JP2023113979A - Sound field generation device, sound field generation method, and sound field generation program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sound field generation device for reproducing click feeling of push buttons and the like.SOLUTION: A sound field generation device is provided, comprising an ultrasound wave oscillation element array consisting of arrayed ultrasound wave oscillation elements for oscillating an ultrasound wave, and a control unit for controlling the ultrasound wave oscillation element array, the control unit being configured to generate a first pressure field caused by the ultrasound wave in a first region within a space, and generate a second pressure field caused by the ultrasonic wave of an intensity different from that for the first pressure field in a second region different from the first region within the space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

There is an application for the application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Law On July 9, 2019, at the IEEE World Haptic Conference 2019 (4-6 Kanda Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Ochanomizu Sola City Conference), different sensations of strength and texture Based on two types of tactile stimulation methods, we published a method to create a pseudo-click sensation in the air.

The present invention relates to a sound field generation device, a sound field generation method, and a sound field generation program.

Methods for generating acoustic fields from transducer arrays and generating perceptible feedback are known (eg US Pat.
Patent Document 1: Special table 2018-507485

A first aspect of the present invention includes an ultrasonic oscillator array in which ultrasonic oscillator elements that oscillate ultrasonic waves are arranged, and a control unit that controls the ultrasonic oscillator array, wherein the control unit includes a space generating a first pressure field by ultrasonic waves in a first region in the space, and generating a second pressure field by ultrasonic waves having an intensity different from the first pressure field in a second region different from the first region in the space To provide a sound field generation device that

A second aspect of the present invention comprises a control step of controlling vibration of an ultrasonic oscillator array in which ultrasonic oscillator elements for oscillating ultrasonic waves are arranged; A sound field generation method for generating a first pressure field by sound waves, and generating a second pressure field by ultrasonic waves having an intensity different from that of the first pressure field in a second region different from the first region in space. provide.

In a third aspect of the present invention, a pressure field generated by ultrasonic waves is generated by causing a computer to execute a control step of controlling vibrations of an ultrasonic oscillator array in which ultrasonic oscillator elements for oscillating ultrasonic waves are arranged. A sound field generation program to be presented, wherein in a control phase, a first pressure field by ultrasound is generated in a first region in space, and a first pressure is generated in a second region different from the first region in space. A sound field generation program is provided for generating a second pressure field of ultrasound with a different intensity than the field.

It should be noted that the above summary of the invention does not list all the necessary features of the invention. Subcombinations of these feature groups can also be inventions.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a sound field generation device 100 according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of an ultrasonic oscillator array 10; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image display device 40; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a tactile receptor in human skin; FIG. Fig. 3 shows the stages of control of the pressure field in the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a pressure field due to unmodulated ultrasonic waves; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of LM modulation of ultrasonic waves; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the timing of switching to the second-stage ultrasonic pressure field. It is a timing chart of LM modulation. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a sound field generation device 101 according to a second embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 shows the stages of control of the pressure field in the second embodiment; Fig. 3 shows a comparison of the intensity of AM and LM modulated pressure fields; FIG. 11 shows another combination of pressure fields; An example computer 2200 is shown in which aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Also, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solution of the invention.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a sound field generation device 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the sound field generation device 100 includes a plurality of ultrasonic oscillator arrays 10, a control section 20, a detection section 30, and an image display device 40. The sound field generation device 100 generates a pressure field (a pressure distribution due to acoustic radiation pressure, corresponding to a sound pressure distribution, that is, a sound field) by ultrasonic waves by controlling a plurality of ultrasonic oscillator arrays 10. , presents tactile stimulation of a virtual push-type button on human skin in a space surrounded by a plurality of ultrasonic oscillator arrays 10 . For convenience of explanation, the tactile sensation stimulus of a virtual push-type button presented on human skin is referred to as a virtual button 50, which is shown in the figure in the form of a button.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the ultrasonic oscillator array 10. As shown in FIG. The ultrasonic oscillator array 10 is formed by two-dimensionally arranging a plurality of ultrasonic oscillators 11 that oscillate ultrasonic waves and supporting them with a support 12 . As shown in FIG. 2, an example of an ultrasonic oscillator array 10 has a configuration in which ultrasonic oscillator elements 11 are uniformly arranged in two orthogonal directions. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic oscillator array 10 has a square shape with a width of 192 mm.

The ultrasonic oscillator 11 is composed of a piezoelectric element and a resonator set to resonate at a predetermined frequency. When the phase control signal is input to the piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element vibrates and ultrasonic waves are oscillated from the resonator. Although the ultrasonic oscillator array 10 shown in FIG. 2 has the ultrasonic oscillator elements 11 arranged in a rectangular shape in two orthogonal directions, the arrangement is not limited to this. For example, the ultrasonic oscillator array 10 may have a plurality of ultrasonic oscillators 11 arranged two-dimensionally to form a circle.

Returning to FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, six ultrasonic oscillator arrays 10 are arranged on different planes so as to face each other, and a virtual button is placed approximately in the center of the space surrounded by the six ultrasonic oscillator arrays 10. Generate 50. The distance between the ultrasonic oscillator arrays 10 facing each other is 400 mm. The arrangement, shape, and number of ultrasonic oscillator arrays 10 are not limited to the above example.

Each of the ultrasonic oscillators 11 forming the ultrasonic oscillator array 10 is driven and controlled by the controller 20 . Ultrasonic waves are oscillated from each of the plurality of ultrasonic oscillator elements 11, but since the ultrasonic waves have peaks and troughs, the ultrasonic waves output from the ultrasonic oscillator elements 11 strengthen and weaken each other. do. By controlling the oscillation timing of each ultrasonic oscillator 11, the control unit 20 adjusts the positions at which the ultrasonic waves strengthen each other and the positions at which the ultrasonic waves weaken each other, and a plurality of ultrasonic oscillators are arranged at positions where it is desired to present a tactile stimulus. The ultrasonic waves emitted from 11 form a focal point where the pressure is maximum.

The control unit 20 generates ultrasonic waves by controlling the plurality of ultrasonic oscillator arrays 10, and performs control to generate a pressure field by the ultrasonic waves in the space surrounded by the plurality of ultrasonic oscillator arrays 10. . The control unit 20 inputs to each of the ultrasonic oscillators 11 a phase control signal in which the oscillation timings of the ultrasonic oscillators 11 are determined.

The detection unit 30 is an element that detects the position of human skin, and for example, an imaging device such as a CCD camera is used. In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the detection unit 30 detects the position of a human fingertip. The detection unit 30 is arranged adjacent to one of the six ultrasonic oscillator arrays 10, for example, and captures an image of a fingertip moving in space. An image of the fingertip captured by the detection unit 30 is analyzed by the control unit 20 to detect the three-dimensional position of the fingertip in space. The detection unit 30 may be a depth sensor using infrared ToF (Time Of Flight).

The image display device 40 is a so-called three-dimensional image display that displays an aerial image in a space surrounded by a plurality of ultrasonic oscillator arrays 10 . FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the image display device 40. As shown in FIG. The video display device 40 includes, for example, an image output section 41, a half mirror 42 and a concave mirror 43. The image display device 40 reflects the light emitted from the image output unit 41 by the half mirror 42 and forms an image in space by the concave mirror 43 . The image display device 40 forms an image of the button at the position of the virtual button 50 as shown in FIGS.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of tactile receptors in human skin. As shown in FIG. 4, human skin has epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue from the surface to the inside. Tactile receptors include Merkel's discs and Meissner's corpuscles located in the dermis, and Pacinian corpuscles located in the subcutaneous tissue. Each of these tactile receptors reacts differently depending on the frequency at which the ultrasonic intensity is modulated. The Merkel disc responds to a static (ie unmodulated) pressure field. Meissner's corpuscles are most responsive to dynamic pressure fields whose intensity oscillates at approximately 25 Hz. And Pacinian corpuscles are most responsive to dynamic pressure fields whose intensity oscillates at approximately 200 Hz. The present invention uses a static (ie, unmodulated) pressure field and a dynamic (ie, modulated in the vibration perception range described above) pressure field.

In the first embodiment, in order to reproduce the tactile sensation (also referred to as a click feeling) that a fingertip feels when a push-type button or switch is pushed by a certain amount, an ultrasonic pressure field is applied according to the position of the fingertip. switch from a static pressure field to a dynamic pressure field, presenting two levels of tactile stimuli. FIG. 5 shows an example of two stages of tactile stimulation that a pressure field presents to a human fingertip. The first step is to present a tactile sensation that can be sensed by the fingertip by a pressure field of unmodulated ultrasonic waves, and the second step is to present a vibrating tactile sensation to the fingertip by a pressure field of modulated ultrasonic waves. It is time to present. As shown in FIG. 5, in the first stage, as the fingertip moves downward, the pressure of the unmodulated ultrasonic wave increases to present the human fingertip with a tactile stimulus as if a button is being pressed.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of pressure fields in the first and second regions. The pressure field presented in the first stage is generated in the first region B by unmodulated ultrasound, and the presence of the virtual button 50 can be sensed. In addition, since the intensity of this unmodulated pressure field increases closer to its center, a static and weak tactile sensation stimulus for pushing the virtual button 50 is presented to the fingertip. The unmodulated ultrasonic pressure field is primarily perceivable by the Merkel disc. In this embodiment, 40 kHz ultrasound is used to generate the pressure field. This produces no audible sound.

A pressure field in the first region B by unmodulated ultrasonic waves is generated in advance in the partial regions B1 to B3 within the space surrounded by the plurality of ultrasonic oscillator arrays 10 . A pressure field by unmodulated ultrasonic waves is generated in advance regardless of the position of the fingertip. As shown in FIG. 6, the intensity of the pressure field of unmodulated ultrasonic waves varies depending on the partial regions B1-B3 in the space. In FIG. 6, the third partial area B3 with the thickest hatching is the area where the pressure field strength is the strongest, and the second partial area B2 with medium hatching has medium strength of the pressure field. The first partial area B1, which is the area and the hatching is the lightest, is the area where the intensity of the pressure field is the weakest. Although the intensity of the pressure field in the first region B due to the non-modulated ultrasonic waves changes continuously, it is schematically depicted in three steps in FIG. 6 for convenience of explanation. Also, the difference between the strength of the pressure field in the third partial area B3 and the strength of the pressure field in the second partial area B2 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value so that the difference in strength can be clearly perceived with a fingertip.

Therefore, when the fingertip moves to the position A1, the pressure formed in the first partial region B1 is received, and a weak tactile sensation is felt. Similarly, when the fingertip moves to the position A2, it receives the pressure formed in the second partial region B2, so that a moderate tactile sensation is felt, and when the fingertip moves to the position A3, the pressure formed in the third partial region B3. to receive a strong tactile stimulus.

In this way, as the fingertip moves downward, the presented tactile stimulus becomes stronger, so it is possible to give the fingertip a tactile stimulus similar to pressing a button. As described above, the fingertip is presented with a first-stage unmodulated ultrasonic pressure field. When the detection unit 30 detects that the fingertip has moved to the position A3, the control unit performs control to switch from the first-stage unmodulated pressure field to the second-stage modulated pressure field. The modulated pressure field in this embodiment is a pressure field by LM (lateral modulation) modulated ultrasonic waves.

The second-stage pressure field is generated in the second region C shown in FIG. 6 by the modulated ultrasonic waves, and presents a vibrotactile sensation to the fingertip that evokes a click feeling when the button is pushed to the final position. The pressure field due to the modulated ultrasound is a pressure field with a high intensity compared to the unmodulated pressure field in the first stage. The tactile stimulus presented by the second-stage modulated ultrasound pressure field is primarily perceivable by the Pacinian corpuscles. Although the second region C partially overlaps the first region B, the regions as a whole are different from each other.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of LM modulation of ultrasonic waves that generate a pressure field in the second region C. FIG. LM modulation is spatio-temporal modulation in which the focal position of pulsed ultrasonic waves is horizontally reciprocated between a plurality of positions within the pulse time. Note that the reciprocating motion between a plurality of locations by spatio-temporal modulation is not limited to the horizontal direction, and may be in any direction in three-dimensional space as required according to the direction of operation of the virtual button. As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the focal position of the ultrasonic sound pressure is reciprocated in the lateral direction (direction along the pad of the finger) between two points P1 and P2 in the focal plane. The amplitude L of reciprocating motion is 9 mm, and the frequency of reciprocating motion is 250 Hz. The presentation time of the tactile stimulus by LM-modulated ultrasound is 40 ms. If the presentation time of the tactile sense stimulus is long, the tactile sense stimulus becomes “bubble”, and if the presentation time is short, the tactile sense stimulus becomes “clicky”. Note that the amplitude and frequency of the reciprocating motion and the presentation time of the tactile stimulus are not limited to the above examples. Also, the focus may be moved between three or more points.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the timing of switching from the first stage to the second stage modulated pressure field. FIG. 8(a) shows the strength of the unmodulated pressure field. Here, it is assumed that a human fingertip is descending in space at a constant speed. As shown in FIG. 8(a), the strength of the unmodulated pressure field increases with the lapse of time, and the strength of the pressure field weakens after passing a specific position. The position where the strength of the pressure field is the strongest is the center position of the third partial area B3 in FIG. At the timing when the intensity of the non-modulated pressure field becomes the strongest, the pressure field is switched to the LM-modulated pressure field shown in FIG. 8(b).

FIG. 9 is a timing chart of LM modulation. In this embodiment, ultrasonic waves are output as pulse waves with a frequency of 25 Hz. Within one pulse (40 ms), the focal position of the ultrasonic sound pressure reciprocates five times between the two points P1 and P2 on the pad of the fingertip. Note that the vibration frequency of the ultrasonic waves is 40 kHz.

The control unit 20 controls the aerial image generated by the image display device 40 so that at least one of the pressure field of the unmodulated ultrasonic wave in the first stage and the pressure field of the modulated ultrasonic wave in the second stage is superimposed. do. Note that the control unit 20 superimposes at least one of the first-stage unmodulated pressure field and the second-stage modulated pressure field on a partial region of the aerial image generated by the image display device 40. may be controlled.

According to the sound field generation device 100 according to the first embodiment, dynamically switching between an unmodulated pressure field and a modulated pressure field, and presenting two levels of different tactile stimuli to different regions in the space. . This is an example of generating pressure fields with different modulation methods in different spatial regions in the first stage and the second stage. Furthermore, this is also an example of generating pressure fields with different intensities in different spatial regions in the first stage and the second stage. As a result, it is possible to create different tactile stimuli given to human fingertips by the ultrasonic sound pressure, to recognize the position of a virtual button, and to reproduce the click feeling when the button is pressed.

[Second embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above, the first stage is an unmodulated pressure field and the second stage is an LM-modulated pressure field in order to present a tactile stimulus that reproduces a click feeling. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the first stage is an AM (amplitude modulation) modulated pressure field, and the second stage is an LM modulated pressure field. AM modulation is the amplitude modulation of ultrasound. The amplitude to be modulated is several Hz to 200 Hz. LM modulation is the same as described in the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a sound field generation device 101 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10 , the sound field generation device 101 has an ultrasonic oscillator array 10 , a control section 20 , a detection section 30 and an image display device 40 . A sound field generation device 101 according to the second embodiment uses one ultrasonic oscillator array 10 to present a tactile stimulus at a position 600 mm from the bottom surface. FIG. 10 shows the virtual button 51 at a position 600 mm from the ultrasonic oscillator array 10 . In the second embodiment, it is assumed that the detection unit 30 detects the position of the human palm.

In FIG. 10, in the first region B4 above the virtual button 51, a pressure field is generated by AM-modulated ultrasonic waves in the first step. In the second area B5 below the virtual button 51, a pressure field is generated by the LM-modulated ultrasonic waves in the second stage. As shown in FIG. 10, the first region B4 for generating the pressure field by AM-modulated ultrasonic waves is higher than the second region B5 for generating the pressure field by LM-modulated ultrasonic waves. In this embodiment, the height of the region for generating the pressure field by AM-modulated ultrasonic waves is 50 mm, for example, and the height of the region for generating the pressure field by LM-modulated ultrasonic waves is for example 100 mm. In addition, the intensity of the pressure field due to AM-modulated ultrasonic waves is approximately one tenth of the intensity of the pressure field due to LM-modulated ultrasonic waves.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the stages of control of the pressure field in the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, in the second embodiment, two stages of tactile stimuli are presented: search and operation. The search phase is the phase in which the human hand actively searches for the position of the button, presenting a weak tactile stimulus with a pressure field of AM-modulated ultrasound. The operation stage is the stage in which the human hand presses the virtual button to complete the operation, presenting a strong tactile stimulus with a pressure field of LM-modulated ultrasound.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a comparison of the strength of the pressure field due to AM-modulated ultrasonic waves and the pressure field due to LM-modulated ultrasonic waves. As shown in FIG. 12, the AM-modulated ultrasonic pressure field is a tactile stimulus with an intensity of about half the time average of the acoustic radiation pressure compared to the LM-modulated pressure field. Present a weak tactile stimulus. Acoustic radiation pressure is an index of the strength of the pressure field.

These two pressure fields are switched when the detection unit 30 detects the position of the person's hand. When the detection unit 30 detects that the human hand has moved to the second region B5, the control unit 20 switches the pressure field from AM-modulated ultrasonic waves to LM-modulated ultrasonic waves.

According to the sound field generation device 101 according to the second embodiment, the tactile sensation stimulation by the pressure field of AM-modulated ultrasonic waves and the tactile sensation stimulation by the pressure field of LM-modulated ultrasonic waves are applied to different regions in the space. Present. By presenting two levels of tactile stimuli with different intensities perceived by humans in different areas in the space, it is possible to create different tactile stimuli given to the palm of the human hand, and click. Feelings can be reproduced.

[Modification 1]
In the first embodiment, the pressure field of the first region is the pressure field of unmodulated ultrasonic waves, and the pressure field of the second region is the pressure field of LM-modulated ultrasonic waves. In the second embodiment, the pressure field of the first region is the pressure field of AM-modulated ultrasonic waves, and the pressure field of the second region is the pressure field of LM-modulated ultrasonic waves. However, other combinations are possible as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 13, "unmodulated" is an unmodulated pressure field, "AM strong" is a pressure field with enhanced AM modulated ultrasonic output, and "LM strong" is an LM modulated ultrasonic output. "AM Weak" is a pressure field with weakened output of AM-modulated ultrasonic waves, and "LM Weak" is a pressure field with weakened output of LM-modulated ultrasonic waves. In FIG. 12, the preferable combination is indicated by "◯" and the possible combination is indicated by "Δ".

As shown in FIG. 13, for example, the pressure field in the first region can be a non-modulated pressure field, and the second region can be a pressure field with a high intensity AM-modulated ultrasonic wave. Further, the pressure field in the first region is set so that the pressure field in the first region is a pressure field in which the intensity of the LM-modulated ultrasonic waves is weak, and the pressure field in the second region is a pressure field in which the intensity of the LM-modulated ultrasonic waves is strong. It is also possible to change the intensity (degree) of the output without changing the modulation method of the pressure field between the pressure field and the pressure field in the second region.

[Modification 2]
In the above-described first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a non-modulated pressure field is prepared in advance so as to have a predetermined pressure at a predetermined position. That is, the focal position of the ultrasonic waves that form the non-modulated pressure field is set to a predetermined position in the space (center position of the partial region B3). However, the focal position of this ultrasonic wave may be interlocked with the position of the person's fingertip acquired by the detection unit 30 and dynamically controlled. That is, in the first stage, the focal position of the ultrasound and the intensity of its pressure field may be dynamically controlled. For example, when the fingertip is at a high position A1, a pressure field with a size of 0.6 (relative value) is generated by setting the focal position of the ultrasonic wave to the position A1, and detecting that the fingertip has come to the middle position A2. After confirmation by the unit 30, a pressure field with a magnitude of 0.8 (relative value) is generated with the focal position of the ultrasonic wave set to the position A2, and when the detection unit 30 confirms that the fingertip has come to the lower position A3, Control may be performed to generate a pressure field with a magnitude of 1.0 (relative value) with the focal position of the ultrasonic wave being the position of A3.

[Modification 3]
In the above-described first embodiment, the pressure field in the first area is switched to the pressure field in the second area when the detection unit 30 detects that the fingertip has moved to a predetermined position. That is, the pressure field was switched from the first stage to the second stage according to the detected fingertip position. Alternatively, the pressure field in the first region and the second stage pressure field in the second region may be generated all the time. That is, it is not necessary to switch from the first stage to the second stage. In this case, the detection unit 30 does not have to detect the position of the fingertip.

Additionally, various embodiments of the invention may be described with reference to flowchart illustrations and block diagrams, where blocks represent (1) steps in a process in which operations are performed or (2) roles that perform operations. may represent a section of equipment that has Certain steps and sections may be implemented by dedicated circuitry, programmable circuitry provided with computer readable instructions stored on a computer readable medium, and/or processor provided with computer readable instructions stored on a computer readable medium. you can Dedicated circuitry may include digital and/or analog hardware circuitry, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and/or discrete circuitry. Programmable circuits include logic AND, logic OR, logic XOR, logic NAND, logic NOR, and other logic operations, memory elements such as flip-flops, registers, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), etc. and the like.

Computer-readable media may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions to be executed by a suitable device, such that computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon may be designated in flowcharts or block diagrams. It will comprise an article of manufacture containing instructions that can be executed to create means for performing the operations described above. Examples of computer-readable media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, and the like. More specific examples of computer readable media include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM or flash memory), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), Blu-ray (RTM) Disc, Memory Stick, Integration Circuit cards and the like may be included.

The computer readable instructions may be assembler instructions, Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or object oriented programming such as Smalltalk, JAVA, C++, etc. language, and any combination of one or more programming languages, including conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. good.

Computer readable instructions may be transferred to a processor or programmable circuitry of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, either locally or over a wide area network (WAN), such as a local area network (LAN), the Internet, or the like. ) and may be executed to create means for performing the operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, and the like.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example computer 2200 in which aspects of the invention may be implemented in whole or in part. Programs installed on the computer 2200 may cause the computer 2200 to function as one or more sections of an operation or apparatus associated with an apparatus according to embodiments of the invention, or may Sections may be executed and/or computer 2200 may be caused to execute processes or steps of such processes according to embodiments of the present invention. Such programs may be executed by CPU 2212 to cause computer 2200 to perform certain operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

Computer 2200 according to this embodiment includes CPU 2212 , RAM 2214 , graphics controller 2216 , and display device 2218 , which are interconnected by host controller 2210 . Computer 2200 also includes input/output units such as communication interface 2222, hard disk drive 2224, DVD-ROM drive 2226, and IC card drive, which are connected to host controller 2210 via input/output controller 2220. there is The computer also includes legacy input/output units such as ROM 2230 and keyboard 2242 , which are connected to input/output controller 2220 through input/output chip 2240 .

CPU 2212 operates according to programs stored in ROM 2230 and RAM 2214, thereby controlling each unit. Graphics controller 2216 retrieves image data generated by CPU 2212 into itself, such as a frame buffer provided in RAM 2214 , and causes the image data to be displayed on display device 2218 .

Communication interface 2222 communicates with other electronic devices over a network. Hard disk drive 2224 stores programs and data used by CPU 2212 within computer 2200 . DVD-ROM drive 2226 reads programs or data from DVD-ROM 2201 and provides programs or data to hard disk drive 2224 via RAM 2214 . The IC card drive reads programs and data from IC cards and/or writes programs and data to IC cards.

ROM 2230 stores therein programs that are dependent on the hardware of computer 2200, such as a boot program that is executed by computer 2200 upon activation. Input/output chip 2240 may also connect various input/output units to input/output controller 2220 via parallel ports, serial ports, keyboard ports, mouse ports, and the like.

A program is provided by a computer-readable medium such as a DVD-ROM 2201 or an IC card. The program is read from a computer-readable medium, installed in hard disk drive 2224 , RAM 2214 , or ROM 2230 , which are also examples of computer-readable medium, and executed by CPU 2212 . The information processing described within these programs is read by computer 2200 to provide coordination between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be configured by implementing the manipulation or processing of information in accordance with the use of computer 2200 .

For example, when communication is performed between the computer 2200 and an external device, the CPU 2212 executes a communication program loaded in the RAM 2214 and sends communication processing to the communication interface 2222 based on the processing described in the communication program. you can command. The communication interface 2222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in a recording medium such as the RAM 2214, the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM 2201, or an IC card under the control of the CPU 2212, and transmits the read transmission data. Data is transmitted to the network, or received data received from the network is written to a receive buffer processing area or the like provided on the recording medium.

In addition, the CPU 2212 causes the RAM 2214 to read all or necessary portions of files or databases stored in external recording media such as a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM drive 2226 (DVD-ROM 2201), an IC card, etc. Various types of processing may be performed on the data in RAM 2214 . CPU 2212 then writes back the processed data to the external recording medium.

Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on recording media and subjected to information processing. CPU 2212 performs various types of operations on data read from RAM 2214, information processing, conditional decision making, conditional branching, unconditional branching, and information retrieval, as specified throughout this disclosure and by instruction sequences of programs. Various types of processing may be performed, including /replace, etc., and the results written back to RAM 2214 . In addition, the CPU 2212 may search for information in a file in a recording medium, a database, or the like. For example, if a plurality of entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 2212 determines that the attribute value of the first attribute is specified. search the plurality of entries for an entry that matches the condition, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby associate it with the first attribute that satisfies the predetermined condition. an attribute value of the second attribute obtained.

The programs or software modules described above may be stored in a computer readable medium on or near computer 2200 . Also, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable medium, thereby providing the program to the computer 2200 via the network. do.

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the scope of claims that forms with such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

The execution order of each process such as actions, procedures, steps, and stages in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, the specification, and the drawings is particularly "before", "before etc., and it should be noted that it can be implemented in any order unless the output of the previous process is used in the subsequent process. Regarding the operation flow in the claims, the specification, and the drawings, even if the description is made using "first," "next," etc. for the sake of convenience, it means that it is essential to carry out in this order. not a thing

10 ultrasonic oscillator array, 11 ultrasonic oscillator, 12 support, 20 controller, 30 detector, 40 image display device, 50, 51 virtual button, 100, 101 sound field generator, 2200 computer, 2201 DVD- ROM, 2210 host controller, 2212 CPU, 2214 RAM, 2216 graphics controller, 2218 display device, 2220 input/output controller, 2222 communication interface, 2224 hard disk drive, 2226 DVD-ROM drive, 2230 ROM, 2240 input/output chip, 2242 Keyboard, B1-B5 area, A1-A3 position, P1, P2 focus position

Claims (18)

an ultrasonic oscillator array in which ultrasonic oscillators that oscillate ultrasonic waves are arranged;
a control unit that controls the ultrasonic oscillator array;
with
The control unit generates a first pressure field by the ultrasonic wave in a first region in the space, and generates a pressure field different in strength from the first pressure field in a second region different from the first region in the space. A sound field generating device that generates a second pressure field by spatio-temporal modulation of the ultrasonic waves. 2. The sound field according to claim 1, wherein said first region and said second region are adjacent to each other, and a pressure field intensity difference between said adjacent first region and said second region is greater than a preset value. generator. 3. The sound field generator according to claim 1, wherein the intensity of said first pressure field varies continuously within said first region. The control unit generates the first pressure field by the ultrasonic wave controlled by the first modulation different from the spatio-temporal modulation, and generates the first pressure field by the ultrasonic wave controlled by the second modulation different from the first modulation 4. The sound field generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which generates the second pressure field. 5. The sound field generation device according to claim 4, wherein the first modulation and the second modulation are different in modulation method. 2. The sound field generation device according to claim 1, wherein the first pressure field and the second pressure field are generated by the same modulation method. The sound field generation device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the control unit amplitude-modulates the ultrasonic wave to generate the first pressure field. 7. The sound field generating device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit generates the first pressure field with the unmodulated ultrasonic wave and generates the second pressure field with the modulated ultrasonic wave. The sound field generation device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit generates the second pressure field by the pulsed ultrasonic waves. 10. The sound field generating device according to claim 9, wherein the control unit causes the focal position of the pulsed ultrasonic wave to reciprocate between a plurality of locations within the second region within the pulse time. It further comprises a detection unit that detects the position of the object,
The sound field generation according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the control unit switches control for generating the first pressure field to control for generating the second pressure field depending on the position of the object. Device. 12. The sound field generation device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit changes the strength of the first pressure field according to the position of the object. 13. The sound field generation device according to claim 12, wherein the control unit maximizes the strength of the first pressure field at the position of the object that generates the second pressure field. The sound field generation device according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the control section generates at least one of the first pressure field and the second pressure field regardless of the position of the object. The sound field generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein a plurality of said ultrasonic oscillator arrays are arranged on planes different from each other. further comprising an image display device for displaying an image in the space;
16. The controller according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the controller superimposes at least one of the first pressure field and the second pressure field on the position of the image displayed by the image display device. The sound field generation device according to . A control step for controlling vibration of an ultrasonic oscillator array in which ultrasonic oscillators that oscillate ultrasonic waves are arranged,
In the control step, a first pressure field is generated by the ultrasonic wave in a first region in the space, and a second region in the space different from the first region has a strength different from that of the first pressure field. A sound field generation method, wherein a second pressure field is generated by spatio-temporal modulation of the ultrasonic waves. to the computer,
A sound field generation program for presenting a pressure field by ultrasonic waves by executing a control step for controlling vibration of an ultrasonic oscillator array in which ultrasonic oscillator elements for oscillating ultrasonic waves are arranged,
In the control step, a first pressure field is generated by the ultrasonic wave in a first region in the space, and a second region in the space different from the first region has a strength different from that of the first pressure field. A sound field generation program for generating a second pressure field by spatio-temporal modulation of the ultrasonic waves.

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