Sound signal control device and method, and recording medium

A sound signal control device in a sound control device including an input sound transducer to detect sound in a space, an image sensor to image first and second persons in the space, and first and second output sound transducers to emit sound into the space, the sound signal control device comprising:

• a controller to generate information indicating a position of a head of the first person and information indicating a position of a head of the second person, on a basis of an image imaged by the image sensor;
• a first sound signal processor to generate a first control signal for controlling sound at the position of the head of the first person on a basis of a collected sound signal representing the sound detected by the input sound transducer and the information indicating the position of the head of the first person;
• a second sound signal processor to generate a second control signal for controlling sound at the position of the head of the second person on a basis of the collected sound signal and the information indicating the position of the head of the second person;
• a first output signal converter to cause the first output sound transducer to emit a sound corresponding to the first control signal into the space;
• and
• a second output signal converter to cause the second output sound transducer to emit a sound corresponding to the second control signal into the space,
• wherein the first sound signal processor generates a first cancellation sound signal for cancelling noise at the position of the head of the first person on a basis of the collected sound signal and the information indicating the position of the head of the first person, and generates the first control signal on a basis of the first cancellation sound signal,
• wherein the second sound signal processor generates a second cancellation sound signal for cancelling noise at the position of the head of the second person on a basis of the collected sound signal and the information indicating the position of the head of the second person, and generates the second control signal on a basis of the second cancellation sound signal,
• wherein the first sound signal processor estimates the noise at the position of the head of the first person from an estimate of the sound at the position of the head of the first person based on the collected sound signal and an estimate of a sound at the position of the head of the first person corresponding to the first control signal, and generates the first cancellation sound signal on a basis of the estimated noise at the position of the head of the first person, and
• wherein the second sound signal processor estimates the noise at the position of the head of the second person from an estimate of the sound at the position of the head of the second person based on the collected sound signal and an estimate of a sound at the position of the head of the second person corresponding to the second control signal, and generates the second cancellation sound signal on a basis of the estimated noise at the position of the head of the second person.

A sound signal control method in a sound control device including an input sound transducer to detect sound in a space, an image sensor to image first and second persons in the space, and first and second output sound transducers to emit sound into the space, the sound signal control method comprising:

• generating information indicating a position of a head of the first person and information indicating a position of a head of the second person, on a basis of an image imaged by the image sensor;
• generating a first control signal for controlling sound at the position of the head of the first person on a basis of a collected sound signal representing the sound detected by the input sound transducer and the information indicating the position of the head of the first person;
• generating a second control signal for controlling sound at the position of the head of the second person on a basis of the collected sound signal and the information indicating the position of the head of the second person;
• causing the first output sound transducer to emit a sound corresponding to the first control signal into the space;
• and
• causing the second output sound transducer to emit a sound corresponding to the second control signal into the space,
• wherein the generating the first control signal comprises generating a first cancellation sound signal for cancelling noise at the position of the head of the first person on a basis of the collected sound signal and the information indicating the position of the head of the first person, and generating the first control signal on a basis of the first cancellation sound signal,
• wherein the generating the second control signal comprises generating a second cancellation sound signal for cancelling noise at the position of the head of the second person on a basis of the collected sound signal and the information indicating the position of the head of the second person, and generating the second control signal on a basis of the second cancellation sound signal,
• wherein the generating the first cancellation sound signal comprises estimating the noise at the position of the head of the first person from an estimate of the sound at the position of the head of the first person based on the collected sound signal and an estimate of a sound at the position of the head of the first person corresponding to the first control signal, and generating the first cancellation sound signal on a basis of the estimated noise at the position of the head of the first person, and
• wherein the generating the second cancellation sound signal comprises estimating the noise at the position of the head of the second person from an estimate of the sound at the position of the head of the second person based on the collected sound signal and an estimate of a sound at the position of the head of the second person corresponding to the second control signal, and generating the second cancellation sound signal on a basis of the estimated noise at the position of the head of the second person.