Directionality control system and sound output control method
AssigneePanasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
InventorsMasanari Miyamoto, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Ryouichi Yuge, Shintaro Yoshikuni, Toshimichi Tokuda, Naoya Tanaka
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Abstract
In a directionality control system, a camera device captures a video of image capture area. A microphone array device collects a sound in image capture area. A signal processing section detects a sound source of the sound in image capture area, which is collected by the microphone array device. In a case where the detected sound source is within a range of privacy area, an output control section controls the sound in image capture area, which is collected by the microphone array device and is output from speaker device.
Claims19
A directionality control system, comprising:
- a camera that images a video of an image capture area and that is installed in a room;
- a sound collector that collects a sound in the image capture area and that is installed in the room;
- a display that displays video data in the image capture area that is captured by the camera and that is installed outside of the room;
- a sound outputter that outputs the sound in the image capture area that is collected by the sound collector and that is installed outside of the room;
- a first memory that stores positional information of a sound masking area, which is part of the image capture area, and which is designated with respect to the video data of the image capture area, that is displayed on the display;
- a detector that detects a sound source of the sound in the image capture area that is collected by the sound collector;
- and
- an output controller that determines whether or not the sound source of the sound is within a range of the sound masking area,
- wherein the output controller controls output of the sound by the sound outputter in the image capture area, which is collected by the sound collector to mask the sound so that content of the sound cannot be heard, in a case where the sound source detected by the detection section is within a range of the sound masking area,
- wherein the output controller causes the sound outputter to output the sound that is collected by the sound collector as it is, in a case where the sound source detected by the detector is outside of the range of the sound masking area, and
- wherein the display displays the video data in the image capture area, including the privacy area, without video masking.
A sound output control method in a directionality control system including a camera and a sound collector, the sound output control method comprising:
- imaging a video of an image capture area by the camera that is installed in a room;
- collecting a sound in the image capture area by the sound collector that is installed in the room;
- displaying, on a display, video data in the image capture area that is captured by the camera, the display being installed outside of the room;
- outputting sound, by a sound outputter, sound in the image capture area that is collected by the sound collector, the sound outputter being installed outside the room;
- storing positional information of a sound masking area, which is part of the image capture area, and which is designated with respect to a display on which the video data of the image capture area is displayed, in a first memory;
- detecting, by a detector, a sound source of the sound in the image capture area that is collected by the sound collector;
- determining, by an output controller, whether or not the sound source of the sound is within range of the sound masking area, and
- controlling, by an output controller, output of the sound by the sound outputter in the image capture area, which is collected by the sound collector to mask the sound so that content of the sound cannot be heard in a case where the detected sound source is within a range of the sound masking area,
- wherein the output controller causes the sound outputter to output the sound that is collected by the sound collector as it is, in a case where the sound source detected by the detector is outside of the range of the sound masking area, and
- wherein the display displays the video data in the image capture area, including the privacy area, without video masking.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.