WO2017090984A1

WO2017090984A1 - Method for generating vibration signal, method for playing back image using vibration signal and program for executing the method

Info

Publication number: WO2017090984A1
Application number: PCT/KR2016/013559
Authority: WO
Inventors: Myung Chul Kim; Sung Hoon Jang; Hyung Jin Tak
Original assignee: Cj 4Dplex Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2015-11-23
Filing date: 2016-11-23
Publication date: 2017-06-01
Also published as: KR20170059819A; KR101756298B1

Abstract

Disclosed are a method for generating a vibration signal, a method for playing back an image using a vibration signal, and a program for executing the method. The method for generating a vibration signal includes extracting an audio signal from an image, removing a frequency component of a predetermined range or more from the audio signal, inserting a sine wave signal into the audio signal from which the frequency component of the predetermined range or more has been removed, and synchronizing the playback time of the image and the playback time of the audio signal into which the sine wave signal has been inserted. Accordingly, disadvantages of an audio signal and a sine wave signal can be supplemented and a more realistic vibration effect can be provided by generating a vibration signal through a combination of the audio signal and the sine wave signal.

Description

METHOD FOR GENERATING VIBRATION SIGNAL, METHOD FOR PLAYING BACK IMAGE USING VIBRATION SIGNAL AND PROGRAM FOR EXECUTING THE METHOD

The present invention relates to a method for generating a vibration signal, a method for playing back an image using a vibration signal, and a program for executing the method and, more particularly, to a method for generating a vibration signal, including the steps of (a) extracting an audio signal from an image; (b) removing a frequency component of a predetermined range or more from the audio signal; (c) inserting a sine wave signal into the audio signal from which the frequency component of the predetermined range or more has been removed; and (d) synchronizing the playback time of the image and the playback time of the audio signal into which the sine wave signal has been inserted.

As various types of multimedia content increase recently, performance of a multimedia device for playing back the various types of multimedia content becomes more important. An image actually seen by a person is a three dimension (3-D), whereas an image captured by a camera is recorded in a two-dimension (2-D) manner. Accordingly, when the image is displayed on a screen of a monitor or theater, a 3-D effect is deteriorated.

Accordingly, a 3-D display device for implementing a 3-D stereoscopic image has been in the spotlight. Recently, a four-dimensional (4-D) technology to which a haptic technology by which a situation in an image can be felt more realistically has been added is emerging.

Recently, with the spread of digital media capable of bidirectional exchange of signals and the revival of the movie industry as a momentum, the possibility of a new form of a movie market is emerging. By using stereoscopic photographing equipment when a movie is produced, the movie has the same content as a 2-D image movie, but provides a 3-D stereoscopic movie having an increased sense of reality.

In addition, the number of movie theaters is increasing, which adopts a vibration-felt type chair capable of experiencing a sound of deeper feeling by mounting a vibration device on the chair so that the chair is vibrated in conjunction with a baritone sound in a movie. Such a vibration-felt type chair adopts a method for converting an electric signal into mechanical vibration and delivering the mechanical vibration to the human body.

In a conventional technology, however, an audience feels inconvenient due to monotonous mechanical feeling rather than various senses according to scenes of a movie because it is difficult to handle a fine change of vibration. Furthermore, there are problems in that in order to solve such a problem, the production cost of a vibration device is increased and the structure of an apparatus is complicated, making it difficult to reduce the size of the apparatus.

[Prior Art Document]

[Patent Document]

(Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2012-0000159 entitled "Vibration Converting Chair"

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to supplement disadvantages of an audio signal and sine wave signal and to provide a more realistic vibration effect by generating a vibration signal through a combination of the audio signal and the sine wave signal.

Another object of the present invention is to generate natural vibration suitable for an image of a movie using an audio signal of the movie.

Yet another object of the present invention is to control the intensity and frequency of vibration when an editor converts an audio signal of an image into a vibration signal.

Further yet another object of the present invention is to provide a more realistic vibration effect by generating vibration combined with an external audio signal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for generating a vibration signal may include the steps of (a) extracting an audio signal from an image, (b) removing the frequency component of a predetermined range or more from the audio signal, (c) inserting a sine wave signal into the audio signal from which the frequency component of the predetermined range or more has been removed, and (d) synchronizing the playback time of the image and the playback time of the audio signal into which the sine wave signal has been inserted.

In this case, the step (b) may include removing the frequency component of the predetermined range or more using a low pass filter.

Furthermore, in another embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include the step of (b1) amplifying or decreasing amplitude of the audio signal from which the frequency component of the predetermined range or more has been removed, after the step (b).

In addition, the step (c) may include inserting a second audio signal into the audio signal from which the frequency component of the predetermined range or more has been removed in addition to the sine wave signal.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include the step of (c1) controlling amplitude or frequency of the inserted sine wave signal, after the step (c).

Furthermore, in another embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include the step of (c2) normalizing amplitude of the inserted sine wave signal with amplitude of the audio signal, after the step (c).

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for playing back an image using a vibration signal may include the steps of (a) playing back, by a theater server, an image, (b) transmitting, by the theater server, a vibration signal having a playback time synchronized with the playback time of the image to an external device capable of generating physical vibration, and (c) receiving, by the external device, the vibration signal and generating physical vibration in response to the vibration signal.

In this case, the external device may include at least one of a theater speaker and theater chair equipped with means for generating physical vibration in response to the vibration signal.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the method for generating a vibration signal or the method for playing back an image using a vibration signal may be implemented in the form of a computer-executable program.

An embodiment of the present invention can supplement disadvantages of an audio signal and sine wave signal and provide a more realistic vibration effect by generating a vibration signal through a combination of the audio signal and the sine wave signal.

Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention can generate natural vibration suitable for an image of a movie using an audio signal of the movie.

Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention can control the intensity and frequency of vibration when an editor converts an audio signal of an image into a vibration signal.

Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention can provide a more realistic vibration effect by generating vibration combined with an external audio signal.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a process of combining the waveforms of signals in order to describe a process of combining a sine wave signal with an audio signal in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating a vibration signal and a method for playing back an image using a vibration signal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating a vibration signal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for playing back an image using a vibration signal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a reference diagram illustrating the generation of a vibration signal and an image screening program using a vibration signal in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The details of the objects and technical configurations of the present invention and acting effects thereof will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description based on the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The embodiments disclosed in this specification should not be construed or used as limiting the scope of the present invention. It is evident to those skilled in the art that a description including the embodiments of this specification may have various applications. Accordingly, some embodiments described in the detailed description of the present invention are illustrative for better understanding, and the scope of the present invention is not intended to be restricted by the embodiments.

Functional blocks illustrated in the drawings and described hereunder are only examples of possible implementations. In other implementations, other functional blocks may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the detailed description. Furthermore, one or more functional blocks of the present invention are illustrated as separate blocks, but one or more of the functional blocks of the present invention may be a combination of various hardware and software elements for executing the same function.

Furthermore, it should be understood that an expression that some elements are included is an expression of an open type and the expression simply denotes that the corresponding elements are present, but does not exclude additional elements.

Furthermore, when one element is described as being connected or coupled to the other element, it should be understood that one element may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, but a third element may be interposed between the two elements.

Furthermore, the expressions, such as "the first" and "the second", are used to only distinguish a plurality of elements and do not limit a sequence or other characteristics between the elements.

A field to which embodiments of the present invention are applied is the 4-D technology field of the movie industry. The 4-D technology refers to a technology for adding actual feeling to movie audiences by providing physical effects (e.g., the spray of drops of water, the vibration and motion of seats, and the exhalation and diffusion of flash light and smell) along with a 3-D stereoscopic image. The 4-D technology is commonly called 4-D in a sense that one technology has been added to the 3-D technology, but is a kind of marketing term rather than a technology term. The 4-D technology does not need to be essentially accompanied by a 3-D stereoscopic image. If an image itself has been produced as a common 2-D image not a 3-D stereoscopic image, but has to be played back in 4-D equipment, a 4-D image may be implemented by providing physical effects to the common 2-D image. Accordingly, the greatest characteristic of the 4-D technology is to provide a physical stimulus to audiences in addition to an image.

Recently, when audiences watch a movie, they almost experience an actual situation in visual, auditory and olfactory manners. Various types of research and development for providing audiences with a tactile effect using vibration are being carried out.

As part of such research and development, there is a method for generating vibration by transferring an audio signal itself to a vibration device or generating vibration by transferring a sine wave signal to a vibration device.

If an audio signal itself is transferred to a vibration device, there is an advantage in that audiences can be provided with a vibration effect more naturally harmonized with an image because the audio signal itself corresponding to the image is provided as a vibration effect, but there is a difficulty in removing unnecessary vibration or adding effective vibration with respect to a specific scene of a movie.

If a sine wave signal is transferred to a vibration device, there are advantages in that a vibration effect corresponding to an image can be generated by controlling the size, cycle, etc. of vibration and the generated vibration effect can be inserted into a required scene, but there is a disadvantage in that audiences may not feel vibration naturally harmonized with the image because the generated vibration effect is an artificially generated vibration effect.

Embodiments of the present invention can maximize the advantages of an audio signal and sine wave signal and supplement the disadvantages of the audio signal and sine wave signal by combining and storing the audio signal and the sine wave signal as in FIG. 1, and thus can provide a more realistic vibration effect while solving the conventional problems by combining a sine wave signal with an audio signal and providing a more realistic vibration effect.

A "vibration signal" used in the embodiments of the present invention is also a kind of wavelength that generates a signal like an audio signal. However, a signal generated using a method to be described in an embodiment of the present invention, that is, a signal generated by removing a high frequency component from an audio signal extracted from an image and inserting a sine wave signal into the audio signal from which the high frequency component has been removed or inserting another audio signal into the audio signal in order to provide a more natural 4-D vibration effect, is collectively called a "vibration signal" in the embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the method for generating a vibration signal and the method for playing back an image using a vibration signal according to an embodiment of the present invention may include step S300 of generating a vibration signal and step S400 of playing back an image using the vibration signal.

Step S300 of generating the vibration signal includes previously combining an audio signal with a sine wave signal prior to the generation of vibration when a movie is played back so that the vibration can be transferred more effectively and a more natural vibration signal is generated.

Step S400 of playing back the image using the vibration signal includes expressing accurate vibration on a required time by synchronize the playback time of the vibration signal with the playback time of a movie to be played back in a theater server.

Step S300 of generating the vibration signal is described in detail with reference to FIG. 3, and step S400 of playing back the image using the vibration signal is described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 3, the method for generating a vibration signal according to an embodiment of the present invention may include (a) step S310 of extracting an audio signal from an image, (b) step S320 of removing a frequency component of a predetermined range or more from the audio signal, (c) step S340 of inserting a sine wave signal into the audio signal from which the frequency component of the predetermined range or more has been removed, and (d) step S370 of synchronizing the playback time of the image and the playback time of the audio signal into which the sine wave signal has been inserted.

At (a) step S310, the audio signal included in the image may be read, and a waveform may be extracted from the audio signal. In this case, the waveform of the audio signal, that is, a change of amplitude over time, may be extracted, or the waveforms of audio signals distributed for each frequency may be extracted, but this is only an embodiment. In extracting a waveform that expresses information about the audio signal, the waveform of the audio signal may be extracted using various methods depending on that an x axis/y axis is set as which information. In this case, the image may include various dynamic images, such as a movie, advertising, music video and animation.

At (b) step S320, the frequency component of the predetermined range or more is removed from the audio signal. The frequency functions to determine the high and low of a voice. As the frequency is higher, a sound becomes a high sound. In general, a person feels greater vibration at a low sound. Accordingly, when a vibration effect is implemented using an audio signal, a low frequency component is required. If the audio signals of all of frequency bands are used, vibration is not natural and the amount of data is increased. Accordingly, in implementing a vibration effect using an audio signal, a high frequency component may be considered to be noise.

In this case, (b) step S320 may include removing the frequency component of the predetermined range or more using a low pass filter (LPF). The LPF functions to transmit a frequency component lower than a specific frequency and to block a frequency component higher than a specific frequency. The specific frequency may be different depending on device values of the LPF.

For example, assuming that a vehicle chase scene is played back between the 1 minute 10 seconds and 2 minutes 20 seconds of image data, the audio signal of the image data includes a vehicle sound between the 1 minute 10 seconds and the 2 minutes 20 seconds. In this case, the audio signal may also include a voice signal, such as the dialogue of a character, in addition to the vehicle sound. Accordingly, if the audio signal itself is output by a vibration generation device, other vibration is also generated in addition to a signal that expresses the vibration of a vehicle because the dialogue of a character is also output to a vibration device, thereby making it difficult to provide natural vibration. Accordingly, more natural vibration may be implemented by removing the dialogue of the character using the LPF so that only the frequency component including the vehicle sound remains intact.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the method for generating a vibration signal may further include (b1) step S330 of amplifying or decreasing amplitude of the audio signal from which the frequency component of the predetermined range or more has been removed at (b) step S320. After the high frequency component is removed, the audio signal is amplified so that audiences can feel a vibration effect more strongly or the audio signal is reduced so that audiences can feel comfortable vibration.

At (c) step S340, the sine wave signal may be inserted into the audio signal from which the frequency component of the predetermined range or more has been removed. As shown in FIG. 1, in order to remove the voice signal of the audio signal, the voice signal may pass through the LPF so that a weak frequency signal is output. The reason for this is that from the nature of a movie, the sound of a surrounding environment is reduced and output in a portion including the dialogue of a character so that the dialogue can be heard more clearly.

For example, in a vehicle chase scene, a vehicle sound is strongly output from a frame including a vehicle. If the frame is changed into a frame from which a face of a character is output, the vehicle sound is weakly output and the dialogue of the character is output more strongly. For such a characteristic of a movie, after the audio signal passes through the LPF, the dialogue portion of the character is removed, and thus the portion including the strong frequency signal and the portion including the weak frequency signal are mixed. If such a signal is used in a vibration effect without any change, audiences may have a difficulty in feeling natural vibration because vibration is not constant. Accordingly, in an embodiment of the present invention, natural vibration can generated by inserting the sine wave signal having amplitude and a frequency similar to those of the waveform of the audio signal that has passed through the LPF.

In this case, at (c) step S340, a second audio signal in addition to the sine wave signal may be further inserted into the audio signal from which the frequency component of the predetermined range or more has been removed. The vibration signal generated using the method according to an embodiment of the present invention, as will be described later, may be databased after the sine wave signal is inserted into the audio signal and stored. Accordingly, at (c) step S340, a more realistic vibration effect can be generated by inserting a previously stored or new second audio signal into the audio signal in addition to the sine wave signal.

For example, if a vibration effect is insufficient because the audio signal of a vehicle chase scene included in a movie A is very weak, a natural vibration effect can be generated by inserting the second audio signal of the vehicle chase scene, previously stored in a database, into the audio signal and normalizing them.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the method for generating a vibration signal may further include (c1) step S350 of controlling the amplitude or frequency of the inserted sine wave signal or the second audio signal after (c) step S340. Accordingly, if the amplitude or frequency of the audio signal passing through the LPF is different from that of the sine wave signal or second audio signal to be inserted, natural vibration as much as possible can be generated by controlling the amplitude or frequency.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the method for generating a vibration signal may further include (c2) step S360 of normalizing the amplitude of the inserted sine wave signal and the amplitude of the audio signal after (c) step S340. Accordingly, if the amplitude of the audio signal passing through the LPF is different from that of the sine wave signal or second audio signal to be inserted, natural vibration as much as possible can be generated by normalizing the amplitude of the audio signal and the amplitude of the sine wave signal or second audio signal. In the present invention, the term "normalizing" is a process for correcting the amplitude sizes of different signals to be combined at (c) step S340 so that they are similar. If normalizing is performed, a natural vibration size can be generated although signals of different amplitude are combined because the amplitudes of the signals are averaged to a specific level. Normalizing may be implemented in such a way as to calculate an average of a signal in the section in which amplitude is the strongest and a signal in the section in which amplitude is the weakest or an average of all of amplitudes in a specific section and to increase or decrease each of peak sounds to a specific size by incorporating the average into each peak sound. However, such a method is only an example, and normalizing may be implemented using various methods.

At (d) step S370, the playback time of the image and the playback time of the audio signal into which the sine wave signal has been inserted may be synchronized. It is important to accurately synchronize the audio signal extracted from the image with a scene of the image and to play back them because the audio signal, unlike a pure audio signal of the image, needs to be transmitted to an external device, such as a theater chair or theater vibration speaker capable of generating physical vibration. To this end, time code of the image may be accurately matched with time code of the audio signal into which the sine wave signal has been inserted, and they may be then stored. In this case, the time code means code recorded at the edge of each frame in the movie. Accordingly, the playback time of the image and the playback time of the vibration signal can be accurately matched through the position of frames because the time code assigns unique indication to each frame.

Furthermore, in addition to the method for recording specific time code on each frame, code may be recorded on a scene, take, a camera, a roll number or a photographing date. In addition to the method for leaving a number in a frame so that the number can be seen, there is a method for recording time code on a magnetic body coated on a film base. In addition to the method for recording time code on a film as described above, the code generation device of a recorder records time code or leaves time code on a tape using a printer. If such a method is used, the playback time of the image and the playback time of the vibration signal can be matched.

The vibration signal generated using the method for generating a vibration signal according to an embodiment of the present invention as described above may be stored in various audio file formats, such as wav, flac, mp3 and aac. The vibration signal generated using the method may be databased and used to edit another audio signal.

Referring to FIG. 4, the method for playing back an image using a vibration signal according to an embodiment of the present invention may include (a) step S410 of playing back, by a theater server, the image, (b) step S420 of transmitting, by the theater server, the vibration signal having the playback time synchronized with the playback time of the image to an external device capable of generating physical vibration, and (c) step S430 of receiving, by the external device, the vibration signal and generating physical vibration in response to the vibration signal using the vibration signal generated using the method S300 for generating a vibration signal.

At (a) step S410, the theater server plays back the image. The theater server refers to a computer device for monitoring and controlling the entire theater. In an embodiment of the present invention, the theater server has a main function for controlling the playback of the vibration signal along with the image and performing control of synchronization with the image by transmitting the vibration signal to the external device capable of generating the aforementioned 4-D effects, more particularly, vibration.

At (b) step S420, the theater server transmits the vibration signal having the playback time synchronized with the image to the external device capable of generating physical vibration. The transmission of the vibration signal to the external device may be performed by connecting the theater server and a wired network or a wireless network or both and transmitting the vibration signal over the wired network or the wireless network or may be performed through a connection with a recording medium, such as a USB.

At (c) step S430, the external device may receive the vibration signal and generate physical vibration in response to the vibration signal. In this case, the external device may include a theater speaker or theater chair equipped with means for generating physical vibration in response to the vibration signal.

Accordingly, audiences in a theater can feel a more grand sound through vibration generated from a theater speaker. Furthermore, audiences can feel a more realistic vibration effect by feeling vibration corresponding to a movie scene because the vibration is directly transferred from the vibration device of a theater chair to an audience.

Furthermore, the method for generating a vibration signal and the method for playing back an image using a vibration signal may be implemented in a program or application form for executing the method as shown in FIG. 5. A computer-readable recording medium on which such a program or application has been recorded should be included in the range of right of the present invention.

Technological characteristics described in this specification and an implementation for executing the technological characteristics may be implemented using a digital electronic circuit, may be implemented using computer software, firmware or hardware including the structure described in this specification and structural equivalents thereof, or may be implemented using a combination of one or more of them. Furthermore, the implementation for executing the technological characteristics described in this specification may be implemented using a computer program product, that is, a module regarding computer program instructions encoded on a kind of program storage media in order to control the operation of a processing system or for execution by the processing system.

A computer-readable medium may be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of materials that affect a machine-readable electromagnetic signal or a combination of one or more of them.

A computer program also known as a program, software, a software application, a script or code may be written in any form of a programming language which includes a compiled or interpreted language or a transcendental and/or procedural language, and may also be implemented in any form including an independent program or module, a component, a subroutine or other units suitable for being used in a computer environment.

The computer program does not need to necessarily correspond to a file of a file system. The program may be stored in a single file provided to a requested program, multiple files that interact with each other (e.g., a file that stores one or more modules, a lower program or part of code), or another program or part of a file including data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in markup language document).

The computer program may be placed in a single site or distributed to a plurality of sites and may be implemented to be executed on multiple computers or one or more computers interconnected over wired/wireless communication networks.

A computer-readable medium suitable for storing computer program instructions and data may include semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and a flash memory device, for example, all types of non-volatile memory, media, and memory devices including magnetic disks, such as an internal hard disk or an external disk, magneto optical disks, CDs, and DVDs. The processor and the memory may be supplemented by a logic circuit for a special object or may be integrated into the logic circuit for a special object.

An implementation for executing the subject matter described in this specification may be implemented in an operation system including a backend component, such as a data server, a middleware component, such as an application server, a frontend component, such as a client computer having a web browser or graphic user interface capable of interacting with the implementation of the subject matter described by a user in this specification or all combinations of one or more of the backend, middleware, and frontend components. The component of the system may be accessed by any type or medium for digital data communication, such as a communication network.

Hereinafter, a more detailed embodiment capable of implementing the elements included in the system and method for generating a vibration signal and playing back an image using a vibration signal, described in this specification, along with the aforementioned contents is described in detail.

The method for generating a vibration signal and the method for playing back an image using a vibration signal, which have been described in this specification, may be used partially or generally through a server related to a client device or web-based storage system or means for executing computer software, program code or instructions on one or more processors included in a server. In this case, the processor may be part of a server, a client, network infrastructure, or a computing platform, such as a mobile computing platform or fixed computing platform. More specifically, the processor may be a kind of computer or processing device capable of executing program instructions, code, etc. Furthermore, the processor may further include memory for storing the method, instructions, code or program for generating a vibration signal and playing back an image using a vibration signal. If memory is not included in the processor, the processor may access a storage device, such as CD-ROM, DVD, memory, a hard disk, a flash drive, RAM, ROM, or a cache in which the method, instructions, code or program for generating a vibration signal and playing back an image using a vibration signal is stored, through a separate interface.

Furthermore, the method for generating a vibration signal and the method for playing back an image using a vibration signal, which have been described in this specification, may be used partially or generally through an apparatus for executing computer software on a server, a client, a gateway, a hub, a router or network hardware. In this case, the software may be executed in various types of servers, such as a file server, a print server, a domain server, an Internet server, an intranet server, a host server, and a distributed server. The aforementioned servers may further include memory, a processor, a computer-readable storage medium, a storage medium, a communication device, a port, a client, and an interface capable of accessing other servers over wired/wireless networks.

Furthermore, the method, instructions, or code for generating a vibration signal and playing back an image using a vibration signal may also be executed by a server. Other devices required to execute the method for generating a vibration signal and the method for playing back an image using a vibration signal may be implemented as part of a hierarchical structure associated with the server.

Furthermore, the server may provide an interface to other devices including a client, another server, a printer, a database server, a print server, a file server, communication a server, and a distributed server without limitation. A connection through the interface may enable a program to be easily executed at a remote place over wired/wireless networks.

Furthermore, any one of devices connected to the server through the interface may further include at least one storage device capable of storing the method, instructions or code for generating a vibration signal and playing back an image using a vibration signal. The central processor of the server may provide instructions, code, etc. to be executed on another device to the device so that the instructions, code, etc. are stored in a storage device.

The method for generating a vibration signal and the method for playing back an image using a vibration signal, which have been described in this specification, may be used partially or generally through network infrastructure. In this case, the network infrastructure may include all of devices, such as a computing device, a server, a router, a hub, a firewall, a client, a personal computer, a communication device, and a routing device, and separate modules capable of executing respective functions. The network infrastructure may further include storage media, such as story flash memory, a buffer, a stack, RAM, and ROM, in addition to the aforementioned devices and module. Furthermore, the method, instructions or code for generating a vibration signal and playing back an image using a vibration signal may also be executed by and stored in any one of the device, module, and storage medium included in the network infrastructure. Another device required to execute the method for generating a vibration signal and the method for playing back an image using a vibration signal may also be implemented as part of the network infrastructure.

Furthermore, the method for generating a vibration signal and the method for playing back an image using a vibration signal, which have been described in this specification, may be implemented using hardware or a combination of hardware and software suitable for a particular application. In this case, the hardware includes all of general-purpose computer devices, such as a personal computer and a mobile communication terminal, and a business type specific computer device. The computer device may be implemented using a device, such as memory, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a programmable gate array, programmable array logic or a combination of them.

The aforementioned computer software, instructions, code, etc. may be stored or accessed by a readable device. In this case, the readable device may include memory, such as a computer component including digital data used for computing for a specific time, semiconductor storage, such as RAM or ROM, permanent storage, such as an optical disk, high-capacity storage, such as a hard disk, a tape and a drum, optical storage, such as a CD or DVD, and network access type storage, such as flash memory, a floppy disk, a magnetic tape, a paper tape, an independent type RAM disk, high-capacity storage detachable from a computer, dynamic memory, static memory, variable storage, and cloud. In this case, the instructions, code, etc. include all of languages, such as data-oriented languages, such as SQL and dBase, system languages, such as C, Objective C, C++, and Assembly, architecture languages, such as Java and NET, and application languages, such as PHP, Ruby, Perl, and Python, but are not limited thereto. The instructions, code, etc. may include all of languages widely known to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

Furthermore, the "computer-readable medium" described in this specification includes all of media which contribute to the provision of instruction to a processor in order to execute a program. More specifically, the "computer-readable medium" includes non-volatile media, such as a data storage device, an optical disk and a magnetic disk, volatile media, such as dynamic memory, and transmission media, such as a coaxial cable, a copper wire and an optical fiber for sending data, but is not limited thereto.

The elements for executing the technical characteristics of the present invention included in the flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings of this specification mean the logical boundary between the elements.

In accordance with software or hardware embodiments, however, the illustrated elements and functions thereof are executed in the form of an independent software module, a monolithic software structure, code, a service or a combination of them and are stored in a medium which is executable by a computer including a processor capable of executing stored program code and instructions to implement their functions. Accordingly, all of such embodiments should be construed as belonging to the scope of the present invention.

Accordingly, the accompanying drawings and technologies thereof describe the technical characteristics of the present invention, but should not be simply reasoned unless a specific array of software for implementing such technical characteristics is clearly described otherwise. That is, the aforementioned various embodiments may be present and may be partially modified while having the same technical characteristics as those of the present invention. Accordingly, such modified embodiments should be construed as belonging to the scope of the present invention.

Furthermore, the flowchart describes operations in the drawing in a specific sequence, but has been illustrated to obtain the most preferred results. It should not be understood that such operations must be executed or all the illustrated operations must be executed in the illustrated specific sequence or sequential order. In a specific case, multi-tasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of various system components in the aforementioned embodiments should not be construed as requesting such separation in all the embodiments. It should be understood that the aforementioned program components and systems may be integrated into a single software product or packaged into a multi-software product.

As described above, the detailed terms proposed in this specification are not intended to limit the present invention. Accordingly, although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may reconstruct, change and modify the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description, and the present invention should be construed as covering all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

A method for generating, by a computer comprising a processor and memory, a vibration signal synchronized with an image, the method comprising steps of:

(a) extracting an audio signal from an image;

(b) removing a frequency component of a predetermined range or more from the audio signal;

(c) inserting a sine wave signal into the audio signal from which the frequency component of the predetermined range or more has been removed; and

(d) synchronizing a playback time of the image and a playback time of the audio signal into which the sine wave signal has been inserted.
The method of claim 1, wherein the step (b) comprises removing the frequency component of the predetermined range or more using a low pass filter.
The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of (b1) amplifying or decreasing amplitude of the audio signal from which the frequency component of the predetermined range or more has been removed, after the step (b).
The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) comprises inserting a second audio signal into the audio signal from which the frequency component of the predetermined range or more has been removed in addition to the sine wave signal.
The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of (c1) controlling amplitude or frequency of the inserted sine wave signal, after the step (c).
The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of (c2) normalizing amplitude of the inserted sine wave signal with amplitude of the audio signal, after the step (c).
A method for playing back an image using a vibration signal, the method comprising steps of:

(a) playing back, by a theater server, an image;

(b) transmitting, by the theater server, a vibration signal having a playback time synchronized with a playback time of the image to an external device capable of generating physical vibration; and

(c) receiving, by the external device, the vibration signal and generating physical vibration in response to the vibration signal,

wherein the vibration signal is generated by a computer equipped with a processor and memory using a method for generating a vibration signal, the method comprising:

extracting an audio signal from an image;

removing a frequency component of a predetermined range or more from the audio signal;

inserting a sine wave signal into the audio signal from which the frequency component of the predetermined range or more has been removed; and

synchronizing a playback time of the image and a playback time of the audio signal into which the sine wave signal has been inserted.
The method of claim 7, wherein the external device comprises at least one of a theater speaker and theater chair equipped with means for generating physical vibration in response to the vibration signal.
A program stored in a computer-readable medium in order to execute a method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.