Parameter determination device and parameter determination method

Abstract

To efficiently obtain information used for processing of sound data.SOLUTION: A parameter determination server 10 determines a parameter used for acoustic processing of adding an acoustic effect to sound data. An information acquisition unit 111 obtains at least any one of the following information: environment information of an environment where the sound data is output; first device information of a user device D5 that uses the sound data; second device information of a processing device D4 that performs the acoustic processing for the sound data; and sound data information of the sound data. The determination unit 112 determines a parameter based on at least any one of the environment information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information. The information acquisition unit 111 obtains at least any one of the environment information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information, from another information processing device that is different from the user device D5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to techniques for processing audio data for use in user devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique for processing sound data in accordance with a user's preferences or the user's surrounding environment in a user device such as a smartphone, a portable audio player, or an in-vehicle audio device. For example, in the following Patent Document 1, a user device located near a user accesses a user profile located on a cloud and determines processing parameters for sound data based on the user profile. The user device outputs sound based on sound data processed using the processing parameters to the user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-109968 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, when obtaining information that changes in real time, such as the user's surrounding environment, from a user device, there is a possibility that unnecessary information that is not related to the processing may also be transmitted from the user device. The transmission and reception of unnecessary information increases the processing load and communication load of the device.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to efficiently obtain information to be used in processing sound data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a parameter determination device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a parameter determination device that determines parameters used in a process of adding a sound effect to sound data, and includes an information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of environmental information on an environment in which the sound data is output, first device information on a user device that uses the sound data, second device information on a processing device that performs the processing on the sound data, and sound data information on the sound data, and a determination unit that determines the parameters based on at least one of the environmental information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information, and the information acquisition unit acquires at least one of the environmental information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information from another information processing device different from the user device.

[0007] Furthermore, a parameter determination method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a parameter determination method for determining parameters used in a process of adding sound effects to sound data, which obtains at least one of environmental information related to the environment in which the sound data is output, first device information related to a user device that uses the sound data, second device information related to a processing device that performs the processing on the sound data, and sound data information related to the sound data from an information processing device other than the user device, and determines the parameters based on at least one of the environmental information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing classification of devices in the information processing system 1. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an apparatus corresponding to each device. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an apparatus corresponding to each device. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a parameter determination server 10 in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing devices installed in a vehicle C. [Figure 6] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of speakers 56 in a vehicle C. FIG. [Figure 7] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 103 of the parameter determination server 10 in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an apparatus corresponding to each device. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a parameter determination server 10 in a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 103 of the parameter determination server 10 in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] A: First embodiment A-1: System configuration 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. The information processing system 1 includes a parameter determination server 10, a vehicle management server 20, a distribution server 30, a vehicle communication device 40, an in-vehicle sound device 50, and a smartphone 60. The parameter determination server 10 is an example of a parameter determination device. The vehicle communication device 40, the in-vehicle sound device 50, and the smartphone 60 are mounted on a vehicle C. Note that being placed on the vehicle C does not necessarily mean being fixed to the vehicle C, but also includes being brought into the vehicle C when a user gets into the vehicle C.

[0010] Each of the parameter determination server 10, the vehicle management server 20, the distribution server 30, the vehicle communication device 40, the in-vehicle audio device 50, and the smartphone 60 is connected to a network N. The network N may be a wide area network such as the Internet, or may be a local area network (LAN) within a facility or the like.

[0011] The parameter determination server 10 determines parameters used in a process of adding sound effects to sound data (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "sound processing"). The sound data is data for outputting sound from a user device D5 (see FIG. 2) described later. The sound processing includes, for example, environment adaptation processing, volume adjustment processing, sound adjustment processing, and format conversion processing. Details of each process will be described later.

[0012] The vehicle management server 20 manages vehicles C via a network N. Although one vehicle C is illustrated in FIG. 1, in reality, a large number of vehicles C (more specifically, vehicle communication devices 40) are connected to the vehicle management server 20 via the network N. The vehicle management server 20 acquires, from the vehicle communication device 40 of each vehicle C, for example, information indicating the traveling state of the vehicle C, information indicating the operation state of the vehicle C, and detection information of a sensor 74 (see FIG. 5) mounted on the vehicle C. The information transmitted from the vehicle communication device 40 to the vehicle management server 20 is referred to as "vehicle information."

[0013] The vehicle management server 20 uses the vehicle information to generate control data for controlling, for example, automatic driving of the vehicle C. In addition, the vehicle management server 20 may use the vehicle information to estimate, for example, a congestion state of a road and distribute the congestion state via the network N.

[0014] The distribution server 30 distributes sound data to the in-vehicle sound device 50 or the smartphone 60 via the network N. The sound data distributed by the distribution server 30 may be referred to as "distributed sound data". The distribution server 30 distributes, via the network N, sound data indicating, for example, music, environmental sounds, talk shows, news programs, language learning materials, and the like. The distribution server 30 is not limited to distributing sound data, and may distribute video data including sound data. The distribution server 30 is disposed, for example, by an operator of a distribution service that distributes sound data (including video data). Although one distribution server 30 is illustrated in FIG. 1, multiple distribution servers 30 may be provided. For example, multiple sound data distribution operators may each provide a distribution server 30.

[0015] The vehicle communication device 40 is mounted on the vehicle C, and transmits the above vehicle information to the vehicle management server 20. The vehicle communication device 40 may be integrated with the on-vehicle sound device 50.

[0016] The in-vehicle sound device 50 is mounted on the vehicle C and outputs sound from a speaker 56 (see FIG. 5) into the cabin of the vehicle C. Although details will be described later, the sound output from the in-vehicle sound device 50 may be, for example, music or radio broadcast sound, voice guidance from a navigation device 78 (see FIG. 5), or an alarm sound from a safety system of the vehicle C.

[0017] The smartphone 60 is an information processing terminal carried by a user who uses the vehicle C. The smartphone 60 may communicate with the in-vehicle audio device 50 inside the vehicle C using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0018] 2 is a diagram showing classification of devices in the information processing system 1. The devices constituting the information processing system 1 are classified into an information providing device D1, a parameter determining device D2, a sound data acquiring device D3, a processing device D4, and a user device D5.

[0019] The information providing device D1 provides information used to determine parameters in the parameter determining device D2. The information providing device D1 is an information processing device other than the user device D5. The parameter determining device D2 determines parameters used in the acoustic processing executed by the processing device D4.

[0020] The sound data acquisition device D3 acquires sound data to be processed by the processing device D4. The sound data provided from the sound data acquisition device D3 to the processing device D4 may be referred to as input sound data. The processing device D4 performs acoustic processing on the sound data (input sound data) provided from the sound data acquisition device D3. The processing device D4 performs acoustic processing on the input sound data in accordance with the parameters determined by the parameter determination device D2. The sound data acoustically processed by the processing device D4 may be referred to as output sound data. The user device D5 outputs sound based on the sound data acoustically processed by the processing device D4 (output sound data).

[0021] In this embodiment, the information providing device D1 is, for example, a vehicle management server 20 or a distribution server 30. The information providing device D1 may be both the vehicle management server 20 and the distribution server 30. The parameter determination device D2 is a parameter determination server 10. The sound data acquisition device D3 is an in-vehicle sound device 50 or a smartphone 60. The processing device D4 is a parameter determination server 10, an in-vehicle sound device 50, or a smartphone 60. The user device D5 is an in-vehicle sound device 50.

[0022] In this embodiment, one device may have the functions of multiple classifications. For example, the parameter determination server 10 may be the parameter determination device D2 and processing device D4. The in-vehicle sound device 50 may be the sound data acquisition device D3, processing device D4, and user device D5. The above-mentioned combinations are examples, and various other combinations may be adopted.

[0023] In the following, in the first embodiment, a case will be described in which the parameter determination server 10 functions as the parameter determination device D2 and the processing device D4 is another device. In the second embodiment, a case will be described in which the parameter determination server 10 functions as both the parameter determination device D2 and the processing device D4.

[0024] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing an example of an apparatus corresponding to each device. In the first embodiment, the equipment configuration may be as shown in FIG. 3A or 3B. In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, the information providing device D1 is, for example, at least one of the vehicle management server 20 and the distribution server 30. The parameter determination device D2 is the parameter determination server 10. The sound data acquisition device D3, the processing device D4, and the user device D5 are an in-vehicle sound device 50. In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, the processing device D4 is the same device as the user device D5. In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, the smartphone 60 does not perform processing.

[0025] In the embodiment of FIG. 3B, the information providing device D1 is, for example, at least one of the vehicle management server 20 and the distribution server 30. The parameter determination device D2 is the parameter determination server 10. The sound data acquisition device D3 and the processing device D4 are a smartphone 60. The user device D5 is an in-vehicle sound device 50. In the embodiment of FIG. 3B, the processing device D4 is a device different from the user device D5.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, in the following description, the sound data acquisition device D3 is assumed to be the same device as the processing device D4. However, for example, the parameter determination device D2 (parameter determination server 10) may function as the sound data acquisition device D3. In this case, the parameter determination device D2 transmits sound data to be subjected to sound processing together with parameters to the processing device D4. The processing device D4 performs sound processing on the sound data transmitted from the parameter determination device D2 in accordance with the parameters.

[0027] A-2: Hardware configuration A-2-1: Parameter determination server 10 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the parameter determination server 10. The parameter determination server 10 includes a communication device 101, a storage device 102, and a control device 103. The communication device 101 communicates with other devices using wireless communication or wired communication. In this embodiment, the communication device 101 includes a communication interface that can be connected to a network N using wired communication, and communicates with other devices via the network N.

[0028] The storage device 102 is a recording medium readable by a computer (for example, a non-transitive recording medium readable by a computer). The storage device 102 includes a non-volatile memory and a volatile memory. The non-volatile memory is, for example, a Read Only Memory (ROM), an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), and an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM). The volatile memory is, for example, a Random Access Memory (RAM). The storage device 102 may be a portable recording medium that is detachably attached to the parameter determination server 10, or a recording medium (for example, a cloud storage) to which the control device 103 can write or read via the network N. The storage device 102 stores a program PG1 executed by the control device 103.

[0029] The control device 103 is composed of one or more processors that control each element of the parameter determination server 10. For example, the control device 103 is composed of one or more types of processors such as a central processing unit (CPU), a sound processing unit (SPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0030] The control device 103 executes a program PG1 stored in the storage device 102 to function as an information acquisition unit 111, a decision unit 112, and a first transmission control unit 113. Details of these functional units will be described later.

[0031] Each of the vehicle management server 20 and the distribution server 30 is also equipped with a communication device, a storage device, and a control device, and the functions of each server are realized by each control device executing a program stored in each storage device.

[0032] A-2-2: Equipment inside vehicle C 5 is a block diagram showing devices installed in a vehicle C. In addition to the above-mentioned vehicle communication device 40, the in-vehicle audio device 50, and the smartphone 60, the vehicle C is equipped with an operation mechanism 72, a sensor 74, a camera 76, and a navigation device 78.

[0033] The operation mechanism 72 is a member that is mainly provided near the driver's seat in order to operate the vehicle C. Examples of the operation mechanism 72 include a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal, a steering wheel, a turn signal switch, a hazard switch, and a wiper switch.

[0034] The sensor 74 is provided to detect the running state of the vehicle C or the state around the vehicle C. The sensor 74 is a sensor that detects the running state of the vehicle C, such as a running speed sensor or an acceleration sensor, or a sensor that detects the state around the vehicle C, such as a temperature sensor or a rainfall sensor. The sensor 74 may also be a seating sensor that detects the presence or absence of an occupant in the seats P1 to P4 (see FIG. 6) of the vehicle C.

[0035] The camera 76 captures an image of the interior of the vehicle C and generates image data. The image data generated by the camera 76 is transmitted to the vehicle management server 20 via the vehicle communication device 40. The camera 76 may capture not only an image of the interior of the vehicle, but also an image of the exterior of the vehicle. The camera 76 may also function as, for example, a drive recorder mounted in the vehicle C or an imaging device for a safety system of the vehicle C.

[0036] The navigation device 78 searches for a route to a destination point set by a user, and provides route guidance to the destination point. As a specific example, the navigation device 78 displays a map of the area around the current position of the vehicle C on a display provided in the device itself, and displays a mark indicating the current position of the vehicle C superimposed on the map. The navigation device 78 also outputs a guidance voice instructing the user on the traveling direction on the route to the destination point. The navigation device 78 may also output a guidance voice indicating attention to traffic laws such as the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle C is traveling. The guidance voice of the navigation device 78 is output from a speaker 56 described later. The navigation device 78 outputs guidance voice data, which is voice data corresponding to the guidance voice, to the in-vehicle audio device 50. The navigation device 78 also outputs position information of the vehicle C generated by a GPS (Global Positioning System) device (not shown) to the vehicle communication device 40. The navigation device 78 also includes, for example, a microphone for voice input. Sound data collected by a microphone while the vehicle C is traveling may be transmitted to the vehicle management server 20 as ambient sound information, which will be described later.

[0037] As described above, the vehicle communication device 40 transmits vehicle information such as information indicating the driving state of vehicle C, information indicating the operation state of vehicle C, and detection information from the sensor 74 mounted on vehicle C to the vehicle management server 20.

[0038] The information indicating the traveling state of the vehicle C is, for example, position information, traveling speed, or acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle C. The position information is, for example, position information generated by a GPS device mounted on the navigation device 78. The traveling speed or acceleration / deceleration is a detection value detected by a traveling speed sensor or an acceleration sensor, which are examples of the sensor 74.

[0039] The information indicating the operation state of the vehicle C is information indicating the operation state of the operation mechanism 72 of the vehicle C. Specifically, the information indicating the operation state of the vehicle C is, for example, the depression amount of the brake pedal, the depression amount of the accelerator pedal, the operation amount of the steering wheel, the operation state of the turn signal switch, the operation state of the hazard switch, and the operation state of the wiper switch.

[0040] The detection information of the sensor 74 is data detected by a seating sensor, a thermometer, a rain sensor, or the like, which are examples of the sensor 74.

[0041] Next, a configuration of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 will be described. The in-vehicle acoustic device 50 includes a head unit 52, an amplifier 54, and a speaker 56. The head unit 52 is provided, for example, on the instrument panel of the vehicle C. The head unit 52 includes a communication device, an operation device, a sound data acquisition device, a storage device, a control device, and the like.

[0042] Specifically, the sound data acquisition device is a reading device that reads sound data stored in a recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc) or an SD card. The sound data acquisition device may also be a receiving device for radio or television broadcasts. The sound data acquisition device may also be connectable to a nearby electronic device (such as a portable music player) using, for example, wireless or wired communication to acquire sound data.

[0043] The amplifier 54 amplifies the sound data and supplies the amplified sound data to the speaker 56. In the first embodiment, the sound data output from the head unit 52 is input to the amplifier 54. Note that the head unit 52 may include the function of the amplifier 54.

[0044] The speaker 56 outputs sound based on the sound data. In this embodiment, a speaker set is configured from a plurality of speakers 56. The arrangement of the plurality of speakers 56 varies from vehicle to vehicle C depending on the type of vehicle C or customization by the user. The speaker 56 is not limited to a speaker set, and may be a single speaker.

[0045] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the arrangement of speakers 56 in vehicle C. Vehicle C is equipped with seats P1 to P4. Seats P1 and P2 are seats provided in the front part of the passenger compartment of vehicle C. Seat P1 is the driver's seat, and seat P2 is the passenger seat. Seats P3 and P4 are seats provided in the rear part of the passenger compartment of vehicle C. Seat P3 is a seat located behind seat P1, which is the driver's seat, and seat P4 is a seat located behind seat P2, which is the passenger seat.

[0046] The vehicle C also includes doors M1 to M4. The door M1 is a door through which an occupant seated in seat P1 gets in and out of the vehicle. The occupant is an example of a user. The door M2 is a door through which an occupant seated in seat P2 gets in and out of the vehicle. The door M3 is a door through which an occupant seated in seat P3 gets in and out of the vehicle. The door M4 is a door through which an occupant seated in seat P4 gets in and out of the vehicle.

[0047] Speakers 56A and 56B are provided on door M1. Speakers 56C and 56D are provided on door M2. Speaker 56E is provided on door M3. Speaker 56F is provided on door M4. In other words, speakers 56A and 56B are provided at a location corresponding to seat P1. Speakers 56C and 56D are provided at a location corresponding to seat P2. Speaker 56E is provided at a location corresponding to seat P3. Speaker 56F is provided at a location corresponding to seat P4.

[0048] A-3:Functional configuration Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the parameter determination server 10. As described above, the control device 103 of the parameter determination server 10 executes the program PG1 stored in the storage device 102 to function as an information acquisition unit 111, a determination unit 112, and a first transmission control unit 113.

[0049] The information acquisition unit 111 acquires at least one of environmental information related to the environment in which sound data is output, first device information related to a user device D5 that uses the sound data, second device information related to a processing device D4 that performs acoustic processing on the sound data, and sound data information related to the sound data. The information acquisition unit 111 acquires at least one of the environmental information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information from an information providing device D1 connected via a network N. The information providing device D1 is an example of an information processing device different from the user device D5.

[0050] The information providing device D1 is, for example, the vehicle management server 20 that manages the vehicle C via the network N. When the user device D5 uses sound data distributed from the distribution server 30 via the network N, the information providing device D1 is the distribution server 30. In this embodiment, the information acquiring unit 111 acquires information from the vehicle management server 20 when acquiring at least one of the environmental information, the first device information, and the second device information, and acquires information from the distribution server 30 when acquiring sound data information. Hereinafter, the information acquired by the information acquiring unit 111 from the information providing device D1 (at least one of the environmental information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information) is referred to as "specific information."

[0051] The specific information may be automatically transmitted from the information providing device D1 to the information acquiring unit 111, for example. When the specific information is automatically transmitted from the information providing device D1, the information acquiring unit 111 designates the type of specific information to the information providing device D1 in advance. Alternatively, for example, the information providing device D1 may select information to be transmitted as the specific information based on the state at that time. For example, when the information providing device D1 is the vehicle management server 20, when a change occurs in the detection value of a specific sensor 74, the sensor value may be notified to the parameter determination server 10.

[0052] Furthermore, the specific information may be transmitted from the information providing device D1 in response to an information transmission request from the information acquiring unit 111. When the information providing device D1 is the vehicle management server 20, the information acquiring unit 111 transmits an information transmission request to the vehicle management server 20. The information transmission request includes first identification information for identifying the vehicle C or the in-vehicle sound device 50, and second identification information for identifying the type of information desired to be transmitted (information required to determine parameters). The vehicle management server 20 transmits information specified by the first identification information and the second identification information to the information acquiring unit 111 as specific information. The vehicle management server 20 transmits only the specific information from the vehicle information acquired from the vehicle communication device 40 to the information acquiring unit 111.

[0053] The first identification information is transmitted from the user device D5 to the parameter determination server 10, for example, at the time of initial configuration of the user device D5 (at the time of initial configuration in the information processing system 1). Also, at the time of initial configuration, first server identification information that identifies the vehicle management server 20 that manages the vehicle C on which the user device D5 is mounted is transmitted to the parameter determination server 10. The parameter determination server 10 transmits an information transmission request to the vehicle management server 20 identified by the first server identification information.

[0054] Furthermore, when the information providing device D1 is the distribution server 30, the information acquisition unit 111 transmits an information transmission request to the distribution server 30. The information transmission request includes third identification information for identifying the user in the distribution service and fourth identification information for identifying the type of information (specification necessary for determining parameters) desired to be transmitted. The distribution server 30 transmits information specified by the third identification information and the fourth identification information to the information acquisition unit 111 as specific information. The distribution server 30 transmits only the specific information of the information related to the sound data to be distributed to the user to the information acquisition unit 111.

[0055] The third identification information is transmitted from the user device D5 to the parameter determination server 10, for example, at the time of initial setting of the user device D5 (at the time of initial setting in the information processing system 1). At the time of initial setting, second server identification information for identifying the distribution server 30 is transmitted to the parameter determination server 10. The parameter determination server 10 transmits an information transmission request to the distribution server 30 identified by the second server identification information.

[0056] In the following description of the present embodiment, it is assumed that the specific information is transmitted from the information providing device D1 in response to an information transmission request from the information acquisition unit 111.

[0057] The third identification information is transmitted from the in-vehicle sound device 50 to the parameter determination server 10, for example, during initial configuration of the in-vehicle sound device 50. The parameter determination server 10 identifies the vehicle management server 20 that manages the vehicle C on which the in-vehicle sound device 50 is mounted, based on the first identification information (for example, the manufacturer name of the vehicle C, etc.).

[0058] Next, the specific information (environment information, first device information, second device information, and sound data information) acquired by information acquisition unit 111 will be described in detail.

[0059] [1]Environmental information The environmental information includes, for example, vehicle information such as information indicating an operation state of the vehicle C and detection information of the sensor 74 mounted on the vehicle C. That is, the information acquisition unit 111 acquires, as the environmental information, at least one of information indicating an operation state of the vehicle C and information indicating a traveling state of the vehicle C. In addition, at least one of the above-mentioned vehicle interior layout (information such as dimensions of the vehicle interior, positions of the seats P1 to P4, and position of the speaker 56) or information regarding the occupants of the vehicle C (information such as the number of occupants, riding positions (seats P in which the occupants are seated), and physical builds of the occupants) may be acquired as the environmental information.

[0060] The environmental information also includes information (hereinafter referred to as "ambient sound information") relating to sounds (hereinafter referred to as "ambient sounds") generated around the in-vehicle sound device 50, for example. In this embodiment, the ambient sounds are sounds generated inside or outside the vehicle C, for example. Sounds generated inside the vehicle C include, for example, sounds of conversation between occupants, sounds of calls made by occupants on the smartphone 60 or the like, and device sounds made by occupants using electronic devices such as the smartphone 60. Sounds generated outside the vehicle C include, for example, running sounds generated by the vehicle C running, running sounds of other vehicles around the vehicle C, and environmental sounds around the vehicle C (such as rain sounds caused by rainfall, wind sounds, and pedestrian guidance sounds).

[0061] The ambient sound information is obtained, for example, by collecting sounds with a microphone of the navigation device 78. In addition, as the ambient sound information, for example, at least one of the traveling position and traveling speed of the vehicle C and an image outside the vehicle captured by the camera 76 may be used. This information is used to estimate the ambient sound.

[0062] [2] First device information The first device information is, for example, information on the acoustic characteristics of the user device D5 (hereinafter referred to as "acoustic characteristic information"). The acoustic characteristic information is information indicating what kind of sound is heard by the user when sound based on predetermined sound data is output from the user device D5. As described above, in this embodiment, the user device D5 is an in-vehicle acoustic device 50. The acoustic characteristic information of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 includes information on the performance of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 and information on the space (vehicle interior space) until the sound output from the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 (speaker 56) is heard by the user.

[0063] The acoustic characteristics of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 are measured in advance. The measurement of the acoustic characteristics is performed, for example, as follows. The in-vehicle acoustic device 50 outputs a sound (hereinafter referred to as a "test sound") corresponding to test sound data from the speaker 56. For example, the test sound is picked up using an external microphone arranged at the position of the seats P1 to P4, and the picked-up data is output to the in-vehicle acoustic device 50. Note that the test sound may be picked up by a microphone mounted on the head unit 52 instead of using an external microphone. The in-vehicle acoustic device 50 transmits the picked-up data to the vehicle management server 20. The vehicle management server 20 acquires the picked-up data and analyzes the picked-up data to estimate the acoustic characteristics of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50. Note that the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 may estimate the acoustic characteristics based on the picked-up data and transmit the estimation result to the vehicle management server 20.

[0064] The measurement of the acoustic characteristics is performed, for example, before the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 is used. For example, when the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 is attached to the vehicle C or when the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 is used for the first time, a test sound is output and the collected sound data is transmitted. The vehicle management server 20 estimates the acoustic characteristics of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 based on the collected sound data and records the estimated acoustic characteristics as acoustic characteristic information in an acoustic characteristic database (not shown). At this time, the vehicle management server 20 stores in the acoustic characteristic database, in association with identification information for identifying the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 and the acoustic characteristic information. That is, in the acoustic characteristic database, the identification information of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 is associated with the acoustic characteristic information of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50. The acoustic characteristic database stores the acoustic characteristic information of a plurality of in-vehicle acoustic devices 50. When the vehicle management server 20 obtains acoustic characteristic information of a specific vehicle-mounted acoustic device 50, it can obtain the acoustic characteristic information of the specific vehicle-mounted acoustic device 50 by searching the acoustic characteristic database using the identification information of the specific vehicle-mounted acoustic device 50 as a key.

[0065] The measurement of the acoustic characteristics may be performed, for example, every time the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 is used. In this case, for example, the test sound is output and collected every time before the vehicle C starts traveling. By measuring the acoustic characteristics every time the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 is used, the acoustic characteristics can be estimated reflecting the in-vehicle environment each time the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 is used. For example, the number of occupants and their riding positions in the vehicle C may differ from time to time. By estimating the acoustic characteristics every time the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 is used, the effects of sound absorption and reflection by the occupants' bodies can be reflected in the acoustic characteristics.

[0066] Furthermore, instead of measuring the acoustic characteristics using a test sound, the vehicle management server 20 may provide at least one of information on the performance of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50, information on the specifications of the vehicle C, and information on the occupants of the vehicle C as acoustic characteristic information of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50. The determination unit 112, which will be described later, can estimate the acoustic characteristics of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 by performing a simulation using the information on the performance of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50, information on the specifications of the vehicle C, and information on the occupants of the vehicle C.

[0067] The information on the performance of the in-vehicle sound device 50 is, for example, the product numbers (model numbers) of the head unit 52, the speaker 56, and the amplifier 54. The information on the specifications of the vehicle C is, for example, the model (including model number, grade, etc.) of the vehicle C in which the in-vehicle sound device 50 is installed, or the vehicle interior layout. In general, by identifying the model (including model number, grade, etc.) of the vehicle C, the vehicle interior layout and the material of the seat P arranged in the vehicle interior can be identified. On the other hand, for example, in a case where the user retrofits the speaker 56, it is preferable to obtain information that can identify the actual vehicle interior layout. The vehicle interior layout is, for example, information on the dimensions of the vehicle interior, the positions of the seats P1 to P4, the position of the speaker 56, and the like. The information on the occupants of the vehicle C is information on the number of occupants, their riding positions (seats P in which they sit), and the physiques of the occupants.

[0068] [3] Secondary device information The second device information is, for example, information on the performance of the processing device D4, and specifically, for example, the product number (model number) of the processing device D4 or the components (control device, recording device, etc.) used in the processing device D4. In general, it is considered that the higher the load of processing performed on the sound data, the higher the quality of the sound that can be obtained. However, if the processing capacity of the processing device D4 is low, delays and the like may occur when high-load processing is performed. By obtaining information on the performance of the processing device D4, the load of the processing to be performed by the processing device D4 can be appropriately set.

[0069] [4] Sound data information The sound data information includes, for example, [4-1] information about the format of the sound data and / or [4-2] information about the content of the sound. [4-2] Information about the content of the sound indicates, for example, at least one of the song title, artist name, and music genre of the sound data.

[0070] [4-1] Information on audio data format The information on the format of the sound data is information that specifies the format of the sound data. For example, MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3; lossy compression), AAC (Advanced Audio Coding; lossy compression), FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec; lossless compression), and WAV-PCM (Waveform format of uncompressed PCM data) are well known as sound data formats. For example, there are cases where the format that can be output by the in-vehicle audio device 50 is fixed, or where the format of the sound data distributed by the distribution server 30 differs for each distribution service. In such cases, information on the format of the sound data is required.

[0071] [4-2] Information about the content of the sound, such as the song title, artist name, and music genre of the sound data For example, when the sound data is music data, information such as the song title, artist name, and music genre of the sound data is added as metadata of the sound data. The information acquisition unit 111 acquires, for example, metadata of the sound data output from the user device D5 as sound data information from the distribution server 30. That is, the information acquisition unit 111 acquires, as the sound data information, genre information indicating the genre of the sound data.

[0072] The determination unit 112 determines parameters to be used in the acoustic processing based on at least one of the environment information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information. As described above, in this embodiment, the acoustic processing includes, for example, [A] acoustic adjustment processing, [B] environment adaptation processing, [C] volume adjustment processing, and [D] format conversion processing.

[0073] [A] Sound adjustment processing The acoustic adjustment process is a process for improving the quality of the sound output from the in-vehicle acoustic device 50. The space inside the vehicle C is limited, and the distance between the user and each speaker 56 varies. In addition, sound is likely to be reflected by the window glass and absorbed by the seat P, making it easy for sound quality to deteriorate. The acoustic adjustment process is a process for adjusting the sound output from the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 so as to optimize the sound for listening by the occupant sitting in the seat P.

[0074] Specific examples of the sound adjustment process include time alignment, equalization, crossover, and the like. Time alignment is a process that changes the timing at which sound is output from each speaker 56 to focus the sound on the occupants of the vehicle C (mainly the user sitting in the driver's seat). The equalizer is a process that adjusts the sound balance by increasing or decreasing the gain (amplification of the input signal) for each frequency band. Crossover is a process that adjusts the output frequency band allocated to each speaker 56.

[0075] When performing the acoustic adjustment process, the determination unit 112 determines the parameters using the acoustic characteristic information of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 acquired by the information acquisition unit 111. When the acoustic characteristic information is information acquired by measurement, the determination unit 112 can determine the parameters directly from the acoustic characteristic information. When the acoustic characteristic information is at least any one of information on the performance of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50, information on the specifications of the vehicle C, and information on the occupants of the vehicle C, the determination unit 112 performs a simulation based on this information to estimate the acoustic characteristics of the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 and determine the parameters.

[0076] Furthermore, for the equalizer in the sound adjustment process, parameters may be determined based on information such as the song title, artist name, or music genre of the sound data, which is sound data information. The determination unit 112 determines the processing parameters of the equalizer based on, for example, the music genre of the sound data. For example, when the music genre is rock, the determination unit 112 relatively increases the volume of the high-pitched sound corresponding to the electric guitar sound and the low-pitched sound corresponding to the kick and bass sounds. When the music genre is pop music, the determination unit 112 relatively increases the volume of the mid-pitched sound corresponding to the vocal sound.

[0077] [B] Environmental Adaptation Processing The environmental adaptation process is a process of adjusting the volume of sound data based on the ambient sound of the in-vehicle sound device 50. For example, when construction work is being carried out around the vehicle C and noise is being generated, or when the vehicle C is traveling at a high speed and making a loud noise while traveling, the determination unit 112 increases the volume of the sound output from the speaker 56. Also, when passengers are talking to each other inside the vehicle, for example, the determination unit 112 may reduce the volume of the sound output from the speaker 56. Also, the determination unit 112 may change the frequency of the sound output from the speaker 56 in accordance with the pitch (frequency) of the ambient sound.

[0078] When performing the environment adaptation process, the determination unit 112 determines parameters using the ambient sound information acquired by the information acquisition unit 111. When the ambient sound information is sound data collected by a microphone, the determination unit 112 analyzes the type and volume of the ambient sound from the sound data. The determination unit 112 then determines parameters based on the analysis results. When the ambient sound information is at least one of the traveling position and traveling speed of the vehicle C, and an image outside the vehicle captured by the camera 76, the determination unit 112 estimates the type and volume of the ambient sound based on these pieces of information. The determination unit 112 then determines parameters based on the estimation results.

[0079] The type and volume of the ambient sound are estimated, for example, as follows. For example, when the running position of the vehicle C is acquired, the determination unit 112 acquires at least one of information on the road surface condition, predicted traffic volume, and surrounding environment (downtown, residential area, mountainous area, etc.) of the running position of the vehicle C from map data (not shown). The determination unit 112 may also acquire real-time traffic volume or weather information around the running position of the vehicle C via the network N. When an image of the outside of the vehicle captured by the camera 76 is acquired, the determination unit 112 detects at least one of the traffic volume, weather conditions, road surface condition, and surrounding environment around the running position of the vehicle C by image analysis. The presence or absence of rain may be determined from the detection value of the rainfall sensor. From these pieces of information, the determination unit 112 estimates the type and volume of the ambient sound of the in-vehicle sound device 50. When the running speed of the vehicle C is acquired, the determination unit 112 estimates the volume of the running sound of the vehicle C based on the running speed. In general, the volume of the running sound is estimated on the assumption that the faster the running speed, the louder the volume of the running sound.

[0080] [C] Volume adjustment processing The volume adjustment process is a process for adjusting the volume of each sound when two or more sounds are output simultaneously. The volume adjustment process is executed, for example, when a system sound such as a guidance voice of the navigation device 78 or an alarm sound of the safety system of the vehicle C is output while a sound such as a piece of music is being output. Specifically, for example, when a guidance voice of the navigation device 78 is output while a piece of music based on sound data (distributed sound data) distributed from the distribution server 30 is being output, the determination unit 112 reduces the volume of the distributed sound data before outputting the guidance voice.

[0081] As an example of the sound adjustment process, the presence or absence of sound output from the speakers 56A-56F may be changed based on the presence or absence of an occupant in the seats P1-P4. In this case, the information acquisition unit 111 acquires, as environmental information, information indicating the presence or absence of an occupant in each of the seats P1-P4 of the vehicle C. The information indicating the presence or absence of an occupant may be, for example, an image of the interior of the vehicle compartment captured by the camera 76, or may be a detection result of a seating sensor (not shown) provided in each of the seats P1-P4. The determination unit 112 sets the volume of sound output from the speaker 56 corresponding to the seat P where no occupant is sitting to zero or lower than normal.

[0082] [D] Format conversion process The format conversion process is a process of converting sound data into a format that can be played back by the in-vehicle sound device 50. As described above, there are various formats for sound data, and the sound data may not be in a format that can be played back by the in-vehicle sound device 50. In addition, a dedicated application is generally used for the distribution service provided by the distribution server 30. When using multiple distribution services, the user needs to install each dedicated application and perform tasks such as upgrading the dedicated application as necessary. By performing the format conversion process, it is possible to use the distributed sound data without installing a dedicated application for each distribution service in the in-vehicle sound device 50. Therefore, the complicated tasks of installing and upgrading the dedicated application are not required, and it is possible to seamlessly use multiple distribution services. Note that the format that can be played back by the in-vehicle sound device 50 is, for example, the above-mentioned MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV-PCM, etc. More preferably, the format that can be played back by the in-vehicle sound device 50 (format after the format conversion process) is preferably FLAC (lossless compression) or WAV-PCM (uncompressed), which has a light decompression (decoding, decoding) processing load and does not deteriorate sound quality.

[0083] The determination unit 112 determines whether or not format conversion processing is required based on information on the format of the sound data, which is sound data information, and information specifying the format of the sound data that can be played back by the in-vehicle sound device 50. Specifically, if the sound data is in a format that can be played back by the in-vehicle sound device 50, the determination unit 112 determines that format conversion processing is not required. Also, if the sound data is not in a format that can be played back by the in-vehicle sound device 50, the determination unit 112 determines that the sound data should be converted into a format that can be played back by the in-vehicle sound device 50. In other words, the determination unit 112 determines whether or not format conversion processing of the sound data is required, and the conversion destination format if format conversion processing is required.

[0084] The first transmission control unit 113 transmits the parameters determined by the determination unit 112 to the processing device D4. As shown in Fig. 3A, when the processing device D4 is the in-vehicle acoustic device 50, the first transmission control unit 113 transmits the parameters to the in-vehicle acoustic device 50. The in-vehicle acoustic device 50 acquires sound data as the sound data acquisition device D3, and performs acoustic processing on the sound data according to the parameters as the processing device D4. Then, the in-vehicle acoustic device 50 outputs sound within the vehicle C as the user device D5.

[0085] 3B, when the processing device D4 is a smartphone 60, the first transmission control unit 113 transmits parameters to the smartphone 60. The smartphone 60 acquires sound data as the sound data acquisition device D3, and performs sound processing on the sound data according to the parameters as the processing device D4. The smartphone 60 transmits the sound data after the sound processing to the in-vehicle sound device 50. The in-vehicle sound device 50 outputs sound inside the vehicle C as the user device D5.

[0086] A-4: Operation of the control device 103 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 103 of the parameter determination server 10. In the following flowchart, various data may be transmitted and received in file units or in packet units. Also in the following flowchart, specific information is transmitted from the information providing device D1 to the parameter determination server 10 in response to an information transmission request from the information acquisition unit 111. shall be transmitted.

[0087] The control device 103 functions as an information acquisition unit 111 and transmits an information transmission request to the vehicle management server 20 or the distribution server 30, which is the information providing device D1, to request transmission of specific information (step S10). As described above, the information transmission request includes identification information and specific information. The vehicle management server 20 or the distribution server 30, which is the information providing device D1, selects specific information from the information held by the vehicle management server 20 or the distribution server 30 based on the identification information and specific information, and transmits the specific information to the parameter determination server 10.

[0088] The control device 103 waits until it receives the identification information (step S11: NO), and when it receives the identification information (step S11: YES), it functions as the determination unit 112 and determines the parameters to be used for the acoustic processing based on the identification information (step S12). The control device 103 functions as the first transmission control unit 113 and transmits the parameters determined in step S12 to the processing device D4 (step S13). After that, the control device 103 returns the process to step S10.

[0089] A-5: Summary of the first embodiment As described above, in the first embodiment, the parameter determination server 10 acquires specific information required to determine parameters used in acoustic processing from the information providing device D1, which is different from the user device D5. Therefore, the processing load of the user device D5 can be reduced compared to acquiring specific information required to determine parameters from the user device D5. In addition, by arranging the type of information to be acquired with the information providing device D1, it is possible to acquire only information required to determine parameters, thereby reducing the communication load and processing load. In addition, by acquiring this information from the information providing device D1, it is possible to obtain more accurate information.

[0090] In this embodiment, the user device D5 is an in-vehicle sound device 50 arranged in the vehicle C, and the information providing device D1 is, for example, a vehicle management server 20 that manages the vehicle C via the network N. In this embodiment, the parameters of the sound processing are determined based on environmental information of the vehicle C and acoustic characteristic information of the in-vehicle sound device 50, so that the quality of the sound output to the interior of the vehicle C, which is not a good listening environment unlike the inside of a building, is improved.

[0091] The parameter determination server 10 acquires, from the vehicle management server 20, at least one of information indicating an operation state of the vehicle C and information indicating a running state of the vehicle C. Thus, at least one of the operation state of the vehicle C and the running state of the vehicle C is reflected in the acoustic processing, and the sound quality of the sound output into the cabin of the vehicle C is further improved.

[0092] In the present embodiment, the in-vehicle audio device 50, which is the user device D5, uses, as an example, sound data distributed from a distribution server 30 that distributes sound data via a network N. In this case, the information providing device D1 is the distribution server 30. Since information required for determining parameters is obtained from the source of the sound data, appropriate parameters can be determined for the sound data.

[0093] The parameter determination server 10 acquires, as sound data information, genre information indicating the genre of the sound data or format information indicating the format of the sound data from the distribution server 30. Thus, the output quality of the sound data in the user device D5 is improved by performing acoustic processing according to the genre of the sound data. In addition, the amount of sound data available in the user device D5 is increased by converting the sound data into a format that can be output by the user device D5.

[0094] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the parameter determination server 10 transmits parameters to the processing device D4. Therefore, processing of the sound data is performed in a device different from the parameter determination server 10, and the processing load of the parameter determination server 10 is reduced.

[0095] Also, for example, as shown in Fig. 3B, if the processing device D4 and the user device D5 are different devices, the processing load between the processing device D4 and the user device D5 can be reduced. Also, for example, as shown in Fig. 3A, if the processing device D4 and the user device D5 are the same device, the communication load between the devices can be reduced.

[0096] B: Second embodiment A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In each of the following exemplary embodiments, the elements whose functions are the same as those of the first embodiment will be referred to by the same reference numerals used in the description of the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions of each will be omitted as appropriate. The system configuration in the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore the description will be omitted.

[0097] In the second embodiment, a case will be described where the parameter determination server 10 functions as the parameter determination device D2 and processing device D4. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an apparatus corresponding to each device. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the information providing device D1 is, for example, at least one of the vehicle management server 20 and the distribution server 30. The parameter determination device D2 is the parameter determination server 10. The sound data acquisition device D3 and the processing device D4 are also the parameter determination server 10. The user device D5 is an in-vehicle sound device 50. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the smartphone 60 does not perform processing.

[0098] 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the parameter determination server 10 in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the control device 103 of the parameter determination server 10 functions as a sound data acquisition unit 114, a processing unit 115, and a second transmission control unit 116, instead of the first transmission control unit 113.

[0099] The sound data acquisition unit 114 acquires sound data used in the user device D5. The sound data acquisition unit 114 acquires sound data distributed to the in-vehicle sound device 50, for example, from the distribution server 30. The sound data acquisition unit 114 also acquires sound data of sounds outputted in the vehicle C, for example, from the in-vehicle sound device 50. The sound data acquisition unit 114 acquires sound data from the in-vehicle sound device 50, for example, via the network N. The sound data acquired from the in-vehicle sound device 50 is, for example, guidance voice data of the navigation device 78, playback sound data of sounds recorded on a CD or the like, or voice data of radio broadcasts or the like.

[0100] The processing unit 115 performs acoustic processing on the sound data in accordance with the parameters determined by the determination unit 112. The processing unit 115 performs at least one of environmental adaptation processing, acoustic adjustment processing, volume adjustment processing, and format conversion processing on the sound data acquired by the sound data acquisition unit 114, thereby generating processed sound data that has been subjected to acoustic processing.

[0101] The second transmission control unit 116 transmits the processed sound data that has been subjected to the acoustic processing to the in-vehicle sound device 50, which is the user device D5. The in-vehicle sound device 50 outputs sound within the vehicle C as the user device D5.

[0102] Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 103 of the parameter determination server 10 in the second embodiment. In the following flowchart, various data may be transmitted and received in file units or in packet units. Steps S20 to S22 in the flowchart shown in Fig. 10 are similar to steps S10 to S12 in the flowchart shown in Fig. 7, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0103] The control device 103 functions as a sound data acquisition unit 114 and acquires sound data from the distribution server 30 or the in-vehicle sound device 50 (step S23). The control device 103 functions as a processing unit 115 and generates processed sound data by performing sound processing on the sound data using the parameters determined in step S22 (step S24). The control device 103 functions as a second transmission control unit 116 and transmits the processed sound data to the in-vehicle sound device 50, which is the user device D5 (step S25). After that, the control device 103 returns the process to step S20.

[0104] As described above, in the second embodiment, the parameter determination server 10 functions as the parameter determination device D2, as well as the sound data acquisition device D3 and the processing device D4. Since the parameter determination server 10 performs sound processing on sound data, the processing load of the in-vehicle sound device 50 or the smartphone 60 can be reduced compared to when the in-vehicle sound device 50 or the smartphone 60 performs sound processing. In particular, even for sound processing with a high load that cannot be handled unless a control device dedicated to sound processing is provided in the in-vehicle sound device 50 or the smartphone 60, the configuration of the in-vehicle sound device 50 or the smartphone 60 is simplified by having the parameter determination server 10 perform the sound processing, and as a result, the cost of the in-vehicle sound device 50 or the smartphone 60 is reduced.

[0105] C: Modification Specific modified embodiments that can be added to each of the above-mentioned embodiments are illustrated below. A plurality of embodiments arbitrarily selected from the following examples may be appropriately combined as long as they are not mutually contradictory.

[0106] [1] In each of the above-described embodiments, the user device D5 is an in-vehicle audio device 50. However, the user device D5 may be any electronic device capable of using audio data. Specifically, the electronic device may be a smartphone 60. The electronic device may also be a portable audio player, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smart watch, or the like.

[0107] [2] As described above, the functions of the parameter determination server 10 (information acquisition unit 111, determination unit 112, first transmission control unit 113, sound data acquisition unit 114, processing unit 115 and second transmission control unit 116) are realized by cooperation between one or more processors constituting the control device 103 and the program PG1 stored in the memory device 102.

[0108] The above program PG1 can be provided in a form stored in a computer-readable recording medium and installed in a computer. The recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory recording medium, and is exemplified by an optical recording medium (optical disk) such as a CD-ROM, but also includes any known type of recording medium such as a semiconductor recording medium or a magnetic recording medium. Note that a non-transitory recording medium includes any recording medium except a transient, propagating signal, and does not exclude volatile recording media. In addition, in a configuration in which a distribution device distributes the program PG1 via a network N, the recording medium that stores the program in the distribution device corresponds to the above-mentioned non-transitory recording medium.

[0109] D: Notes From the above-described exemplary embodiments, the following configurations can be understood, for example.

[0110] A parameter determination device according to one aspect (aspect 1) of the present disclosure is a parameter determination device that determines parameters used in a process of adding a sound effect to sound data, and includes an information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of environmental information on an environment in which the sound data is output, first device information on a user device that uses the sound data, second device information on a processing device that performs the process on the sound data, and sound data information on the sound data, and a determination unit that determines the parameters based on at least one of the environmental information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information, and the information acquisition unit acquires at least one of the environmental information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information from another information processing device different from the user device. With the above configuration, the processing load of the user device can be reduced compared to acquiring information required for determining parameters from the user device. In addition, by arranging the type of information to be acquired between the other information processing device and the parameter determination device, only information required for determining parameters can be acquired, and communication load and processing load can be reduced. In addition, by acquiring such information from the other information processing device, more accurate information can be obtained.

[0111] In a specific example (aspect 2) of aspect 1, the user device is disposed in a vehicle, The other information processing device is a vehicle management server that manages the vehicle via a network. According to the above configuration, the acoustic processing parameters are determined based on the vehicle's environmental information and the information on the user device, so that the sound quality of the sound output to the vehicle cabin, which is not in a good listening environment unlike the inside of a building, is improved.

[0112] In a specific example (Aspect 3) of Aspect 2, the information acquisition unit acquires at least one of information indicating an operation state of the vehicle and information indicating a running state of the vehicle as the environmental information. With the above configuration, at least one of the operation state of the vehicle and the running state of the vehicle is reflected in the acoustic processing, and the sound quality of the sound output into the cabin of the vehicle is further improved.

[0113] In a specific example (Aspect 4) of Aspect 1, the user device uses the sound data distributed via a network from a distribution server that distributes the sound data, and the other information processing device is the distribution server. With the above configuration, since information required for determining parameters is obtained from the distributor of the sound data, appropriate parameters can be determined for the sound data.

[0114] In a specific example (aspect 5) of aspect 4, the information acquisition unit acquires, as the sound data information, at least one of genre information indicating the genre of the sound data and format information indicating the format of the sound data. With the above configuration, processing is performed according to the genre of the sound data, improving the output quality of the sound data in the user device. In addition, the sound data is converted into a format that can be output by the user device, thereby increasing the number of sound data that can be used by the user device.

[0115] In a specific example (aspect 6) of aspect 1, the parameter determination device further includes a first transmission control unit that transmits the parameters to the processing device. According to the above configuration, the sound data is processed by a device different from the parameter determination device, so that the processing load of the parameter determination device is reduced.

[0116] In a specific example (aspect 7) of aspect 1, the parameter determination device further includes a sound data acquisition unit that acquires the sound data, a processing unit that performs the processing on the sound data according to the parameters, and a second transmission control unit that transmits the processed sound data to the user device. With the above configuration, the sound data is processed in the parameter determination device, so that changes in parameters are quickly reflected in the acoustic processing.

[0117] In a specific example (aspect 8) of aspect 7, the processing device is a device different from the user device. According to the above configuration, since the processing of the sound data is performed by a device different from the user device, the processing load of each device can be reduced.

[0118] In a specific example (aspect 9) of aspect 7, the processing device is the same device as the user device. According to the above configuration, since the user device processes the audio data, the communication load between devices can be reduced.

[0119] A parameter determination method according to one aspect (aspect 10) of the present disclosure is a parameter determination method for determining parameters used in a process of adding sound effects to sound data, which obtains at least one of environmental information related to the environment in which the sound data is output, first device information related to a user device that uses the sound data, second device information related to a processing device that performs the processing on the sound data, and sound data information related to the sound data from an information processing device other than the user device, and determines the parameters based on at least one of the environmental information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 1...information processing system, 10...parameter determination server, 20...vehicle management server, 30...distribution server, 40...vehicle communication device, 50...in-vehicle audio device, 52...head unit, 54...amplifier, 56 (56A to 56F)...speaker, 60...smartphone, 111...information acquisition unit, 112...determination unit, 113...first transmission control unit, 114...sound data acquisition unit, 115...processing unit, 116...second transmission control unit, C...vehicle, D1...information providing device, D2...parameter determination device, D3...sound data acquisition device, D4...processing device, D5...user device, N...network.

Claims

1. A parameter determination device that determines parameters used in a process of imparting a sound effect to sound data, comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of environmental information related to an environment in which the sound data is output, first device information related to a user device that uses the sound data, second device information related to a processing device that performs the processing on the sound data, and sound data information related to the sound data; a determination unit that determines the parameter based on at least one of the environmental information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information, the information acquisition unit acquires at least one of the environmental information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information from another information processing device different from the user device; Parameter determination device.

2. the user device is located in a vehicle; the other information processing device is a vehicle management server that manages the vehicle via a network; 2. The parameter determination device according to claim 1.

3. The information acquisition unit acquires, as the environmental information, at least one of information indicating an operation state of the vehicle and information indicating a traveling state of the vehicle.

3. The parameter determining device according to claim 2.

4. the user device uses the sound data distributed via a network from a distribution server that distributes the sound data; The other information processing device is the distribution server.

2. The parameter determination device according to claim 1.

5. The information acquisition unit acquires, as the sound data information, at least one of genre information indicating a genre of the sound data and format information indicating a format of the sound data.

5. The parameter determination device according to claim 4.

6. a first transmission control unit that transmits the parameters to the processing device; 2. The parameter determination device according to claim 1.

7. A sound data acquisition unit that acquires the sound data; a processing unit that performs the processing on the sound data in accordance with the parameters; and a second transmission control unit that transmits the processed sound data to the user device.

2. The parameter determination device according to claim 1.

8. the processing device is a device distinct from the user device; The parameter determination device according to claim 7.

9. the processing device is the same device as the user device; The parameter determination device according to claim 7.

10. A parameter determination method for determining parameters used in a process of imparting a sound effect to sound data, comprising the steps of: Obtaining at least one of environmental information relating to an environment in which the sound data is output, first device information relating to a user device that uses the sound data, second device information relating to a processing device that performs the processing on the sound data, and sound data information relating to the sound data from another information processing device different from the user device; determining the parameter based on at least one of the environmental information, the first device information, the second device information, and the sound data information; Parameter determination method.

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