IP Library Granted Patent US 12701377
Granted Patent B2
US 12701377 · App. 18/292,517 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Acoustic processing device, acoustic processing method, acoustic processing program, and acoustic processing system

Inventors: Toshiya Kaihoko (Tokyo, JP); Masashi Honda (Tokyo, JP); Tetsuo Ikeda (Tokyo, JP); Yoshikazu Ohura (Tokyo, JP); Yukiko Unno (Tokyo, JP); Yuki Andoh (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
H04S7/301H04S2400/11H04S2420/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12701377
App. No.
18/292,517
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An acoustic processing device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires a recommended environment defined for each content, the recommended environment including an ideal arrangement of speakers in a space in which the content is reproduced; a measurement unit that measures a position of a listener located in the space, the number and arrangement of the speakers, and a space shape; and a correction unit that corrects audio that is observed at the position of the listener, the audio included in the content emitted from a speaker located in the space, to audio to be emitted from a virtual speaker ideally disposed in the recommended environment on the basis of information measured by the measurement unit.

Claims (53)

1 . An acoustic processing device, comprising:

an acquisition unit, wherein the acquisition unit includes an acquisition unit software module that acquires a recommended environment defined for each content, the recommended environment including an ideal arrangement of speakers in a space in which the content is reproduced;

a measurement unit, wherein the measurement unit includes a measurement unit software module that measures a position of a listener located in the space, a number and arrangement of the speakers, and a space shape; and

a correction unit, wherein the correction unit includes a correction unit software module that corrects audio that is observed at the position of the listener, the audio included in the content emitted from a speaker located in the space, to audio to be emitted from a virtual speaker ideally disposed in the recommended environment on a basis of information measured by the measurement unit.

2 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the measurement unit measures the number and the arrangement of the speakers located in the space by measuring relative positions of the acoustic processing device and a plurality of speakers using radio waves transmitted or received by the plurality of speakers located in the space.

3 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the measurement unit measures at least one of the position of the listener located in the space, the number and the arrangement of the speakers, or the space shape using a depth sensor that detects an object located in the space.

4 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the measurement unit measures the position of the listener or the speakers located in the space by performing image recognition of the listener or the speakers using an image sensor comprised in the acoustic processing device or an external device.

5 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the measurement unit measures the position of the listener located in the space by using a radio wave transmitted or received by a terminal device carried by the listener.

6 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the measurement unit measures, as the space shape of the space, a distance to a ceiling of the space on a basis of reflected sound of sound emitted from an audio emission unit comprised in a speaker located in the space.

7 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the measurement unit continuously measures the position of the listener located in the space, the number and the arrangement of the speakers, and the space shape, and

the correction unit corrects the audio of the content emitted from the speaker located in the space by using information continuously measured by the measurement unit.

8 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the acquisition unit acquires the recommended environment defined for the content from metadata included in the content.

9 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the acquisition unit acquires a head-related transfer function of the listener, and

the correction unit corrects audio of the speaker disposed in a vicinity of the listener on a basis of the head-related transfer function of the listener.

10 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the measurement unit generates map information on a basis of an image captured by an image sensor comprised in the acoustic processing device or an external device and measures at least one of a position of the acoustic processing device itself, the position of the listener, the number and the arrangement of the speakers, or the space shape on a basis of the map information that has been generated.

11 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the correction unit provides information measured by the measurement unit to a terminal device used by the listener and corrects the audio of the content on a basis of at least one of the position of the listener located in the space, the number and the arrangement of the speakers, or the space shape corrected on the terminal device by the listener.

12 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the correction unit further corrects the audio of the content, the audio having been corrected by the correction unit, on a basis of correction performed by the listener.

13 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the correction unit corrects the audio of the content on a basis of a behavior pattern of the listener or an arrangement pattern of the speakers learned on a basis of information measured by the measurement unit.

14 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit includes at least one of a user input and a data input.

15 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement unit includes at least one sensor.

16 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of a time of flight sensor, an image sensor, a microphone, or a plurality of antennas.

17 . The acoustic processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit software module, the measurement unit software module, and the correction unit software module are implemented by a computer.

18 . An acoustic processing method, comprising:

by a computer,

acquiring a recommended environment defined for each content, the recommended environment including an ideal arrangement of speakers in a space in which the content is reproduced;

measuring a position of a listener located in the space, a number and arrangement of the speakers, and a space shape; and

correcting audio that is observed at the position of the listener, the audio included in the content emitted from a speaker located in the space, to audio to be emitted from a virtual speaker ideally disposed in the recommended environment on a basis of information that has been measured.

19 . A computer implemented method for acoustic processing, comprising:

providing a program for causing a computer to function as:

an acquisition unit that acquires a recommended environment defined for each content, the recommended environment including an ideal arrangement of speakers in a space in which the content is reproduced, wherein the acquisition unit includes an acquisition unit software module;

a measurement unit that measures a position of a listener located in the space, a number and arrangement of the speakers, and a space shape, wherein the measurement unit includes a measurement unit software module; and

a correction unit that corrects audio that is observed at the position of the listener, the audio included in the content emitted from a speaker located in the space, to audio to be emitted from a virtual speaker ideally disposed in the recommended environment on a basis of information measured by the measurement unit, wherein the correction unit includes a correction unit software module.

20 . An acoustic processing system comprising an acoustic processing device and a speaker,

wherein the acoustic processing device comprises:

an acquisition unit that acquires a recommended environment defined for each content, the recommended environment including an ideal arrangement of speakers in a space in which the content is reproduced, wherein the acquisition unit includes an input;

a measurement unit that measures a position of a listener located in the space, a number and arrangement of the speakers, and a space shape, wherein the measurement unit includes a sensor; and

a correction unit that corrects audio that is observed at the position of the listener, the audio included in the content emitted from a speaker located in the space, to audio to be emitted from a virtual speaker ideally disposed in the recommended environment on a basis of information measured by the measurement unit, wherein the correction unit includes a correction unit software module,

the speaker comprises:

an audio emission unit that emits an audio signal toward a predetermined portion of the space; and

an observation unit that observes reflected sound of the audio signal emitted by the audio emission unit, and

the measurement unit measures the space shape on a basis of a time having elapsed from emission of the audio signal by the audio emission unit to observation of the reflected sound by the observation unit.