Virtual Sound Field Positioning for Distinct Headphone Notifications

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Solution Overview

Problem

Notification sounds from headphones are often mixed with music or other content, making them difficult to perceive and distinguish, especially when not looking at the screen.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus that arranges notification sounds in a virtual sound field with distinct positions for each sound, using stereophonic sound technology to enhance recognizability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If notification sounds are output through headphones along with music content, then the user can receive notifications without looking at the screen, but the notification sounds become mixed with the music and are difficult to perceive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification reception convenienceVSAvoidnotification sound recognizability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the audio output by separating notification sounds from music content in the virtual sound field. Notification sounds are positioned at specific locations (e.g., front, back, left, right) while music occupies the surrounding space, creating distinct auditory zones that allow the user to differentiate notifications from background music without visual attention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces spatial positioning as an additional dimension for notification delivery. Instead of mixing notification sounds with music in the same auditory space, the system places notifications at specific positions in a three-dimensional virtual sound field, allowing users to locate and identify notifications through spatial awareness rather than spectral separation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Quantity of substance

If multiple notification sounds are output simultaneously, then the user can receive information from multiple applications, but it becomes difficult to distinguish between different notification sounds

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of notification soundsVSAvoidnotification distinction capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides multiple notification sounds into distinct spatial segments within the virtual sound field. Each notification is assigned a unique position (e.g., front-left, back-right, above, below), creating separate auditory channels that preserve the identity and source information of each notification even when multiple sounds occur simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different spatial characteristics to different notification sounds based on their source or type. By assigning specific positional qualities to each notification (direction, distance, elevation), the system maintains unique identifiable features for each sound, allowing users to distinguish between multiple notifications through their spatial signatures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12425788B2Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and sound output apparatus

Publication Date: 2025.09.23 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

An information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus that controls a plurality of notification sounds output from an output unit, and includes a notification sound arrangement unit that arranges positions where the plurality of notification sounds sound in a virtual sound field to be different from each other for each of the plurality of notification sounds.