Information processing device and method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024340605-A1
Application number	US-202218575889-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 25, 2022
Priority date	Jul 12, 2021
Publication date	Oct 10, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present technology relates to an information processing device and method, and a program that allow the voice of a speaker to be easily recognized. The information processing device includes an information processing unit configured to generate, on the basis of orientation information indicating an orientation of a listener, virtual location information indicating a location of the listener in a virtual space, the location being set by the listener, and virtual location information of a speaker, a voice of the speaker localized at a location corresponding to the orientation and location of the listener and the location of the speaker. The present technology can be applied to a tele-communication system.

First claim

1 . An information processing device comprising
an information processing unit configured to generate, on a basis of orientation information indicating an orientation of a listener, virtual location information indicating a location of the listener in a virtual space, the location being set by the listener, and virtual location information of a speaker, a voice of the speaker localized at a location corresponding to the orientation and location of the listener and the location of the speaker.

2 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
a location of the speaker in the virtual space indicated by the virtual location information of the speaker is set by the listener.

3 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a communication unit configured to receive the orientation information and the virtual location information of the listener from a client of the listener and transmit the voice of the speaker to the client of the listener.

4 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the information processing unit generates the voice of the speaker by performing acoustic processing including binaural processing.

5 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the information processing unit generates the voice of the speaker such that the voice of the speaker is clearly heard as a direction of the speaker as viewed from the listener becomes closer to a front direction of the listener.

6 . The information processing device according to claim 5 , wherein
the information processing unit generates the voice of the speaker on a basis of directivity designated by the listener.

7 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the information processing unit generates the voice of the speaker such that the voice of the speaker is clearly heard as a front direction of the speaker becomes closer to a direction of the listener as viewed from the speaker.

8 . The information processing device according to claim 7 , wherein
the information processing unit generates the voice of the speaker on a basis of directivity designated by the speaker.

9 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the information processing unit adjusts a location of one or a plurality of the speakers in the virtual space so as to make an inter-speaker angle formed by the direction of the speaker viewed from the listener and a direction of another speaker viewed from the listener greater than or equal to a predetermined minimum angle.

10 . The information processing device according to claim 9 , wherein
in a case where the information processing unit fails to arrange all the speakers in the virtual space so as to make the inter-speaker angle between all the speakers greater than or equal to the minimum angle, the information processing unit calculates a degree of priority of the speaker on a basis of the voice of the speaker, and adjusts the location of one or a plurality of the speakers in the virtual space so as to make the inter-speaker angle between the speakers with a high degree of priority equal to the minimum angle.

11 . The information processing device according to claim 10 , wherein
the information processing unit adjusts the location of one or a plurality of the speakers in the virtual space so as to make the inter-speaker angle between the speakers with a low degree of priority equal to an angle smaller than the minimum angle.

12 . The information processing device according to claim 10 , wherein
the information processing unit adjusts the location of one or a plurality of the speakers in the virtual space such that a plurality of the speakers with the low degree of priority is arranged at a same location in the virtual space.

13 . The information processing device according to claim 10 , wherein
the information processing unit calculates the degree of priority for each group including one or a plurality of the speakers.

14 . The information processing device according to claim 10 , wherein
the information processing unit calculates the degree of priority based on a speaking frequency of the speaker.

15 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the information processing unit generates the voice of the speaker for each of a plurality of orientations including the orientation of the listener indicated by the orientation information.

16 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the information processing unit causes a display unit to display a virtual space image indicating a positional relation between the listener and the speaker in the virtual space.

17 . An information processing method comprising
generating, on a basis of orientation information indicating an orientation of a listener, virtual location information indicating a location of the listener in a virtual space, the location being set by the listener, and virtual location information of a speaker, a voice of the speaker localized at a location corresponding to the orientation and location of the listener and the location of the speaker by an information processing device.

18 . A program causing a computer to execute processing, the processing comprising
generating, on a basis of orientation information indicating an orientation of a listener, virtual location information indicating a location of the listener in a virtual space, the location being set by the listener, and virtual location information of a speaker, a voice of the speaker localized at a location corresponding to the orientation and location of the listener and the location of the speaker.

Assignees

• Sony Group Corp

Inventors

• Kimura Kentaro
• Suzuki Junya

Classifications

• H04S3/002

  Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution (control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field H04S7/30) · CPC title

• H04S2400/13

  Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems · CPC title

• H04S7/304

  For headphones · CPC title

• H04S7/302

  Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation (H04S7/301 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04S2420/01

  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 title