtual space displayed on a display unit to produce a sound, the apparatus comprising:

underlying sound signal generating means for generating, on the basis of an underlying sound parameter, an underlying sound signal indicating situations of a place at a position of a virtual user within said virtual space;

ornamental sound signal generating means for generating, on the basis of an ornamental sound parameter, an ornamental sound signal set at an object disposed within the virtual space; and

sound producing means for producing a sound on the basis of at least the underlying sound signal and the ornamental sound signal that the underlying sound signal generating means and the ornamental sound signal generating means respectively generate;

wherein the underlying sound parameter includes at least a time parameter; and

further

wherein the ornamental sound parameter includes at least a direction parameter indicating the direction in which the object is disposed with respect to a line of sight direction of the virtual user within the virtual space.

28. The sound producing apparatus of claim 27 further including communication means for making a connection to a server computer through a communication line, wherein said underlying sound parameter further includes data related to the number of users who are providing access to said server computer.

29. The sound producing apparatus of claim 27 wherein the underlying sound signal is generated by repeatedly reproducing an underlying phonemic data consisting of a predetermined time length.

30. The sound producing apparatus of claim 29 wherein the underlying sound is set at every area of predetermined units of the virtual space, and further, wherein the area of the predetermined unit corresponds to one virtual space displayed within a display picture (on screen) of a display unit.

31. The sound producing apparatus of claim 27 further including signaling sound signal generating means for generating a signaling sound signal corresponding to an alarm or a response on the basis of a signaling sound parameter.

32. The sound producing apparatus of claim 27 further including announcement sound signal generating means for generating an announcement sound signal having meanings in a language on the basis of an announcement sound parameter.

33. A sound producing method for setting a virtual sound space corresponding to a virtual space displayed on a display unit to produce a sound, the method comprising the steps of:

generating, on the basis of an underlying sound parameter, an underlying sound signal indicating situations of a place at a position of a virtual user within said virtual space;

generating, on the basis of an ornamental sound parameter, an ornamental sound signal set at an object disposed within the virtual space; and

producing a sound on the basis of at least the underlying sound signal and the ornamental sound signal respectively generated at the underlying sound signal generating step and the ornamental sound signal generating step;

wherein the underlying sound parameter includes at least a time parameter; and

further

wherein the ornamental sound parameter includes at least a distance parameter indicating the distance between the virtual user and the object within the virtual space.

34. The sound producing method of claim 33 further including the step of establishing a connection to a server computer through a communication line wherein said underlying sound parameter further includes data related to the number of users who are providing access to the server computer.

35. The sound producing method of claim 33 wherein the underlying sound signal is generated by repeatedly reproducing an underlying phonemic data consisting of a predetermined time length.

36. The sound producing method of claim 35 wherein the underlying sound is set at every area of predetermined units of the virtual space, and further, wherein the area of the predetermined unit corresponds to one virtual space displayed within a display picture (on screen) of a display unit.

37. The sound producing method of claim 33 further including the step of generating a signaling sound signal corresponding to an alarm or a response on the basis of a signaling sound parameter.

38. The sound producing method of claim 33 further including the step of generating an announcement sound signal having meanings in a language on the basis of an announcement sound parameter.

39. A sound producing method for setting a virtual sound space corresponding to a virtual space displayed on a display unit to produce a sound, the method comprising the steps of:

generating, on the basis of an underlying sound parameter, an underlying sound signal indicating situations of a place at a position of a virtual user within said virtual space;

generating, on the basis of an ornamental sound parameter, an ornamental sound signal set at an object disposed within the virtual space; and

producing a sound on the basis of at least the underlying sound signal and the ornamental sound signal respectively generated at the underlying sound signal generating step and the ornamental sound signal generating step;

wherein the underlying sound parameter includes at least a time parameter, and further

wherein the ornamental sound parameter includes at least a direction parameter indicating the direction in which the object is disposed with respect to a line of sight direction of the virtual user within the virtual space.

40. The sound producing method of claim 39 further including the step of establishing a connection to a server computer through a communication line wherein said underlying sound parameter further includes data related to the number of users who are providing access to the server computer.

41. The sound producing method of claim 39 wherein the underlying sound signal is generated by repeatedly reproducing an underlying phonemic data consisting of a predetermined time length.

42. The sound producing method of claim 41 wherein the underlying sound is set at every area of predetermined units of the virtual space, and further, wherein the area of the predetermined unit corresponds to one virtual space displayed within a display picture (on screen) of a display unit.

43. The sound producing method of claim 39 further including the step of generating a signaling sound signal corresponding to an alarm or a response on the basis of a signaling sound parameter.

44. A sound producing method of claim 39 further including the step of generating an announcement sound signal having meanings in a language on the basis of an announcement sound parameter.