IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,463,836
Granted Patent B2
US 11,463,836 · App. 17/056,239 · Granted Oct 4, 2022

Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Inventors: Yukiko Unno (Tokyo, JP); Yoshiki Shudo (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
H04S7/303H04R5/02H04R5/04H04S3/008H04S2400/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,463,836
App. No.
17/056,239
Granted
Oct 4, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A user listening position is estimated without imposing a burden on a user, and a sound reproduction environment suitable for listening is formed regardless of an actual speaker arrangement state. An estimation part that estimates the user listening position by using position information of N speakers that are three or more speakers, and an arrangement part that sets virtual speaker arrangement by using the user listening position are provided. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the user listening position without imposing a burden on a user and form a sound reproduction environment suitable for listening regardless of an actual speaker arrangement state.

Claims (88)

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

an estimation part configured to:

recognize a standard speaker from a plurality of speakers, wherein the plurality of speakers includes at least three speakers;

recognize a farthermost speaker that is farthermost from a reference position among the plurality of speakers, wherein the reference position is associated with the standard speaker;

obtain a standard circle that passes through the standard speaker and the farthermost speaker;

move a center of the standard circle based on position information of the plurality of speakers; and

estimate, as a user listening position, the center of the standard circle after the movement; and

an arrangement part configured to set a virtual speaker arrangement based on the user listening position.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the arrangement part is further configured to:

set an arrangement circle centered on the user listening position; and

set the virtual speaker arrangement to arrange a virtual speaker on a circumference of the arrangement circle.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the arrangement part is further configured to:

enlarge a radius of the standard circle by specific constant multiplication;

set the enlarged standard circle as the arrangement circle.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the estimation part is further configured to recognize a set of standard speakers, including the standard speaker, from the plurality of speakers,

the set of standard speakers includes a front left speaker and a front right speaker, and

the reference position is a midpoint between the front left speaker and the front right speaker.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the standard speaker is a front center speaker, and

the reference position is a position of the front center speaker.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the estimation part is further configured to:

obtain an average position in at least a front direction and a back direction of the plurality of speakers based on the position information of the plurality of speaker; and

move the center of the standard circle in the front direction and the back direction up to a position aligned with the average position in a left direction and a right direction of the plurality of speakers.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein,

the virtual speaker is posterior to at least one speaker of the plurality of speakers,

the arrangement circle has a radius greater than a specific length, and

the arrangement part is further configured to:

set the radius of the arrangement circle to the specific length based on:

the radius of the arrangement circle that is larger than the specific length, and

the virtual speaker on the circumference of the arrangement circle that is posterior to the at least one speaker of the plurality of speakers; and

reset the virtual speaker arrangement based on the set radius of the arrangement circle.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein,

the plurality of speakers is within a specific range in a front direction and a back direction of the plurality of speakers,

the estimation part is further configured to estimate the user listening position based on:

the plurality of speakers that is within the specific range,

position information of the standard speaker, and

position information of an average position in the front direction and the back direction of the plurality of speakers, and

the arrangement part is further configured to set a radius of the arrangement circle to a specific length.

9. An information processing method, comprising:

recognizing a standard speaker from a plurality of speakers, wherein the plurality of speakers includes at least three speakers;

recognizing a farthermost speaker that is farthermost from a reference position among the plurality of speakers, wherein the reference position is associated with the standard speaker;

obtaining a standard circle that passes through the standard speaker and the farthermost speaker;

moving a center of the standard circle based on position information of the plurality of speakers;

estimating, as a user listening position, the center of the standard circle after the movement; and

setting a virtual speaker arrangement based on the user listening position.

10. The information processing method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

setting an arrangement circle centered on the user listening position; and

setting the virtual speaker arrangement to arrange a virtual speaker on a circumference of the arrangement circle.

11. The information processing method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

enlarging a radius of the standard circle by specific constant multiplication; and

setting the enlarged standard circle as the arrangement circle.

12. The information processing method according to claim 9 , further comprising recognizing a set of standard speakers, including the standard speaker, from the plurality of speakers, wherein

the set of standard speakers includes a front left speaker and a front right speaker, and

the reference position is a midpoint between the front left speaker and the front right speaker.

13. The information processing method according to claim 9 , wherein

the standard speaker is a front center speaker, and

the reference position is a position of the front center speaker.

14. The information processing method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

obtaining an average position in at least a front direction and a back direction of the plurality of speakers based on the position information of the plurality of speakers; and

moving the center of the standard circle in the front direction and the back direction up to a position aligned with the average position in a left direction and a right direction of the plurality of speakers.

15. The information processing method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

setting a radius of the arrangement circle to a specific length based on:

the radius of the arrangement circle that is larger than the specific length, and

the virtual speaker on the circumference of the arrangement circle that is posterior to at least one speaker of the plurality of speakers; and

resetting the virtual speaker arrangement based on the set radius of the arrangement circle.

16. The information processing method according to claim 10 , further comprising:

estimating the user listening position based on:

the plurality of speakers being within a specific range in a front direction and a back direction of the plurality of speakers,

position information of the standard speaker, and

position information of an average position in the front direction and the back direction of the plurality of speakers; and

setting a radius of the arrangement circle to a specific length.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor of an information processing device, cause the processor to execute operations, the operations comprising:

recognizing a standard speaker from a plurality of speakers, wherein the plurality of speakers includes at least three speakers;

recognizing a farthermost speaker that is farthermost from a reference position among the plurality of speakers, wherein the reference position is associated with the standard speaker;

obtaining a standard circle that passes through the standard speaker and the farthermost speaker;

moving a center of the standard circle based on position information of the plurality of speakers;

estimating, as a user listening position, the center of the standard circle after the movement; and

setting virtual speaker arrangement based on the user listening position.

18. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

an estimation part configured to estimate a user listening position based on position information of a plurality of speakers, wherein the plurality of speakers includes at least three speakers; and

an arrangement part configured to:

set an arrangement circle based on the estimation of the user listening position, wherein a center of the arrangement circle corresponds to the user listening position;

set a virtual speaker arrangement to arrange a virtual speaker on a circumference of the arrangement circle, wherein the virtual speaker is posterior to at least one speaker of the plurality of speakers;

set a radius of the arrangement circle to a specific length based on:

the radius of the arrangement circle that is larger than the specific length, and

the virtual speaker on the circumference of the arrangement circle that is posterior to the at least one speaker of the plurality of speakers; and

reset the virtual speaker arrangement based on the set radius of the arrangement circle.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2020
From: UNNO, YUKIKO; SHUDO, YOSHIKI
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054392/0148 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-097952 · May 22, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210219087A1 · Jul 15, 2021