Abstract: An information transmission method capable of reproducing the atmosphere of a concert hall or a live performance hall, wherein bio-information of a speaker, player, actor or conductor, who serves as a source of speech, sounds or music and/or bio-information of a performer included within an image are multiplexed with respect to information of speech or music and/or information of the image for transmission thereof. At the receiving side, sense stimulation based on the bio-information is provided to the viewer, or information of speech or music and/or information of the image are controlled on the basis of the bio-information to thereby reproduce presence or live appeal.

Abstract: A method of reproducing audio signals includes the steps of supplying a predetermined audio signal to a speaker array to synthesize surface wavefronts and forming a virtual sound source by the wavefront synthesis; and controlling the audio signal in order to change the position of the virtual sound source in the vicinity of the virtual sound source.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to group users based on bio-information of the users. A two-dimensional bio-information space is generated from first and second dimensions which represent, respectively, first and second characteristics of the bio-information of the users. The users are arranged in the bio-information space based on the bio-information, and users are grouped based on the arrangement of the users in the bio-information space. Continuously acquired bio-information is used to re-group users.

Abstract: A sound characteristic parameter is obtained for an audio signal to be analyzed by analyzing the signal by means of a sound characteristic parameter analyzing section arranged upstream relative to a similarity determining section. A sound signal operation as retrieving key is read out from a retrieving key storage area of a retrieving key memory by a retrieving key audio signal reading section and analyzed by a retrieving key sound characteristic parameter analyzing section to obtain a retrieving key sound characteristic parameter. The similarity determining section compares the sound characteristic parameter obtained from said sound characteristic parameter analyzing section and the retrieving key sound characteristic parameter obtained from said retrieving key sound parameter reading section and determines the similarity of them to retrieve a part of the audio signal to be analyzed that resembles the audio signal operating as retrieving key and obtained from the sound source of the retrieving key.

Abstract: An information transmission method capable of reproducing the atmosphere of a concert hall or a live performance hall, wherein bio-information of a speaker, player, actor or conductor, who serves as a source of speech, sounds or music and/or bio-information of a performer included within an image are multiplexed with respect to information of speech or music and/or information of the image for transmission thereof. At the receiving side, sense stimulation based on the bio-information is provided to the viewer, or information of speech or music and/or information of the image are controlled on the basis of the bio-information to thereby reproduce presence or live appeal.

Abstract: An audio signal is supplied to a loudspeaker array to perform wavefront synthesis. A virtual sound source is produced at an infinite distance using wavefront synthesis. A propagation direction of a sound wave emitted from the virtual sound source is changeable.

Abstract: An information transmission method capable of reproducing the atmosphere of a concert hall or a live performance hall, wherein bio-information of a speaker, player, actor or conductor, who serves as a source of speech, sounds or music and/or bio-information of a performer included within an image are multiplexed with respect to information of speech or music and/or information of the image for transmission thereof. At the receiving side, sense stimulation based on the bio-information is provided to the viewer, or information of speech or music and/or information of the image are controlled on the basis of the bio-information to thereby reproduce presence or live appeal.

Abstract: A sound reproduction apparatus capable of providing a target sensation of sound localization to a listener by using a standard head-related transfer function is provided. In a microphone amplifying section, only the high frequency components of a left sound pickup signal and a right sound pickup signal, which are input from a dummy head microphone, are delayed by a delay circuit. Consequently, since the reproduction sound of the low frequency components having small individual differences can be output earlier, a listener in a reproduction sound field space can perceive the sensation of sound localization by the reproduction sound of the low frequency components that arrive earlier. As a result, even when a standard head-related transfer function is used, it becomes possible to enable the listener in the reproduction sound field space to perceive the target sensation of sound localization.

Abstract: A playback apparatus includes a forming section which, on the basis of an audio signal to be played back, forms audio signals on a plurality of channels for emitting sounds from a pair of sound sources, and a signal processing section which, on each of the audio signals formed by the forming section, performs signal processing for forming a targeted sound field. The signal processing section inclines a sound pressure distribution so that, for each sound source, sound pressure levels of sounds emitted from the sound source to a listening position increase in inverse proportion to angles formed between emitting directions of the sounds emitted from the sound source to the listening position and a straight line connecting the pair of sound sources.

Abstract: An audio signal is supplied to a loudspeaker array to perform wavefront synthesis. A virtual sound source is produced at an infinite distance using wavefront synthesis.

Abstract: A sound field reproduction apparatus generates sound field synthesizing parameters according to a relative positional relationship between the listener and the sound source and performs frequency conversion on sound data according to the relative positional relationship. A convolutional operation is conducted on the sound data that are subjected to the frequency conversion and the generated sound field synthesizing parameters in order to synthesize the sound of the sound source of each channel. The synthesized sound is subjected to wave front synthesis for the synthesized sound by using n-channel sound sources to reproduce a sound field in a predetermined area.

Abstract: A reproduction apparatus comprises an inverse characteristics converting section that converts the acoustic characteristics of an acoustic space into inverse characteristics thereof, a reproducing section that reproduces music data, an acoustic characteristics output section that outputs acoustic characteristics different from the acoustic characteristics of the acoustic space, an adjusting section that adjusts the music data reproduced by the reproduction section on the basis of the inverse acoustic characteristics of the acoustic space converted by the inverse characteristics conversion section and the acoustic characteristics output from the acoustic characteristics output section and an output section that outputs the music data adjusted by the adjustment section to the acoustic space.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to group users based on bio-information of the users. A two-dimensional bio-information space is generated from first and second dimensions which represent, respectively, first and second characteristics of the bio-information of the users. The users are arranged in the bio-information space based on the bio-information, and users are grouped based on the arrangement of the users in the bio-information space. Continuously acquired bio-information is used to re-group users.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a game apparatus adapted for executing game performed by plural teams, and is adapted to acquire bio-information of players of the game by biosensors (31), (32), . . . (3n) to allow bio-information to be associated with players of the game. In a control unit (10), bio-information caused to be associated with respective players are analyzed to judge, by the analysis result thus obtained, teams to which respective players belong. The judged team classification result is notified to the players to thereby eliminate troublesomeness of operation such as team designation by players, thus permitting the players to sufficiently enjoy amusement of the fighting game.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for reproducing main data under an optimum reproduction environment. The reproducing apparatus includes a readout unit (20) for reading out predetermined main data and spatial characteristic data, made up of the information on characteristics of a space in an environment different from the environment under which the main data is to be reproduced, from a recording medium (1) on which the main data and the spatial characteristic data have been recorded. The reproducing apparatus also includes a processing unit (25) for performing predetermined processing for reproduction of the main data, based on the spatial characteristic data read out by the readout unit (20).

Abstract: A sound reproducing apparatus includes a low-frequency sound reproducing unit for reproducing and outputting a low-frequency sound having a frequency of a predetermined frequency or less; a high-frequency sound reproducing unit for reproducing and outputting a high-frequency sound including a frequency component having a frequency higher than the predetermined frequency; and a reproduction-and-output timing control unit for reproducing and outputting the high-frequency sound reproduced and output by the high-frequency sound reproducing unit behind the low-frequency sound reproduced and output by the low-frequency sound reproducing unit by a predetermined time period.

Abstract: A sound characteristic parameter is obtained for an audio signal to be analyzed by analyzing the signal by means of a sound characteristic parameter analyzing section arranged upstream relative to a similarity determining section. A sound signal operation as retrieving key is read out from a retrieving key storage area of a retrieving key memory by a retrieving key audio signal reading section and analyzed by a retrieving key sound characteristic parameter analyzing section to obtain a retrieving key sound characteristic parameter. The similarity determining section compares the sound characteristic parameter obtained from said sound characteristic parameter analyzing section and the retrieving key sound characteristic parameter obtained from said retrieving key sound parameter reading section and determines the similarity of them to retrieve a part of the audio signal to be analyzed that resembles the audio signal operating as retrieving key and obtained from the sound source of the retrieving key.

Abstract: A sound characteristic parameter is obtained for an audio signal to be analyzed by analyzing the signal by means of a sound characteristic parameter analyzing section arranged upstream relative to a similarity determining section. A sound signal operation as retrieving key is read out from a retrieving key storage area of a retrieving key memory by a retrieving key audio signal reading section and analyzed by a retrieving key sound characteristic parameter analyzing section to obtain a retrieving key sound characteristic parameter. The similarity determining section compares the sound characteristic parameter obtained from said sound characteristic parameter analyzing section and the retrieving key sound characteristic parameter obtained from said retrieving key sound parameter reading section and determines the similarity of them to retrieve a part of the audio signal to be analyzed that resembles the audio signal operating as retrieving key and obtained from the sound source of the retrieving key.

Abstract: A playback apparatus includes a forming section which, on the basis of an audio signal to be played back, forms audio signals on a plurality of channels for emitting sounds from a pair of sound sources, and a signal processing section which, on each of the audio signals formed by the forming section, performs signal processing for forming a targeted sound field. The signal processing section inclines a sound pressure distribution so that, for each sound source, sound pressure levels of sounds emitted from the sound source to a listening position increase in inverse proportion to angles formed between emitting directions of the sounds emitted from the sound source to the listening position and a straight line connecting the pair of sound sources.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a game apparatus adapted for executing game performed by plural teams, and is adapted to acquire bio-information of players of the game by biosensors (31), (32), . . . (3n) to allow bio-information to be associated with players of the game. In a control unit (10), bio-information caused to be associated with respective players are analyzed to judge, by the analysis result thus obtained, teams to which respective players belong. The judged team classification result is notified to the players to thereby eliminate troublesomeness of operation such as team designation by players, thus permitting the players to sufficiently enjoy amusement of the fighting game.