Apparatus for supplying control codes to sound field reproduction apparatus

• US 5,164,840 A
• Filed: 08/28/1989
• Issued: 11/17/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Hiroko, Serikawa, Mitsuhiko, Tagami, Ryo, Hashimoto, Hikari, Kawamura, Akihisa, Matsumoto, Masaharu, Sato, Katsuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Tommy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US07/400,190
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/341, 358/343, 358/906, 360/18, 360/19.1, 360/27, 360/33.1, 369/48, 369/49, 381/1, 381/17, 381/18, 381/103, 381/104
• US Class Current: 386/224
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00992 Circuits for stereophonic or quadraphonic recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/007 reproducing continuously a part of the information, i.e. repeating
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/802 involving processing of the sound signal H04N9/806, H04N9/835 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/007 in which the audio signals are in digital form data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02

Abstract

Control codes for controlling processing of an audio signal by a sound field variation circuit to produce desired sound fields are recorded on a monaural track of a video tape concurrent with recording of video and audio signals, and can thereby be subsequently played back for producing sound fields which are respectively synchronized with video images.

Claims

1. A sound field variation apparatus for generating sound fields such as to produce respective sound images at specific positions within a listening room comprising:

position data input means manually operable for arbitrarily selecting successive sound image positions within said listening room and for generating position control codes respectively corresponding to said sound image positions;

set time data input means manually operable for arbitrarily selecting respective time durations for said sound image positions and for generating time data values respectively corresponding to said time durations;

memory means for storing said position control codes and time data values;

data register means for holding successive ones of said position control code; and

control means for successively reading out each of said sound field position control codes from said memory together with a corresponding one of said time data values, for transferring said position control code to said data register, and for transferring a succeeding one of said position control codes to said data register when a time interval expressed by said corresponding time data value has elapsed;

a source of an input audio signal;

a plurality of loudspeakers;

sound field variation circuit means coupled to receive a currently held position control code from said data register, and to receive said input audio signal, for processing said input audio signals to produce output signals for driving said loudspeakers to produce a sound field which is determined by said position control code; and

display means coupled to said position data input means, for producing a miniaturized display representing said listening room and representing respective sound image positions corresponding to position control codes which are outputted from said position data input means.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display means further provides representations of respective time durations which are established for said sound image positions.

3. A sound field variation apparatus generating sound fields such as to produce respective sound images at specific positions within a listening room, comprising:

position data input means manually operable for arbitrarily selecting successive sound image positions within said listening room and for generating position control codes respectively corresponding to said sound image positions;

set time data input means manually operable for arbitrarily selecting respective time durations for said sound image positions and for generating time data values respectively corresponding to said time durations;

memory means for storing said position control codes and time data values;

data register means for holding successive ones of said position control code; and

control means for successively reading out each of said sound field position control codes from said memory together with a corresponding one of said time data values, for transferring said position control code to said data register, and for transferring a succeeding one of said position control codes to said data register when a time interval expressed by said corresponding time data value has elapsed;

a source of an input audio signal;

a plurality of loudspeakers;

sound field variation circuit means coupled to receive a currently held position control code from said data register, and to receive said input audio signal, for processing said input audio signals to produce output signals for driving said loudspeakers to produce a sound field which is determined by said position control code;

wherein said control means functions such that each time duration for which a position control code is held in said data register is made a multiple of a corresponding time duration value measured by said timer circuit means.

4. A sound field variation apparatus comprising:

a source of an input audio signal and a source of a video signal;

means for selecting successive sound fields and for generating sound field control codes respectively corresponding to said sound fields;

control code recording means for recording said sound field control codes on a first audio recording track of a video tape, and video and audio signal recording means for recording said audio signal on a second audio recording track of said video tape and said video signal on a video recording track of said video tape, concurrent with recording of said sound field control codes;

control code playback means for playback of said sound field control codes from said video tape, and video and audio signal playback means for playback of said input audio signal and video signal from said video tape concurrent with playback of said control codes;

a plurality of loudspeakers; and

sound field variation circuit means coupled to receive said input audio signal from said video and audio signal playback means and to receive said sound field control codes from said control code playback means, for processing said input audio signal to produce output audio signals for driving said loudspeakers to produce sound fields which are respectively determined by said sound field control codes.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said means for selecting and generating successive sound fields comprises manually actuatable soundfield selection means, operable for arbitrarily selecting successive ones of said sound fields and outputting control codes respectively corresponding to said selected sound fields.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said source of a video signal is a video camera having a zoom lens, and wherein said means for selecting successive sound fields comprises zoom factor detection means for detecting a value of zoom factor at which said lens is currently set and for producing an output signal in accordance with said value of zoom factor, and control code generating means for selecting a sound field in accordance with said output signal from said zoom factor detection means and producing a sound field control code in accordance with the selected sound field.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

display means coupled to said position data input means, for producing a miniaturized display representing said listening room and representing respective sound image positions corresponding to said position control codes which are outputted from said position data input means.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said display means further provides representations of said respective time durations which are established for said sound image positions.

7. A sound field variation apparatus for generating sound fields such as to produce respective sound images at specific positions within a listening room, comprising:

position data input means manually operable for arbitrarily selecting successive sound image positions within said listening room and for generating position control codes respectively corresponding to said sound image positions;

set time data input means manually operable from arbitrarily selecting respective time durations for said sound image positions and for generating time data values respectively corresponding to said time durations;

memory means for storing said position control codes and time data values;

data register means for holding successive ones of said position control code; and

control means for successively reading out each of said sound field position control codes form said memory together with a corresponding one of said time data values, for transferring said position control code to said data register, and for transferring a succeeding one of said position control codes to said data register when a time interval expressed by said corresponding time data value has elapsed;

a source of an input audio signal;

a plurality of loudspeakers;

sound field variation circuit means coupled to receive a currently held position control code from said data register, and to receive said input audio signal, for processing said input audio signals to produce output signals for driving said loudspeakers to produce a sound field which is determined by said position control code.

8. The sound field variation apparatus for generating sound fields such as to produce respective sound images at specific sound image positions within a listening room, comprising:

position data input means manually operable for arbitrarily selecting successive sound image positions within said listening room and for generating position control codes respectively corresponding to said sound image positions;

timer circuit means coupled to said position data input means, functioning when each of said sound image positions is selected for measuring a time duration corresponding to said each sound image position which elapses between a point in time at which said selection occurs and a point in time at which a succeeding selection is executed, and for generating time data values respectively corresponding to said time durations;

memory means for storing said position control codes and time data values;

data register means for holding successive ones of said position control codes;

control means for successively reading out each of said position control codes from said memory together with a corresponding one of said time data values, for transferring said position control code to said data register means, and for transferring a succeeding one of said position control codes to said data register means when a time interval expressed by said corresponding time data value has elapsed;

a plurality of loudspeakers; and

sound field variation circuit means coupled to receive an input audio signal and to receive a position control code currently held in said data register means, and controlled by said position control code for processing said input audio signal to produce output audio signals for driving said loudspeakers to produce a sound field which is determined by said position control code such as to produce a sound image at a specific position within said listening room.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said control means function such that each time duration for which a position control code is held in said data register is made a multiple of a corresponding time duration value measured by said timer circuit means.

12. A sound field variation apparatus comprising:

input means for generating sound field control codes and sound field variation circuit means controlled by said sound field control codes, said input means being operable for arbitrarily selecting successive sound fields by generating sound field control codes respectively corresponding to said sound fields, for inputting time data values representing respective time durations for which said control codes are to be supplied to said soundfield variation circuit means, for inputting a data value representing a number of successive repetitions of a program, said program consisting of generation of said selected soundfields for said respective durations in a fixed sequence, and for inputting data values respectively representing a starting and a finishing time point of said successive repetitions of the program;

first memory means for storing said control codes and for storing data representing a sequence in which said control codes are to be outputted therefrom;

second memory means for storing said time data values;

third memory means for storing said data values representing a number of program repetitions and starting and finishing time points;

first control circuit means for successively reading out said stored control codes from said first memory means and corresponding time data values from said second memory means; and

second control circuit means for controlling the repetitions of said program and for initiating and terminating said program repetitions based on said data values stored in said third memory means;

a plurality of loudspeakers;

said sound field variation circuit means being coupled to receive an input audio signal and to successively receive said control codes from said first memory means in said sequence, each said control code being supplied to said sound field variation circuit means for a time duration determined by a corresponding one of said time data values, said sound field variation circuit processing said input audio signal to produce output audio signals for driving said loudspeakers to produce sound fields which are respectively determined by said control codes.

13. In an apparatus including illumination and image generating apparatus control means for controlling the operation of an illumination and image generating apparatus, a sound field variation apparatus for driving a plurality of loudspeakers to produce predetermined sound fields, comprising:

sound field control code generating means for generating sound field control codes;

signal conversion means coupled to receive a control signal produced from said illumination and image generating apparatus control means, for converting said control signal to a suitable form for transfer to said sound field control code generating means and supplying a converted signal obtained thereby to said control code generating means, to determine specific sound field control codes that are generated by said sound field control code generating means;

a plurality of loudspeakers;

sound field variation circuit means coupled to receive an input audio signal and to receive said specific sound field control codes, for processing said input audio signal to produce output audio signals for driving said loudspeakers to produce sound fields which are respectively determined by said sound field control codes.

14. In an apparatus including illumination and image generating apparatus control means for controlling the operation of an illumination and image generating apparatus, a sound field variation apparatus for driving a plurality of loudspeakers to produce predetermined sound fields, comprising:

sound field control code generating means for generating sound field control cods;

photo-sensing means for detecting light which is produced from said illumination and image generating apparatus and producing a corresponding detection signal;

signal conversion means coupled to receive said detection signal, for converting the detection signal to a suitable form for transfer to said sound field control code generating means, and for supplying a converted signal obtained thereby to said control code generating means to determine specific control codes that are generated by said sound field control code generating means; and

a plurality of loudspeakers; and

sound field variation circuit means coupled to receive an input audio signal and to receive said specific sound field control codes, for processing said input audio signal to produce output audio signals for driving said loudspeakers to produce sound fields which are respectively determined by said sound field control codes.