INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20110075858A1
• Filed: 09/03/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: LIU, Yijun, CHIHARA, Shuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,848,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/92
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02166 Microphone arrays; Beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/03 Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/20 Processing of the output signals of the acoustic transducers of an array for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic H04R2203/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/25 Array processing for suppression of unwanted side-lobes in directivity characteristics, e.g. a blocking matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

There is provided an information processing apparatus including microphones, a parameter setting unit, and an audio signal processing unit. At least one pair of the microphones are provided, and the microphone picks up external audio to convert the external audio into an audio signal. The parameter setting unit sets a processing parameter specifying at least the sensitivity of the microphone according to at least an instruction from a user. Based on the processing parameter, the audio signal processing unit applies processing, including beamforming processing, to the audio signal input from the microphone.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a pick-up unit which is provided as at least a pair and picks up external audio to convert the external audio into an audio signal;

a parameter setting unit which sets a processing parameter specifying at least the sensitivity of the pick-up unit according to at least an instruction from a user; and

an audio signal processing unit which applies processing including beamforming processing to the audio signal, input from the pick-up unit, based on the processing parameter.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the audio signal processing unit adjusts a sensitivity balance between the pick-up units based on the processing parameter.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the audio signal processing unit adjusts the sensitivity of the pick-up unit based on the processing parameter.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the level of the audio signal input from the pick-up unit is continuously less than a predetermined threshold value, the audio signal processing unit adjusts a duration till when the input of the audio signal is discontinued, based on the processing parameter.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the audio signal processing unit adjusts a frequency range of the audio signal, input from the pick-up unit, based on the processing parameter.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a sensitivity balance between the pick-up units is automatically set so that the level of the audio signal corresponding to a specific audio source is highest, following a relative positional change between the pick-up unit and the specific audio source.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmission unit which transmits the audio signal subjected to the audio processing to a reproducing apparatus through a communication network; and

a reception unit which receives parameter designation information, designating the processing parameter, from the reproducing apparatus,

wherein the parameter setting unit sets the processing parameter in accordance with the received parameter designation information.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the audio signal processing unit maintains the level of the audio signal when a phase difference between the audio signals input from the pick-up units is less than a predetermined threshold value, and the audio signal processing unit reduces the level of the audio signal when the phase difference is not less than the predetermined threshold value.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the audio signal processing unit synthesizes a signal, which is for use in removal of signals other than the audio signal corresponding to other than a specific audio source of the audio signals input from the pick-up unit, with the audio signal input from the pick-up unit.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pair or pairs of the pick-up units are provided respectively in left and right units of a headphone.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the audio signal processing unit adjusts the processing parameter according to an instruction from a user input through a setting screen for use in setting the processing parameter.

12. An information processing method, comprising the steps of:

setting a processing parameter specifying the sensitivity of a pick-up unit, which is provided as at least a pair and picks up external audio to convert the external audio into an audio signal, according to at least an instruction from a user; and

applying audio processing, including beamforming processing, to the audio signal based on the processing parameter.

13. A program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method comprising the steps of:

setting a processing parameter specifying the sensitivity of a pick-up unit, which is provided as at least a pair and picks up external audio to convert the external audio into an audio signal, according to at least an instruction from a user; and

applying audio processing, including beamforming processing, to the audio signal based on the processing parameter.