Output control of sounds from sources respectively positioned in priority and nonpriority directions

A sound processing apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
• divide each of a first sound signal generated by a first sound input device and a second sound signal generated by a second sound input device disposed at a position different from the first sound input device, into frames having a predetermined time length, and convert each frame of the first sound signal and each frame of the second sound signal into a first frequency spectrum and a second frequency spectrum, respectively, in a frequency domain,
• calculate, for each frame, based on the first frequency spectrum and the second frequency spectrum, a probability that a sound of the frame is emitted only from a sound source positioned in a second direction among sound sources positioned in a first direction which is prioritized with respect to sound reception and the second direction different from the first direction, and
• output, for each frame, a first directivity sound signal including a sound coming from the first direction, while controlling, depending on the probability, output of the first directivity sound signal and a second directivity sound signal including a sound coming from the second direction, each of the first directivity sound signal and the second directivity sound signal being calculated based on the first frequency spectrum and the second frequency spectrum.

A sound processing method executed by a processor included in a sound processing apparatus, the sound processing method comprising:

• dividing each of a first sound signal generated by a first sound input device and a second sound signal generated by a second sound input device disposed at a position different from the first sound input device, into frames having a predetermined time length, and converting each frame of the first sound signal and each frame of the second sound signal into a first frequency spectrum and a second frequency spectrum, respectively, in a frequency domain;
• calculating, for each frame, based on the first frequency spectrum and the second frequency spectrum, a probability that a sound of the frame is emitted only from a sound source positioned in a second direction among sound sources positioned in a first direction which is prioritized with respect to sound reception and the second direction different from the first direction;
• and
• outputting, for each frame, a first directivity sound signal including a sound coming from the first direction, while controlling, depending on the probability, output of the first directivity sound signal and a second directivity sound signal including a sound coming from the second direction, each of the first directivity sound signal and the second directivity sound signal being calculated based on the first frequency spectrum and the second frequency spectrum.