Output control device, output control system, and output control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11337024-B2
Application number	US-201817251656-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2018
Priority date	Jun 21, 2018
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A captured image obtaining unit 50 of an output control device 10 obtains a captured image such as a polarization image from an imaging device 12. A space information obtaining unit 54 obtains a normal line and a position of a surface of an actual object in a space and a sound absorption coefficient at the surface. A correction coefficient obtaining unit 56 calculates energy of sound reaching a listener including sound reflected at the actual object and obtains a correction coefficient to be given to a level of a sound signal on the basis of the sound energy. An output unit 60 adjusts the sound signals by using the correction coefficient 62 and outputs the adjusted sound signals to speakers 16a and 16b.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An output control device that controls output of sound, comprising: a space information obtaining unit that obtains a position and a normal line of an actual object in a space on a basis of a captured image; a correction coefficient obtaining unit that calculates a ratio of a change of a parameter representing a state of the sound at a predetermined position, the change being caused by reflection at the actual object, on a basis of the position and the normal line, and obtains a correction coefficient for adjusting the output of the sound, on a basis of the ratio of the change; and an output unit that adjusts the output of the sound by using the correction coefficient.

2. The output control device according to claim 1 , wherein the correction coefficient obtaining unit obtains the correction coefficient for a level of a sound signal by calculating the ratio of the change of energy of the sound at a position of a listener, and the output unit outputs the sound signal whose level is adjusted using the correction coefficient to a speaker.

3. The output control device according to claim 2 , wherein the correction coefficient obtaining unit obtains the correction coefficient for each of a plurality of the speakers, and the output unit adjusts the level of the sound signal for each of the speakers to output the level of the sound signal.

4. The output control device according to claim 2 , wherein the correction coefficient obtaining unit obtains, on a basis of the ratio of the change of the energy caused by reflection of the sound from one of a plurality of the speakers, the correction coefficient for the level of the sound signal of the one of the plurality of the speakers.

5. The output control device according to claim 2 , wherein the correction coefficient obtaining unit obtains, on a basis of the ratio of the change of the energy caused by reflection of the sound from one of a plurality of the speakers, the correction coefficient for the level of the sound signal of another one of the plurality of the speakers.

6. The output control device according to claim 1 , wherein the space information obtaining unit obtains the normal line of the actual object on a basis of polarization images of a plurality of orientations.

7. The output control device according to claim 1 , wherein the space information obtaining unit further obtains a material of the actual object on a basis of the captured image or a user input, and the correction coefficient obtaining unit includes influence of the material in the reflection at the actual object into calculation of the ratio of the change of the parameter.

8. The output control device according to claim 6 , wherein the space information obtaining unit further obtains a sound absorption coefficient by estimating a material of the actual object on the basis of the polarization images, and the correction coefficient obtaining unit calculates the energy of reflected sound on a basis of a path length of the sound and the sound absorption coefficient at the actual object.

9. The output control device according to claim 8 , wherein the correction coefficient obtaining unit obtains the sound absorption coefficient at the actual object on a basis of an incident angle of the sound at the actual object calculated from the position and the normal line.

10. An output control system comprising: an imaging device that captures an image of a space; and an output control device that controls output of sound, wherein the output control device includes a space information obtaining unit that obtains a position and a normal line of an actual object in the space on a basis of an image captured by the imaging device, a correction coefficient obtaining unit that calculates a ratio of a change of a parameter representing a state of the sound at a predetermined position, the change being caused by reflection at the actual object, on a basis of the position and the normal line, and obtains a correction coefficient for adjusting output of the sound, on a basis of the ratio of the change, and an output unit that adjusts the output of the sound by using the correction coefficient.

11. An output control method comprising: by an output control device that controls output of sound obtaining a captured image of a space by an imaging device; obtaining a position and a normal line of an actual object in the space on a bask of the captured image; calculating a ratio of a change of a parameter representing a state of the sound at a predetermined position, the change being caused by reflection at the actual object, on a bask of the position and the normal line, and obtaining a correction coefficient for adjusting the output of the sound, on a basis of the ratio of the change; and adjusting the output of the sound by using the correction coefficient.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program for a computer that controls output of sound, comprising: by a space information obtaining unit, obtaining a position and a normal line of an actual object in a space on a basis of a captured image; by a correction coefficient obtaining unit, calculating a ratio of a change of a parameter representing a state of the sound at a predetermined position, the change being caused by reflection at the actual object, on a basis of the position and the normal line, and obtaining a correction coefficient for adjusting the output of the sound, on a bask of the ratio of the change; and by an output unit, adjusting the output of the sound by using the correction coefficient.

13. An output control device that controls output of a propagation substance that propagates in a space, the output control device comprising: a space information obtaining unit that obtains a position and a normal line of an actual object in the space on a basis of a captured image; a correction coefficient obtaining unit that calculates a ratio of a change of a parameter representing a state of the propagation substance at a predetermined position, the change being caused by reflection at the actual object, on a basis of the position and the normal line, and obtains a correction coefficient for adjusting the output of the propagation substance, on a basis of the ratio of the change; and an output unit that adjusts the output of the propagation substance by using the correction coefficient.

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Usami Morio
• Honda Shinichi

Classifications

• H04R5/04 Primary

  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)} · CPC title

• G06V20/52

  Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) · CPC title

• G06V10/40

  Extraction of image or video features · CPC title

• G06V10/147

  Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses (fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19) · CPC title

• H04S7/303 Primary

  Tracking of listener position or orientation · CPC title