Sound-image position control apparatus

A sound-image position control system comprising:

• a means for producing a video signal and an audio signal which are related to each other;
• a scene-identification signal producing means for producing a scene-identification signal corresponding to each scene of a display image;
• a plurality of real speakers;
• a sound-image forming means for driving said real speakers by performing a predetermined signal processing on said audio signal so as to form a sound image and a plurality of virtual speakers at predetermined positions, at least one of the plurality of virtual speakers being locatable outside of an area between said plurality of real speakers, as well as inside an area between said plurality of real speakers, and wherein a sound of the audio signal is distributed between at least two of the plurality of virtual speakers so that the sound is localized between the at least two virtual speakers;
• a control means for modifying the signal processing performed on said audio signal, the modified signal processing being selected in response to a change in said scene-identification signal so as to control a sound-image position of said audio signal and the plurality of virtual speakers based upon the changed scene-identification signal;
• and
• a conversion memory for storing coefficients corresponding to a plurality of scenes of the display image,
• wherein the control means processes the audio signal based on the coefficients so that the position of a sound corresponding to the processed audio signal is moved in accordance with a change of scenes of the display image.

A sound-image position control system comprising:

• an audio/video information producing means for producing a video signal and an audio signal which are related to each other, said means also producing a scene-identification signal corresponding to each scene of a display image which is displayed by a display unit;
• at least two real speakers which are respectively located at predetermined positions;
• a sound-image forming means for performing a predetermined signal processing on said audio signal so that said apparatus forms a sound image and a plurality of virtual speakers at respective positions in a three-dimensional space surrounding a person positioned so as to watch the display image, wherein at least one of the virtual speaker positions is producable outside of an area between the at least two real speakers, and wherein a sound of the audio signal is distributed between at least two of the plurality of virtual speakers so that the sound is localized between the at least two virtual speakers;
• a control means for modifying the signal processing performed on said audio signal, the modified signal processing being selected in response to a change in said scene-identification signal so as to control a sound-image position of said audio signal and the plurality of virtual speakers based upon the changed scene-identification signal;
• and
• a conversion memory for storing coefficients corresponding to a plurality of scenes on the display unit,
• wherein the control means processes the audio signal based on the coefficients so that the position of a sound corresponding to the processed audio signal is moved in accordance with a change of scenes of the display unit.

A sound-image position control apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of real-speakers, each of which converts a signal input thereto into a sound;
• at least two virtual-speaker means each of which receives an input signal and then performs a predetermined signal processing on the input signal so as to output processed signals as right-side and left-side audio signals to be supplied to the real-speakers, wherein a sound of the received input signal is produced by the plurality of real-speakers at a position outside, as well as in an area between, the plurality of real-speakers so that the sound is perceived as the sound is produced by a virtual-speaker at the position;
• an allocation means which receives an audio signal and then allocates the audio signal between the at least two virtual-speaker means at a distribution (or "panning") ratio;
• and
• addition means which respectively adds the right-side audio signals and the left-side audio signals output by the at least two virtual-speaker means and provides the real speakers with the added right-side audio signals and the added left-side audio signals,
• wherein each of the sounds corresponding to the audio signals is located at a position between at least two virtual-speakers formed by the at least two virtual-speaker means in accordance with the distribution ratio;
• providing means for providing the at least two virtual-speaker means with a control signal and a distribution signal;
• and
• a coefficient memory for storing coefficients corresponding to values of the control signal,
• wherein the positions of the virtual speakers are controlled in accordance with the coefficients corresponding to the provided control signal, and the distribution ratio is determined based on the provided distribution signal.

A sound-image position control apparatus comprising:

• at least two real speakers each of which converts a signal input thereto into a sound;
• at least two virtual-speaker means each of which receives an input signal and then applies different delay times to the input signal so as to output delayed signals as right-side and left-side audio signals to be supplied to the at least two real speakers, wherein a sound corresponding to the input signal is localized at a position of a virtual speaker which virtually produces the sound at a desirable position in response to the different delay time, wherein the positions of the at least two virtual speakers are producable outside of an area between the at least two real speakers;
• an allocation means which receives an audio signal and allocates the audio signal between the at least two virtual-speaker means at a panning ratio;
• control means for providing the allocation means with first data representing a panning ratio in response to a desirable localizing position, wherein a sound corresponding to the audio signal is controlled to be localized at a position in a space between the virtual speakers in accordance with the first data;
• providing means for providing the at least two virtual-speaker means with a control signal and a distribution signal;
• and
• a coefficient memory for storing coefficients corresponding to values of the control signal,
• wherein the positions of the at least two virtual speakers are controlled in accordance with the coefficients corresponding to the provided control signal and the distribution ratio is determined based on the provided distribution signal.

A sound-image position control apparatus comprising:

• only two real speakers including a right-side and a left-side speaker, each of which converts a signal input thereto into a sound;
• a sound source circuit that generates a plurality of audio signals;
• a virtual-speaker position control circuit that receives the plurality of audio signals and then applies different delay times to each of the plurality of audio signals to output delayed signals as right-side and left-side audio signals which are supplied to the right-side and the left-side speakers of the two real speakers to control sound-image positions of a plurality of virtual speakers, each of the plurality of virtual speakers is positioned independently of each of the other of the plurality of virtual speakers and each virtually produces sounds corresponding to the plurality of audio signals, wherein the sound image position of at least one of the virtual speakers is producable outside of an area between the two real speakers, and wherein a sound of the audio signal is distributed between at least two of the plurality of virtual speakers so that the sound is localized between the at least two virtual speakers;
• providing means for providing the virtual-speaker position control circuit with a control signal and a distribution signal;
• and
• a coefficient memory for storing coefficients corresponding to values of the control signal,
• wherein the positions of the plulaity of virtual speakers are controlled in accordance with the coefficients corresponding to the provided control signal, and the distribution ratio is determined based on the provided distribution signal.