The invention relates to a display apparatus, and more particularly, to a method and arrangement for presenting visual information responsive to an audio signal.
A display apparatus can be equipped with or connected to one or more acoustic sensors and operation of the display apparatus can be made responsive to an audio signal detected by the one or more acoustic sensors. For example, publication U.S. Pat. No. 7,002,617 discloses a surveillance system that comprises a camera having a lens for viewing a 360 degrees field of view, a memory for storing visual data corresponding different sectors of the field of view, an acoustic sensor for detecting a direction of a location of a source of an audio signal, selection means for selecting visual data from the visual memory according to the detected direction of the location of the source of the audio signal, and a monitor for displaying the selected visual data. As another example, publication US2002003470 discloses an active gunshot warning system which uses acoustic sensors mounted on moving vehicles, fixed locations, or in combination with moving vehicles and fixed locations. The acoustic sensors are arranged to detect the occurrence of gunshots and to use audio information from the gunshots in combination with a blast library to identify the type of weapon or weapons used. Information related to the gunshots, detailing location, direction of movement, number of shots fired, and type of weapon or weapons can be forwarded in audiovisual form to police vehicles, or to the military where appropriate, to assist the authorities in their response to the gunshots.
The technical solutions of the kind described above are, however, unable to generate a visual marker or other visual indicator that would indicate a direction from which an audio signal having a limited temporal duration, e.g. a gunshot voice, has arrived with respect to a changing rotational position (orientation) of a display apparatus. One can consider, for example, a policeman or a soldier who has heard a gunshot and needs visual information that indicates the direction from which the voice of the gunshot has arrived also in a case in which the policeman or the soldier is changing the orientation of a display apparatus used by him.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a new arrangement for presenting visual information responsive to an audio signal. The arrangement comprises:
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a new display apparatus. The display apparatus comprises:
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a new method for presenting visual information responsive to an audio signal. The method comprises:
A benefit provided by embodiments of the present invention when compared with prior art solutions of the kind described above is that it is possible to generate a visual indicator that indicates a direction from which an audio signal having a limited temporal duration, e.g. a gunshot voice, has arrived with respect to a changing rotational position (orientation) of a display apparatus.
There are a lot of different applications in which different embodiments of the invention can be used. A display apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention can be for example:
Various embodiments of the invention both as to constructions and to methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The embodiments of the invention presented in this document are not to be interpreted to pose limitations to the applicability of the appended claims. The verb “to comprise” is used in this document as an open limitation that does not exclude the existence of also unrecited features. The features recited in depending claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated.
Embodiments of the invention presented in the sense of examples and their advantages are explained in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
a, 2b, 2c, 2d, and 2e illustrate principles of operation of an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention for presenting visual information responsive to an audio signal,
In an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention the display surface 105 is a transparent sheet having a layer of diffractive optics arranged to present a visual marker 108 as the visual information that indicates the arrival direction of the audio signal 102. A user of the arrangement is able to see objects and landscapes through the display surface when seeing the visual marker 108.
In an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention the display surface 105 is an electrical display screen arranged to present a visual marker 108 as the visual information that indicates the arrival direction of the audio signal 102. The electrical display screen can be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel.
In an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention the display surface 105 is arranged to show a visual reference marker 107 in a pre-determined location of the display surface. The reference marker 107 can be used, for example, for aligning the display surface 103 with the arrival direction of the audio signal 102. When the rotational position of display surface is varied the visual marker 108 is moving on the display surface.
In an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention the audio detector 101 comprises at least two acoustic sensors and a calculation unit arranged to calculate the arrival direction of the audio signal on the basis of at least one of the following: a phase shift between output signals of the at least two acoustic sensors and an amplitude difference between the output signals of the at least two acoustic sensors. With two acoustic sensors it is possible to find and angle of the arrival direction of the audio signal with respect to a spatial line between the two acoustic sensors. An audio detector with two acoustical sensors can be sufficient if it is possible to assume that the arrival direction of the audio signal is substantially horizontal and the arrival direction is from −90 degrees to +90 degrees. In an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention the audio detector 101 comprises five acoustic sensors for determining horizontal and vertical components of the arrival direction of the audio signal. The horizontal component can be from −180 degrees to +180 degrees and the vertical component, i.e. the inclination, can be from −90 degrees to +90 degrees. The five acoustic sensors can be situated with respect to each other in the same way as the five vertices of a square based pyramid are situated with respect to each other.
In an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention the audio detector 101 is arranged to measure the level of the audio signal and to estimate a distance to a source of the audio signal on the basis of the measured level of the audio signal. An arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention can comprise, for example, a memory device 111 arranged to store reference level values. The control unit 106 can be arranged to compare a measured level of e.g. a gunshot voice to the reference level values for obtaining an estimate of a distance between a shooter and the arrangement.
a illustrates principles of operation of the arrangement shown in
In
In the situation shown in
x=C×cos φ/sin φ, (1)
z=C×tan θ/sin φ, (2)
where C is the distance between the pre-determined observation point 206 and the display surface 201. In the above equations it has been assumed that the display surface is flat and the y-axis is perpendicular with respect to the display surface.
It can be seen from
In an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention the position sensor 104 comprises motion sensors and a calculation unit arranged to calculate the position signal 109 on the basis of temporal trends of vertical and horizontal output signals of the motion sensors. The motion sensors can be, for example, acceleration sensors.
In an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention the position sensor 104 comprises an analogue or digital compass and an inclination sensor arranged to produce the position signal. Operation of the inclination sensor can be based on e.g. the direction of the gravity force.
b illustrates an example situation in which an audio signal 215 arrives from such a direction that a spatial line 212 that is parallel to the arrival direction of the audio signal 215 and goes through the pre-determined observation point 206 does not intersect the display surface 201, 105.
In an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention the display device 103 is arranged to generate, as a response to the above-described situation in which the spatial line 212 does not intersect the display surface, a visual guide marker 207 that indicates a direction towards which the display surface is to be turned in order to make the display surface to intersect the spatial line 212. In
There are numerous ways to present such visual information that indicates an arrival direction of an audio signal.
In a display apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention the visor 306 is arranged to present the first visual marker 321 in a location of the visor in which a first spatial line that is parallel to the arrival direction of the audio signal and goes through a first pre-determined observation point intersects the visor. The visor is arranged to present the second visual marker 322 in a location of the visor in which a second spatial line that is parallel to the arrival direction of the audio signal and goes through a second pre-determined observation point intersects the visor. The principles illustrated in
In a display apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention the visor 306 is arranged to present visual reference markers 323 and 324 that indicate a forward direction with respect to the helmet 301. The visual reference markers 323 and 324 are preferably presented in pre-determined locations of the visor 306.
In a display apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention the helmet 301 comprises speakers for producing an acoustic alarm signal based on an analysis of the audio signal. The acoustic alarm signal can be generated, for example, as a response to a situation in which the audio signal is analyzed to be a gunshot voice. The audio signal can be analyzed e.g. by recording the audio signal and by comparing it with pre-stored strength vs. time-profiles.
In a display apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention the first lens 502 is arranged to show the first visual marker 521 in a location of the first lens in which a first spatial line that is parallel to the arrival direction of the audio signal and goes through a first pre-determined observation point intersects the first lens. The second lens 503 is arranged to show the second visual marker 522 in a location of the second lens in which a second spatial line that is parallel to the arrival direction of the audio signal and goes through a second pre-determined observation point intersects the second lens. The first and the second pre-determined observation points are preferably fixed with respect to the first and the second lenses. The first pre-determined observation point is preferably an assumed location of a first eye of the wearer of the goggles and the second pre-determined observation point is preferably an assumed location of a second eye of the wearer of the goggles.
In a display apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention the first and the second lenses 502 and 503 are arranged to present visual reference markers 523 and 524 that indicate a forward direction with respect to the goggles 501. The visual reference markers 523 and 524 are preferably presented in pre-determined locations of the first and the second lenses 502 and 503.
In a method according to an embodiment of the invention the visual information is presented as a visual marker that is shown in a location of the display surface in which a spatial line that is parallel to the arrival direction of the audio signal and goes through a pre-determined observation point intersects the display surface. The pre-determined observation point is preferably an assumed location of an eye of a person to whom the visual information is presented.
In a method according to an embodiment of the invention a visual reference marker is shown in a pre-determined location of the display surface.
In a method according to an embodiment of the invention a visual guide marker that indicates a direction towards which the display surface has to be turned in order to make the display surface to intersect the above-mentioned spatial line is generated as a response to a situation in which the spatial line does not intersect the display surface.
While there have been shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices and methods described may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting. Therefore, the invention is not limited merely to the embodiments described above, many variants being possible without departing from the scope of the inventive idea defined in the independent claims appended hereto.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/FI2007/000126 | 5/9/2007 | WO | 00 | 5/4/2010 |