Voice control device, voice control method and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9299349-B2
Application number	US-201214353856-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2012
Priority date	Nov 9, 2011
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

According to an illustrative embodiment, an information processing apparatus is provided. The information processing apparatus includes a communication device to receive plural pieces of tag information corresponding to respective positions within a target area, the target area having a position defined by the position of the apparatus; and an output device to output a plurality of sounds such that for each sound at least a portion of the sound overlaps with at least a portion of another of the sounds, each of the sounds being indicative of a respective piece of tag information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal connectable to a server by way of a communication network, said mobile terminal comprising:
a communication device to receive from the server by way of the communication network plural pieces of tag information corresponding to respective positions within a target area, the target area having a position defined by the position of the mobile terminal;
a speaker to output a plurality of sounds such that for each sound at least a portion of the sound overlaps with at least a portion of another of the sounds, each of the sounds being indicative of a respective piece of tag information; and
a touch panel display,
wherein when the speaker is outputting the plurality of sounds simultaneously and a user operation is performed during the outputting, a list indicative of the pieces of tag information associated with the sounds is displayed on the touch panel display.

2. A mobile terminal connectable to a server by way of a communication network, said mobile terminal comprising:
a communication device to receive from the server by way of the communication network plural pieces of tag information corresponding to respective positions within a target area, the target area having a position defined by the position of the mobile terminal;
a speaker to output a plurality of sounds such that for each sound at least a portion of the sound overlaps with at least a portion of another of the sounds, each of the sounds being indicative of a respective piece of tag information; and
a display,
wherein when the speaker is outputting the plurality of sounds simultaneously indicators of the respective pieces of tag information are displayed on the display, the indicators being displayed at virtual sound source positions relative to the position of the mobile terminal.

3. A mobile terminal comprising:
a storage device having a database of plural pieces of tag information corresponding to respective positions within a target area, the target area having a position defined by the position of the mobile terminal; and
an audio output device to output a plurality of sounds such that for each sound at least a portion of the sound overlaps with at least a portion of another of the sounds, each of the sounds being indicative of a respective piece of tag information,
wherein each of the sounds has an associated sound characteristic, and the associated sound characteristic for any one of the sounds is different from the associated sound characteristic for any other of the sounds.

4. A mobile terminal connectable to a server by way of a communication network, said mobile terminal comprising:
a communication device to receive from the server by way of the communication network plural pieces of tag information corresponding to respective positions within a target area, the target area having a position defined by the position of the mobile terminal; and
a speaker to output a plurality of sounds such that for each sound at least a portion of the sound overlaps with at least a portion of another of the sounds, each of the sounds being indicative of a respective piece of tag information,
wherein each of the sounds has an associated sound characteristic, and the associated sound characteristic for any one of the sounds is different from the associated sound characteristic for any other of the sounds.

5. The mobile terminal as recited in claim 4 , wherein the associated sound characteristic is volume.

6. The mobile terminal as recited in claim 4 , wherein the associated sound characteristic is frequency.

7. The mobile terminal as recited in claim 4 , wherein the associated sound characteristic is virtual sound source position.

8. A mobile terminal connectable to a server by way of a communication network, said mobile terminal comprising:
a communication device to receive from the server by way of the communication network plural pieces of tag information corresponding to respective positions within a target area, the target area having a position defined by the position of the mobile terminal; and
a speaker to output a plurality of sounds such that for each sound at least a portion of the sound overlaps with at least a portion of another of the sounds, each of the sounds being indicative of a respective piece of tag information,
wherein the sounds are voice sounds and include at least one keyword for each piece of tag information, and wherein output of the sounds is performed such that no two of the keywords are output simultaneously.

9. A mobile terminal connectable to a server by way of a communication network, said mobile terminal comprising:
a communication device to receive from the server by way of the communication network plural pieces of tag information corresponding to respective positions within a target area, the target area having a position defined by the position of the mobile terminal; and
a speaker to output a plurality of sounds such that for each sound at least a portion of the sound overlaps with at least a portion of another of the sounds, each of the sounds being indicative of a respective piece of tag information,
wherein the sounds are output in the form of stereophonic sound.

10. A mobile terminal connectable to a server by way of a communication network, said mobile terminal comprising:
a communication device to receive from the server by way of the communication network plural pieces of tag information corresponding to respective positions within a target area, the target area having a position defined by the position of the mobile terminal; and
a speaker to output a plurality of sounds such that for each sound at least a portion of the sound overlaps with at least a portion of another of the sounds, each of the sounds being indicative of a respective piece of tag information,
wherein the sounds are generated based on the respective pieces of tag information, and
wherein the sounds are voice sounds and are generated to include a user-preferred word as a first word.

11. A mobile terminal connectable to a server by way of a communication network, said mobile terminal comprising:
a communication device to receive from the server by way of the communication network plural pieces of tag information corresponding to respective positions within a target area, the target area having a position defined by the position of the mobile terminal; and
a speaker to output a plurality of sounds such that for each sound at least a portion of the sound overlaps with at least a portion of another of the sounds, each of the sounds being indicative of a respective piece of tag information,
wherein when the speaker is outputting the plurality of sounds simultaneously and a user operation is performed during the outputting, the speaker outputs the plurality of sounds in series.

12. The mobile terminal as recited in claim 11 , wherein the user operation comprises tapping the mobile terminal.

Assignees

• Mori Maki
• Kasahara Shunichi
• Shigeta Osamu
• Suzuki Seiji
• Fukazawa Ryo
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Mori Maki
• Kasahara Shunichi
• Shigeta Osamu
• Suzuki Seiji
• Fukazawa Ryo

Classifications

• G06F16/686

  using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title or artist information, time, location or usage information, user ratings · CPC title

• H04S7/302 Primary

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

• H04R2460/07

  Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection · CPC title

• H04S2400/11

  Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field (H04S2420/13 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G10L17/00 Primary

  Speaker identification or verification techniques · CPC title