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: 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: Reproduction AV data obtained from an optical disc 41 is stored into a RAM 50. An AV signal whose reproduction start timing has been controlled is outputted from the RAM 50. Breath of a viewer is measured by a sensor 61. A measured signal is supplied to a peak detecting circuit 63 through a low pass filter 62 and timing of a peak value is detected. On the basis of the detected peak value, a change point detecting circuit 64 detects a change point from an inspiratory period to an expiratory period of the breath of the viewer and forms a reproduction start signal. The reproduction start signal is supplied to the RAM 50. Reading timing of the AV signal from the RAM 50 is controlled to the timing synchronized with the reproduction start signal. By controlling the start timing of the AV information in accordance with organic information of the viewer, a situation in which the timing is synchronized with the actual performance or the breath, excitement degree, or the like upon acting can be reconstructed.

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: 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: A sound producing apparatus includes a sound data reproduction unit that reproduces sound data, a meta-data analyzer that analyzes meta-data indicating the properties of the sound data, a room acoustic characteristic analyzer that measures an acoustic characteristic of a listening room, and a reproduction characteristic adjuster. The reproduction characteristic adjuster performs an acoustic characteristic adjustment on the sound data to be reproduced based on the room acoustic characteristic data obtained by the room acoustic characteristic analyzer and the acoustic characteristic data obtained by the meta-data analyzer.

Abstract: A sound pickup 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 of a sound pickup block, only the high frequency components of a signal for a left ear and a signal for a right ear, which are input from a dummy head microphone, are delayed by a delay circuit. In this case, since the reproduction sound of the low frequency components having small individual differences is output earlier from speakers of a playback block, 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 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 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 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: An acoustic signal reproducing apparatus for supplying an acoustic signal to a headphone device, in which position-detecting reference signals from a reference signal source are sensed by a pair of signal sensors provided at two places over a listener's head. The turning angle and the relative distance of the head with respect to the reference signal source are calculated by processing units on the basis of these signal sensors and transmission characteristics with respect to an arbitrarily positioned imaginary sound source are found from the information concerning the relative distance and the turning angle, with the reference signal source as a reference position. Acoustic signals are processed by acoustic signal processing devices on the basis of the transmission characteristics to realize binaural reproduction with respect to the imaginary sound source.

Abstract: An acoustic signal reproducing apparatus for reproducing acoustic signals through headphone devices is disclosed. The left channel and right channel acoustic signals are provided by a device for processing the transmission characteristics with constant transmission characteristics representing the location of an imaginary sound source relative to both of the listener's ears. The left channel and right channel acoustic signals, processed in this manner by the device for processing the transmission characteristics, are provided by an acoustic signal processing device with a level difference and a time difference consistent with changes in orientation of the user's head. In this manner, optimum binaural reproduction with respect to the imaginary sound source may be achieved.