Audio conversation apparatus
AssigneePanasonic Corporation
InventorsTsuyoshi Kindo, Noboru Katta, Takashi Akita
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An audio conversation apparatus includes an assignment section for individually assigning units of spatial information which are different from each other, either to parties-to-talk-with each belonging to one of a plurality of predetermined groups, respectively, or to the plurality of predetermined groups, respectively; and a localization section for localizing, in accordance with the units of spatial information assigned by the assignment section, audio data transmitted from outside, and one of a reproduction section connected to the audio conversation apparatus and a reproduction section included in the audio conversation apparatus outputs an audio in accordance with the audio data having been localized by the localization section.
Claims8
An audio conversation apparatus that is mounted in a vehicle, and connectable to a reproduction section for outputting audio, the audio conversation apparatus comprising:
- an assignment section for individually assigning directions, which are different from each other, to parties-to-talk-with, each party-to-talk-with belonging to one of a plurality of predetermined groups, or to the plurality of predetermined groups;
- a localization section for localizing, in accordance with the directions assigned by said assignment section, audio data received from outside and for outputting the audio data to the reproduction section;
- and
- an utterance operation section including a plurality of buttons arranged in unique positions corresponding to the directions localized by the localization section, wherein
- the plurality of buttons of the utterance operation section are positioned so as to form a ring shape in an interior of the vehicle, and directions from a center of the ring shape in the utterance operation section to the plurality of buttons are identical to the directions localized by the localization section, and
- upon operation of a button of the plurality of buttons of the utterance operation section, a conversation with a party-to-talk-with of the parties-to-talk-with or a predetermined group of the predetermined groups that corresponds to the direction that is assigned to the button and is localized by the localization section.
A method used by an audio conversation apparatus that is mounted in a vehicle, and provided with an utterance operation section including a plurality of buttons for outputting audio data received from outside, the method comprising:
- individually assigning directions which are different from each other, to parties-to-talk-with, each party-to-talk-with belonging to one of a plurality of predetermined groups, or to the plurality of predetermined groups;
- localizing, in accordance with the directions assigned in said individually assigning, the audio data received from outside;
- enabling utterance operation by allowing a user to identify a party-to-talk-with or a predetermined group with whom a conversation is to begin, in accordance with operation of a button of the plurality of buttons which are arranged in unique positions corresponding to the directions localized by said localizing, the plurality of buttons of the utterance operation section being positioned so as to form a ring shape in an interior of the vehicle, the directions localized by said localizing being identical to the directions from a center of the ring shape in the utterance operation section to the plurality of buttons, and to start the conversation with the party-to-talk-with or the predetermined group that corresponds to the direction that is assigned to the button and is localized by said localizing;
- and
- outputting audio in accordance with the audio data localized by said localizing.
A non-transitory computer readable storage device storing a computer program used in an audio conversation apparatus that is mounted in a vehicle and provided with an utterance operation section including a plurality of buttons for outputting audio data received from outside, the computer program executing a method comprising:
- individually assigning directions which are different from each other, to parties-to-talk-with, each party-to-talk with belonging to one of a plurality of predetermined groups, or to the plurality of predetermined groups;
- localizing, in accordance with the directions assigned in said individually assigning, the audio data received from outside;
- enabling utterance operation by allowing a user to identify a party-to-talk-with or a predetermined group with whom a conversation is to begin, in accordance with operation of a button of the plurality of buttons which are arranged in unique positions corresponding to the directions localized by said localizing, the plurality of buttons of the utterance operation section being positioned so as to form a ring shape in an interior of the vehicle, the directions localized by said localizing being identical to the directions from a center of the ring shape in the utterance operation section to the plurality of buttons, and to start the conversation with the party-to-talk-with or the predetermined group that corresponds to the direction that is assigned to the button and is localized by said localizing;
- and
- outputting audio from a reproduction section which is connectable to the audio conversation apparatus or provided to the audio conversation apparatus in accordance with the audio data localized by said localizing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.