Computer, computer system and desk-top theater system

• US 6,169,806 B1
• Filed: 02/04/1997
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kimura, Shinta, Sato, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US08/795,725
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 381/1, 381/5, 381/17-19, 381/24, 381/63, 381/61-62, 381/300, 381/302, 381/307, 381/304, 381/310
• US Class Current: 381/17
• 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 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/305 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic audio signals to reverberation of the listening space H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/40 Visual indication of stereophonic sound image

Abstract

A computer including an extraction unit for extracting source signals of surround sound from data received via a medium, and a processor for decoding and converting the source signals into audio signals of a plurality of channels. The processor includes the function of correction a sound field of a plurality of speakers which are arranged approximately concentrically together with a display unit about an operating position of a user operating the computer.

Claims

1. A computer to receive data from a medium and to be operated by a user, comprising:

a processor decoding and converting source signals of surround sound included in the data received via the medium into audio signals having a plurality of channels;

a display unit having a 14 to 17 inch screen;

a plurality of speakers, wherein said plurality of speakers and said display unit are arranged concentrically at a radius of approximately 1.0 to 1.5 m about an operating position of the user operating the computer; and

a correction unit within said processor correcting a sound field of the plurality of speakers based on a positional relationship between said speakers, the user, and said display unit, said correction unit performing a reverberation adding process for reflected waves of the source signals.

2. The computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said correction unit corrects at least one of a volume and a frequency characteristic of the audio signals.

3. The computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said correction unit carries out a reverberation adding process with respect to the audio signals.

4. The computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the medium is an information recording medium, broadcasting media, or digital communication media.

5. The computer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an extraction unit extracting the source signals of the surround sound from the data received via the medium.

6. The computer of claim 1, wherein said correction unit performs the reverberation adding process by generating impulse responses for a target reflected wave of the source signal, the impulse responses being generated by outputting the reflected wave generated from one of said speakers through others of said speakers, the reflected wave being output from said speakers located on both sides of the target reflected wave incident on the user if none of said speakers is located in the direction of the target reflected wave.

7. The computer of claim 6, wherein said computer automatically setting the impulse responses based on information input by the user related to arrangement and position of said speakers, said display unit, and walls of a listening room.

8. The computer of claim 1, wherein said correction unit produces a sound field such that the sound reaches the user as if virtual speakers are arranged, within a virtual listening room, at a greater distance from the user than said real speakers.

9. A desk-top theater system to receive data from a medium and to be operated by a user comprising:

a computer system having a main computer body and a display unit having a 14 to 17 inch screen, wherein said main computer body includes a central processing unit and said display unit is coupled to said main computer body; and

a plurality of speakers,

wherein said plurality of speakers and said display unit are arranged concentrically about an operating position of the user operating the computer system,

wherein said main computer body further comprises;

a processor decoding and converting surround sound source signals included in the data received via the medium into audio signals having a plurality of channels said processor including a correction unit correcting a sound field of said plurality of speakers based on a positional relationship between said speakers, the user, and said display unit, said correction unit performing a reverberation adding process for reflected waves of the source signals.

10. The desk-top theater system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said correction unit corrects at least one of a volume and a frequency characteristic of the audio signals.

11. The desk-top theater system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said correction unit carries out a reverberation adding process with respect to the audio signals.

12. The desk-top theater system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the medium is an information recording medium, broadcasting media, or digital communication media.

13. The desk-top theater system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

an extraction unit extracting a video source signal to be displayed on said display unit and the surround sound source signals from the data received via the medium.

14. The desk-top theater system of claim 9, wherein said correction unit performs the reverberation adding process by generating impulse responses for a target reflected wave of the source signal, the impulse responses being generated by outputting the reflected wave generated from one of said speakers through others of said speakers, the reflected wave being output from said speakers located on both sides of the target reflected wave incident on the user if none of said speakers is located in the direction of the target reflected wave.

15. The desk-top theater system of claim 14, wherein said computer system automatically setting the impulse responses based on information input by the user related to arrangement and position of said speakers, the display unit, and walls of a listening room.

16. The desk-top theater system of claim 9, wherein said correction unit produces a sound field such that the sound reaches the user as if virtual speakers are arranged, within a virtual listening room, at a greater distance from the user than said real speakers.

17. A method of arranging a display unit which includes a 14 to 17 inch screen and a plurality of computer speakers, comprising the steps of:

arranging said plurality of speakers and said display unit concentrically at a radius of approximately 1.0 to 1.5 m about an operating position of a user operating the computer; and

correcting a sound field of the plurality of speakers based on a positional relationship between each of the speakers, the user, and the display unit, said correcting a sound field performing a reverberation adding process for reflected waves of source signals of the sound field.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said correcting a sound field performs the reverberation adding process by generating impulse responses for a target reflected wave of the source signal, the impulse responses being generated by outputting the reflected wave generated from one of the speakers through others of the speakers, the reflected wave being output from the speakers located on both sides of the target reflected wave incident on the user if none of the speakers is located in the direction of the target reflected wave.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising automatically setting the impulse responses based on information input by the user related to arrangement and position of the speakers, the display unit, and walls of a listening room.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said correcting a sound field produces a sound field such that the sound reaches the user as if virtual speakers are arranged, within a virtual listening room, at a greater distance from the user than the real speakers.

21. A computer to receive source signals from a medium and to be operated by a computer operator, comprising:

an audio signal processing system to decode and convert the source signals received from the medium into audio signals having a plurality of channels;

a display unit having a 14 to 17 inch screen; and

a plurality of speakers, wherein said plurality of speakers and said display unit are arranged concentrically at a radius of approximately 1.0 to 1.5 m about the computer operator, said audio signal processing system including a correction unit correcting a sound field of the plurality of speakers based on a positional relationship between said speakers, the operator, and said display unit, said correction unit performing a reverberation adding process for reflected waves of the source signals.

22. The computer of claim 21, wherein said correction unit performs the reverberation adding process by generating impulse responses for a target reflected wave of the source signal, the impulse responses being generated by outputting the reflected wave generated from one of said speakers through others of said speakers, the reflected wave being output from said speakers located on both sides of the target reflected wave incident on the operator if none of said speakers is located in the direction of the target reflected wave.

23. The computer of claim 22, wherein said computer automatically setting the impulse responses based on information input by the operator related to arrangement and position of said speakers, said display unit, and walls of a listening room.

24. The computer of claim 21, wherein said correction unit produces a sound field such that the sound reaches the operator as if virtual speakers are arranged, within a virtual listening room, at a greater distance from the user than said real speakers.

25. A computer connectable to a plurality of speakers and a display unit comprising a processor decoding and converting source signals of surround sound included in data received via a medium into audio signals of a plurality of channels, said processor including a correction unit correcting a sound field of the plurality of speakers which are arranged approximately concentrically together with the display unit about an operating position of a user operating the computer, wherein the correction unit corrects the sound field of the plurality of speakers based on a positional relationship between the speakers, the user, and the display unit, said correction unit performing a reverberation adding process for reflected waves of the source signals.

26. The computer as claimed in claim 25, wherein said correction unit corrects at least one of volume and frequency characteristic of the audio signals.

27. The computer as claimed in claim 25, wherein said correction unit carries out a reverberation adding process with respect to the audio signals.

28. The computer as claimed in claim 25, wherein the medium is an information recording medium, broadcasting media or digital communication media.

29. The computer of claim 25, wherein said correction unit performs the reverberation adding process by generating impulse responses for a target reflected wave of the source signal, the impulse responses being generated by outputting the reflected wave generated from one of the speakers through others of the speakers, the reflected wave being output from the speakers located on both sides of the target reflected wave incident on the user if none of the speakers is located in the direction of the target reflected wave.

30. The computer of claim 29, wherein said computer automatically setting the impulse responses based on information input by the user related to arrangement and position of the speakers, the display unit, and walls of a listening room.

31. The computer of claim 25, wherein said correction unit produces a sound field such that the sound reaches the user as if virtual speakers are arranged, within a virtual listening room, at a greater distance from the user than the real speakers.

32. A computer comprising:

a main computer body;

a display unit coupled to said main computer body; and

a plurality of speakers arranged approximately concentrically together with said display unit about an operating position of a user operating the computer,

said main computer body comprising;

a processor decoding and converting surround sound source signals of surround sound included in data received from a medium into audio signals of a plurality of channels, said processor including a correction unit correcting a sound field of the plurality of speakers based on a positional relationship between the speakers, the user, and said display unit, said correction unit performing a reverberation adding process for reflected waves of the source signals.

33. The computer as claimed in claim 32, wherein said display unit includes a 14 to 17 inch screen, and the speakers and the display unit are arranged concentrically at a radius of approximately 1.0 to 1.5 m about said operating position.

34. The computer of claim 32, wherein said correction unit performs the reverberation adding process by generating impulse responses for a target reflected wave of the source signal, the impulse responses being generated by outputting the reflected wave generated from one of said speakers through others of said speakers, the reflected wave being output from said speakers located on both sides of the target reflected wave incident on the user if none of said speakers is located in the direction of the target reflected wave.

35. The computer of claim 34, wherein said computer automatically setting the impulse responses based on information input by the user related to arrangement and position of said speakers, said display unit, and the walls of the listening room.

36. The computer of claim 32, wherein said correction unit produces a sound field such that the sound reaches the user as if virtual speakers are arranged, within a virtual listening room, at a greater distance from the user than said real speakers.

37. A computer system comprising:

a main computer body including at least a central processing unit; and

a display unit coupled to said main computer body,

said main computer body comprising;

a processor decoding and converting source signals of surround sound included in data received via a medium into audio signals of a plurality of channels,

said processor including a correction unit correcting a sound field of a plurality of speakers arranged approximately concentrically together with said display unit about an operating position of a user operating the computer system, wherein the correction unit corrects the sound field of the plurality of speakers based on a positional relationship between each of the plurality of speakers, the user, and said display unit, said correction unit performing a reverberation adding process for reflected waves of the source signals.

38. The computer system of claim 37, wherein said correction unit performs the reverberation adding process by generating impulse responses for a target reflected wave of the source signal, the impulse responses being generated by outputting the reflected wave generated from one of the speakers through others of the speakers, the reflected wave being output from the speakers located on both sides of the target reflected wave incident on the user if none of the speakers is located in the direction of the target reflected wave.

39. The computer system of claim 38, wherein said computer system automatically setting the impulse responses based on information input by the user related to arrangement and position of the speakers, said display unit, and walls of a listening room.

40. The computer of claim 37, wherein said correction unit produces a sound field such that the sound reaches the user as if virtual speakers are arranged, within a virtual listening room, at a greater distance from the user than the real speakers.

41. A computer comprising:

a processor including a correction unit correcting a sound field of a plurality of speakers which are arranged approximately concentrically together with a display unit about an operating position of a user operating the computer, wherein the correction unit corrects the sound field of the plurality of speakers based on a positional relationship between the speakers, the user, and the display unit, said correction unit performing a reverberation adding process for reflected waves of source signals of the sound field.

42. The computer of claim 41, wherein said correction unit performs the reverberation adding process by generating impulse responses for a target reflected wave of the source signal, the impulse responses being generated by outputting the reflected wave generated from one of the speakers through others of the speakers, the reflected wave being output from the speakers located on both sides of the target reflected wave incident on the user if none of the speakers is located in the direction of the target reflected wave.

43. The computer of claim 42, wherein said computer automatically setting the impulse responses based on information input by the user related to arrangement and position of the speakers, the display unit, and the walls of the listening room.

44. The computer of claim 41, wherein said correction unit produces a sound field such that the sound reaches the user as if virtual speakers are arranged, within a virtual listening room, at a greater distance from the user than the real speakers.