Imaging-Based Audio Selection for Moving Subject Sound Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imaging apparatuses face difficulties in accurately capturing the sound of a specific subject, especially when the user needs to follow a moving subject, as the directivity of the microphone is hard to adjust based on voice detection results.
Innovation Solution
An imaging apparatus equipped with an imager, audio input device, detector, audio processor, and operation member that processes audio data based on detected subject types, allowing users to select and prioritize specific sounds, such as those from persons or animals, through image recognition and sound extraction techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the user manually adjusts the direction of the imaging apparatus to follow a moving subject, then the subject can be kept in view, but it becomes difficult to accurately align microphone directivity with the subject based on voice detection
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects the subject's position using the imager and adjusts the microphone array's directivity characteristics based on the detected position, eliminating the need for manual user adjustment. The apparatus serves itself by autonomously tracking the subject and optimizing audio capture without requiring continuous user intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously detects the subject's position through image data and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust the microphone array's directivity characteristics. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that the audio capture direction remains aligned with the subject's position, resolving the contradiction between automatic tracking accuracy and ease of operation.
2Reliability
If the microphone array directivity is adjusted based on voice detection, then sound capture may be improved, but it becomes difficult to clearly obtain voice of a specific subject when multiple subjects are present
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the subject detection results from the imager with the audio processing function. By combining visual identification of specific subjects with audio signal processing, the system can accurately identify which subject's voice to capture and adjust the microphone directivity accordingly, preventing loss of subject identification information while maintaining sound capture quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The imager acts as an intermediary that provides subject position and identification information to the audio processing system. This intermediary role allows the system to clearly distinguish between multiple subjects and selectively enhance the audio from the intended subject, resolving the contradiction between general sound capture quality and specific subject identification accuracy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system processes audio data for multiple subject types, then versatility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the processing parameters of the microphone array based on the detected subject type. Different subject types (e.g., person, animal, vehicle) have different optimal directivity characteristics, and the system adjusts these parameters dynamically according to the detected subject type, achieving versatility without requiring fundamentally different hardware configurations for each subject type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts audio processing parameters based on the detected subject type and position. Rather than having fixed processing modes for different subjects, the system continuously adapts its processing characteristics in real-time based on current detection results, providing versatility while maintaining manageable complexity through a unified dynamic processing framework.
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging apparatus includes: an imager configured to capture a subject image to generate image data; an audio input device configured to receive audio data indicating sound during; a detector configured to detect a subject and a its type based on the image data generated by the imager; an audio processor configured to process the audio data received by the audio input device based on the type of subject detected by the detector; and an operation member configured to set a target type to be processed by the audio processor among a plurality of types including first and second types different from each other, based on a user operation, wherein the audio processor is configured to process the audio data to emphasize or suppress specific sound corresponding to the target type in audio data received when a subject of the target type is detected in the image data.