DISPLAY APPARATUS AND SOUND CONTROL METHOD OF THE DISPLAY APPARATUS

• US 20120128184A1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: PARK, Nam-hyun, KIM, Hee-su
• Application Number:
  US13/162,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20120128184A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

A display apparatus and a sound control method of the display apparatus are provided. The display apparatus includes: a display unit which displays an image thereon; a sound processor which processes an audio signal corresponding to the image displayed on the display unit and outputs the signal as a left audio signal and a right audio signal; a sensor which detects a viewing direction of a user watching the display unit; and a controller which controls the sound processor to individually adjust an extent of the left audio signal and an extent of the right audio signal corresponding to the viewing direction. With this configuration, there are provided a display apparatus which outputs a sound to optimize effects of a three-dimensional (3D) image, and a sound control method of the same.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a display unit which displays an image thereon;

a sound processor which processes an audio signal which corresponds to the image displayed on the display unit and outputs the audio signal as a left audio signal and a right audio signal;

a sensor which detects a viewing direction of a user watching the display unit; and

a controller which controls the sound processor to individually adjust an extent of the left audio signal and an extent of the right audio signal corresponding to the detected viewing direction.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sound processor adjusts an extent of an audio signal corresponding to an inclining direction to be smaller than an extent of an audio signal corresponding to a direction opposite to the inclining direction when the viewing direction inclines to a right side of the display unit or a left side of the display unit.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal processor decreases an extent of an audio signal corresponding to the viewing direction of the user, and increases an extent of an audio signal corresponding to a direction opposite to the viewing direction of the user when the viewing direction is moved to a left side of the display unit or a right side of the display unit.

4. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor further detects a position of the user, and the sound processor increases an extent of an audio signal corresponding to a moving direction of the user and decreases an extent of an audio signal corresponding to a direction opposite to the moving direction when the position of the user is detected to be moved.

5. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor further detects a position of the user, and the sound processor adjusts the extent of the left audio signal and the extent of the right audio signal in reverse proportion to a distance from the display unit to the user.

6. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor further detects a position of the user, the sound processor adjusts the extent of the right audio signal to be louder than the extent of the left audio signal when the position of the user is detected to be right from a center of the display unit, and the sound processor adjusts the extent of the left audio signal to be louder than the extent of the right audio signal when the position of the user is detected to be left from the center of the display unit.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sound processor separates the audio signal into a main sound which corresponds to a particular frequency band and a sub-sound which excludes the main sound from the audio signal, and the controller controls the sound processor to adjust a volume of the main sound included in the left audio signal and the right audio signal.

8. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a three-dimensional (3D) image, and further comprises shutter glasses which include shutters which open and shut in correspondence with the 3D image, wherein the sensor is installed in the shutter glasses.

9. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a left sound output unit which outputs the left audio signal and a right sound output unit which outputs the right audio signal.

10. The display apparatus of claim 9, which displays a three-dimensional (3D) image on the display unit, and further comprises shutter glasses which include shutters which open and shut in correspondence with the 3D image, wherein the left sound output unit and the right sound output unit are installed in the shutter glasses.

11. A sound control method of a display apparatus comprising a display unit to display an image, the method comprising:

detecting a viewing direction of a user watching the display unit; and

individually adjusting an extent of a left audio signal and an extent of a right audio signal based on the detected viewing direction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting adjusts an extent of an audio signal corresponding to an inclining direction to be smaller than an extent of an audio signal corresponding to a direction opposite to the inclining direction when the viewing direction is detected to incline to a right side of the display unit or a left side of the display unit.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting decreases an extent of an audio signal corresponding to a viewing direction of the user and increases an extent of an audio signal corresponding to a direction opposite to the viewing direction of the user when the viewing direction is detected to be moved to a left side of the display unit or a right side of the display unit.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting a position of the user, wherein the adjusting increases an extent of an audio signal corresponding to a moving direction of the user and decreases an extent of an audio signal corresponding to a direction opposite to the moving direction when the position of the user is detected to be moved.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting a position of the user, wherein the adjusting adjusts the extent of the right audio signal to be louder than the extent of the left audio signal when the position of the user is detected to be right from a center of the display unit, and the adjusting adjusts the extent of the left audio signal to be louder than the extent of the right audio signal when the position of the user is detected to be left from the center of the display unit.

16. A display apparatus comprising:

a sensor which senses a viewing direction of a user; and

a controller which controls a sound processor in the display apparatus to individually adjust an extent of a left audio signal and an extent of a right audio signal which corresponds to the sensing of the viewing direction of the user.

17. The display apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a display unit which displays an image.

18. The display apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a sound processor which processes an audio signal which corresponds to the image. displayed on the display unit and outputs the audio signal as a left audio signal and a right audio signal;

19. The display apparatus of claim 18, wherein the sensor further detects a position of the user, and the sound processor increases an extent of an audio signal corresponding to a moving direction of the user and decreases an extent of an audio signal corresponding to a direction opposite to the moving direction when the position of the user is detected to be moved.