Method of reproducing sound

Details Method of reproducing sound Method of reproducing sound

1998-01-28

2001-04-24

Mei, Xu (Department: 2644)

Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices

Binaural and stereophonic

Stereo speaker arrangement

C381S018000, C381S017000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06222930

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sound reproducing method and to an audio signal processing apparatus for use in, for example, a surround type sound reproducing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
For listening to, for example, sounds reproduced from a compact disk (CD), or for enjoying images and sounds obtained from a television program or reproduced from a video tape or a digital video disk (DVD) in a home listening room or the like, a particular sound reproducing system, e.g., a surround type sound reproducing system may be used, which is intended to enable reproduction of sounds with movie-theater or concert-hall presence.
FIG. 9
shows an example of such a surround type sound reproducing system. In this example, left and right speakers (surround speakers)
30
a
and
30
b
are provided in addition to left and right front speakers and are placed at the rear of a listener
100
.
Audio signals are reproduced in an audio signal source
10
, which is a reproducing unit such as a CD player. Of these signals, a left-channel audio signal AL and a right-channel audio signal AR are respectively amplified by amplifier circuits
11
a
and
11
b
, and are output from these amplifiers to the speakers
20
a
and
20
b.
In this example, an audio signal S
1
a
for the left rear speaker is amplified by an amplifier circuit
12
a
to be supplied to the left rear speaker
30
a
while an audio signal S
1
b
for the right rear speaker is amplified by an amplifier circuit
12
b
to be supplied to the right rear speaker
30
b.
Rear speaker sounds are radiated from the rear speakers
30
a
and
30
b
in addition to those from the speakers
20
a
and
20
b
, thereby enabling the listener
100
to hear the reproduced sounds with certain original-sound presence.
In ordinary sound reproducing systems using two rear speakers in this manner, the opening angle &thgr; between a front-rear axis on the listener
100
and a line extending from the listener
100
to the left rear speaker
30
a
along a horizontal plane, and the opening angle &thgr; between the front-rear axis and a line extending from the listener
100
to the right rear speaker
30
b
along the horizontal plane are set to about 110°.
This is because 110° is recommended as the opening angle &thgr; with respect to the Dolby Prologic system, the Dolby AC3 system, the MPEG multichannel system and so on.
With the conventional sound reproducing system using two rear surround speakers, for example, as shown in
FIG. 9
, a listener is liable to be clearly conscious of the existence of the rear speakers. In a situation where a listener can clearly sense that a sound is being radiated from the rear speakers, he or she has, in the ambiance of the sound field including the sound radiated from the rear speakers, a feeling of lack of spacing from the sound sources by attraction to the rear speakers. As a result, the surrounding reproduction effect is considerably reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of these circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a sound reproducing method and an audio signal processing apparatus which make it possible to solve the problem of the existence of rear speakers being sensed by a listener when a sound is radiated from the rear speakers.
To achieve the above-described object, according to the present invention, there is provided a method of reproducing sound comprising the steps of processing, by virtual image orientation processing, sound signals to be supplied to at least two rear speakers so that a listener can have a sound image at a position different from each of real speaker positions at which the rear speakers are placed, or so that the listener is unconscious that sounds are radiated from the rear speakers placed at the real speaker positions, the virtual image orientation processing being performed according to acoustic transfer coefficients of transfer of sounds from virtual speaker positions different from the real speaker positions to the listener's ears; and
supplying the sound signals processed by the virtual image orientation processing to the rear speakers.
According to this sound reproducing method, virtual image orientation processing is performed according to acoustic transfer coefficients of transfer of sounds from the rear speakers to the listener's ears when the rear speakers are placed at the virtual speaker positions.
This virtual image orientation processing is processing for enabling a sound image to be located at a position different from each of the real speaker positions, or for keeping the listener unconscious that a sound is radiated from each of the rear speakers at the real speaker positions.
Sounds processed by the virtual image orientation processing are radiated from the rear speakers at the real speaker positions, thereby weakening the listener's consciousness of the existence of the rear speakers at the real speaker positions to improve the original-sound presence in the ambiance of the reproduced sound field.


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