SOUND FIELD CONTROL DEVICE, SOUND FIELD CONTROL METHOD, PROGRAM, SOUND CONTROL SYSTEM AND SERVER

• US 20140321680A1
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Naoya, Nishiguchi, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,510,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/01 Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/11 Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field H04S2420/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/01 Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/304 For headphones

Abstract

A sound field control device according to the present disclosure includes a display target object position information acquisition unit for acquiring position information of a viewer from information obtained by imaging, and a virtual sound source position control unit for controlling a virtual sound source position on the basis of the position information. Thus, it becomes possible to optimally adjust virtual sound source reproduction in consideration of size or orientation of a head. Accordingly, it becomes possible to provide a sound field without unnatural feeling to viewers.

Claims

1. A sound field control device comprising:

a display target object position information acquisition unit for acquiring position information of a display target object corresponding to a sound source; and

a virtual sound source position control unit for controlling a virtual sound source position on the basis of position information of the display target object.

2. The sound field control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmission unit for transmitting, to an external computer, at least the position information of the display target object; and

a reception unit for receiving, from the external computer, a virtual sound source reproduction correction factor computed on the basis of the position information of the display target object or information generated on the basis of the virtual sound source reproduction correction factor.

3. The sound field control device according to claim 2,

wherein the transmission unit transmits, to the external computer, sound data together with the position information of the display target object, and

wherein the reception unit receives, from the external computer, sound data that is obtained by correcting the sound data with the virtual sound source reproduction correction factor computed on the basis of the position information of the display target object.

4. The sound field control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a viewer position information acquisition unit for acquiring position information of a viewer,

wherein the virtual sound source position control unit controls the virtual sound source position on the basis of the position information of the display target object and the position information of the viewer.

5. The sound field control device according to claim 4, wherein the viewer position information acquisition unit acquires the position information of the viewer from information obtained by imaging.

6. The sound field control device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a transmission unit for transmitting, to the external computer, the position information of the display target object and the position information of the viewer; and

a reception unit for receiving, from the external computer, a virtual sound source reproduction correction factor computed on the basis of the position information of the display target object and the position information of the viewer or information generated on the basis of the virtual sound source reproduction correction factor.

7. The sound field control device according to claim 6,

wherein the transmission unit transmits, to the external computer, sound data together with the position information of the display target object and the position information of the viewer, and

wherein the reception unit receives, from the external computer, sound data which is obtained by correcting the sound data with the virtual sound source reproduction correction factor computed on the basis of the position information of the display target object and the position information of the viewer.

8. A sound field control method comprising:

acquiring position information of a display target object corresponding to a sound source; and

controlling a virtual sound source position on the basis of the position information of the display target object.

9. A program for causing a computer to function as:

means for acquiring position information of a display target object corresponding to a sound source; and

means for controlling a virtual sound source position on the basis of the position information of the display target object.

10. A sound field control system comprising:

a client terminal including

a display target object position information acquisition unit for acquiring position information of a display target object corresponding to a sound source,

a transmission unit for transmitting the position information of the target object to an external computer, and

a reception unit for receiving, from the external computer, a virtual sound source reproduction correction factor computed on the basis of the position information of the target object; and

the external computer including

a reception unit for receiving the position information of the display target object,

a virtual sound source reproduction correction factor computation unit for computing the virtual sound source reproduction correction factor on the basis of the position information of the display target object, and

a transmission unit for transmitting, to the client terminal, the virtual sound source reproduction correction factor or information generated on the basis of the virtual sound source reproduction correction factor.

11. A server comprising:

the external computer including

a reception unit for receiving, from a client terminal, position information of a display target object corresponding to a sound source;

a virtual sound source reproduction correction factor computation unit for computing the virtual sound source reproduction correction factor on the basis of the position information of the display target object; and

a transmission unit for transmitting, to the client terminal, the virtual sound source reproduction correction factor or information generated on the basis of the virtual sound source reproduction correction factor.

12. A sound field control method comprising:

acquiring, by a client terminal, position information of a display target object corresponding to a sound source;

transmitting, by the client terminal, the position information of the target object to an external computer;

receiving, by the external computer, the position information of the display target object;

computing, by the external computer, the virtual sound source reproduction correction factor on the basis of the position information of the display target object; and

transmitting, by the external computer, to the client terminal, the virtual sound source reproduction correction factor or information generated on the basis of the virtual sound source reproduction correction factor.

13. A sound field control device comprising:

a position information acquisition unit for acquiring position information of a viewer from information obtained by imaging; and

a virtual sound source position control unit for controlling a virtual sound source position on the basis of the position information.

14. The sound field control device according to claim 13, wherein the virtual sound source position control unit controls the virtual sound source position in a manner that a normal position of a sound image is fixed irrespective of a position of the viewer.

15. The sound field control device according to claim 13, wherein the virtual sound source position control unit controls the virtual sound source position in a manner that a normal position of a sound image relatively moves according to a position of the viewer.

16. The sound field control device according to claim 13, wherein the virtual sound source position control unit controls the virtual sound source position by changing a head transfer function, on the basis of the position information.

17. The sound field control device according to claim 13, wherein the virtual sound source position control unit controls the virtual sound source position, on the basis of the position information, by smoothly changing a factor before a position of the viewer changes to a factor after the position of the viewer changes.

18. The sound field control device according to claim 13, wherein the virtual sound source position control unit controls the virtual sound source position, on the basis of the position information, when movement of the viewer exceeds a predetermined value.

19. The sound field control device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a control unit for controlling sound volume, a delay amount of sound, or a directional characteristic, on the basis of the position information.

20. The sound field control device according to claim 13, comprising:

an imaging unit for acquiring the position information of the viewer.

21. The sound field control device according to claim 13, comprising:

a posture information acquisition unit for acquiring posture information,

wherein the virtual sound source position control unit controls the virtual sound source position, on the basis of the position information and the posture information.

22. The sound field control device according to claim 13, wherein the position information acquisition unit acquires, from another device including an imaging unit for imaging the viewer, information obtained by the imaging.

23. A sound field control method comprising:

acquiring position information of a viewer; and

controlling a virtual sound source position on the basis of the position information.

24. A program for causing a computer to function as:

means for acquiring position information of a viewer; and

means for controlling a virtual sound source position on the basis of the position information.

25. A sound field control system comprising:

an imaging device for imaging a viewer; and

a sound field control device including

a position information acquisition unit for acquiring position information of the viewer from information obtained from the imaging device, and

a virtual sound source position control unit for controlling a virtual sound source position on the basis of the position information.