Program used for terminal apparatus, sound apparatus, sound system, and method used for sound apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9706328-B2
Application number	US-201414894410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2014
Priority date	May 30, 2013
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A sound apparatus includes: an acceptance unit that accepts an input of an input audio signal from outside; a communication unit that accepts from a terminal apparatus first direction information indicating a first direction, the first direction being a direction in which a virtual sound source is arranged; a position information generation unit that generates virtual sound source position information based on listening position information, the first direction information and boundary information, the listening position information indicating a listening position, the boundary information indicating a boundary of a space where the virtual sound source is arranged, the virtual sound source position information indicating a position of the virtual sound source on the boundary; a signal generation unit that imparts, based on loudspeaker position information, the listening position information and the virtual sound source position information, a sound effect to the input audio signal such that a sound is heard at the listening position as if the sound comes from the virtual sound source, to generate an output audio signal, the loudspeaker position information indicating positions of a plurality of loudspeakers; and an output unit that outputs the output audio signal to outside.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program for a terminal apparatus, the terminal apparatus including an input interface, a direction sensor, a communication interface and a processor, the input interface receiving from a user an instruction in a state with the terminal apparatus being arranged at a listening position, the instruction indicating that the terminal apparatus is oriented toward a first direction, the first direction being a direction in which a virtual sound source is arranged, the direction sensor detecting a direction in which the terminal apparatus is oriented, the communication interface performing communication with a sound apparatus, the program causing the processor to execute:
acquiring from the direction sensor first direction information indicating the first direction, in response to the input interface receiving the instruction;
generating virtual sound source position information based on listening position information, the first direction information and boundary information, the listening position information indicating the listening position, the boundary information indicating a boundary of a space where the virtual sound source is arranged, the virtual sound source position information indicating a position of the virtual sound source on the boundary; and
transmitting the virtual sound source position information to the sound apparatus, by using the communication interface; and
wherein, based on the listening position information and the transmitted virtual sound source position information, the sound apparatus imparts a sound effect to an input audio signal such that a sound is heard at the listening position as if the sound comes from the virtual sound source in order to generate an output signal and output audio signal to outside.

2. The recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the program causes the processor to execute setting an object direction as a reference, in response to the input interface receiving a first instruction, the first instruction indicating that the terminal apparatus is oriented toward the object direction, the object direction being a direction toward an object.

3. The recording medium according to claim 2 , wherein the program causes the processor to execute acquiring, as the first direction information, an angle formed by the object direction and the first direction.

4. The recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the program causes the processor to execute converting the first direction information, from information indicating a direction in which the virtual sound source is arranged as seen from the listening position, to information indicating a direction in which the virtual sound source is arranged as seen from a reference position, the reference position being a front of one of a plurality of loudspeakers.

5. The recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the program causes the processor to execute computing, as the virtual sound source information, a coordinate of the virtual sound source with a reference position as an origin, the reference position being a front of one of a plurality of loudspeakers.

6. A sound apparatus comprising:
at least one processor for executing stored instructions to:
receive an input of an input audio signal from outside;
receive from a terminal apparatus first direction information indicating a first direction, the first direction being a direction in which a virtual sound source is arranged;
generate virtual sound source position information based on listening position information, the first direction information and boundary information, the listening position information indicating a listening position, the boundary information indicating a boundary of a space where the virtual sound source is arranged, the virtual sound source position information indicating a position of the virtual sound source on the boundary;
impart, based on loudspeaker position information, the listening position information and the virtual sound source position information, a sound effect to the input audio signal such that a sound is heard at the listening position as if the sound comes from the virtual sound source, to generate an output audio signal, the loudspeaker position information indicating positions of a plurality of loudspeakers; and

circuitry that outputs the output audio signal to outside.

7. The sound apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor computes, as the virtual sound source information, a coordinate of the virtual sound source with a reference position as an origin, the reference position being a front of one of the plurality of loudspeakers.

8. A sound system comprising a sound apparatus and a terminal apparatus, wherein
the terminal apparatus includes:
an input interface that receives from a user an instruction in a state with the terminal apparatus being arranged at a listening position, the instruction indicating that the terminal apparatus is oriented toward a first direction, the first direction being a direction in which a virtual sound source is arranged;
a direction sensor that detects a direction in which the terminal apparatus is oriented;
at least one first processor for executing instructions to:
acquire from the direction sensor first direction information indicating the first direction, in response to the input interface receiving the instruction;
generate virtual sound source position information based on listening position information, the first direction information and boundary information, the listening position information indicating the listening position, the boundary information indicating a boundary of a space where the virtual sound source is arranged, the virtual sound source position information indicating a position of the virtual sound source on the boundary; and

a first communication interface that transmits the virtual sound source position information to the sound apparatus, and
the sound apparatus includes:
at least one second processor for executing stored instructions to:
receives an input of an input audio signal from outside;
impart, based on loudspeaker position information, the listening position information and the virtual sound source position information, a sound effect to the input audio signal such that a sound is heard at the listening position as if the sound comes from the virtual sound source, to generate an output audio signal, the loudspeaker position information indicating positions of a plurality of loudspeakers; and

a second communication interface that receives the virtual sound source position information from the terminal apparatus;
circuitry that outputs the output audio signal to outside.

9. The sound system according to claim 8 , wherein
the input interface receive from a user a first instruction indicating that the terminal apparatus is oriented toward an object direction, the object direction being a direction toward an object, and
the at least one first processor sets the object direction as a reference, in response to the input interface receiving the first instruction.

10. The sound system according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one first processor acquires, as the first direction information, an angle formed by the object direction and the first direction.

11. The sound system according to claim 8 , wherein the terminal apparatus further includes a direction conversion unit that converts the first direction information, from information indicating a direction in which the virtual sound source is arranged as seen from the listening position, to information indicating a direction in which the virtual sound source is a

Assignees

• Yamaha Corp

Inventors

• Suyama Akihiko
• Aoki Ryotaro

Classifications

• H04S7/303 Primary

  Tracking of listener position or orientation · CPC title

• H04S2400/11

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

• H04S5/005

  of the pseudo five- or more-channel type, e.g. virtual surround · CPC title