Dynamic Sound Image Localization in Portable Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for sound image localization in portable display units, such as mobile phones, fail to provide a realistic audio experience when the listener moves, as the sound image remains fixed and does not adapt to changes in the listener's position or orientation relative to the display.
Innovation Solution
An information processing system that includes a display, a display sensor to detect movement or rotation, a transducer unit for earphones or headphones, and an operation controller to compute and adjust sound processing based on the listener's movements, effectively mapping the positional relation between the display and the listener's head in a virtual viewing space, allowing for dynamic sound image localization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If sound image is fixedly localized in a predetermined position, then the sound processing is simple, but the realistic sensation is not provided when the display unit moves
Solution Approach 1:
The sound image localization is made dynamic by continuously updating the localized position based on detected display unit movement. The operation controller computes movement direction and distance from sensor outputs, then adjusts sound processing parameters in real-time to maintain realistic spatial relationships between the display and listener, resolving the contradiction between processing simplicity and adaptive realism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the sound image localization adapts to display movement, then the realistic sensation is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical or manual adjustment systems with an automated sensor-based detection and computation system. The operation controller uses sensor outputs to automatically compute movement parameters and adjust sound processing, eliminating the need for manual intervention while achieving adaptive sound image localization that enhances realism without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the sound processing is adjusted frequently to match display position changes, then the immersive experience is improved, but the processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous sound processing adjustment by continuously detecting display unit movement through sensors and continuously updating the sound image localization based on computed movement parameters. This continuous adaptation ensures the immersive experience remains high-quality without significant interruptions or delays, as the processing operates smoothly and continuously rather than in discrete, time-consuming steps.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing system includes a display, a display sensor that detects a movement or a rotation of the display, a transducer unit as an earphone unit or a headphone unit, a sound processing part that processes an audio signal so as to localize a sound image in a position outside a head of a listener wearing the transducer unit and listening to sound, and an operation controller that computes an output from the display sensor to obtain a moving direction and a moving distance, or a rotation direction and a rotation angle of the display, and controls sound processing performed by the sound processing part in accordance with a result of the computation so that a positional relation between the display and the head of the listener is mapped as a positional relation between an image display surface and the head of the listener in a virtual viewing space.