Device for and a method of processing data

• US 8,675,880 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen TCL Creative Cloud Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: De Bruijn, Werner Paulus Josephus, Schobben, Daniel Willem Elisabeth, Hoogenstraaten, Willem Franciscus Johannes, Aarts, Ronaldus Maria, Streng, Johannes Hermannus
• Primary Examiner(s): Gurley, Lynne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Webb, Vernon P
• Application Number:
  US12/294,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20100226499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,553 Days
• Field of Search: 381/17, 381/18, 381/23
• US Class Current: 381/17
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2203/12 Beamforming aspects for stereophonic sound reproduction with loudspeaker arrays
• 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 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• 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 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

A device (100) for processing data, the device (100) comprising a detection unit (110) adapted for detecting individual reproduction modes indicative of a manner of reproducing the data separately for each of a plurality of human users, and a processing unit (120) adapted for processing the data to thereby generate reproducible data separately for each of the plurality of human users in accordance with the detected individual reproduction modes.

Claims

1. A device for processing data, the device comprising

a detection unit adapted for detecting individual reproduction modes indicative of a manner of reproducing the data for each of a plurality of users;

a processing unit adapted for;

processing the data to generate reproducible data for each of the plurality of users,

determining a direction for each of the plurality of users;

transmitting said reproducible data to corresponding ones of said users in a direction determined for said corresponding ones of said users, wherein said reproducible data transmitted to said corresponding ones of said users is adjusted according to said individual reproduction modes associated with said corresponding ones of said users.

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

a reproduction unit adapted for reproducing the generated reproducible data in a separate manner for each of the plurality of users.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the reproduction unit is adapted for reproducing the generated reproducible data in at least one of the group consisting of a spatially selective manner, a spatially differentiated manner, and a spatially directive manner.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the reproduction unit comprises a spatial arrangement of a plurality of loudspeakers for reproducing audible data as the reproducible data.

5. The device according to claim 1, adapted for processing data comprising at least one of the group consisting of audio data, video data, image data, and media data.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit comprises a plurality of remote control units, each of the plurality of remote control units being assigned to a respective one of the plurality of users and being adapted for detecting a respective one of the individual reproduction modes.

7. The device according to claim 2, wherein the detection unit comprises a distance measuring unit adapted for measuring the distance between the reproduction unit and each of the plurality of users.

8. The device according to claim 2, wherein the detection unit comprises a direction measuring unit adapted for measuring a direction between the reproduction unit and each of the plurality of users.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit comprises an image recognition unit adapted for acquiring an image of each of the plurality of users and adapted for recognizing each of the plurality of users, thereby providing information for detecting the individual reproduction modes.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit comprises a plurality of, particularly wirelessly operating, identification units, each of the plurality of identification units being assigned to a respective one of the plurality of users and being adapted for providing information for detecting a respective one of the individual reproduction modes.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the individual reproduction modes is indicative of at least one of the group consisting of a data reproduction intensity, an audio data reproduction loudness, an audio data reproduction equalization, an image data reproduction brightness, an image data reproduction contrast, an image data reproduction color, and a data reproduction trick-play mode.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is adapted to generate the reproducible data in accordance with at least one of the group consisting of a detected position, a detected direction, a detected activity, and a detected personal property of a respective one of the plurality of users.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is adapted to generate the reproducible data in accordance with an audio data level-versus user direction characteristic derived from the detected individual reproduction modes.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is adapted to generate reproducible data separately for each of the plurality of users with regard to data which differs for different ones of the plurality of users.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the processing unit is adapted to generate the reproducible data implementing an Automatic Level Control for controlling a level difference with regard to the data which differs for different ones of the plurality of users.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the Automatic Level Control is adapted for controlling the level difference in two stages with different time parameters.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein the Automatic Level Control is adapted for controlling the level difference in dependence of an automatic content classification of the data which differs for different ones of the plurality of users.

18. The device according to claim 14, wherein the processing unit is adapted to generate the reproducible data implementing an Automatic Level Control in such a manner to guarantee an intensity separation for different ones of the plurality of users of at least a predetermined threshold value.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the data is audio data, and wherein the predetermined threshold value is essentially 11 dB.

20. The device according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined threshold value is user-controllable.

21. The device according to claim 15, wherein the processing unit is adapted to generate the reproducible data implementing a frequency-dependent Automatic Level Control.

22. The device according to claim 1, realized as at least one of a group consisting of:

a television device, a video recorder, a monitor, a gaming device, a laptop, an audio player, a DVD player, a CD player, a hard disk-based media player, an internet radio device, a public entertainment device, an MP3 player, a hi-fi system, a vehicle entertainment device, a car entertainment device, a medical communication system, a body-worn device, a speech communication device, a home cinema system, and a music hall system.

23. A method of processing data, the method comprising:

detecting individual reproduction modes indicative of a manner of reproducing the data;

processing the data to generate reproducible data for each of the plurality of users;

determining a direction for each of the plurality of users;

transmitting said reproducible data to corresponding ones of said users in a direction determined for said corresponding ones of said users, wherein said reproducible data transmitted to said corresponding ones of said users is adjusted according to said individual reproduction modes associated with said corresponding ones of said users.

24. A program element, which, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to control or carry out a method of processing data, the method comprising:

detecting individual reproduction modes indicative of a manner of reproducing the data for each of a plurality-users;

processing the data to generate reproducible data for each of the plurality of users,

determining a direction for each of the plurality of users;

transmitting said reproducible data to corresponding ones of said users in a direction determined for said corresponding ones of said users,

adjusting each of said reproducible data transmitted to said corresponding ones of said users according to said individual reproduction modes associated with said corresponding ones of said users.

25. A computer-readable non-transitory medium, in which a computer program is stored, which, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to control or carry out a method of processing data, the method comprising:

detecting individual reproduction modes indicative of a manner of reproducing the data for each of a plurality of users;

processing the data to generate reproducible data for each of the plurality of users;

determining a direction for each of the plurality of users;

transmitting said reproducible data to corresponding ones of said users in a direction determined for said corresponding ones of said users, wherein said reproducible data transmitted to said corresponding ones of said users is adjusted according to said individual reproduction modes associated with said corresponding ones of said users.