Abstract:
A contents reproduction apparatus (e.g. an AV receiver) is connectable to various sources (e.g. audio/video devices) having audio/video contents which are related to predetermined activities (e.g. Listen, Watch, Play) and predetermined sound field options (e.g. Music, Movie, Entertainment) via a sound field table describing a plurality of sound field modes. The contents reproduction apparatus allows the user to arbitrarily select the source, the activity, and the sound field option, thus determining a desired sound field mode via the sound field table. The desired sound field mode is adopted in the signal processing performed on the output signals (e.g. audio signals) of the selected source. Thus, the user is able to select the optimum sound field mode from among various sound field modes with a simple operation without needing to carry out troublesome and complicated operations.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to contents reproduction apparatuses, and in particular to audio-video (AV) receivers which are able to perform a variety of signal processings implementing desired sound fields on audio signals. 
         [0003]    The present application claims priority on Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-127078 (Filing Date: May 26, 2009), the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Custom installation has been widely implemented to configure a desired AV system upon arbitrarily combining AV devices. AV receivers (see Non-Patent Document 1) implementing custom installation allow users to freely select and reproduce desired ones from among various audio-video contents upon connecting various audio-video sources. 
         [0006]    AV receivers recently introduced employ various audio-video sources such as portable audio players (e.g. “iPod”, a registered trademark), USB memory, personal computers (including hard-disk drives), and other storage devices storing large amounts of multiple-type contents in addition to conventional set-top boxes (STB), DVD players, and videocassette recorders (VCR). For this reason, they are able to reproduce various types of contents such as audio contents, video contents, photo-album contents, and game contents. 
         [0007]    Non-Patent Document 1: Yamaha Corporation of America, “RX-V/RX-Z/RX-N Series, AV Receivers from Yamaha Electronics” retrievable via the Internet at URL: http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=558249&amp;CTID=5000300 
         [0008]    AV receivers are designed to perform the signal processing implementing preferable sound fields on audio signals of reproduced contents, wherein it is preferable to perform the optimum signal processing suited to the type of reproduced contents. Preferably, AV receivers carry a capability of changing the setting of signal processing in conformity with user preference or the type of contents. For this reason, it is necessary to diversify the setting of signal processing in AV receivers under consideration of diversifications of reproduced contents. 
         [0009]    Users may need to select the specifics of the signal processing (e.g. signal processing modes) in light of user preference and the desired type of reproduced contents. However, users may be confused how to select a desired one of numerous signal processing modes installed in AV receivers, wherein AV receivers need to explicitly illustrate differences between signal processing modes with detailed explanations, which require complicated presentations and indications. For this reason, users need to carry out troublesome and complicated operations, resulting in listening to audio contents in inferior sound fields far from optimum listening conditions. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a contents reproduction apparatus which is able to reproduce multiple-type contents and which allows the user to arbitrarily select the setting of signal processing implementing an optimum sound field with respect to reproduced contents. 
         [0011]    A contents reproduction apparatus of the present invention is connectable to a plurality of sources (e.g. audio/video devices, game devices, intelligent devices) having different contents (e.g. video contents, audio contents, game contents) which are related to predetermined activities (e.g. Listen, Watch, Play) and predetermined sound field options (e.g. Music, Movie, Entertainment) via a sound field table describing a plurality of sound field modes. The contents reproduction apparatus allows the user to arbitrarily select the source, the activity, and the sound field option, thus determining a desired sound field mode via the sound field table. The desired sound field mode is adopted in the signal processing performed on the output signals (e.g. audio signals) of the selected source. 
         [0012]    Specifically, an activity select menu is displayed to allow the user to arbitrarily select the activity from among the predetermined activities; a device select menu is displayed to allow the user to arbitrarily select the source from among the sources; and a contents select menu is displayed to allow the user to arbitrarily select the contents from among the contents of the sources. Alternatively, a sound field select menu is displayed to allow the user to directly select the desired sound field mode. 
         [0013]    In the above, the number of predetermined activities and the number of predetermined sound field options are each smaller than the number of sound field modes which are ascribed to different scenes of audio reproduction. 
         [0014]    Even when the user selects the same sound field option, the contents reproduction apparatus adaptively changes the sound field mode of the signal processing in conformity with the reproduced contents. This allows the user to select the optimum sound field mode from among a variety of sound field modes with a simple operation without needing to carry out troublesome and complicated operations. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    These and other objects, aspects, and embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following drawings. 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing the constitution of an AV system including an AV receiver according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing the internal constitution of the AV receiver. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  shows an activity table stored in a control unit of the AV receiver. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  shows a sound field option table stored in the control unit of the AV receiver. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  shows a sound field selecting sequence implemented via the AV receiver. 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart showing a contents reproduction procedure starting reproducing selected contents in a desired sound field. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7A  shows an activity select menu displayed on a TV connected to the AV receiver. 
           [0023]      FIG. 7B  shows a device select menu displayed on the TV. 
           [0024]      FIG. 7C  shows a contents select menu displayed on the TV. 
           [0025]      FIG. 8A  is a flowchart showing a sound field selecting procedure allowing the user to arbitrarily select a desired sound field. 
           [0026]      FIG. 8B  shows a sound field select menu displayed on the TV. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0027]    The present invention will be described in further detail by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0028]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing the constitution of an AV system including an AV receiver  1  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The AV system implementing custom installation is configured to connect a plurality of sources (or devices)  2 , a television monitor (TV)  3 , and a speaker  4  with the AV receiver  1 . 
         [0029]    The AV receiver  1  implements a select function selecting one source from among the sources  2 , an audio-amplifier function amplifying an audio signal of the selected source  2  and outputting it to the speaker  4 , a repeater function repeating a video signal of the source  2  toward a downlink device (e.g. the TV  3 ), a tuner function receiving a radio broadcast signal from an FM radio station and the like, and a commander function controlling the source  2  and the TV  3  upon user&#39;s operation. 
         [0030]    As the sources  2  each serving as an uplink device connected to the AV receiver  1 , there are a set-top box (STB)  21 , a DVD player  22 , a game device  23 , a personal computer (PC)  24  including a hard-disk driver (HDD), a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory  25 , and an iPod  26 . STB  21  includes a reproduction unit reproducing a television broadcast signal via a cable or a satellite. The DVD player  22  includes a reproduction unit reproducing audio/video signals recorded on a disk inserted therein. The game device  23  includes a reproduction unit reproducing audio/video signals of games recorded on media such as a DVD inserted therein. The PC  24  includes a storage unit (e.g. HDD) storing audio contents and video contents as well as a reproduction unit reproducing these contents. The USB memory  25  has a storage unit storing various contents such as audio contents. The iPOD  26  includes a storage unit (e.g. HDD or flash memory) storing audio contents and video contents as well as a reproduction unit reproducing these contents. 
         [0031]    The TV  3  serving as a downlink device connected to the AV receiver  1  is primarily used as a monitor displaying video images given from the AV receiver  1 . 
         [0032]    The AV receiver  1  includes a remote-control receiver  12  receiving an infrared remote-control signal output from a remote-control unit  5 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing the internal constitution of the AV receiver  1 . A plurality of connectors connectable to the sources  2  are formed on the rear face of the AV receiver  1 , such as HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) connectors  41 ,  42 , an analog connector  43 , a LAN (Local Area Network) connector  44 , a USB connector  45 , and an iPod-specified connector (or a bay)  46 . Each connector may include the physical-layer circuitry serving as a transceiver and the like. 
         [0034]    The STB  21  and the DVD player  22  are connected to the HDMI connectors  41  and  42  respectively. The game device  23  is connected to the analog connector  43 . The PC  24  is connected to the LAN connector  44  via a LAN (not shown). The USB memory  25  is connected to the USB connector  45 . The iPod  26  is connected to the iPod-specified connector  46 . The combination between connectors and sources is not necessarily limited to the illustration of the present embodiment. 
         [0035]    The HDMI connectors  41 ,  42  are directly connected to a selector  14 . The analog connector  43  is connected to the selector  14  via an A/D converter  17 . The LAN connector  44 , the USB connector  45 , and the iPod-specified connector  46  are connected to the selector  14  via a peripheral interface  16 . A tuner  18  (serving as a built-in source) and a control unit  10  are connected to the selector  14 . The tuner  18  is a reception/reproduction unit receiving and reproducing a broadcast audio signal from an FM broadcast station and the like. The control unit  10  is configured of a microcomputer implementing a communication function communicating with the PC  24  and the iPod  26 , a switching function switching the selector  14 , and a display function displaying an operational sequence diagram (DSD) such as operational guidance messages and wizard settings, wherein it serves as a source upon displaying OSD. 
         [0036]    The control unit  10  switches over the selector in response to switching operations made by the remote-control unit  5  and/or an operation/display unit (or a user interface, UI)  11 , thus selecting the sources  2 . 
         [0037]    The selector  14  inputs audio-video signals (i.e. video signals including audio signals), audio signals, and vide signals. The selector  14  delivers audio signals of the selected source  2  to an audio signal processing unit  30  while delivering video signals of the selected source  2  to a HDMI transmitter  34 . The HDMI transmitter  34  is connected to the TV  3  via a HDMI cable. 
         [0038]    An audio signal processing unit  30  includes a sound field processor  30 A which performs the sound field processing on an audio signal input thereto. The sound field processing adds an echo or reverb of a virtual space to an audio signal via the signal processing. The sound field processor  30 A is able to handle seven sound field modes, namely a sound field  1  (Music Video), a sound field  2  (Movie — 1), a sound field  3  (Sports), a sound field  4  (Jazz Club), a sound field  5  (Movie — 2), a sound field  6  (Hall_A), and a sound field  7  (Action Game). The audio signal processing unit  30  and the sound field processor  30 A selects one of seven sound field modes so as to perform the corresponding sound field processing on an input audio signal in response to an instruction from the control unit  10 . 
         [0039]    An audio signal is subjected to the other signal processing such as equalization and sound quality control in addition to the sound field processing and is then converted into an analog signal via a D/A converter  31 . An audio amplifier  32  amplifies the analog signal, which is subsequently supplied to the speaker  4 . When the audio amplifier  32  is configured of a digital amplifier, the D/A converter  31  is configured of the circuitry converting PCM codes of audio signals into PWM signals. 
         [0040]    The remote-control unit  5  has a power button turning on/off power to the AV receiver  1 , cursor buttons moving a cursor on screen, and an enter button. When the user presses any one of buttons, the remote-control unit  5  outputs an infrared remote-control signal representing a command code assigned to the pressed button. The AV receiver  1  is equipped with the remote-control receiver  12  receiving the infrared remote-control signal output from the remote-control unit  5 . Upon receiving the remote-control signal output from the remote-control unit  5 , the remote-control receiver  12  analyzes the command code and outputs it to the control unit  10 . Based on the command code, the control unit  10  switches over the OSD screen displayed on the TV  3  or switches over the selector  14 . 
         [0041]    Next, classifications of contents and user selecting procedures will be described with respect to the AV receiver  1 . The AV receiver  1  classifies contents into three types of contents, namely “Listen”, “Watch”, and “Play”. “Listen” designates audio contents amused by listening via ears; “Watch” designates video contents amused by watching with eyes; and “Play” designates game contents or photo-album contents (or photo pictures) which the user amuses by operating tools. The above three types of contents, i.e. Listen, Watch, and Play, are referred to as activities in the AV receiver  1 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 3  shows an activity table stored in the control unit  10  of the AV receiver  1 . The activity table of  FIG. 3  describes the classification of activities reproducible via the sources  2 . According to the activity table, the STB  21  receiving television broadcastings such as cable-television broadcasting and satellite broadcasting is allowed to reproduce only the Watch activity. The DVD player  22  is allowed to reproduce the Watch activity and the Listen activity, wherein it is able to reproduce both the video contents (Watch) such as movies via DVD and the music contents (Listen) via CD. The game device  23  is allowed to reproduce only the game contents (Watch), and the tuner  18  is allowed to reproduce only the audio contents (Listen). The PC  24  whose hard-disk drive (HDD) is able to store all types of contents such as moving pictures, music pieces, and images is allowed to reproduce all of the Listen, Watch, and Play activities. The USB memory  25  is allowed to reproduce both of the music contents (Listen) and still pictures (Play). The iPod  26  is allowed to reproduce both of the music contents (Listen) and moving pictures (Watch). 
         [0043]    The assignment of activities to the sources  2  can be stored in the activity table in advance, or it can be set by the user when connecting the sources  2  to the AV receiver  1 . 
         [0044]    Upon reproducing the contents (or upon selecting the reproduced contents), the user needs to select a desired activity. The AV receiver  1  selects the sources  2 , which are allowed to reproduce the selected activity, and displays their identifications on the TV  3  with reference to the activity table. This enables the user to select desired one of the sources  2  displayed on the TV  3 . The AV receiver  1  selectively displays the preferred contents corresponding to the selected activity from among the contents reproducible via the selected source  2  (or the contents stored in the selected source  2 ) on the TV  3 . When the user chooses desired one of the displayed contents, the AV receiver  1  controls the source  2  to reproduce it. 
         [0045]      FIG. 4  shows a sound field table describing sound field modes to be selected in light of the sound field selected by the user and the reproduced activity. The sound field processor  30 A handles the sound field processing in each of the seven modes, namely the sound field  1  to the sound field  7 . The AV receiver  1  provides the user with three sound field options (namely, “Music”, “Movie”, and “Entertainment”). Any one of the sound field  1  to the sound field  7  is selected in response to the sound field option selected by the user and the type of the reproduced contents (i.e. the Watch, Listen, and Play activities). 
         [0046]      FIG. 5  shows a sound field selecting sequence with reference to the sound field table of  FIG. 4 . Upon reproducing the contents, the user needs to select the activity (i.e. Watch, Listen, Play); subsequently, the contents belonging to the selected activity is being selected and reproduced. Before or after selecting the contents, the user needs to designate one of sound field options (i.e. Music, Movie, Entertainment). Based on the designated sound field option and the selected activity of the reproduced contents, a preferred sound field mode (i.e. one of the sound field  1  to sound field  7 ) is determined and set to the sound field processor  30 A. 
         [0047]    That is, the AV receiver simply requires the user to select one of three sound field options (i.e. Music, Movie, Entertainment), thus automatically designating a preferred sound field mode in light of the reproduced contents. 
         [0048]    With respect to the reproduction of the same music, the preferred sound field mode may slightly differ in response to different activities such as the Watch activity in which the music is reproduced along with the video of a DVD and the Listen activity in which only the music is reproduced via a CD. The AV receiver  1  provides the user with various sound field modes (e.g. the sound field  1  in the case of the reproduction of DVD and the sound field  4  in the case of the reproduction of CD) suited to different activities when the user selects the sound field option of Music. That is, the AV receiver  1  presents the small number of options, allowing the user to easily choose desired one, thus achieving the fine sound field processing. 
         [0049]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart showing a contents reproduction procedure executed via the control unit  10  of the AV receiver  1 .  FIGS. 7A ,  7 B, and  7 C show examples of OSD screens displayed on the TV  3 . 
         [0050]    When the user selects contents with the AV receiver  1 , the control unit  10  switches over the selector  14  (step S 1 ), thus enabling the TV  3  to selectively display the OSD screens of  FIGS. 7A to 7C . First, an activity select menu shown in  FIG. 7A  is displayed on the TV  3  (step S 2 ). The control unit  10  is ready to accept the user&#39;s selection on the activity select menu (step S 3 ). When the user selects one of activities (i.e. Listen, Watch, and Play), the control unit  10  refers to the activity table of  FIG. 3  so as to choose the sources  2  reproducible in terms of the selected activity (step S 4 ). Subsequently, the control unit  10  displays a device select menu shown in  FIG. 7B  allowing the user to select one of the sources  2  reproducible in terms of the selected activity on the TV  3  (step S 5 ). 
         [0051]    The control unit  10  is ready to accept the user&#39;s selection on the device select menu (step S 6 ). When the user selects one of the sources  2  (e.g. STB, DVD, VCR, PC, iPod) on the device select menu, the control unit  10  accesses the selected source  2  so as to choose the preferred contents reproducible in the selected source  2  in correspondence with the selected activity (step S 7 ). 
         [0052]    The control unit  10  chooses the preferred contents from the storage such as the USB memory in such a way that the control unit  10  accesses the storage via the peripheral interface  16  so as to confirm files stored in the storage, thus choosing the preferred contents from the stored files in correspondence with the selected activity. In addition, the control unit  10  chooses the preferred contents from an intelligent device such as the iPod  26  in such a way that the control unit  10  requests the intelligence device to present a list of contents corresponding to the selected activity via the peripheral interface  16 , thus retrieving the preferred contents from the list of contents. 
         [0053]    The control unit  10  displays a contents select menu shown in  FIG. 7C  on the TV  3  (step S 8 ). The control unit  10  is ready to accept the user&#39;s selection on the contents select menu (step S 9 ). When the user selects one of the contents (e.g. “Title 1” to “Title 8”) on the contents select menu, the control unit  10  switches over the selector  14  to be connected with the selected source  2  (step S 11 ). The control unit  10  searches over the sound field select table of  FIG. 4  in correspondence with the selected sound field option and the selected activity (see step S 3 ), thus determining an optimum sound field mode (step S 12 ). The control unit  10  instructs the audio signal processing unit  30  (or the sound field processor  30 A) to adopt the sound field mode (step S 13 ). Subsequently, the AV receiver  1  starts to reproduce the selected contents (step S 14 ). Herein, the AV receiver  1  does not necessarily start reproducing the selected contents by automatically decoding MPEG files, for example, but the AV receiver  1  may instruct the source  2  to stars reproducing the selected contents. In the case of the STB  21  and the tuner  18  which normally receive and reproduce broadcast signals, it is possible to omit step S 14  from the flowchart of  FIG. 6 . 
         [0054]    When the user operates a “RETURN” button on the contents select menu of  FIG. 7C  in step S 9  (see step S 10 ), the flow proceeds back to step S 5  in which the device select menu of  FIG. 7B  is displayed on the TV  3 . 
         [0055]      FIG. 8A  is a flowchart showing a sound field selecting procedure allowing the user to arbitrarily select a desired sound field. When the user operates the AV receiver  1  to select a desired sound field (step S 20 ), the control unit  10  displays a sound field select menu of  FIG. 8B  on the TV  3  (step S 21 ). The sound field select menu showing sound field options (i.e. Music, Movie, Entertainment) is superimposed on the OSD screen regarding the presently reproduced contents. The control unit  10  is ready to accept the user&#39;s selection on the sound field selection menu (step S 22 ). When the user selects one of the sound field options on the sound field select menu, the control unit  10  searches over the sound field select table of  FIG. 4  in correspondence with the selected sound field option and the reproduced activity, thus determining a preferred sound field mode (step S 23 ). The control unit  10  instructs the sound field processor  30 A of the audio signal processing unit  30  to adopt the sound field mode (step S 24 ). When no contents are presently reproduced, the flow does not need to proceed to steps S 23  and S 24 ; hence, the selected sound field mode (see step S 22 ) is stored in the register. 
         [0056]    The present embodiment is directed to the AV receiver  1  as an example of the contents reproduction apparatus, which is not necessarily limited to the AV receiver  1 . The present embodiment employs three types of activities (i.e. Watch, Listen, Play), whereas the classification of the contents is not necessarily limited to them. 
         [0057]    The present embodiment is designed to allow the user to select a desired activity, thus narrowing down the source and contents. Instead, the present embodiment can be redesigned to allow the user to directly designate the preferred source and contents. In this case, the activity (or the type of contents) is detected based on the designated source and contents, so that the preferred sound field mode is determined based on the type of contents and the selected sound field option. 
         [0058]    The sound field options are not necessarily limited to the three types of sound field options (i.e. Music, Movie, Entertainment). The sound field options are based on the types of audio signals subjected to reproduction, whereas they may represent the user (or listener) preference such as the sensations of brightness, warmness, and brilliantness. 
         [0059]    The signal processing is not necessarily performed on audio signals but on video signals, and the signal processing is not necessarily limited to the sound field processing and is adaptable to the effect processing and equalization, for example. 
         [0060]    Lastly, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the present embodiment, which can be further modified in various ways within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.