Information processing device and control method

Abstract

To appropriately control microphones arranged on a plurality of housing surfaces.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes: a plurality of microphones respectively arranged in two or more surfaces of a housing; a memory for temporarily storing a program of a system; and a processor for executing processing of the system on the basis of the program stored in the memory. The processor individually controls the first microphones arranged in the first surface of the housing and the second microphones arranged in the second surface difference from the first surface on the basis of the processing to be executed in the system.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] An information processing device such as a clamshell-type notebook PC (Personal Computer) is provided with a microphone for collecting external sounds. In general notebook PCs, the microphone is often provided on the surface of the case (the surface facing the user: the front surface) on which the display is provided (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Notebook PCs are usually used in an open state, with the side of the case where the display is located facing the side of the case where the keyboard is located, so that the user can see the display, but they may also be used in a closed state when connected to an external monitor. Some notebook PCs are designed to be used in both the open and closed states, and have microphones on the side (for example, the top when in the open state) in addition to the front of the case where the display is located. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-72904 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, conventionally, the same control was performed for each microphone provided on each of the multiple housing surfaces, and this control was not always appropriate for various usage scenarios.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has as its object to provide an information processing device and a control method that appropriately control microphones provided on multiple housing surfaces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an information processing device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a plurality of microphones provided on each of two or more sides of a housing of the information processing device, a memory for temporarily storing a system program, and a processor for executing system processing based on the program stored in the memory, and the processor individually controls a first microphone provided on a first side of the housing and a second microphone provided on a second side different from the first side based on the processing executed on the system.

[0008] In the above information processing device, the housing includes a first housing, a second housing, and a rotation mechanism that rotatably connects the first housing and the second housing from a closed first state in which a first surface of the first housing and a second surface of the second housing face each other and overlap to an open second state in which the first surface and the second surface do not overlap, and the first microphone may be provided on the first surface or the second surface, and the second microphone may be provided on a surface other than the first surface and the second surface.

[0009] In the above information processing device, the processor may individually control whether to enable the first microphone and the second microphone depending on whether the first housing and the second housing are in the first state or the second state.

[0010] In the above information processing device, the processor may, when the first housing and the second housing are in the first state, control the first microphone to be disabled and control the second microphone to be enabled, and, when the first housing and the second housing are in the second state, control the first microphone to be enabled and control the second microphone to be enabled or disabled.

[0011] In the information processing device, the processor may control a directivity of the first microphone and a directivity of the second microphone individually.

[0012] In the information processing device, the processor may control a directivity of the first microphone and a directivity of the second microphone individually in accordance with a setting by a user.

[0013] In the information processing device, the processor may individually control whether or not to enable the first microphone and the second microphone, in accordance with a setting by a user.

[0014] In the information processing device, the processor may individually control whether to enable the first microphone and the second microphone and the directivity when the first microphone and the second microphone are enabled, in accordance with a setting by a user.

[0015] Furthermore, according to a second aspect of the present invention, a control method for an information processing device having a plurality of microphones provided on each of two or more sides of a housing of the information processing device, a memory for temporarily storing a system program, and a processor includes a step of the processor executing system processing based on the program stored in the memory, and a step of individually controlling a first microphone provided on a first side of the housing and a second microphone provided on a second side different from the first side based on the processing executed on the system. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the above-described aspects of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately control microphones provided on a plurality of housing surfaces. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an information processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a microphone control process according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 13A to 13C are diagrams showing examples of microphone directivity settings according to usage scenes (scenes) according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] 13A to 13C are diagrams showing examples of microphone on / off and directivity settings according to usage scenes (scenes) according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. <First embodiment> First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an information processing device according to this embodiment. The illustrated information processing device 100 is, for example, a clamshell-type notebook PC, and includes a first housing 10, a second housing 20, and a hinge mechanism 15. The first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are connected using the hinge mechanism 15. The hinge mechanism 15 includes a rotation mechanism that rotatably connects the first housing 10 and the second housing. The first housing 10 is relatively rotatable with respect to the second housing 20 around a rotation axis formed by the hinge mechanism 15. The opening angle caused by the rotation of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 is illustrated as "θ".

[0019] In the following description, the sides of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 on which the hinge mechanism 15 is provided are referred to as side 10c and 20c, respectively. The sides of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 opposite the sides 10c and 20c are referred to as side 10a and 20a, respectively. In the drawings, the direction from side 20a to side 20c is referred to as "rear," and the direction from side 20c to side 20a is referred to as "front." The right and left sides of the rear are referred to as "right" and "left," respectively. The left sides of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are referred to as side 10b and 20b, respectively, and the right sides are referred to as side 10d and 20d, respectively.

[0020] Moreover, the state in which the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 overlap and are closed (a state in which the opening angle θ=0°) is referred to as the "closed state." In the closed state, the opposing surfaces of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 (the surfaces that face each other) are referred to as the "inner surfaces," and the surfaces opposite the inner surfaces are referred to as the "outer surfaces." Moreover, the state in which the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10 and the inner surface 20e of the second housing 20 do not overlap and are open, as compared to the closed state, is referred to as the "open state."

[0021] A display unit 110 (display) is provided on the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10. The display unit 110 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD: Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. On the other hand, a keyboard 151, a touch pad 153, and the like are provided on the inner surface 20e of the second housing 20 as input devices that accept user operation inputs.

[0022] The external appearance of the information processing device 100 shown in FIG. 1 shows an example of an open state. In the open state, the inner surfaces of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are exposed, and the user can view the display screen of the display unit 110 and can operate the keyboard 151 and the touch pad 153. The open state is one of the general usage states when the user uses the information processing device 100, and is typically used in a state where the opening angle θ is about 100 to 130°. The range of the opening angle θ in the open state can be arbitrarily determined according to the range of the angle that can be rotated by the hinge mechanism 15, etc.

[0023] The information processing device 100 also includes a plurality of microphones (hereinafter, simply referred to as "microphones"). In the illustrated example, the imaging unit 120 and the microphone 1 are provided in the peripheral region of the display unit 110 on the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10. For example, the imaging unit 120 and the microphone 1 are disposed in the peripheral region of the display unit 110 on the side of the side surface 20a. In the open state, the imaging unit 120 captures an image of a predetermined imaging range in a direction (forward) facing the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10. The predetermined imaging range is a range of an angle of view determined by an imaging element of the imaging unit 120 and an optical lens provided in front of the imaging surface of the imaging element. For example, the imaging unit 120 can capture an image including a user present in front of the information processing device 100 (front side).

[0024] The microphone 1 is, for example, a stereo microphone, and is configured to include two microphones, a microphone 1a and a microphone 1b. The microphone 1 is provided on the inner surface 10e, i.e., the front side, of the first housing 10 so as to mainly collect sounds from the front in the open state.

[0025] Furthermore, a microphone 2 is provided on the side surface 10a of the first housing 10. The microphone 2 is, for example, a stereo microphone, and is configured to include two microphones, a microphone 2a and a microphone 2b. The microphone 2 is provided on the upper side, i.e., the top surface side, in the open state, and mainly collects sounds from above and behind.

[0026] It should be noted that each of the microphone 1 and the microphone 2 is not limited to a configuration including two microphones, and may include one microphone or three or more microphones.

[0027] A power button 140 is provided on the side surface 20b of the second housing 20. The power button 140 is an operator that allows the user to instruct turning on the power (starting up the system) or the like.

[0028] In addition, in the closed state where the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are closed, the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10 and the inner surface 20e of the second housing 20 face each other and overlap, resulting in a closed state. Therefore, the display unit 110, the imaging unit 120, and the microphone 1 provided on the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10, and the keyboard 151 and the touch pad 153 provided on the inner surface 20e of the second housing 20 are covered by the other housing surface and cannot function. However, when an external monitor, an external keyboard, a mouse, or the like is connected to the information processing device 100, it is also possible to use it in the closed state.

[0029] [Hardware configuration of information processing device] 2 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to this embodiment, in which the same reference numerals are used to designate components corresponding to those in FIG.

[0030] The information processing device 100 includes a microphone 1, a microphone 2, a display unit 110, an imaging unit 120, a communication unit 130, a memory unit 135, a power button 140, an input device 150, an open / close sensor 160, an EC (Embedded Controller) 200, a main processing unit 300, and a power supply unit 400.

[0031] The microphones 1 and 2 have a sound collection function of receiving vibrations caused by sounds from a predetermined direction and converting them into an electric signal. For example, the microphones 1 and 2 are configured to include a preamplifier that amplifies the electric signal of the collected sound, and an AD converter that converts it into a digital signal. The microphones 1 and 2 can switch the sound collection function between on (enabled) and off (disabled) by external control. Furthermore, the microphones 1 and 2 each have a predetermined directivity, and this directivity may also be switchable. As an example, the microphones 1 and 2 are stereo microphones as shown in FIG. 1.

[0032] The display unit 110 displays display data (images) generated based on system processing executed by the main processing unit 300 and processing of application programs running on the system processing.

[0033] The imaging unit 120 captures an image of an object within a predetermined angle of view in the direction facing the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10 (forward), and outputs the captured image to the main processing unit 300. For example, the imaging unit 120 includes an RGB camera and an IR camera. The RGB camera is a normal camera that captures images by receiving visible light. The IR camera is a camera that captures infrared light emitted from an object.

[0034] The communication unit 130 is communicably connected to other devices via a wireless or wired communication network, and transmits and receives various types of data. For example, the communication unit 130 includes a wired LAN interface such as Ethernet (registered trademark) and a wireless LAN interface such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Also, for example, the communication unit 130 includes a short-range wireless communication interface such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0035] The storage unit 135 includes storage media such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SDD), a RAM, a ROM, etc. The storage unit 135 stores various programs such as an OS, a device driver, and an application, as well as various data acquired by the operation of the programs.

[0036] The power button 140 outputs an operation signal to the EC 200 in response to a user operation. The input device 150 is an input unit that accepts user input, and is configured to include, for example, a keyboard 151 and a touchpad 153. In response to accepting an operation on the keyboard 151 and the touchpad 153, the input device 150 outputs an operation signal indicating the operation content to the EC 200.

[0037] The open / close sensor 160 is a sensor for detecting whether the information processing device 100 is in an open state or a closed state. For example, the open / close sensor 160 has a Hall sensor. Specifically, a magnet is provided on the first housing 10 side and a Hall sensor is provided on the second housing 20 side at corresponding positions. The open / close sensor 160 outputs a detection signal of the Hall sensor according to a magnetic field that changes between the open state and the closed state.

[0038] The power supply unit 400 supplies power to each unit in accordance with the operating state of each unit of the information processing device 100. The power supply unit 400 includes a DC (Direct Current) / DC converter. The DC / DC converter converts the voltage of direct current power supplied from an AC (Alternate Current) / DC adapter or a battery (battery pack) into a voltage required by each unit. The power whose voltage has been converted by the DC / DC converter is supplied to each unit via each power supply system. For example, the power supply unit 400 supplies power to each unit via each power supply system based on a control signal input from the EC 200.

[0039] The EC200 is a microcomputer including a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and an input / output (I / O) logic circuit. The CPU of the EC200 reads a control program (firmware) prestored in its own ROM, and executes the read control program to fulfill its functions. The EC200 operates independently of the main processing unit 300, controls the operation of the main processing unit 300, and manages its operating state. The EC200 is also connected to a power button 140, an input device 150, an open / close sensor 160, a power supply unit 400, and the like.

[0040] For example, the EC 200 communicates with the power supply unit 400 to obtain information on the battery state (such as remaining capacity) from the power supply unit 400 and outputs control signals and the like for controlling the supply of power according to the operating state of each unit of the information processing device 100 to the power supply unit 400. The EC 200 also obtains operation signals from the power button 140 and the input device 150, and outputs operation signals related to the processing of the main processing unit 300 among the obtained operation signals to the main processing unit 300. The EC 200 also detects whether the device is in the open state or the closed state based on a detection signal output from the open / close sensor 160.

[0041] The main processing unit 300 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 301, a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) 302, a chipset 303, and a system memory 304, and is capable of executing processing of various device drivers, application programs, etc. on the OS through system processing based on the OS (Operating System).

[0042] The CPU 301 executes processes such as those by a basic input output system (BIOS), processes by the OS, and processes by application programs that run on the OS.

[0043] The GPU 302 is connected to the display unit 110. The GPU 302 executes image processing and generates display data under the control of the CPU 301. The GPU 302 outputs the generated display data to the display unit 110.

[0044] The chipset 303 has a function as a memory controller and a function as an I / O controller, etc. For example, the chipset 303 controls the reading and writing of data from the system memory 304, the storage unit 135, etc. by the CPU 301 and the GPU 302. The chipset 303 also controls the input and output of data from the communication unit 130, the display unit 110, and the EC 200.

[0045] The system memory 304 is used as a reading area for the programs executed by the CPU 301, a working area for writing processing data, etc. The system memory 304 also temporarily stores image data of images captured by the imaging unit 120.

[0046] The CPU 301, the GPU 302, and the chipset 303 may be configured as a single integrated processor, or some or each of them may be configured as an individual processor.

[0047] [Functional configuration of information processing device] Next, a functional configuration in which the information processing device 100 controls multiple microphones individually will be described. The information processing device 100 individually controls the microphones 1 and 2 based on processing executed on the system. For example, the information processing device 100 individually controls whether the microphones 1 and 2 are turned on (enabled) or off (disabled) depending on whether they are in an open state or a closed state.

[0048] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device according to the present embodiment. In this figure, the same reference numerals are used for the components corresponding to those in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. For example, the information processing device 100 includes an open / close sensor 160, an EC 200, a BIOS 310, an IF driver 320, an OS 330, an audio application 340, and microphones 1 and 2 as functional components for individually controlling microphones 1 and 2 depending on whether they are in an open state or a closed state.

[0049] Here, the BIOS 300 is a functional configuration that is realized by the CPU 301 executing a BIOS program. The IF driver 320 is a functional configuration that is realized by the CPU 301 executing a device driver (interface driver) program. The OS 330 is a functional configuration that is realized by the CPU 301 executing an OS program. The audio application 340 is a functional configuration that is realized by the CPU 301 executing an audio control application program that runs on the OS. The audio control application is an application for controlling the on and off of the microphones 1 and 2, and controlling the on and off and volume of a speaker (not shown).

[0050] The EC200 acquires a detection signal output from the open / close sensor 160, and detects whether the state is open or closed based on the acquired detection signal. For example, the EC200 is connected to the open / close sensor 160 via a GPIO or the like, and detects whether the state is open or closed depending on whether the detection signal output from the open / close sensor 160 is high ("High") or low ("Low"). The EC200 is also connected to the CPU 301 via an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus or the like. The EC200 transmits the detection result, whether the state is open or closed, to the BIOS 310 via the SPI bus or the like.

[0051] The BIOS 310 detects a state change from the open state to the closed state or a lock change from the closed state to the open state based on the detection result of whether the state is open or closed transmitted from the EC 200. When the BIOS 310 detects either state change, the BIOS 310 notifies the IF driver 320 of an open / closed detection signal by interrupt processing. For example, when the BIOS 310 detects a change from the open state to the closed state, the BIOS 310 notifies the IF driver 320 of an open / closed detection signal indicating the closed state. When the BIOS 310 detects a change from the closed state to the open state, the BIOS 310 notifies the IF driver 320 of an open / closed detection signal indicating the open state.

[0052] When the IF driver 320 acquires the open / close detection signal notified from the BIOS 310, the IF driver 320 notifies the OS 330 and the audio application 340 of status information indicating the open state if the open / close detection signal indicates the open state, and notifies the OS 330 and the audio application 340 of status information indicating the closed state if the open / close detection signal indicates the closed state. In this way, the open / close state detected by the open / close sensor 160 can be passed to the IF driver 32 via the EC 200 and the BIOS 310. The open / close detection signal is sent from the BIOS 310 to the IF driver 320 because the BIOS 310 cannot directly access the audio application 340.

[0053] The audio application 340 controls the microphones 1 and 2 individually based on the state information notified from the IF driver 320. The table denoted by reference numeral 3401 shows an example of the control contents. For example, when the audio application 340 is notified from the IF driver 320 of state information indicating the closed state, the audio application 340 turns off the microphone 1 on the front side to disable the sound collection function of the microphone 1, and turns on the microphone 2 on the top side to enable the sound collection function of the microphone 2. On the other hand, when the audio application 340 is notified from the IF driver 320 of state information indicating the open state, the audio application 340 turns on the microphone 1 on the front side to enable the sound collection function of the microphone 2, and turns off the microphone 2 on the top side to disable the sound collection function of the microphone 2.

[0054] The audio application 340 transmits microphone control signals for individually controlling the microphones 1 and 2 to be on or off in accordance with the above control content to the microphones 1 and 2. Note that the audio application 340 also transmits the microphone control signals to the OS 330 so that the OS can grasp the microphone control content.

[0055] [Microphone control processing operation] Next, the operation of the microphone control process executed by the CPU 301 in the information processing device 100 based on the system and application processes will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the microphone control process according to the present embodiment.

[0056] (Step S101) The CPU 301, through BIOS processing, acquires from the EC 200 a detection result of the open / close state based on a detection signal of the open / close sensor 160. Then, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0057] (Step S103) The CPU 301, through BIOS processing, determines whether or not there has been a change in the open / close state based on the detection result of the open / close state acquired from the EC 200. If the CPU 301 determines that there has been no change in the open / close state (NO), the process returns to step S101. On the other hand, if the CPU 301 determines that there has been a change in the open / close state (YES), the process proceeds to step S105.

[0058] (Step S105) When CPU 301 detects a change from the open state to the closed state through BIOS processing, it notifies IF driver 320 of an open / close detection signal indicating the closed state. Also, when CPU 301 detects a change from the closed state to the open state through BIOS processing, it notifies IF driver 320 of an open / close detection signal indicating the open state.

[0059] (Step S107) When CPU 301 acquires the open / close detection signal notified from BIOS 310 through processing of IF driver 320, CPU 301 determines whether the open / close detection signal indicates an open state or a closed state. If CPU 301 determines through processing of IF driver 320 that the open / close detection signal indicates an open state, CPU 301 notifies OS 330 and audio application 340 of status information indicating the open state, and proceeds to processing of step S109. On the other hand, if CPU 301 determines through processing of IF driver 320 that the open / close detection signal indicates a closed state, CPU 301 notifies OS 330 and audio application 340 of status information indicating the closed state, and proceeds to processing of step S111.

[0060] (Step S109) CPU 301, through processing by audio application 340, turns on microphone 1 on the front surface to enable the sound collection function of microphone 2, and turns off microphone 2 on the top surface to disable the sound collection function of microphone 2.

[0061] (Step S111) CPU 301, through processing by audio application 340, turns off microphone 1 on the front surface to disable the sound collection function of microphone 1, and turns on microphone 2 on the top surface to enable the sound collection function of microphone 2.

[0062] As described above, the information processing device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of microphones (for example, the microphone 1 on the front surface and the microphone 2 on the top surface) provided on two or more surfaces of a housing (for example, the first housing 10). The information processing device 100 also includes a system memory 304 (an example of a memory) that temporarily stores a program of a system (for example, a BIOS, an OS, etc.), and a CPU 301 (an example of a processor) that executes processing of the system based on the program stored in the system memory 304. The CPU 301 individually controls the microphone 1 (an example of a first microphone) on the front surface provided on the inner surface 10e (an example of a first surface) of the first housing 10 and the microphone 2 (an example of a second microphone) on the top surface provided on a side surface 10a (an example of a second surface) different from the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10, based on processing executed on the system.

[0063] This allows the information processing device 100 to individually control the microphones provided on the multiple housing surfaces depending on the usage scene, and therefore allows the information processing device 100 to appropriately control the multiple microphones.

[0064] The housing of the information processing device 100 includes a first housing 10, a second housing 20, and a hinge mechanism 15 (an example of a rotation mechanism) that rotatably couples the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 from a closed state (an example of a first state) in which an inner surface 10e (an example of a first surface) of the first housing 10 and an inner surface 20e (an example of a second surface) of the second housing 20 face each other and overlap, to an open state (an example of a second state) in which the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10 and the inner surface 20e of the second housing 20 do not overlap and are open. For example, the microphone 1 is provided on the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10.

[0065] This allows the microphone 1 to collect sounds mainly from the front (i.e., the direction of the user) in the open state. The microphone 1 may be provided on the inner surface 20e of the second housing 20. When provided on the inner surface 20e of the second housing 20, the microphone 1 can also collect sounds mainly from the front (i.e., the direction of the user) in the open state, similar to when the microphone 1 is provided on the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10, and when closed, the microphone 1 is covered by the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10 and is unable to function.

[0066] On the other hand, the microphone 2 is provided on a surface other than the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10 and the inner surface 20e of the second housing 20. For example, the microphone 2 is provided on the side surface 10a (top surface) of the first housing 10. This allows the information processing device 100 to use the microphone 2 instead of the microphone 1 to mainly collect sounds in the front (i.e., the direction of the user) in the closed state.

[0067] The CPU 301 individually controls whether or not to enable the microphones 1 and 2 depending on whether the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are in a closed state or an open state.

[0068] This allows the information processing device 100 to appropriately control whether or not to enable each of the microphones 1 and 2 depending on whether the microphones are in the closed state or the open state.

[0069] For example, when the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are in a closed state, the CPU 301 controls the microphone 1 to be off (disabled) and controls the microphone 2 to be on (enabled). On the other hand, when the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 are in an open state, the CPU 301 controls the microphone 1 to be on (enabled) and controls the microphone 2 to be off (disabled).

[0070] As a result, in the closed state, the information processing device 100 controls the microphone 1, which is covered by the inner surface 20e of the second housing 20 and cannot function, to be turned off (disabled), and turns on (enable) the microphone 2, thereby being able to collect sounds in the front (i.e., in the direction of the user). On the other hand, in the open state, the information processing device 100 controls the microphone 2 to be turned off (disabled) and turns on (enable) the microphone 1, thereby being able to collect sounds in the front (i.e., in the direction of the user). In other words, the information processing device 100 can control only the necessary microphones to be turned on. Thus, the information processing device 100 can appropriately control the microphones provided on multiple housing surfaces.

[0071] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which CPU 301 controls microphone 2 to be off (disabled) when first housing 10 and second housing 20 are in an open state, but CPU 301 may control microphone 2 to be on (enabled). In other words, CPU 301 may control both microphone 1 and microphone 2 to be on (enabled) when first housing 10 and second housing 20 are in an open state.

[0072] In this way, in the open state, the information processing device 100 can collect sounds from both the direction of the user and the opposite direction by controlling both microphones 1 and 2 to be on (enabled). For example, when there are people facing each other on both sides of the information processing device 100, such as in a meeting or business negotiation, it is possible to collect the voices of both people.

[0073] Furthermore, the control method in the information processing device 100 according to this embodiment includes a step in which the CPU 301 (an example of a processor) executes processing of a system (e.g., a BIOS, an OS, etc.) based on a program stored in the system memory 304 (an example of a memory), and a step in which, based on the processing executed on the system, the front microphone 1 (an example of a first microphone) provided on the inner surface 10e (an example of a first surface) of the first housing 10 and the top microphone 2 (an example of a second microphone) provided on a side surface 10a (an example of a second surface) different from the inner surface 10e of the first housing 10 are individually controlled.

[0074] This allows the information processing device 100 to individually control the microphones provided on the multiple housing surfaces depending on the usage scene, and therefore allows the information processing device 100 to appropriately control the multiple microphones.

[0075] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, an example in which the on / off of a plurality of microphones is individually controlled is described, but in the present embodiment, an example in which the directivity is individually controlled is described. Note that the basic configuration of the information processing device 100 according to the present embodiment is similar to the configurations shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

[0076] Audio application 340 not only controls the on / off of microphone 1 and microphone 2, but also controls their directivity individually. For example, audio application 340 causes display unit 110 to display a setting screen on which the user can set the directivity of microphone 1 and the directivity of microphone 2. When the user operates the setting screen, audio application 340 sets and changes the directivity of microphone 1 and microphone 2.

[0077] 5 is a diagram showing an example of setting microphone directivity according to a usage scene (scene) according to this embodiment. Here, four scenes, scenes A to D, are described as examples. Scene A is a situation in which the information processing device 100 is used one-to-one with two people facing each other across from each other. In this scene A, by setting the directivity of both the front microphone 1 and the top microphone 2 narrow, it is possible to collect the voices of both the user and the person facing them while minimizing the pickup of surrounding sounds.

[0078] Scene B is a situation where the information processing device 100 is used by one person (e.g., two or three people) facing each other. In this scene B, the directivity of the microphone 1 on the front side is set narrow as in scene A, but the directivity of the microphone 2 on the top side is set wide, so that the voices of the multiple people facing the user can be collected.

[0079] Scene C is a situation where multiple people (e.g., 2 or 3 people) are using the information processing device 100 against one other, facing each other. In this scene C, the directivity of the microphone 1 on the front and the directivity of the microphone 2 on the top are set to be wide, so that voice can be collected even if there are multiple people facing each other.

[0080] Scene D is a situation where multiple (e.g., 2 or 3) people are using the information processing device 100 on one side, facing each other. In this scene D, the directivity of the microphone 2 on the top surface is set narrow as in scene A, but the directivity of the microphone 1 on the front surface is set wide, so that the voices of multiple people can be collected even if there are multiple people on the user's side.

[0081] By allowing the user to individually set the directivity of microphone 1 and microphone 2 according to various usage scenes (situations), the information processing device 100 can individually control the directivity of microphone 1 and the directivity of microphone 2 according to the user's settings.

[0082] The directivity setting by the user may be made selectable from a selection of directivity options for each of microphone 1 and microphone 2, for example. The directivity options may be two types, narrow "narrow" and wide "wide", or three types, narrow "narrow", medium "medium", and wide "wide", or multiple levels of directivity may be prepared as options. The directivity may be changed and set linearly by operating a slider bar. Settings corresponding to the directivity of microphone 1 and microphone 2 in each scene shown in FIG. 5 may be prepared as options in advance.

[0083] As described above, in the information processing device 100 according to this embodiment, the CPU 301 controls the directivity of the microphone 1 and the directivity of the microphone 2 separately.

[0084] This allows the information processing device 100 to individually control the directivities of the microphones provided on the multiple housing surfaces depending on the usage scene, and therefore allows the multiple microphones to be appropriately controlled.

[0085] For example, the CPU 301 controls the directivity of the microphone 1 and the directivity of the microphone 2 separately in accordance with settings made by the user.

[0086] This allows the user to individually set the directivity of the microphones provided on the multiple housing surfaces of the information processing device 100 depending on the usage scene. Therefore, the information processing device 100 can appropriately control the multiple microphones according to the settings made by the user.

[0087] Instead of directivity, the microphone may be configured to be set by the user to be on (enabled) or off (disabled).

[0088] For example, the CPU 301 may individually control whether or not to turn on (enable) the microphones 1 and 2, depending on the settings made by the user.

[0089] This allows the user to individually set the on / off of the microphones provided on the multiple housing surfaces of the information processing device 100 depending on the usage scene. Therefore, the information processing device 100 can appropriately control the multiple microphones according to the user's settings.

[0090] <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the user can set both the microphone on / off setting and the directivity setting will be described. Note that the basic configuration of the information processing device 100 according to this embodiment is similar to the configurations shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

[0091] The audio application 340 controls the on / off and directivity of the microphones 1 and 2 in accordance with settings made by the user. For example, the audio application 340 causes the display unit 110 to display a setting screen on which the user can set the on / off settings of the microphones 1 and 2 and the directivity settings when they are on. When the user operates the setting screen, the audio application 340 sets and changes the on / off and on / on directivity of the microphones 1 and 2.

[0092] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of microphone on / off and directivity settings according to a usage scene (scene) according to this embodiment. Here, three scenes, scenes E to G, are taken as examples for explanation. Scene E is a situation in which the information processing device 100 is used by one person and only the user's (own) voice needs to be collected. In this scene E, by turning on the front microphone 1 and setting narrow directivity, and turning off the top microphone 2, it is possible to collect the user's voice while minimizing picking up surrounding sounds.

[0093] Scene F is a situation where the information processing device 100 is used one-to-one with two people facing each other, but it is desired to collect only the voice of the person facing the device. In this scene F, the microphone 1 on the front is turned off, and the microphone 2 on the top is turned on with narrow directivity, so that the voice of the person facing the device can be collected while minimizing picking up of surrounding sounds.

[0094] Scene G is a situation where the information processing device 100 is used in a one-to-multiple (e.g., two or three) situation where it is desired to collect only the voices of the people facing each other (multiple people). In this scene G, the microphone 1 on the front is turned off, the microphone 2 on the top is turned on, and the directivity is set to be wide, so that the voices of the multiple people facing each other can be collected while minimizing the pickup of surrounding sounds.

[0095] By allowing the user to individually set the on / off and directivity of microphone 1 and microphone 2 according to various usage scenes, the information processing device 100 can individually control the on / off and directivity of microphone 1 and microphone 2 according to the user's settings.

[0096] Note that the directivity setting by the user may be selected from, for example, directivity options, as in the second embodiment. The directivity options may be two types, narrow "narrow" and wide "wide", or three types, narrow "narrow", medium "medium" and wide "wide", or multiple levels of directivity may be prepared as options. Also, the directivity may be changed and set linearly by operating a slider bar. Also, settings corresponding to the directivities of microphone 1 and microphone 2 in each scene shown in FIG. 5 may be prepared in advance as options.

[0097] As described above, in the information processing device 100 according to this embodiment, the CPU 301 individually controls whether or not to enable the microphone 1 and the microphone 2 and the directivity when enabled, in accordance with the settings made by the user.

[0098] This allows the user to individually set the on / off and on directionality of the microphones provided on the multiple housing surfaces according to the usage scene in the information processing device 100. Therefore, the information processing device 100 can appropriately control the multiple microphones according to the user's settings.

[0099] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to those described above, and various design changes and the like are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, the configurations described in the above embodiments may be combined in any desired manner.

[0100] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which microphone 2 is provided on side surface 10a of first housing 10, but the position of microphone 2 is not limited thereto. For example, microphone 2 may be provided on side surface 10b, side surface 10d, or the outer surface opposite to inner surface 10e of first housing 10. Also, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which two microphones (microphone 1 and microphone 2) provided on two different housing surfaces are individually controlled, but a configuration in which three microphones provided on three or more different housing surfaces are individually controlled may also be used.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the information processing device 100 is a notebook PC, but may be a tablet PC. For example, when the information processing device 100 is a notebook PC, the microphones provided on the front (display surface) side and the back side may be individually controlled. The control in this case may be either on / off or directionality, or both. The information processing device 100 is not limited to a PC, and may be a smartphone, a game machine, or the like.

[0102] The information processing device 100 described above has a computer system inside. A program for implementing the functions of each of the components of the information processing device 100 described above may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed to perform processing in each of the components of the information processing device 100 described above. Here, "reading the program recorded on the recording medium into a computer system and executing it" includes installing the program into a computer system. The "computer system" here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. The "computer system" may also include a plurality of computer devices connected via a network including a communication line such as the Internet, a WAN, a LAN, or a dedicated line. The "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, or a CD-ROM, and a storage device such as a hard disk built into a computer system. In this way, the recording medium storing the program may be a non-transient recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0103] The recording medium also includes a recording medium installed inside or outside and accessible from a distribution server to distribute the program. The program may be divided into a plurality of parts, downloaded at different times, and then combined by each component of the information processing device 100, or each divided program may be distributed by a different distribution server. Furthermore, the "computer-readable recording medium" includes a recording medium that holds a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory (RAM) in a computer system that becomes a server or a client when a program is transmitted via a network. The above program may also be a recording medium for realizing part of the above-mentioned functions. Furthermore, the recording medium may be a so-called difference file (difference program) that can realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

[0104] In addition, some or all of the functions of the information processing device 100 in the above-mentioned embodiment may be realized as an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration). Each function may be individually processed, or some or all of the functions may be integrated into a processor. The integrated circuit method is not limited to LSI, and may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. In addition, when an integrated circuit technology that replaces LSI appears due to the progress of semiconductor technology, an integrated circuit based on that technology may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1 microphone, 2 microphone, 10 first housing, 20 second housing, 15 hinge mechanism, 100 information processing device, 110 display unit, 120 imaging unit, 130 communication unit, 135 memory unit, 140 power button, 150 input device, 151 keyboard, 153 touch pad, 160 opening / closing sensor, 200 EC, 300 main processing unit, 301 CPU, 302 GPU, 303 chipset, 304 system memory, 310 BIOS, 320 IF driver, 330 OS, 340 audio application

Claims

1. A housing for an information processing device, the housing including a first housing, a second housing, and a rotation mechanism for connecting the first housing and the second housing so as to be rotatable from a first closed state in which a first surface of the first housing and a second surface of the second housing face each other and overlap, to a second open state in which the first surface and the second surface do not overlap; A plurality of microphones provided on two or more surfaces of the housing; A memory for temporarily storing system programs; A processor that executes processing of the system based on the program stored in the memory; Equipped with The first surface is provided with an imaging unit and a display unit, The processor, independently controlling a first microphone provided on the first surface and a second microphone provided on a surface other than the first surface and the second surface based on a process executed on the system; When the first housing and the second housing are in the first state, the first microphone is controlled to be disabled and the second microphone is controlled to be enabled; When the first housing and the second housing are in the second state, the first microphone is controlled to be active and the second microphone is controlled to be inactive. Information processing device.

2. The processor, A directivity of the first microphone and a directivity of the second microphone are individually controlled. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The processor, A directivity of the first microphone and a directivity of the second microphone are individually controlled in accordance with a setting by a user. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The processor, individually controlling whether or not the first microphone and the second microphone are enabled according to a setting made by a user; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. The processor, whether to enable the first microphone and the second microphone and the directivity when the first microphone and the second microphone are enabled are individually controlled according to a setting by a user; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

6. A control method for an information processing device comprising: a housing of the information processing device itself, the housing including a first housing, a second housing, and a rotation mechanism that rotatably couples the first housing and the second housing from a first closed state in which a first surface of the first housing and a second surface of the second housing face each other to a second open state in which the first surface and the second surface do not overlap; a plurality of microphones provided on each of two or more surfaces of the housing; a memory that temporarily stores a system program; and a processor, The first surface is provided with an imaging unit and a display unit, The processor, Executing a process of the system based on the program stored in the memory; A step of individually controlling a first microphone provided on a first surface of the housing and a second microphone provided on a surface other than the first surface and the second surface based on a process executed on the system; Including, In the step of individually controlling, When the first housing and the second housing are in the first state, the first microphone is controlled to be disabled and the second microphone is controlled to be enabled; When the first housing and the second housing are in the second state, the first microphone is controlled to be active and the second microphone is controlled to be inactive. Control methods.

Images