IP Library Granted Patent US 9,369,796
Granted Patent B2
US 9,369,796 · App. 13/982,966 · Granted Jun 14, 2016

Electronic device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,369,796
App. No.
13/982,966
Granted
Jun 14, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

There are provided an oscillation device that outputs a sound wave; a recognition unit that recognizes a direction in which sound output targets ( 80 ), for which a sound is to be output, are located; a selection unit that selects at least one of the sound output targets ( 80 ); a distance calculation unit that calculates a distance to the sound output target ( 80 ); and a control unit that controls the oscillation device to adjust sound pressure of the sound wave. The oscillation device outputs an ultrasonic wave for a sensor and a sound wave for sound reproduction. The distance calculation unit calculates a distance between the oscillation device and an object to be selected ( 82 ) by detecting the ultrasonic wave for a sensor reflected from the object to be selected ( 82 ) selected by the selection unit. The control unit adjusts the magnitude of the output of the sound wave for sound reproduction on the basis of the calculated distance between the oscillation device and the object to be selected ( 82 ).

Claims (33)

1. An electronic device comprising:

an oscillation device that outputs a sound wave;

a recognition unit that recognizes a direction in which sound output targets, for which a sound is to be output, are located;

a selection unit that selects at least one of the sound output targets according to an operation of an operation terminal by a user;

a distance calculation unit that calculates a distance to the sound output target; and

a control unit that controls the oscillation device to adjust sound pressure of the sound wave,

wherein the oscillation device outputs an ultrasonic wave for a sensor and a sound wave for sound reproduction,

the distance calculation unit calculates a distance between the oscillation device and the selected sound output target by detecting the ultrasonic wave for a sensor reflected from the sound output target selected by the selection unit,

the control unit adjusts magnitude of an output of the sound wave for sound reproduction on the basis of the calculated distance between the oscillation device and the selected sound output target, and

the recognition unit includes an imaging unit that generates an image data by imaging a region including the sound output targets and a determination unit that determines the direction, in which the sound output targets are located, by processing the image data.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the distance calculation unit calculates the distance between the oscillation device and the selected sound output target on the basis of a time until the ultrasonic wave for a sensor is detected by the distance calculation unit after being oscillated by the oscillation device.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control unit controls the oscillation device so that a modulation wave of a parametric speaker oscillates and is directed toward only the selected sound output target.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3 ,

wherein a plurality of the oscillation devices are provided,

the selection unit selects a plurality of sound output targets, and

the control unit controls the oscillation devices so that the sound wave is directed toward each of the plurality of selected sound output targets and the magnitude of the output of the sound wave is adjusted for each of the plurality of selected sound output target.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control unit adjusts sound pressure of a sound, which is to be reproduced for the selected sound output target, by controlling amplitude of the sound wave for sound reproduction.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control unit adjusts sound pressure of a sound, which is to be reproduced for the selected sound output target, by controlling directivity of the sound wave for sound reproduction.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the selection unit selects sound pressure at a position of the selected sound output target, and

the control unit adjusts the magnitude of the output of the sound wave for sound reproduction so that a sound with the selected sound pressure is reproduced at the position of the selected sound output target.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the recognition unit recognizes attributes of the selected sound output target, and

the control unit controls a frequency of the sound wave for sound reproduction, which is to be output for the selected sound output target, on the basis of the recognized attributes.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the recognition unit follows and recognizes a position of the sound output target, and

the calculation of the distance between the oscillation device and the selected sound output target by the distance calculation unit and the adjustment of the magnitude of the output of the sound wave for sound reproduction by the control unit are performed on the basis of a position of the sound output target recognized by the recognition unit at any time.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the electronic device is a mobile communication terminal.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2015
From: NEC MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS, LTD.
To: NEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036037/0476 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 9, 2015
From: NEC CASIO MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS, LTD.
To: NEC MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 035866/0495 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2013
From: YAGIHASHI, AYUMU; KITATANI, KENICHI; AOKI, HIROYUKI; KATOU, YUMI; MURAYAMA, ATSUHIKO; SUGAHARA, SEIJI
To: NEC CASIO MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 030921/0064 →