A preferred embodiment relates to a content output device, an audio system, and a content output method that output content of a plurality of channels.
In recent years, in an audio system, as the number of channels of content is increased, the number of speakers has been increased.
Accordingly, International Publication No. 2008/126161 discloses a channel assigning device that automatically assigns a channel to a plurality of speakers.
The number of speakers may be increased and decreased according to a use state of a user. For example, a user may carry one speaker among a plurality of speakers used in a living room to a bedroom, and may use the speaker in the bedroom. In this manner, for example, when the number of speakers is reduced, sound of a channel that has been taken charge of by a speaker that has been reduced is not able to be reproduced. In the device disclosed in International Publication No. 2008/126161, a problem related to increase and decrease of the number of such speakers is not recognized.
In view of the foregoing, an object of a preferred embodiment is to provide a content output device, an audio system, and a content output method that are capable of appropriately outputting sound of content even when the number of speakers is changed.
A content output device according to a preferred embodiment includes at least one processor configured to implement stored instructions and execute a plurality of tasks. The plurality of tasks include a connecting task, an outputting task, and an assigning task. The connecting task connects a plurality of audio devices. The outputting task outputs a content signal of a plurality of channels to the plurality of audio devices through the connecting task. The assigning task, when the number of the plurality of audio devices has been changed, assigns the plurality of channels to the plurality of audio devices, based on the number of audio devices that are connected at present, a channel to be outputted, and a channel corresponding to an audio device that has been changed.
According to a preferred embodiment, the sound of content is able to be appropriately outputted even when the number of speakers is changed.
The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
As shown in
The BD player 1 is a device that reproduces content. The BD player 1 transmits the reproduced content to the AV receiver 3. It is to be noted that the AV receiver 3 is not limited to an example of obtaining the content from the BD player 1, and may download content from a content server through the internet for example. It is to be noted that the BD player 1 and the AV receiver 3 may be connected by wire or may be connected by wireless. In addition, the AV receiver 3 may incorporate the function of the BD player 1.
The plurality of audio devices (the wireless speaker 11, the wireless speaker 12, the wireless speaker 13, the wireless speaker 14, and the wireless speaker 15) are respectively arranged in different positions. In this example, the wireless speaker 11 is arranged in the front of a listening position, the wireless speaker 12 is arranged in the right front of the listening position, the wireless speaker 13 is arranged in the right rear of the listening position, the wireless speaker 14 is arranged in the left rear of the listening position, and the wireless speaker 15 is arranged in the left front of the listening position.
The AV receiver 3 constructs a wireless LAN through a router with a wireless access point function, a router function of the own device, or the like. The AV receiver 3, through the wireless LAN, connects to the wireless speaker 11, the wireless speaker 12, the wireless speaker 13, the wireless speaker 14, and the wireless speaker 15. It is to be noted that the number of audio devices and the arrangement of the audio devices are able to be properly changed according to the use state of a user.
The AV receiver 3 corresponds to the content output device of the present invention. The AV receiver 3 outputs content of a plurality of channels. In the present preferred embodiment, examples of the content include multi-channel audio data. The content output device of the present invention may be a speaker provided with a CPU or a DSP, for example, other than the AV receiver 3. Alternatively, the content output device of the present invention is able to be achieved by an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer.
The wireless speaker 11 includes a CPU 21, a communicator 24, a RAM 25, a DSP 26, a ROM 27, and a speaker 28.
The communicator 24 is a wireless communicator according to the Wi-Fi (a registered trademark) standard, for example. The communicator 24 communicates with the AV receiver 3 through a not-shown router with a wireless access point function. Alternatively, the communicator 24 directly communicates with the AV receiver 3.
The ROM 27 is a storage medium and stores a program for operating the CPU 21. The CPU 21, by reading the program stored in the ROM 27 to the RAM 25 and executing the program, performs various types of processing. For example, the CPU 21 inputs a signal of content received from the AV receiver 3 through the communicator 24, to the DSP 26. The DSP 26 performs various types of signal processing on an inputted signal. In addition, the DSP 26, in a case of having received encoded data as a signal of content, decodes the encoded data, and extracts an audio signal.
The CPU 21 inputs the signal that has been processed by the DSP 26, into the speaker 28. It is to be noted, although illustration is omitted, the speaker 28 includes a D/A converter that converts a digital audio signal into an analog audio signal, and an amplifier that amplifies an audio signal. The speaker 28 outputs sound on the basis of the inputted signal.
The communicator 34 is a wireless communicator according to the Wi-Fi (a registered trademark) standard, for example. The communicator 34 communicates with the wireless speaker 11, the wireless speaker 12, the wireless speaker 13, the wireless speaker 14, and the wireless speaker 15 through a not-shown router with a wireless access point. Alternatively, the communicator 24 directly communicates with the wireless speaker 11, the wireless speaker 12, the wireless speaker 13, the wireless speaker 14, and the wireless speaker 15.
The ROM 35 is a storage medium and stores a program for operating the CPU 31. The CPU 31, by reading the program stored in the ROM 35 to the RAM 33 and executing the program, performs various types of processing.
For example, the CPU 31 inputs a signal of content inputted from the content inputter 32, to the DSP 36. The DSP 36 performs various types of signal processing on an inputted signal. In addition, the DSP 36, in a case of having received encoded data as a signal of content, decodes the encoded data, and extracts an audio signal.
The CPU 31 executes the program to achieve an assigner 311 of the present invention. In addition, the CPU 31 achieves a detector that detects that the number of speakers that are connected has been changed.
The CPU 31 assigns a channel to each of the wireless speaker 11, the wireless speaker 12, the wireless speaker 13, the wireless speaker 14, and the wireless speaker 15. The assigner 311 of the CPU 31 has the function of assigning a channel.
As shown in
Each of the wireless speaker 11, the wireless speaker 12, the wireless speaker 13, the wireless speaker 14, and the wireless speaker 15 has a MAC address being individual identification information that is unique to each wireless speaker. It is to be noted that the individual identification information may be any other number as long as the number includes the individual identification information that is unique to a wireless speaker, such as a serial number or an ID number. The IP address and the MAC address are previously associated with each other, and are stored in the memory of the AV receiver 3. When the MAC address is stored in the AV receiver 3, in a case in which the wireless speaker (the wireless speaker 11, for example) has been once removed from a network and is then connected to the network again, the MAC address is received from the connected wireless speaker, so that the connected wireless speaker is identified, and the channel that has been assigned to the wireless speaker is able to be known. However, the MAC address is not an indispensable element in the present invention.
In this example, the assigner 311 assigns a C channel to the wireless speaker 11, an FR channel to the wireless speaker 12, an SR channel to the wireless speaker 13, an SL channel to the wireless speaker 14, and an FL channel to the wireless speaker 15.
For example, a user may operate the AV receiver 3 and sets instructions of these assignments. Alternatively, the user may set instructions of these assignments using an information processing apparatus such as a smartphone that is connected to the AV receiver 3 through the network.
The CPU 31 transmits a signal of the assigned channel to each of the wireless speaker 11, the wireless speaker 12, the wireless speaker 13, the wireless speaker 14, and the wireless speaker 15.
As a result, the content of the channel assigned to each wireless speaker is distributed. Each wireless speaker reproduces sound related to the content corresponding to the distributed channel.
The AV receiver 3, in a case in which the number of wireless speakers has been changed, assigns a channel to an audio device, based on the number of audio devices (the wireless speakers) that are connected at present, a channel to be outputted, and a channel corresponding to an audio device that has been changed.
First, each of the wireless speakers and the AV receiver 3 are connected to each other through the wireless LAN (S11, S21). The AV receiver 3, as shown in
Each wireless speaker receives content (S12) and reproduces the content (S13). For example, as shown in
The AV receiver 3, as a function of the detector, determines whether or not the number of speakers that are connected has been changed (S24). The AV receiver 3 is able to determine whether or not the number of speakers that are connected has been changed, by periodically checking connection with a wireless speaker, for example. Alternatively, the AV receiver 3, in a case of connecting with a wireless speaker through a router, is also able to determine whether or not the number of speakers that are connected has been changed, by receiving information (a list of IP addresses or the like, for example) on the devices that are connected at present, from the router. In addition, for example, the user may manually input information that the number of speakers has been changed, to the AV receiver 3.
The AV receiver 3, when the number of speakers has been changed, assigns a channel to an audio device, based on the number of audio devices that are connected at present, a channel to be outputted, and a channel corresponding to an audio device that has been changed (S25).
For example, in the example of
As a result, the user does not need to manually reset assignment even when the configuration of the wireless speakers that are connected to the AV receiver 3 is changed. For example, in a case in which a problem occurs in a wireless speaker or even in a case in which some wireless speakers are not able to continue reproduction due to a network failure, the AV receiver 3 is able to reproduce the channel that is taken charge of by the wireless speaker of which the connection has been interrupted, by using remaining wireless speakers, and does not lack a specific channel.
In addition, in a case in which a speaker has high portability as with a wireless speaker, or in a case in which a user carries a wireless speaker to another room or other places and uses the speaker alone (in a case of using the speaker that is not connected to a network or in a case of making the speaker reproduce different content), the configuration of a wireless speaker may be frequently changed. For example, in a case in which a certain user watches movie content (content including an audio signal of five channels) in a living room, a family member of the user may take a wireless speaker that has been taken charge of the C channel. However, the AV receiver 3, by using the remaining wireless speakers, is able to reproduce the C channel and does not lack the C channel.
However, the audio device of the present invention is not limited to the wireless speaker. A wired speaker is also an example of the audio device of the present invention. Further, a receiver other than the AV receiver 3 or an information processing apparatus such as a smartphone is also an example of the audio device of the present invention.
In addition, the AV receiver 3, in a case of having determined that the number of speakers is increased in determination of S50 in
For example, a family member may bring the wireless speaker 11 back to the living room again from another room, and may connect the speaker to the AV receiver 3. The AV receiver 3, when being connected to the wireless speaker 11, reads out a correspondence table (see
In this manner, the AV receiver 3 is able to reproduce the more channels by transmitting the content of the C channel that has been assigned in the past, to the wireless speaker 11. It is to be noted that the AV receiver 3 is able to identify connected wireless speakers by receiving a MAC address of each of the connected wireless speakers. In addition, the AV receiver 3 is able to determine the channel that has been assigned by reading out the correspondence table as shown in
The AV receiver 3, in a case of having determined that the more channels are not able to be reproduced (for example, in a case in which unique identification information of a connected wireless speaker is not able to be obtained, or in a case in which a channel assigned in the past does not exist), provides a connection guide and continues the present state (S54). The AV receiver 3, as the connection guide, for example, on a display (not shown), displays an indication such that “please set a channel since a new speaker has been connected.” Alternatively, the AV receiver 3 provides such a connection guide on the display by using a program executed in the information processing apparatus such as a smartphone.
It is to be noted that, in a case in which a channel of a speaker is previously set to a newly connected speaker or in a case in which a user sets a channel with a physical button provided in the speaker or sets a channel from the outside by using an application program of an information processing apparatus such as a smartphone or a similar case, it is also possible to set channel information to a speaker to be newly connected before being connected. In such a case, the AV receiver 3, in the processing of S53, may determine that the more channels are able to be reproduced, and may change channel assignment.
On the other hand, the AV receiver 3, in a case of having determined that the number of speakers is decreased and also having determined that no alternative channels are present in S51 in the determination of S50 in
For example, in the example of
The virtual sound image localization uses a head-related transfer function (hereinafter referred to as HRTF) that indicates a transfer function between a sound source position and an ear of a listener. The HRTF corresponds to an impulse response that expresses the loudness, arrival time, frequency characteristics, and the like of a sound emitted from a virtual speaker installed in a certain position to right and left ears of the listener. The AV receiver 3 adds an audio signal of the SR channel and the SL channel to an audio signal of the FR channel and the FL channel. Then, the AV receiver 3 applies the HRTF from each sound source position to the right and left ears of the listener to the audio signal of the SR channel and the SL channel. As a result, as shown in
On the other hand, the AV receiver 3, in the determination of S55 in
It is to be noted that the AV receiver 3, in a case in which the number of speakers is increased as shown in
For example, the AV receiver 3, in a case of being connected to a wireless speaker 16 of a front top R (FTR) channel and a wireless speaker 17 of a front top L (FTL) channel as shown in
Finally, the foregoing preferred embodiments are illustrative in all points and should not be construed to limit the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined not by the foregoing preferred embodiments but by the following claims. Further, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the scopes of the claims and within the meanings and scopes of equivalents.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/576,884, filed Sep. 20, 2019, which is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/JP2017/011719, filed on Mar. 23, 2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 16576884 | Sep 2019 | US |
Child | 17308132 | US | |
Parent | PCT/JP2017/011719 | Mar 2017 | US |
Child | 16576884 | US |