Sound output control device and sound output control method

A sound playback apparatus comprising:

• a first headphone including a first contact sensor, the first contact sensor being configured to detect contact of the first headphone with a human body and to output a first wearing detection signal which is indicative of whether or not the first headphone is worn on the human body;
• a second headphone including a second contact sensor, the second contact sensor being configured to detect contact of the second headphone with the human body and to output a second wearing detection signal which is indicative of whether or not the second headphone is worn on the human body;
• and
• a sound output control module configured to detect, on the basis of the first wearing detection signal and the second wearing detection signal, whether a wearing state of the first headphone and the second headphone is a first state in which both the first headphone and the second headphone are worn on the human body, or a second state in which one of the first headphone and the second headphone is worn on the human body and the other of the first headphone and the second headphone is not worn on the human body, to send, in a case of the first state, a left-channel audio signal and a right-channel audio signal, which are included in a stereo audio signal which is output from a playback unit, to the first headphone and the second headphone, respectively, and to generate, in a case of the second state, a monaural audio signal by mixing the left-channel audio signal and the right-channel audio signal, and send the generated monaural audio signal to the one of the first headphone and the second headphone.

A sound output control method for outputting an audio signal to each of a first headphone and a second headphone, comprising:

• detecting, on the basis of a first wearing detection signal which is sent from the first headphone and is indicative of whether or not the first headphone is worn on a human body and a second wearing detection signal which is sent from the second headphone and is indicative of whether or not the second headphone is worn on the human body, whether a wearing state of the first headphone and the second headphone is a first state in which both the first headphone and the second headphone are worn on the human body, or a second state in which one of the first headphone and the second headphone is worn on the human body and the other of the first headphone and the second headphone is not worn on the human body;
• sending, in a case where the wearing state of the first headphone and the second headphone is the first state, a left-channel audio signal and a right-channel audio signal, which are included in a stereo audio signal which is output from a playback unit, to the first headphone and the second headphone, respectively;
• and
• generating, in a case where the wearing state of the first headphone and the second headphone is the second state, a monaural audio signal by mixing the left-channel audio signal and the right-channel audio signal, and sending the generated monaural audio signal to the one of the first headphone and the second headphone.