Patent ID: 8150060
Filing Date: 2012-04-03
Classification: H04R,H04S

Abstract:
1. A surround sound outputting device comprising: a receiving portion which receives signals on a plurality of channels; a storing portion which stores measuring sound data representing a sound; an outputting portion which outputs a sound produced based on the signals on the plurality of channels or the measuring sound data in a controlled direction and in a beam shape; a controlling portion which controls a direction of the sound output from the outputting portion; a sound collecting portion which picks up the sound output from the outputting portion to produce picked-up sound data representing the picked-up sound; an impulse response specifying portion which specifies impulse responses in respective directions from respective sound data produced by the sound collecting portion when the sound collecting portion picks up the sounds output from the outputting portion in the respective directions; a path characteristic specifying portion which specifies path distances of the paths through which the sounds output in the respective directions arrive at the sound collecting portion from the outputting portion and levels of the impulse responses based on the impulse responses in the respective directions; and an allocating portion which specifies directions satisfying a predetermined relationship between the path distances of the paths in the respective directions and the levels of the impulse responses with respect to the plurality of channels respectively, and allocates the signals on the plurality of channels to the specified directions, wherein the controlling portion controls the outputting portion so that respective sounds based on the signals on the plurality of channels are output in the directions specified by the allocating portion, wherein the allocating portion specifies a direction of the impulse response with respect to each of the plurality of channels and allocates the signals on the plurality of channels to the specified directions of the impulse responses, when the level of the impulse response in each of the plurality of channels specified by the impulse response specifying portion exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and wherein the allocating portion specifies the direction of the impulse response in a state where a result of comparing the path distance specified by the path characteristic specifying portion with a criterion value, which is obtained by dividing a predetermined value by a cosine of emitting angle on a direction of the impulse response or a difference between the path distance and the criterion value, satisfies a predetermined condition.