Method and device for communicating a soundscape in an environment
AssigneeInter IKEA Systems B.V.
InventorSamuel MacDermot
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for rendering a soundscape in an environment in form of a real-world indoor scene is provided. The method comprises the steps of recording a present soundscape in the environment, identifying an empty area in the environment, selecting a virtual object to be placed at the empty area, rendering an updated soundscape in the environment using the present soundscape and sound-absorbing properties of the selected virtual object, playing the rendered updated soundscape, and displaying the selected virtual object placed at the empty area.
Claims22
A method for rendering a soundscape in an environment of a real-world indoor scene, said method comprising:
- capturing, using a camera, a digital representation of a physical structure of the environment,
- recording, using one or more microphones, a present soundscape in the environment,
- identifying, using processing circuitry, an empty area in the environment from the digital representation of the physical structure of the environment,
- selecting, using the processing circuitry, a virtual object to be placed at the empty area in the environment,
- rendering, using the processing circuitry, an updated soundscape in the environment using the present soundscape and sound-absorbing properties of the selected virtual object,
- playing, using a speaker, the rendered updated soundscape, and
- displaying, using a display, the selected virtual object placed at the empty area.
An electronic device comprising:
- an array of microphones configured to record a present soundscape of an environment of a real-world indoor scene,
- a device configured to capture a digital representation of a physical structure of the environment,
- circuitry configured to execute:
- a soundscape recording function configured to record a present soundscape of the environment by analyzing sound recorded by the array of microphones,
- an empty-area identifying function configured to identify an empty area in the environment from the digital representation of the physical structure of the environment,
- a virtual-object selecting function configured to select a virtual object to be placed at the empty area in the environment,
- wherein the soundscape recording function is further configured to render an updated soundscape in the environment using the present soundscape and sound-absorbing properties of the selected virtual object,
- the electronic device further comprises:
- a speaker configured to play the updated soundscape,
- a display configured to display the selected virtual object placed at the empty area.
An electronic device comprising:
- a display;
- a speaker;
- a microphone;
- a camera;
- and
- circuitry coupled to the display, the speaker, the camera and the microphone, wherein the circuitry is configured to:
- determine a present soundscape of an environment of a real-world indoor scene by analyzing sound recorded by the microphone positioned in the environment;
- identify an empty area in the environment from a digital representation of the environment captured by the camera, wherein identifying the empty area includes identifying a size of the empty area and a type of the empty area;
- identify a plurality of candidate virtual objects based on the size of the empty area or the type of the empty area;
- receive a selection of a virtual object from the plurality of candidate virtual objects;
- display, on the display, an augmented reality image or virtual reality image including the selected virtual object placed at the empty area;
- render an updated soundscape in the environment by adjusting the present soundscape based on sound-absorbing properties of the selected virtual object;
- and
- output, using the speaker, a sound corresponding to the updated soundscape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.