Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Toshihiko Date

Michiko Ogawa

Akihisa Kawamura

Naoya Tanaka

Hikaru Usami

Ryosuke Kobayashi

Tomomi Hirata

Shuji Saiki

Masaharu Matsumoto

Takashi Kawamura

Kazuki Honda

Masayuki Misaki

Ko Mizuno

Kazuhiro Kuroyama

Hiroyuki Kano

Yasutoshi Nakama

Kazue Satoh

Tadashi Tamura

Ryousuke Kobayashi

Haruyo Ohkubo

Meiko Masaki

A sound reproduction apparatus includes a sound source localization estimating unit that performs estimates using input audio signals in an acoustic space when the input audio signals are reproduced by speakers placed in standard positions; and a sound source signal separating unit that calculates a sound source localization signal and separates, from the input audio signals, sound source non-localization signals. Additionally, a sound source position parameter calculating unit calculates parameters indicating a position of the sound source localization signal in the acoustic space; and a reproduction signal generating unit uses the sound source position parameters to distribute the sound source localization signal to front speakers placed in the standard positions in front and headphones placed near the ears of a listener and in positions different from the standard positions, by combining the sound source localization signal and the sound source non-localization signals.

Sound reproduction apparatus and sound reproduction method

An audio reproduction apparatus is provided which is capable of maintaining the sense of dimensions in an acoustic space even when multi-channel input audio signals are reproduced using speakers having different frequency characteristics. The audio reproduction apparatus includes: a sound source position parameter calculating unit () that calculates a localization position of a sound image when reproduced by each of the first and second speaker groups; a reproduction signal generating unit () that generates a reproduction signal by separating, from audio signals corresponding to the second speaker group, audio signals representing a sound having a sound pressure level higher when reproduced by the first speaker group than the second speaker group; and a signal correction unit () that corrects reproduction signals such that the sound image localized according to the reproduction signals are localized at a substantially identical position to the calculated localization position; and a delay time adjusting unit ().

Audio reproduction apparatus and audio reproduction method

An acoustic signal output control section extracts, from an acoustic signal, a low-frequency-component acoustic signal and a high-frequency-component acoustic signal. A sound image localization processing filter section performs a sound image localization process on the low-frequency-component acoustic signal. The low-frequency-component acoustic signal having been subjected to the sound image localization process is outputted from loudspeakers in an AV rack loudspeaker apparatus. A television sound image localization processing filter section performs a sound image localization process on the high-frequency-component acoustic signal. The high-frequency-component acoustic signal having been subjected to the sound image localization process is outputted from loudspeakers in a television via HDMI communication sections.

Video and audio output system

A particular program detection device detecting a particular program segment even in a program signal contaminated with noise by adaptively modifying a detection sensitivity for a scene change point. A noise level detecting section detects a noise level of a program signal outputted from a signal input section. Based on the detected noise level, a detection sensitivity determining section determines a detection sensitivity which is used when a silent portion of the program signal is determined by a silent portion detecting section. In accordance with the determined detection sensitivity, the silent portion detecting section detects a portion having a low audio level of the program signal as a silent portion. A particular program determining section calculates a time difference between each silent portion and a silent portion following this, and based on the calculated time difference, determines whether or not the silent portion is a particular program.

Particular program detection device, method, and program

A sound field measuring device uses a measurement signal which has at least one change point and whose frequency spectrum has a shape corresponding to a shape of a frequency spectrum of a background noise. This enables a sound field measurement, which is for measuring an impulse response or transfer function of a sound field space which is a linear time-invariant system to be measured, to be performed with a high S/N ratio over a wide frequency band.

Sound field measuring method and sound field measuring device

An audio information provision system for providing a target with an audio information stream suitable to the target includes a database for storing a plurality of audio information streams; an inherent condition input section for receiving an inherent condition of the target; a variable condition input section for receiving a variable condition varying in accordance with time; a selection section for selecting at least one audio information stream from the plurality of audio information streams based on at least the inherent condition and the variable condition; and an output section for outputting the at least one audio information stream.

Audio information provision system

The characteristic value detection section detects a characteristic value concerning input musical data. The detected characteristic value is converted by a genre information determination section to genre information representing a genre of the contents of the input musical data. Based on the genre information, a parameter determination section determines an acoustic processing parameter which is used for adjusting the tone of the output from a acoustic processing section. In accordance with the acoustic processing parameter as determined, the acoustic processing section applies predetermined acoustic processing to the input musical data. The musical data having been subjected to the predetermined acoustic processing is reproduced by a reproduction section. Thus, the musical signal processing device makes it possible to obtain a tone which is adapted to the contents of the input musical data.

Musical signal processing apparatus

Upon receipt of a music signal from a music-signal input section, a sound-source separating section in a preprocessing section separates the music signal into a plurality of signals in units of the type of audio source. A physical-property converting section changes a physical property of each of the signals on the basis of control information received from a control-information input section. A signal-synthesizing section synthesizes a plurality of output signals outputted from the physical-property converting section, and supplies the resultant signal to a data-compressing section. For example, in compressed data, a high data rate is allocated to a vocal, whereas low data rates are allocated to other parts. As a result, quality improvement can be implemented in auditory perceptibility of a musically important part.

Music-signal compressing/decompressing apparatus

A sound field controller of the invention reproduces a sound field which provides a distance perspective depending on a position of a sound image for a listener. The sound field controller includes: an A/D converter; a signal processing section for processing the digital signal using predetermined parameters, and generating a sound signal; an input device for inputting conditions which include a position of a sound image to be localized and a distance from a listener; a parameter controller for setting the parameters in the signal processing section so that the sound signal has characteristics in accordance with the input conditions; a D/A converter; and a reproducing unit for amplifying and reproducing the signal output from the D/A converter.

Sound field controller and control method

An audio data file analyzer apparatus includes: analyzers for analyzing at least one of physical characteristics of an audio signal to produce an analyzed resultant data the at least one physical characteristic possibly including a continuous time duration of the audio signal, a control data input for providing a control data for an audio data file; a reference code generator for producing a reference code from the analyzed resultant data and the control data; a reference code storage for storing the reference code; a reference code input for providing a specific reference code requested by an operator, and a reference code comparator for comparing the specific reference code, a newly introduced reference code which are produced by the reference code generator from other audio signal, or combination of the specific reference code and the newly introduced reference code with the reference code. Furthermore, while a multiplicity of the audio data files are stored in libraries controlled by a library controller, a new audio data file carrying desired physical characteristics can be produced from the audio data files of the libraries with an audio data processor.

Audio data file analyzer apparatus

A sound field offset device having two channels, each of which includes a frequency selection filter for dividing a stereophonic input signal into two frequency bands by a given frequency falling within an audio frequency, at least one digital filter for performing sound field offsetting within a lower frequency band, and at least one loudspeaker assembly for a higher frequency band having a sharp directivity pattern and capable of defining an area to which acoustic power is emitted. This device allows a sound field to be offset in a cost effective and simple manner, by improving the frequency characteristic of a sound field space and by clarifying the sense of locality of acoustic images.

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Toshihiko Date