Product category:
Manufacturing communication infrastructure
News Release from: Oki Electric Industry | Subject: ESound Positioning
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 19 February 2007
High quality voice over IP networks
ESound Positioning introduces a new communication style over IP networks adding directions to voice and enabling users to hear multiple people speaking from different directions
Oki Electric Industry has introduced "eSound Positioning," a new function for its software engine, the "eSound engine" that offers high voice quality communication over IP networks eSound Positioning introduces an entirely new communication style over IP networks, as it adds directions to voice, enabling users to hear multiple people speaking from different directions
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 7 Feb 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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OKI's eSound engine with the eSound Positioning function has been selected as the Ubiquitous Communicator for "Tokyo Ubiquitous Technology Project" part of the Free Mobility Project, promoted by the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport in Japan and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
"We are pleased to offer a new communication style unique to IP networks with our eSound and eSound Positioning, making conversations as real as possible," said Shinji Usuba, Director of eSound Venture Unit at Oki Electric Industry.
"We have been developing various voice communication technologies and we are committed to offering a natural and realistic voice conversation over IP networks that is beyond what is possible with conventional phones".
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eSound Positioning is the second function to be added to the eSound engine, following "My eSound," which enables users to enjoy high-quality voice conversation even when communicating with users on a regular phone.
The new eSound Positioning is based on OKI's original technology that allocates each participant's voice in a certain direction by applying the localisation of sound technology.
In a face-to-face conversation, people can sense the delicate difference of sound characteristics depending on the direction a voice is coming from.
However, this is difficult to duplicate in a regular phone conversation.
With eSound Positioning, users can now hear voices from different directions simultaneously, based on an advanced signal processing technology.
With the eSound Positioning, various new applications can be achieved, which had previously been impossible.
For example, in a regular conference call with multiple participants, it is difficult to differentiate the speakers when they speak at once.
OKI's eSound Positioning assigns a virtual location to each individual thus enabling users to hear each other each speaking from his or her unique direction, just as in a real conversation.
This is accomplished by using a wide bandwidth codec for high voice quality communication.
Thus, it significantly increases the performance of effectiveness conference calls.
In a regular phone conversation, it is also difficult to exploit the "cocktail party effect," in which people can focus on a certain talker among a mixture of voices.
However, with the eSound Positioning, users can focus on a single talker, such as in situations when working with a simultaneous interpreter over the phone.
Other such applications are possible in cases where IP network is used, such as in communication equipment including IP telephones, soft phones, PDAs, smart phones and mobile phones, digital home appliances, and game consoles.
The eSound engine has been selected to be used in the "Ubiquitous Communicator," at the "Tokyo Ubiquitous Technology Project in Ginza".
This is a field test for the Free Mobility Project being held from January 20, 2007 in Ginza Tokyo.
In this experiment, by combining the eSound Positioning function with applications such as accelerometer sensors or location information, the Ubiquitous Communicator can work as destination guides for travelers or as evacuation guides when blackouts or disasters occur "We appreciate OKI's participation as a corporate supporter in the Free Mobility Project," said Ken Sakamura, PhD, Chairman of Free Mobility Project, Professor of The University of Tokyo Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies Graduate School of The University of Tokyo, and Director of YRP Ubiquitous Networking labouratory.
"We hope OKI will continue to offer applications and user-friendly services like the eSound engine, which is a middleware that will enrich the information infrastructure with its wide range of applications".
"We expect that this ultimately will help to enrich Japan's lifestyle, as we enter the era of low birth rates and an aging society".
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