Sound control method and device for expressing game presence

• US 20020098886A1
• Filed: 12/11/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishizawa, Manabu, Wakimura, Takayuki, Sato, Fumiteru
• Granted Patent: US 6,960,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/424 involving acoustic input signals, e.g. by using the results of pitch or rhythm extraction or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing

Abstract

The game sounds were classified into those emitted from left and right speaker units of a television receiver and those emitted from a head set worn by a player, and emission of the individual game sounds from the speaker units or a sound emissive portion of the head set is controlled corresponding to game screens or scenes. This allows the player to enjoy the video game while hearing footstep or whispering of the leading character closely from the head set, and hearing explosive sound or shout of the enemy characters distantly from the speaker units.

Claims

1. A sound control device comprising:

a first sound output means provided at a predetermined distance from a player;

a second sound output means provided close to a player'"'"'s ear;

a classifying means for classifying whole sounds related to a video game into at least a first sound and a second sound; and

a sound output control means for controlling output of the first sound through the first sound output means, and for controlling output of the second sound through the second sound output means, among sounds classified by the classifying means.

2. The sound control device according to claim 1, wherein the classifying means classifies sound having a predetermined sound level or higher as the first sound, and classifies sound having a sound level lower than the predetermined sound level as the second sound.

3. The sound control device according to claim 1, wherein the sound output control means controls output of at least effective sound and a background music of the game as the first sound, and controls output of at least voice of a game character as the second sound.

4. The sound control device according to claim 1, wherein the second sound output means provided close to the player'"'"'s ear is integrated with a sound collecting means for collecting player'"'"'s voice.

5. A sound control method comprising the steps of:

classifying whole sounds related to a video game into at least a first sound and a second sound; and

controlling output of the first sound through a first sound output means provided at a predetermined distance from a player and controlling output of the second sound through a second sound output means provided close to a player'"'"'s ear, among sounds classified by the classifying means.

6. The sound control method according to claim 5, wherein the classifying step comprises the steps of:

classifying sound having a predetermined sound level or higher as the first sound, and classifying sound having a sound level lower than the predetermined sound level as the second sound.

7. The sound control method according to claim 5, wherein the output controlling step comprises the steps of:

controlling output of at least effective sound and a background music of the game as the first sound, and controlling output of at least voice of a game character as the second sound.

8. The sound control method according to claim 5, wherein the second sound output means provided close to the player'"'"'s ear is integrated with a sound collecting means for collecting player'"'"'s voice.

9. A computer-readable storage medium having recorded therein a sound control program to be executed on a computer, wherein the sound control program comprises the steps of:

classifying whole sounds related to a video game into at least a first sound and a second sound; and

controlling output of the first sound through a first sound output means provided at a predetermined distance from a player and controlling output of the second sound through a second sound output means provided close to a player'"'"'s ear, among sounds classified by the classifying means.

10. The computer-readable storage medium having recorded therein a sound control program according to claim 9, wherein the classifying step comprises the steps of:

classifying sound having a predetermined sound level or higher as the first sound, and classifying sound having a sound level lower than the predetermined sound level as the second sound.

11. The computer-readable storage medium having recorded therein a sound control program according to claim 9, wherein the output controlling step comprises the steps of:

controlling output of at least effective sound and a background music of the game as the first sound, and controlling output of at least voice of a game character as the second sound.

12. The computer-readable storage medium having recorded therein a sound control program according to claim 9, wherein the output controlling step through the second sound output means comprises the step of:

controlling output of the second sound through the second sound output means integrated with a sound collecting means for collecting player'"'"'s voice and provided close to the player'"'"'s ear.

13. A program execution device for executing a sound control program wherein the sound generation program comprises the steps of:

classifying whole sounds related to a video game into at least a first sound and a second sound; and

controlling output of the first sound through a first sound output means provided at a predetermined distance from a player and controlling output of the second sound through a second sound output means provided close to a player'"'"'s ear, among sounds classified by the classifying means.

14. A sound control program to be executed on a computer comprising the steps of:

classifying whole sounds related to a video game into at least a first sound and a second sound; and

controlling output of the first sound through a first sound output means provided at a predetermined distance from a player and controlling output of the second sound through a second sound output means provided close to a player'"'"'s ear, among sounds classified by the classifying means.

15. A sound control device comprising:

a first sound output unit provided at a predetermined distance from a player;

a second sound output unit provided close to a player'"'"'s ear;

a classifying unit for classifying whole sounds related to a video game into at least a first sound and a second sound; and

a sound output control unit for controlling output of the first sound through the first sound output unit and for controlling output of the second sound through the second sound output means, among sounds classified by the classifying means.